How to get hired at Hillsborough County Fire Rescue
Hiring statusStatus unknown
Applications are accepted only during periodic open recruitments; no current dates are posted. Contact a recruiter at https://www.joinhcfr.com/contact-recruiter. src
LocationTampa, FL
Career firefighters1,175
Stations47
HCFR hires firefighters who are already certified: applicants need a Florida Firefighter II Certificate of Compliance and a Florida EMT certification before applying. Applications are taken only during periodic open recruitments set by operational need, through the county's online careers portal. Selection includes an oral interview board, background check, medical exam with nicotine screening, and drug screening.
Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page
Minimum requirements
- High school diploma or GED src
- Florida driver license src
- Florida Certificate of Compliance (Firefighter II) src
- Florida EMT certification src
- Tobacco-free for at least one year before employment (notarized affidavit) src
- No tattoos on head, face or neck; other visible tattoos reviewed by the Fire Chief src
- Driving record, criminal history and drug-use standards with set lookback periods src
Certifications
- EMT: required at application
- Firefighter I/II: required
Source: official page
Tests
- Oral interview board (oral) src
- Medical exam with nicotine screening; possible polygraph and/or psychological test (other) src
Hiring process
- Earn Florida FF II and EMT certifications
- Apply during an open recruitment
- Oral interview board
- Background investigation
- Medical exam and drug/nicotine screening
- Possible polygraph and/or psychological test
Source: official page
Checked 2026-11-05 against the department's official pages (linked). Hiring windows open and close quickly; always confirm on the official site before you apply. See every academy, EMT program and test site in Florida.