Fire Department · Career
Ventura City Fire Department
Ventura, CA · Ventura County
A seventh fire station is in development, per the department's Fire Stations page.
No active openings right now
Watch this department to be notified when Ventura City Fire Department is hiring, or check their careers page.
Department careers page ↗Ventura City Fire Department has served the city of Ventura, California since 1875, when the volunteer Monumental Fire Company organized under Chief B.T. Williams; the agency took the name Ventura Fire Department in 1878 upon the city's incorporation and became a fully professional, paid force in 1915. Today the department runs six fire stations across the city, with a seventh station in development, and each station is staffed with an engine company and a minimum of three firefighter-paramedics on duty.
Guided by a mission to "enhance the quality of life and the environment through the professional delivery of all-hazards emergency response, community education, and inspection services," the department pairs suppression and EMS response with fire-prevention inspections, public education, and community programs such as the countywide Spark of Love toy drive. Firefighters can also train and serve on the department's Urban Search & Rescue, Hazardous Materials, and Ocean Rescue specialty teams, along with recurring wildland firefighting courses.
Ventura recruits both entry-level Firefighter-Paramedic trainees and lateral Firefighter-Paramedics, running new hires through a paid multi-week academy before placing them on the department's 48/96 schedule.
MissionEnhance the quality of life and the environment through the professional delivery of all-hazards emergency response, community education, and inspection services.
Ventura City Fire Department hires both entry-level Firefighter-Paramedic trainees and lateral Firefighter-Paramedics. Candidates go through an online application, a screening panel, a department oral interview, a Fire Chief's interview, a background investigation, and a medical evaluation before entering the department's training academy.
Hiring process
- Online application
- Application screening
- Department selection interview (oral panel)
- Fire Chief's interview
- Background investigation
- Medical evaluation
- Fire Academy (trainees) or Lateral Academy (laterals)
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; CalPERS retirement; a wellness program; merit-based step increases at 6 and 12 months of employment; and a 3% pay differential for EMT certification.
Newly hired trainees complete a paid Fire Training Academy (the department's pages describe it as 18 to 20 weeks) before probation; lateral hires complete a shorter, paid 4-week Lateral Training Academy.
How do I become a firefighter with Ventura City Fire Department?
Candidates apply online through the City of Ventura's Employment Opportunities site, then move through a screening panel, a department oral interview, a Fire Chief's interview, a background investigation, and a medical evaluation before starting a paid Fire Training Academy.
Does Ventura City Fire Department hire lateral firefighter-paramedics?
Yes. Lateral Firefighter-Paramedics complete a shorter, paid 4-week Lateral Training Academy and start at $107,113.84-$118,093.25 depending on qualifications.
What schedule do Ventura firefighters work?
Line personnel work a 48/96 schedule: 48 hours on duty followed by 96 hours off.
What specialty teams can Ventura firefighters join?
The department offers Urban Search & Rescue, Hazardous Materials, and Ocean Rescue specialty teams, plus recurring wildland firefighting courses.
Is Ventura City Fire Department currently hiring?
The department's Join Our Team page actively links to current openings for Firefighter-Paramedic Trainees and Lateral Firefighter-Paramedics; check the City of Ventura Employment Opportunities site for current postings.