Fire Department · Combination
Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department
Traverse City, MI · Grand Traverse County
Combination department of 30+ full-time and part-time personnel across 5 stations, serving Acme, East Bay, and Garfield Townships.
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Department careers page ↗The Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority (GTMESA), doing business as Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, was born in 1980 when Acme, East Bay, and Garfield Townships merged their separate fire departments into a single combined agency. It formally reorganized as an Act 57 authority in 2008, giving each township equal representation on a six-member governing board. Since then the department has grown from a handful of volunteer-era stations into a modern combination department running five stations across the three townships just outside Traverse City.
Growth has been steady: the department hired its first full-time firefighters in 2007, added Basic Life Support medical response, and has seen call volume climb from roughly 900 incidents in 1980 to over 6,100 by 2022. Its ISO Public Protection Classification improved from a 6 to a 5 in 2012 and to a 3/5 split rating in 2019, reflecting investment in staffing, apparatus, and water supply. Full-time firefighters organized as IAFF Local 5288 in 2020.
Today GTMESA fields more than 30 full-time and part-time personnel operating over 30 pieces of apparatus, including engines, tankers, a ladder truck, heavy rescues, wildland brush trucks, rescue boats, and ATVs, giving the department reach across a mix of suburban, rural, and shoreline terrain in Northern Michigan.
MissionTo serve our community by safeguarding life and property from fire, hazards & medical emergencies through education, intervention, and quality response.
GTMESA hires both full-time career firefighter-EMTs (48/96 shift schedule) and part-time firefighters (about 36 hours/week); the department does not offer volunteer or paid-on-call positions. Candidates must already hold Michigan Firefighter I/II, HazMat Operations, EVOC, and Michigan EMT-B certifications before applying, and applicants living within the three-township response area are given preference.
Requirements
- At least 18 years old
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Current Michigan Firefighter I & II Certification
- Current HazMat Operations Level Certification
- Current EVOC Certification
- Current Michigan EMT-B License
- Clear driving record (0-4 points)
- Pass physical ability test, drug screen, and NFPA 1582 medical physical
- Comply with drug- and alcohol-free workplace policy
Hiring process
- Submit online application
- National Firefighter Selection Inventory (NFSI) test (full-time positions)
- Physical Ability Test (PAT)
- Medical evaluation by Munson Occupational Medicine (NFPA 1582 compliant)
- Drug screen and background check
Benefits
Full-time employees receive medical, dental, and vision insurance with GTMESA paying 96% of premiums, a fully employer-funded HSA, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid vacation, personal/sick time, 12 paid holidays, an Employee Assistance Program, and 401(a)/457 retirement plans with a 10% employer contribution.
Candidates without Firefighter I/II certification are directed to the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center (RTC) in Traverse City, whose fire school typically runs December through May; applicants already enrolled may apply at the program's halfway point.
How do I become a firefighter with Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department?
Applicants must already hold Michigan Firefighter I & II, HazMat Operations, EVOC, and Michigan EMT-B certifications, then submit an online application and complete the NFSI test (full-time), a physical ability test, a Munson Occupational Medicine physical, and a drug screen and background check.
Does GTMESA hire volunteer or paid-on-call firefighters?
No. GTMESA states it does not have volunteer firefighter or paid-on-call firefighter positions, only full-time career and part-time firefighter roles.
What certifications do I need before applying?
Current Michigan Firefighter I & II Certification, HazMat Operations Level Certification, EVOC Certification, and a Michigan EMT-B License are required at time of application.
What if I don't have my Firefighter I/II certification yet?
GTMESA directs candidates to the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center (RTC) in Traverse City, which runs a fire school typically from December through May; students already enrolled may apply once they reach the halfway point of the program.
What schedule do full-time firefighters work?
Full-time firefighters work a 48-hour on, 96-hour off schedule across three shifts (Red, Green, Blue); part-time firefighters work about 36 hours per week on alternating 48- and 24-hour shifts.