Escambia Fire Rescue Now Hiring For Paid, Entry Level Firefighting Cadet Program

March 23, 2021

Escambia County has created a paid entry level firefighting position for fire cadets. While attending the fire academy, cadets will receive on-the-job training, a salary and a full range of county benefits including health insurance.

Cadets will attend fire academy classes and other formal training programs to prepare them for state certification as a career firefighter. This also includes participating in fire training drills and observing emergency and non-emergency responses.

“There are a lot of great opportunities with ECFR right now,” said Interim Fire Chief Paul Williams. “We’re looking for volunteer and career firefighters. The cadet program provides a path to get training and receive compensation and benefits. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Fire cadets are allotted one year from time of employment to complete minimum standard training and obtain the required Firefighter II certification with the State of Florida. Incumbents promote from cadet to firefighter upon completion of the course and passing the state test.

Applicants must be age 18 or older and possess a valid driver’s license.

The annual salary for the position is $20,800.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Comments

9 Responses to “Escambia Fire Rescue Now Hiring For Paid, Entry Level Firefighting Cadet Program”

  1. CHARLIE ODOM on March 26th, 2021 1:07 pm

    Wow…risk your life for 10 bucks an hour when you can work as a bartender or waitress and make double that or more?

    Yet they wonder why they can’t find people for these jobs!

  2. Joe on March 26th, 2021 9:24 am

    @Josh Jones escambia county fire rescue is the lowest paid fire department in the state of Florida if you didn’t know. For covering 875 sq miles, we work more for less. In 2019 alone ECFR responded to 270 working structure fires and 166 working vehicle fires combined that’s a fire everyday of the year in Escambia county. We are one of the busiest fire departments in the state of Florida. Yet we are the lowest paid. We work more with less.

  3. Charlie Dillard on March 24th, 2021 12:53 pm

    Escambia County please pay more to the fireman.
    Up the fire tax, Please!
    The better the fire dept. the lower your house insurance.
    Please build the new Beulah Fire House In OLF 8. and leave room for a training
    facility.
    Charlie

  4. BT on March 24th, 2021 8:32 am

    I think I just heard a bunch of people volunteering to pay more taxes! That’s great. Don’t forget raises for our teachers, police, and the whole government administrative team!

  5. Big Jim on March 23rd, 2021 5:20 pm

    Accoring to Census 2019 Median household income was $50,915. Sounds like they will be a firefighter on food stamps to save lives and live. Unacceptable.

  6. SL on March 23rd, 2021 5:18 pm

    Great plan! ***sarcasm*** Other local fire departments have tried before though. Pay people to get standards (state firefighter certification) and get them some experience so that when other Panhandle fire departments have openings they can get scooped up leaving the county budget at a loss for gear and training costs when they could just increase pay and benefits to attract and retain quality personnel that are already certified. But what do I know???

  7. CW on March 23rd, 2021 3:25 pm

    @Josh Jones

    Even at $30k for a paid firefighter, that is not enough to live on in this day and age, especially for a job that involves putting your life on the line. So many firefighters have to work second jobs on their days off from the fire dept.

  8. Josh Jones on March 23rd, 2021 12:23 pm

    @Citizen

    You’re not comparing apples to apples. From the website: “This is an entry level position to train to become a Firefighter.”

    After the Cadet successfully transitions to the position of Firefighter the salary is $30,687.93. According to Indeed.com the Escambia County Firefighter position salary is 31% less than the national average.

  9. Citizen on March 23rd, 2021 9:27 am

    shift manager at mcdonald’s pays $24-$28K/year with benefits and training………

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News