Bellingham Fire Department (BFD) does not require any schooling or certifications to be considered. No previous fire or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) experience is necessary, however this is a highly sought after position and the process is competitive. It takes practice and commitment to be successful in the hiring process. All individuals who are hired will attend a recruit academy which is designed to teach all the necessary skills for the job, including Emergency Medical Technician certification.
Candidates must be 21.
We encourage candidates to gain life experience that’s valuable to them. Individuals are unique so this will vary from person to person but it may be helpful to gain experience that is related to the fire service such as working as a volunteer firefighter, taking an EMT class, or taking fire science classes at a technical college. Any life experience in which candidates can show compassion, a desire to serve their community, or to advance their education or job readiness will be advantageous towards getting hired.
Since everybody brings different assets to the table and has different levels of experience, there is no single answer to this question. There are many other resources, including books, classes and on-line resources that are available, should you choose to use them. Below are some tips that may be helpful.
- Arrive early. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to minimize stress. Candidates who are late will not be allowed to begin their interview.
- Be Prepared. Know your life story and write it down. Think about how your life experiences apply to firefighting and how they make you unique.
- Practice interviewing with friends or family.
- Reflect on:
Why you would be a great firefighter
Why do you want to be a firefighter for Bellingham Fire Department
What does Helping People Everyday mean to you
All entry level candidates are required to go through the recruit academy regardless of past experience. Candidates who meet the requirements of Lateral Firefighter may go through separate training or an abbreviated academy depending on their skills and training.
Entry-level candidates will go through recruit academy and receive firefighting and EMT training necessary to work for Bellingham Fire Department whether or not state certifications transfer.
All out of state applicants, entry-level or lateral, who are already credentialed must have successfully passed a NREMT written examination within the last 12 months as part of the State of Washington reciprocity process. Applicants who have not done so within the last 12 months are required to pass an NREMT written as part of the reciprocity process at the level of certification they hold. (Certification levels are EMT-B or Paramedic. BFD & Whatcom County do not permit practice at the Advanced EMT level).
There are additional requirements to practice as a paramedic in Whatcom County. These include completing 1 year of probation, passing a local protocol test, and completing an onboarding process that includes prescribed evaluations and other requirements. This additional training and evaluation for paramedics can take an additional 3-8 months to successfully complete depending upon the individual applicant experience and aptitude. Paramedics are not guaranteed the ability to practice as paramedics if they cannot successfully complete the extra requirements and may be reverted to EMT-B status.
Washington State and Whatcom County have an established reciprocity process. Transferring certification requirements vary state by state. Verification of certification for out of state applicants is required as part of the application process for the state of Washington which can take several weeks to complete. It is recommended that you submit your certifications at the proper time during the application process or at time of hire, and they will be reviewed for compliance with local requirements.
Yes- Applicants who have been honorably discharged from active military duty may be eligible to receive veteran’s scoring criteria points as provided by Washington State Law (RCW 41.04.010). Candidates who would like to claim Veteran’s Preference points must include a copy of their DD214 with their City of Bellingham application.
You can learn more in the Preparing for Academy section of the What We Look For page.
Bellingham Fire Department offers an accredited Paramedic program in conjunction with Bellingham Technical College. After successfully completing probation, firefighters can apply to the paramedic program when such opportunities are announced. Paramedic students spend about a year in an academic classroom and working with paramedic preceptors on ALS ambulances serving Whatcom County. The exact timing of training depends on a student’s skill, call volume and individual needs.
Bellingham Fire Department has specialty programs for SWAT Medics, Hazmat Technicians, Boat, and Truck (Aerial Apparatus). When there are openings in these programs, interested firefighters go through an interview process for their area of interest, then complete additional on-the-job training to become certified.
For specific details for each academy, please reference the job announcement. If we are currently outside of the testing window, please sign up for our job interest alerts to receive an email notification when we are accepting applications.
NTN Test cutoff scores set by the Bellingham Fire Department are: Human Relations – 70%; Mechanical – 60%; Math – 70%; Reading -80%. Candidates must also achieve a combined average score of 80%. Human Resources will notify all candidates of their test results (pass/fail) after the testing window closes.
