How to get hired at Orlando Fire Department

Written by a career firefighter · Updated 2026-11-04

Orlando Fire Department hires only candidates who are already Florida-certified firefighters and EMTs or paramedics. It hires every one to two years: candidates apply through the city's job portal, and selected applicants are contacted for testing, a background check and a medical exam. Candidates can submit an interest card to be notified of openings.

Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page

Minimum requirements

• Florida firefighter certification src
• Florida EMT or paramedic certification src
• U.S. citizen src
• No tobacco use in the past year src
• No controlled substance use or possession in the past 3 years src
• No DUI/DWI conviction in the past 4 years src
• No felony conviction, no-contest plea or withheld adjudication src

Certifications

• EMT: required at application
• Firefighter I/II: required

Source: official page

Hiring process

1. Check eligibility
2. Apply on city job portal
3. Screening; selected applicants contacted for testing
4. Background check
5. Medical exam and drug screen

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.