Fire Department · Career
Saint Petersburg Fire & Rescue Station
Saint Petersburg, FL · Pinellas County
389 total personnel, of whom 357 are sworn uniformed emergency responders (per the department's Operations page); apparatus count of 30 pieces and 12-station figure come from the department's History page and may predate its current 13-facility/14-company
No active openings right now
Watch this department to be notified when Saint Petersburg Fire & Rescue Station is hiring, or check their careers page.
Department careers page ↗SPFR traces back to 1907, when St. Petersburg's volunteer bucket brigade became a paid fire force; its first station is preserved today as the downtown McNulty Building. The department took its current name in 1993 to reflect how much of its call volume is now emergency medical rather than fire suppression, and it has since grown into a metropolitan, all-hazards agency covering fire suppression and prevention, hazardous materials mitigation, technical rescue, marine and dive rescue, and Advanced Life Support EMS.
Today SPFR deploys 14 fire companies out of 13 fixed facilities (Station 1 and Station 5 share the Downtown Master Station building), staffed by three rotating 24-hour shifts under nine District Chiefs. Three specialty teams are attached to specific houses: Technical Rescue at the Northshore/Old Northeast station, HazMat at the Downtown Master Station, and Marine/Dive Rescue at the Lakewood station on St. Petersburg's waterways.
The department holds an ISO Public Protection Classification of Class 1 and is in its fourth consecutive five-year accreditation cycle through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), one of a small number of CFAI-accredited agencies worldwide.
MissionSt. Petersburg Fire Rescue is committed to serving and protecting the lives and property of the St. Petersburg community with exceptional emergency services, public education, and community involvement.
SPFR hires through several tracks posted on its Careers page: Pathway for Paramedic (Non-Firefighter), Pathway for Certified Firefighter/EMT and Firefighter/Paramedic (lateral), and Fire Cadet (Non-Certified), plus non-uniform civilian openings via the City of St. Petersburg jobs site. A dedicated SPFR Hiring Information voicemail line (727-551-3319) and spfrjobs@stpete.org field candidate questions.
Requirements
- For certified Firefighter/EMT or Firefighter/Paramedic (lateral): apply via the National Testing Network (NTN); pass the Fire Team curriculum and Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT); meet the City's current Selection Standards for Firefighter Positions
- For Paramedic (Non-Firefighter): possess and maintain a Florida and/or National Registry Paramedic certificate
- High school diploma or GED equivalency
- Valid State of Florida driver's license
- At least 18 years of age
- Tobacco-free (on or off duty) for at least 1 year prior to application, and must remain tobacco-free while employed
- Fire Cadet track requires no prior fire/EMS experience but candidates must still obtain Firefighter 1 & 2 and EMT certification during the sponsored program
Hiring process
- Apply through the City of St. Petersburg employment website (or NTN for certified Firefighter/EMT and Firefighter/Paramedic candidates)
- Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ)
- PHQ interview
- Polygraph and background investigation
- Administrative interview
- Chief's interview (selected applicants only)
Benefits
Excellent pay; 75% employer-paid health insurance premiums; pension accrual of a 3% multiplier per year of creditable service, fully vested after 10 years; 7-year Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP); vacation accrual starting at 175.5 hours/year and increasing with tenure; 1 relief day every 7 shifts; 10 paid holidays for personnel on the 24/48 schedule; educational leave and tuition reimbursement; 8 weeks of parental leave after birth, adoption, or foster placement; and paid Continuing Medical Education (CME) for paramedics.
Paramedics who serve one year in good standing become eligible for sponsorship through Fire Academy (assigned a 40-hour week while continuing to earn salary). Fire Cadets are a full-sponsorship program: the department pays selected candidates as City employees while training them to Firefighter 2/EMT certification through the State of Florida.
Why does a fire truck come when I call for an ambulance?
The closest unit with emergency medical capability is sent, which is often a fire truck staffed with paramedics offering full Advanced Life Support (ALS), especially if the nearest dedicated EMS unit is already on another call.
Why do two ambulances come to my house?
SPFR's EMS system has two layers: Fire Rescue provides first-response ALS care to stabilize the patient, and a separate transport unit takes the patient to the hospital. SPFR chooses to staff its first-response units as transport-capable so they can also transport if needed.
What is the difference between the Fire Rescue Department and Sunstar?
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue provides fire suppression, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, and first-response ALS EMS. Sunstar is the ambulance provider, owned in name by Pinellas County and operated by a private contractor, that transports patients to the hospital after SPFR stabilizes them.
Does the fire department have paramedics?
Yes. SPFR provides full ALS EMS services through Firefighter/Paramedics who are state-certified to perform both fire suppression and ALS EMS procedures, working on both EMS and fire units equipped for ALS care.