Firefighter Applicant Process

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• Firefighter Applicant Process
• START to FINISH

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SAFD APPLICANT PROCESS
Apply August 2011 (completed 8/26/11) Exa
m October 2011 CPAT Practice
Nov.2011Jan.2012 CPAT TEST -
TBA Personal History Statement Feb. 2012
1st Class June-Aug. 2012 2nd
Class Medical, Psychological,
Polygraph June-Aug. 2012 Class 1 Class
Starts Jan.-Feb. 2013 Class 2 Time frames are
approximate
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First Phase MEET QUALIFICATIONS

• The minimum qualifications applicants must meet
  in order to take the Firefighters entrance
  examination include
• Be at least 19 years of age, but have not
  reached 34 years of age by the date of taking the
  entrance exam.
• Do NOT have any of the following items on their
  record
• Conviction of a felony or other crime involving
  moral turpitude.
• Any discharge from the Armed Forces other than
  honorable discharge (Uncharacterized and Entry
  Level discharges may be accepted on individual
  basis).
• Two or more traffic violation convictions within
  the 12 months preceding the date of taking the
  written examination.
• Conviction of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or
  its equivalent within the 24 months preceding the
  date of taking the written examination.
• Conviction of a Driving While Intoxicated,
  Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, or the
  equivalent within the 5 years preceding the date
  of taking the written examination.

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MEET QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a high school graduate or its equivalent
  (GED).
• Applicants must be able to read, write, and speak
  in the English language.
• Must have completed the Hepatitis B vaccine
  series prior to their date of entry into the Fire
  Training Academy.

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TAKE WRITTEN EXAM

• Entrance Exam Application The San Antonio Fire
  Department posts official notices on this page
  announcing dates for taking the SAFD written
  Civil Service entrance examination for a given
  year. In order to take the exam, applicants must
  first submit an application.Entrance Exam
  Applicants must pass the Civil Service entrance
  examination with a minimum score of 70. The exam
  consists of one hundred (100) questions with a
  two hour and thirty minute time limit. The exam
  location is listed in the announcement and is
  typically a known venue in San Antonio. Some
  helpful resources to use for preparing for the
  exam
• "Firefighter" by ARCO, available for purchase at
  major bookstores or online.
• Firefighter Exams by BARRONS, available for
  purchase at major bookstores or online.
• The Encyclopedia of Firefighter Examinations
  (Vol. 1), available at www.fireprep.com or by
  calling 1-800-989-FIRE.
• Veterans are eligible to receive five (5)
  additional points after passing the exam with a
  minimum of 70. A copy of DD Form 214 copy 2, 4,
  6, 7, or 8 showing a minimum of 180 days
  consecutive service must be received by the date
  specified in the exam announcement in order to
  have the veterans preference points added to the
  passing score. Active Duty members of the
  military anticipating an Honorable Discharge
  before the start of a Fire Academy class can
  receive a conditional five (5) additional points.
  They must produce a letter, signed by an
  officer in their chain of command, stating that
  they will discharge under honorable conditions.
  They must present their DD214 prior to the start
  of their Fire Academy class in order to keep
  their position on the eligibility list.

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PLACEMENT ON ELIGIBILITY LIST

• Eligibility List If an applicant passes the
  entrance exam, their name is placed on the
  eligibility list. Applicant names are listed in
  rank order based on their test scores - highest
  scores at the top and lowest scores at the
  bottom. A lottery system is used to rank
  applicants that have the same passing score.
  After taking the written exam, applicants are
  asked to draw a number. This number is attached
  to their answer sheet at the scoring table. If
  several applicants receive the same score, the
  numbers that were drawn will determine the
  ranking on the eligibility list.

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Second Phase Firefighter Candidates

• Second Phase Firefighter Candidates
• After meeting the minimum requirements and
  successfully completing the entrance exam, SAFD
  applicants must complete a series of tests and
  assessments

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Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)

• The CPAT is made up of eight separate events
  that are meant to simulate the strenuous,
  physical activities a Firefighter would have to
  do when responding to a fire. The CPAT is a
  timed, pass/fail test.
• The official CPAT video can be seen at
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vF330qzb62J4

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Applicant Processing

• Candidates that pass the CPAT will proceed to the
  next steps in
• the process according to their placement on the
  eligibility list.
• Behavioral Personal Assessment
• Background investigation
• Medical and Psychological Evaluation
• Polygraph
• Candidates who successfully complete the tests
  and assessments for this phase
• in the hiring process will have their files
  submitted to the City Manager for
• final consideration and selection. If selected,
  candidates receive notification
• of when to report to the San Antonio Fire
  Academy.
• After being selected for the Academy, the
  processing of the candidate
• continues to the next phase Firefighter Cadet.

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Third Phase Firefighter Cadets Now its time
for Training!! 

• Firefighter Candidates who are appointed to the
  San Antonio Fire Academy by the City Manager
  undergo about six months of extensive academic
  and physical training, including
• SAFD's 940-hour, 25 week fire fighting program,
  earning their certification as a Basic Structural
  Firefighter.
• SAFDs 200-hour Emergency Medical Technician
  curriculum, earning their Basic Emergency Medical
  Technician certification.

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Continued Emphasis on Physical Fitness

• Cardiovascular fitness is basic to the
  profession of firefighting, and if a Candidate is
  selected to attend the San Antonio Fire Academy,
  it is extremely important to show up in good
  shape. The Cadet Fitness Cover Letter and the
  Cadet Fitness Program outline the SAFD Cadet
  Physical Training Program. Keep in mind that
  these documents indicate the minimum fitness
  level a Candidate should be at upon entry to the
  academy. We also recommend that incoming Cadets
  be able to achieve the following
• Run 1.5 miles in less than 1300 minutes.
• Complete 30 push-ups in 1 minute.
• 5 Pull-ups
• Complete 40 sit-ups in 1 minute.
• Have a Body Fat Index of less than 20.
• Sit Reach of 19 inches

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After Graduation from the Fire Academy

• Graduating Firefighters, also known as
  Probationary Fire Fighters, will immediately
  participate in standard fire service activities
  such as fire suppression, inspections, rescue
  operations, pre-fire planning, and station and
  equipment maintenance.

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Promotional Opportunities

• Promotional opportunities to the next higher rank
  begin three years from the date a Firefighter
  entered the Fire Academy. At that point, they
  are eligible to take a promotional examination
  for the next higher rank. Examinations are given
  yearly and an eligibility list is formed with the
  passing scores. Individuals on the list are
  eligible for promotion as vacancies occur within
  the department. As employees are promoted,
  additional assignment opportunities will open up
  in areas such as
• Emergency Medical Service
• Fire Prevention
• Arson Bureau
• Fire Training Academy
• Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Team
• Hazardous Materials Response Team
• Technical Rescue Team
• Wildland/Urban Interface Team