Fire Department · Combination
Coalinga Fire Department
Coalinga, CA · Fresno County
The Coalinga Fire Department serves the small city of Coalinga on the west side of California's Fresno County. Founded in 1903, it is a combination department blending career staff with paid-call reserves, delivering fire prevention, fire suppression, public education, and paramedic-level ambulance transport.
What sets Coalinga apart is the scope of its EMS mission: under contract with Fresno County EMS, the department provides Advanced Life Support and ambulance transport not just for the city but across more than 1,200 square miles of unincorporated western Fresno County, including the Huron area. It operates several ambulances, with three staffed around the clock.
Day-to-day operations run out of a single central station (a second station is in planning) on a three-platoon rotation. Each shift fields a two-person engine company plus firefighters cross-trained as paramedics and EMTs, supported by six on-call reserve firefighters.
Coalinga posts firefighter, engineer, captain, and paramedic openings through the City's governmentjobs.com careers portal. Sworn roles emphasize EMS certification, reflecting the department's heavy ambulance-transport workload.
Job descriptions for each classification (Firefighter/Paramedic, Firefighter/EMT, Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, and paid-call firefighter) are published on the City site, and applications are handled online. Check the careers portal for current openings and specific requirements.
What sworn positions does Coalinga Fire hire for?
The department publishes job descriptions for Firefighter/Paramedic, Firefighter/EMT, Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, and paid-call (reserve) firefighter positions.
How do I apply for a job with Coalinga Fire?
Applications are handled online through the City of Coalinga careers portal at governmentjobs.com/careers/coalinga. Job descriptions are also posted on the City website.
What work schedule do firefighters work?
Line personnel work a three-platoon rotation on a 48/96 schedule (48 hours on duty followed by 96 hours off).
Is paramedic certification important at Coalinga?
Yes. The department provides Advanced Life Support and ambulance transport across the city and over 1,200 square miles of western Fresno County, and most line firefighters are cross-trained as paramedics or EMTs.
How busy is the department?
The department averages roughly nine calls a day, with over 2,500 requests for service reported in 2011.