Firefighter Recruit-Accelerated Academy

Loudoun County Government has been named one of Forbes' 2025 Best Large Employers! We're proud to be recognized nationally for our commitment to employee satisfaction and excellence in public service. At Loudoun County, we bring together talented professionals from all backgrounds to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic, growing community - that's The Loudoun Difference.

Welcome and thank you for your interest in employment with Loudoun County Government!

ALL SECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMPLETED IN ITS ENTIRETY. THE RESUME IS CONSIDERED SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ONLY. APPLICATIONS THAT ARE INCOMPLETE OR INDICATE 'SEE RESUME' WILL NOT BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

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Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) delivers essential emergency and non-emergency Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from 21 strategically located stations, responding to more than 53,000 incidents annually. LCFR, as part of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS), provides administrative, operational, and logistical support for the County's 15 volunteer fire and rescue companies, the LC-CFRS Executive Committee, and its governance structure. LC-CFRS is comprised of approximately 902 career employees and 800+ active operational and administrative volunteers. The Department is a growing organization that serves a large and diverse population located 30 miles northwest of Washington, DC. We provide a full range of emergency and non-emergency services to approximately 440,000 residents within a 520-square mile area. Additional information about the Department is located at www.loudoun.gov/fire.

We seek to hire a highly motivated, effective, and diverse workforce to meet the needs of the County's citizens and visitors and support the Department's core values of Teamwork, Integrity, Professionalism, and Service. Loudoun County offers a meaningful career, a competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package. Additional information is available at www.loudoun.gov/benefits. Additional information about the hiring process is accessible at https://www.lcfrcareers.org.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue is currently seeking qualified applicants to establish a candidate pool for the position of Firefighter/EMT for an Accelerated Recruit School tentatively planned to start April 8, 2027. Selected candidates are expected to provide skilled emergency and non-emergency related services, including, but not limited to fire suppression, basic and advanced pre-hospital emergency medical care, hazardous materials incident response, technical rescue operations, life safety, public education program delivery, and other duties, as assigned. All candidates will be required to successfully complete an accelerated Fire and Rescue Recruit School before being assigned to a fire and rescue station. Recruit School is expected to last approximately 16 weeks, inclusive of BLS precepting in Operations.

While in Recruit School, Recruits will be assigned to a 40-hour work week. During BLS precepting and upon successful completion of Recruit School, personnel transition to a 48-hour work week. This schedule equates to 24 hours on shift, 48 hours off shift with an assigned "Kelly day" (Kelly Day- A regularly scheduled day off at a scheduled interval to ensure a consistent 48-hour average work schedule). Employees' salaries will remain the same upon transition from a 40-hour schedule to a 48-hour schedule.

ALS Benefit: Upon successful completion of Recruit School, ALS providers who achieve Local Authorization are eligible for a one-time, lump sum incentive, in addition to an ALS Specialty Pay adjustment. The current one-time, lump sum incentive values are as follows: AEMT - $5,000 and Paramedic - $10,000. After obtaining AEMT authorization and receiving the initial AEMT bonus, employees who upgrade and obtain local authorization as a Paramedic may request an additional $5,000 incentive lump-sum payment. The current ALS Specialty Pay levels, in addition to base salary are as follows: Advanced (AEMT) - $7,354.38, and Paramedic - $15,759.38.

Employees that do not possess ALS certifications may apply to participate in certification programs hosted by LCFR to obtain ALS certification, in accordance with Department policy.

Other Specialty Pay: LCFR supports career development through specialty teams and programs offering annual stipends, divided across bi-weekly pay periods.

Examples are: Hazardous Materials Program, Swiftwater Rescue Program, Peer Support Team, and Bilingual.

Education Benefit: Applicants with a Bachelor's degree start at Step 2, those with a Master's Degree at Step 3.

Experience Benefit: Applicants with career fire and rescue experience from Departments with an established recruit training academy may receive year-for-year credit, up to 3 steps (placement at Step 4). Applicants with career fire and rescue experience from other jurisdictions without recruit training experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants who completed an LC-CFRS Volunteer Fire School Program and are active LC-CFRS Operational Volunteer Members may receive one (1) Step for every two (2) full years of Volunteer Member experience up to 3 steps (placement at Step 4). Step credits earned for career and volunteer experience may not be combined.

Non-Uniformed LCFR employees who are selected for Uniformed Firefighter positions will receive one (1) Step if they have completed two (2) or more full years of employment with LCFR.

Applicants may receive both educational and experience step credits. Generally, total step credits may not exceed placement of Step 8. A previous Uniformed employee of LCFR may be rehired and placed higher than Step 8 on a case-by-case basis.

Current starting salary by Step is as follows: Step 1 - $65,138.75, Step 2 - $68,395.69, Step 3 - $71,815.47 Step 4 - $73,969.94, Step 5 - $76,189.03, Step 6 - $78,474.71, Step 7 - $80,828.95, and Step 8 - $83,253.81

Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, must hold a valid driver's license, and possess a High School Diploma or GED by time of hire.

As part of the selection process, applicants may be disqualified for use of drugs, certain driving violations, or other factors based on selection criteria. Successful candidates may not use tobacco, nicotine, or vaping products of any kind on or off duty upon hire, and for the duration of their employment with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. If you would like additional information or have any questions, contact Fire and Rescue Human Resources via LCFRHiring@loudoun.gov.

Candidates MUST possess all of the following certifications by the date of ad closure: NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations, NFPA 1010 (previously 1001) Firefighter 1, NFPA 1010 (previously 1001) Firefighter 2, and Virginia or National Registry EMT (or higher). To show proof of certification(s), candidates must submit Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) certificates (or full VDFP transcript), or certificates showing equivalency through the Pro-Board Fire Service Professional Qualifications System and/or International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. Candidates may submit NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Operations certificates that do not meet the criteria above for consideration. All certifications must be sent to LCFRHiring@loudoun.gov, no later than 11:59 pm by date of ad closure.

The selection process includes the successful completion of a Comprehensive Written Examination, Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), Polygraph Examination, Comprehensive background check, including NCIC/VCIN criminal history check, fingerprinting, a driving record check, interview, and an NFPA 1580 Medical Examination/Substance Abuse Screening to be placed in the eligibility pool, as well as filling out the LCFR Supplemental Question form located here (https://lfportal.loudoun.gov/Forms/FRQuestionnaire). The number of candidates selected to move through each stage of the process will be based on the number of available vacancies. Please note, all written testing will be conducted online. Applicants will need access to a computer with a camera, microphone, and a reliable internet connection. Online Written test dates and CPAT dates will be communicated following the date of ad closure to qualified applicants. Valid CPAT certifications will only be accepted once reviewed and vetted by our Wellness Center Manager.

Preference will be given to those candidates possessing one or more of the following: Virginia or National Registry Advanced EMT (AEMT), Virginia or National Registry Paramedic, Loudoun County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Experience, career fire and rescue experience from Departments with an established recruit training academy, and/or Military Experience. Preference will also be given to those candidates possessing VDFP NFPA 1010 (previously 1002) Emergency Vehicle Operator-Level III.

To be considered for advancement in the hiring process applicants must complete the application, the Applicant Supplemental Questionnaire AND submit all required certifications/transcripts no later than 11:59pm on the date of ad closure. Failure to complete the questionnaire will result in immediate disqualification from the hiring process.

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Loudoun County Government prides itself on fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that promotes employee wellness and work-life balance. As an equal opportunity employer, we consider all qualified applicants regardless of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or other non-merit factors.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who wish to request a reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process should call Human Resources directly at

703-777-0213 or email Human Resources.