How to get hired at Houston Fire Department
Houston hires both non-certified Firefighter/EMT Trainees, who earn Fire and EMT Basic certification in the HFD academy, and certified trainees who already hold Texas fire and/or EMT certification. Applicants file an official online application; the Civil Service Exam and Physical Ability Test are by invitation, first come first served. Academy length runs from about 10 weeks for fully certified recruits to about 9 months for non-certified recruits.
Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page
Minimum requirements
- At least 18 when applying and under 36 before taking the oath of office src
- Non-certified track: 15 accredited college hours, or 2 years full-time active military service with honorable discharge src
- Certified track: TCFP fire certification (Basic or higher) and/or Texas DSHS EMT-Basic or higher src
- No more than 2 moving violations in the past 36 months src
- No Class A or felony convictions, no current court-ordered supervision/probation, no misconduct discharge barring further military service src
Certifications
- EMT: not required
- Firefighter I/II: not required (academy provided)
Source: official page
Tests
- City of Houston Civil Service Exam (CSE) (written): By invitation, first come first served; next projected January 2027 src
- HFD Physical Ability Test (PAT) (physical): By invitation src
Hiring process
- Apply online and meet minimum qualifications
- Civil Service Exam (by invitation)
- Physical Ability Test (by invitation)
- Fingerprinting and processing documents
- Academy
Source: official page
Starting pay
Trainee (cadet) $37,388/yr; Probationary Firefighter $57,508/yr (table effective 07/01/2026) src
Academy
About 9 months non-certified; about 10 weeks (Fire & EMT certified), 3 months (Fire only) or 6 months (EMT only) src
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 Texas.