Fire Department · Combination
Central Mat-Su Fire Department
Wasilla, AK · Matanuska-Susitna Borough County
Over 125 total members (full-time, paid-on-call, and auxiliary volunteers); active roster typically runs 85-100 depending on the season and local economy.
No active openings right now
Watch this department to be notified when Central Mat-Su Fire Department is hiring, or check their careers page.
Department careers page ↗Central Mat-Su Fire Department is the busiest of the Mat-Su Borough's fire service areas, formed from the 1985 consolidation of the all-volunteer Wasilla and Lakes fire departments into a single combination system. Legally organized as Fire Service Area No. 130, CMSFD is one of eight Borough-administered fire service areas (Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services District 1) and runs its own fire and rescue divisions, each with separate funding, membership requirements, and equipment.
The department protects roughly 150 square miles of the Borough's core corridor - from the Parks/Glenn Highway junction west to Vine Road, north to Mile 7 Wasilla-Fishhook Road, and south to Mile 6 Point MacKenzie Road - including the entire City of Wasilla, out of eight fire stations. That territory holds about 59,000 residents, roughly half the Borough's total population.
CMSFD's rescue division alone handles more than 450 calls a year, mostly vehicle crashes plus technical and off-road incidents, representing over half of all rescue calls Borough-wide. Governance runs through a five-member Board of Supervisors, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Assembly under Borough code, and the department is staffed by a mix of career and paid-on-call personnel alongside auxiliary volunteers.
MissionTo provide maximum fire protection in an effective and efficient manner in light of fire risks and available resources.
The Borough Department of Emergency Services runs an on-call paid responder system funded by area property taxes. Trainee pay starts at $13.22/hour (effective July 1, 2021) and increases with training/certification level, and on-call responders can work up to 29.9 hours per week. All hiring runs through the Borough's online NeoGov job portal - there are no paper applications. Applicants must live within the Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area they're applying to (verifiable via the Borough's My Property lookup), and CMSFD accepts fire trainee applications when it is running its Basic Firefighter Course (other, more rural service areas accept applications year-round).
Requirements
- Must reside within the Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area boundary
- Must pass an online criminal background check and driving record check after a conditional offer
- EMS-track applicants must be able to meet Alaska state EMS certification requirements
Hiring process
- Create an account and apply through the Borough's NeoGov online job portal
- If no position is currently posted, sign up for Job Alerts (Fire/EMS) to be notified when one opens
- Interview
- Conditional offer, followed by an online criminal background check and driving record check
- Fire trainees enter the department's Basic Firefighter Course
Central Mat-Su Fire Department accepts fire trainee applications when it is running its Basic Firefighter Course.
What area does Central Mat-Su Fire Department cover?
About 150 square miles of the Mat-Su Borough's core corridor, including the entire City of Wasilla, from the Parks/Glenn Highway intersection west to Vine Road, north to Mile 7 Wasilla-Fishhook Road, and south to Mile 6 Point MacKenzie Road - roughly 59,000 residents, about half the Borough's population.
How is Central Mat-Su Fire Department staffed?
It's a combination department with full-time and paid-on-call responders plus auxiliary volunteers - over 125 total members, with an active roster typically of 85-100 depending on the season and local economy.
How do I apply to become a firefighter with CMSFD?
Apply online through the Mat-Su Borough's NeoGov job portal at governmentjobs.com/careers/matsugov. If no opening is posted, sign up for Job Alerts under Fire/EMS. CMSFD accepts fire trainee applications when it runs its Basic Firefighter Course, and applicants must live within the Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area.
What does on-call responder pay look like?
Trainee pay starts at $13.22 per hour (effective July 1, 2021) and increases with training and certification level. On-call responders can work up to 29.9 hours a week, and Fire Service Area wages are funded by area property taxes.
What does the Rescue division handle?
Central Mat-Su Rescue responds to more than 450 calls a year - mostly motor vehicle crashes plus technical and off-road rescue incidents - representing over half of all rescue calls Borough-wide, using Rescue 61, Rescue 65/Squad 51, and two Yamaha 660 four-wheelers with trailers.