Job Information

ST. PETERSBURG FIRE RESCUE
400 M. L. KING JR. STREET SOUTH
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA 33701

http://www.stpete.org/fire/

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Bookmark: http://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/fullJobDetails.cfm?agencyjobid=777&jobid=2&agentid=94

Updated: September 02, 2025

Job Classification: Firefighter/Paramedic

Required Certifications:

Currently Certified as a State of Florida Firefighter II

Currently Certified as a State of Florida Paramedic (National Registry Accepted)

If the applicant does not currently hold the two above requirements, the applicant will not be considered for hiring as a Firefighter/Paramedic.

This position requires FireTEAM and a valid CPAT through National Testing Network (NTN). DO NOT call the City of St. Petersburg or Fire Department for selection status. Please visit the SPFR website for FAQs regarding the hiring process.

Salary Information:
7 Year Step Pay Plan:
Firefighter/Paramedic: $70,441 (Entry Level FY25)

Work Schedule: 24 hours on, 48 hours off, with a relief day (R-Day) every 7th shift (every three weeks.) This is a 48-hour workweek.

SPFR provides ALS first response, with a private third party providing EMS transport.

Note: At time of entry, Firefighter/Paramedics will be assigned to a Monday through Friday 8am-5pm schedule for orientation and Paramedic training. Then, for fire suppression probation FF/Paramedics will be assigned to a 24 hour, 3 shift schedule. If you have further questions specific to these schedules, please contact us for clarification.

Benefit Information:

A cost-shared major health insurance program for employee and family members with several options: HMO, PPO, EPO. The city pays 75% of the health insurance premium, while the employee pays 25%.
City pension system with a 3% multiplier per year for all credible years of service.
7-year deferred retirement option plan (D.R.O.P.)
Optional deferred compensation program with ICMA.
Credit Union Program.
Life Insurance provided, plus additional life insurance offered through the St. Petersburg Association of Firefighters.
Fully vested in the pension system after 10-years of service.
Annual vacation leave of 144 hours for years 1 through 5, which increases with additional years of service up to 240 hours max at 20+ years.
Eleven paid holidays.
Tuition reimbursement program.
Relief day (R-Day) every 7th shift (every three weeks.)
“Kid Leave”- eight weeks of paid maternity/paternity leave from date of child’s birth or adoption.
Annual physicals provided at no additional cost to the employee.

Contact Human Resources Employment and Recruitment if further assistance is needed:
Attn: Kaylyn Eckert-Haemmelmann
Email: spfrjobs@stpete.org

Department Overview:
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is recognized by local businesses, residents, and regional fire agencies as a progressive, well trained and customer-centered fire rescue organization, which places a high premium on quality service. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has an energetic staff at all levels of the organization who are dedicated to providing the highest level of service delivery possible. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is consistently working to achieve the highest level of professionalism and efficiency on behalf of those it serves. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has recognized that developing customer focus is an absolute necessity. Our workforce culture reflects a respectful team atmosphere that is nurtured by fair practices, open communication processes and up-to-date procedures that guide the decisions of our personnel. Our mission will be accomplished by a physically fit, healthy, and increasingly diverse work force, well trained in a multitude of specialized skills, and empowered with a high level of involvement in our success.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is a proud organization with a total staff of over 350 personnel, consisting of over 30 pieces of frontline firefighting, medical, and specialty apparatus. This includes 10 ALS Rescues, 13 ALS capable engine companies (2 of which are Quints,) 4 truck companies, 1 squad, 1 heavy rescue, a fire/rescue boat, and other specialty equipment, all located within our 12 fire stations. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue responds to a high volume of fire suppression, emergency medical, and specialty team calls, totaling just over 65,000 incidents in 2018. The department also responds to other types of incidents through specialized teams which include a Technical Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Team, SWAT Paramedics, and a Dive and Marine Rescue Team.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is proud to be an internationally accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, and is ranked as a Class 1 fire department by the Insurance Services Office (ISO Class 1.) A Class 1 rating is the highest rating attainable, and shared by only 24 departments in Florida, and less than 178 in the nation. Even fewer departments share the combination of accreditation combined with a Class 1 rating. Under the direction of Chief James Large, and with support from the City Government, there is a commitment to outlining and forecasting future goals and initiatives that will ultimately lead to an even more effective and efficiently operated agency.

City Information:
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County offer an unequaled environment for work and play. Wonderful weather and miles of sandy beaches, a relatively low cost of living, agreeable taxes, and progressive employment opportunities draw people to the area from around the nation and the world. Add to these amenities quality schools, colleges and universities, top-notch health care, affordable housing, and outstanding arts and recreational facilities, and it is easy to see why St. Petersburg and Pinellas County are so attractive to new residents and visitors alike. The downtown area is located on one of our nation's most beautiful waterfront parks, and is fast becoming one of the most attractive, livable and viable downtowns in the country. As Florida's fifth largest city, with an average age of 39, St. Petersburg in recent years has hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four, the 1996 Vice Presidential debates, welcomed the Rays Baseball team into our city's Tropicana Field as their permanent home and shared in the job growth of the Tampa Bay region that has led the nation. St. Petersburg is home to one of the world's finest year-round climates, offers a stunning array of attractions including world-class museum exhibitions, major league sports activities, boating, sailing, fishing and just pure enjoyment relaxing on our world class beaches. Pinellas County is a beautiful peninsula located on Florida's West coast; the area is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west and by Tampa Bay to the east. Pinellas County offers 35 miles of white-sand beaches on some 20 barrier islands. Pinellas County is within minutes of many popular Florida attractions.

Population:
City of St. Petersburg: 265,098 (5th largest city in Florida, US Census Bureau, 2018)
Pinellas County: 975,280 (US Census Bureau, 2018)

Job Requirements

Age:
18

Citizenship Required:
No

High School Grad / GED:
Yes

Driver's License:
Yes

Ability to Read/Speak English:
Yes

Candidate Testing:

For this position, candidates must achieve a passing score on the video-based Fire Team test at National Testing Network.

A current CPAT and Fire Team test are required for this position. After scheduling their Fire Team test, candidates can schedule a CPAT on this same web site, www.NationalTestingNetwork.com

Vision:

Far visual acuity: Far visual acuity shall be at least 20/30 binocular corrected with contact lenses or eyeglasses. Far visual acuity uncorrected shall be at least 20/100 binocular for wearers of hard contacts or spectacles. Successful long-term soft contact lens wearers shall not be subject to the uncorrected criterion.
Peripheral vision: Visual field performance without correction shall be 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye.
Required to pass the Titmus II Color Vision test (ability to distinguish between red, yellow and green).
Any recent or former history of ophthalmic surgery will require a medical clearance from the City of St. Petersburg’s medical provider.
Any other eye condition that results in a person not being able to perform the essential job functions of a Firefighter, NFPA 1582.

Specific Disqualifiers/Behaviors :
Felony, Criminal Activity Disqualifiers:
Must not have any felony convictions. Must not have any misdemeanor convictions involving moral turpitude.

Conviction or plea of nolo contendere of a felony, or conviction of a misdemeanor directly related to the position of firefighter, shall exclude an applicant from employment for a period of four (4) years after the expiration of sentence or final release by the Parole Commission unless the applicant, prior to the expiration of the four (4) year period, has received a full pardon or has had his or her civil rights restored. Where the sentence of an applicant is suspended or adjudication is withheld and a period of probation is imposed, the applicant must have been released from probation before being eligible for employment. See F.S. 112.011(2)(b) and F.S. 633.34(2).

Driving Disqualifiers:
A poor driving record will classify a candidate as undesirable; however, it will not necessarily remove a candidate from consideration.

Drug Use Disqualifiers:
Any current (within the last twelve months) use or experimentation with drugs classified as controlled substances, or any other illegal drugs, while not under the care of a licensed physician. Any person who has sold, offered for sale, induced or attempted to induce another person in the use of illegal drugs may be disqualified.

Tobacco Use Disqualifier:
The applicant must be a non-user of tobacco products for at least one year prior to date of application.

Employment Disqualifiers:
A poor employment record will classify a candidate as undesirable; however, it will not necessarily remove a candidate from consideration.

Financial Disqualifiers:
A poor credit history and financial background will classify a candidate as undesirable; however, it will not necessarily remove a candidate from consideration.

Additional Disqualifiers:
The decision to remove an applicant's name from the selection process shall be made by the Human Resources Director (or designee). It shall be the responsibility of the Human Resources Director (or designee) to notify the applicant that his/her application will not be further considered. The following are established as reasons for which removal may be made:

Falsification of documents (e.g., Employment Application, Personal History Questionnaire, Statement of Employability).
Dishonorably discharged from any of the armed forces of the United States.
A determination that an applicant is not of good moral character will result in his/her removal from consideration.

An applicant will be removed from consideration whose overall traits are deemed as undesirable. Evidence of undesirability includes, but is not limited to:

Demonstrated pattern of lack of responsibility
Demonstrated pattern of problems with interpersonal relationships
Demonstrated disregard of local, state, and/or federal law
Beliefs which would prevent applicant from performing the job of a firefighter
Incidents of deception
Poor employment record
Poor driving record

The severity of any one particular problem may, but not necessarily, cause the applicant to be removed from consideration. In determining the applicant's overall fitness, the entire background of the individual will be considered to determine if there is a pattern of behavior that is not conducive to satisfactory job performance.

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