Fire Department · Career
Carlsbad Fire Department
Carlsbad, CA · San Diego County
“Serving with kindness.”
Fleet includes 6 front-line fire engines (+2 reserve), 1 aerial ladder truck (+1 reserve), 5 rescue ambulances, 2 brush engines (+1 OES brush engine), 1 urban search and rescue unit with technical rescue trailer, and 2 rescue personal watercraft.
No active openings right now
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Department careers page ↗The City of Carlsbad Fire Department is an all-risk, all-threat first responder agency protecting lives, property, and the environment across the coastal North San Diego County city of Carlsbad, California. The department is organized into two bureaus: Emergency Operations, which handles fire suppression, rescue, EMS delivery, lifeguard and marine safety, and disaster mitigation; and Community Risk Reduction, which covers fire and life safety inspections, wildfire mitigation, and the Office of Emergency Management and Resilience.
Emergency Operations is the department's largest bureau, led by an Assistant Fire Chief who oversees an EMS & Training division, a Professional Services and Special Operations division (lifeguard services, urban search and rescue, and SWAT medics), and three shift battalions (A, B, and C) working alternating 24-hour rotations. About 33 personnel staff each shift out of seven fire stations spread across the city, backed by a fleet that includes six front-line engines, an aerial ladder truck, five rescue ambulances each staffed with a firefighter/paramedic and an EMT, brush engines for wildland response, and a dedicated urban search and rescue unit and technical rescue trailer. Together they answer an average of about 15,000 emergency calls a year.
Beyond suppression and EMS, the department runs a Fire Explorer program, station tours and engine visits, and community risk-reduction efforts such as home hardening and defensible-space inspections and wildfire hazard mapping.
MissionEnhance the quality of life for all who live, work and play in the City of Carlsbad through excellence in emergency and support services.
Carlsbad Fire Department recruits both entry-level and lateral firefighter/paramedics. Because the department runs its own paramedic-based EMS transport model, its minimum qualifications already require a valid California paramedic license and EMT-P accreditation with San Diego County EMS, plus fire academy certification, rather than treating paramedic certification as merely preferred. The department partners with Palomar College's Fire Technology program as an educational pathway toward a firefighter/paramedic career.
Requirements
- 18 years old
- High school diploma
- Valid California driver's license
- Valid California paramedic license and EMT-P accreditation with County of San Diego EMS
- California Fire Academy Certification or completion of an accredited fire academy
- U.S. citizen or in process of obtaining citizenship
Partners with Palomar College's Fire Technology program, which offers an educational pathway (including a mapped course sequence) toward becoming a firefighter/paramedic.
What are the minimum requirements to become a firefighter with Carlsbad Fire Department?
Candidates must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma, hold a valid California driver's license, and be a U.S. citizen or in the process of obtaining citizenship. Carlsbad also requires a valid California paramedic license with EMT-P accreditation through San Diego County EMS, along with California Fire Academy certification or completion of an accredited academy.
Does Carlsbad Fire Department hire lateral firefighters?
Yes. The department posts a separate lateral firefighter class specification alongside its entry-level paramedic firefighter specification, and periodically opens recruitment for both entry-level and lateral candidates at the same time.
Do I need to already be a paramedic to work for Carlsbad Fire Department?
Yes. Unlike many departments where paramedic certification is only preferred, Carlsbad's minimum qualifications list a valid California paramedic license and EMT-P accreditation with County of San Diego EMS as a baseline requirement for firefighter positions.
What shift schedule do Carlsbad firefighters work?
Emergency Operations personnel work an alternating 24-hour shift schedule across three platoons, A, B, and C, with roughly 33 personnel staffing each shift.
How many fire stations does Carlsbad Fire Department operate?
Carlsbad Fire Department personnel are housed within seven fire stations located throughout the city.