How to get hired at Saint Louis Fire Department
St. Louis hires entry-level firefighters as Probationary Fire Privates, a civil service job the City Personnel Department posts every few years as needed. Applicants take a timed Physical Abilities Test and a structured oral interview, and are ranked on an eligible list that can stay active for two years or more. Those hired complete an 18-week Fire Academy, earn Missouri Firefighter I/II and Hazmat certifications, and must get a Missouri EMT license within one year.
Minimum requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent src
- Age 18 to 33, with up to 6 extra years allowed for military service src
- Must pass a pre-employment drug screen and physical src
- Missouri EMT license within one year of employment, maintained after that src
- Must pass a character investigation src
Certifications
- EMT: required by end of probation
- Firefighter I/II: not required (academy provided)
Source: official page
Tests
- SLFD Physical Abilities Test (PAT) (physical): Timed six-station course in about 35 lb of gear, including stair climb with hose hoist and a Keiser sled. Not CPAT. src
- Structured oral interview (oral): Behavior-based questions scored by a panel, usually with no pass/fail cutoff src
Hiring process
- Apply online or by paper form
- Physical Abilities Test
- Structured oral interview
- Weighted score and eligible list
- Character investigation
- Job offer
- Pre-employment medical and drug screen
- Fire Academy (18 weeks)
- Missouri EMT license within one year
Source: official page
Academy
18-week Fire Academy, ending with Missouri Division of Fire Safety Firefighter I/II and Hazmat Awareness/Operations testing. Recruits with accepted IFSAC/ProBoard FF I/II do at least 8 weeks of department training instead. 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 Missouri.