Fire Department · Combination
Maple Grove Fire Department
Maple Grove, MN · Hennepin County
Maple Grove Fire Department is hiring a Paid-On-Call Firefighter with no experience required, offering $13 hourly. Apply by July 25.
Volunteer for Maple Grove Fire Corps with monthly meetings and at least 8 additional volunteer hours per month. No pay or benefits.
Maple Grove Fire-Rescue protects roughly 36 square miles and more than 70,000 residents in this northwest suburb of Minneapolis. The department has grown from a single station and 20 volunteers at its 1975 founding to five stations staffed by over 95 men and women today.
The department runs on a paid-on-call model: members respond to calls, on-duty duty-crew shifts, and training on an hourly basis rather than as full-time career firefighters. Duty crews cover weekday daytime hours, and members answer calls from home or work the rest of the time.
Beyond suppression, the department is active in community risk reduction, running fire prevention and education, a Youth Fireplay Intervention Program, a Fire Explorer program for youth, and a Fire Corps volunteer program.
Maple Grove hires paid-on-call firefighters once a year, with the annual recruitment window opening in May and information meetings held in June and July. Applicants can start as apprentice firefighters with no prior experience (all training is provided) or come in as experienced firefighters who already hold Firefighter I & II, Hazmat Operations, and Emergency Medical Responder certifications.
Because it is a response-based model, candidates must live in Maple Grove or within a five-minute response zone of one of the five stations. The process runs through an interview, background and reference checks, a physical ability test, and psychological, medical, and drug screening.
Requirements
- At least 18 years of age
- Reside in Maple Grove or within a five-minute response zone of one of the five fire stations
- No prior experience required for apprentice firefighters; training is fully provided
- Experienced applicants: Firefighter I & II, Hazmat Operations (1072), and Emergency Medical Responder certifications
Hiring process
- Interview
- Reference and background checks
- Physical ability test
- Psychological evaluation
- Medical evaluation and drug screen
Benefits
Members participate in the Firefighter's Relief Association, a defined-contribution pension plan with partial vesting after 5 years and full vesting at 10 years. Firefighters are paid an hourly wage for calls, on-duty time, training, and department activities.
No experience required for apprentice firefighters; the department provides full training. Experienced firefighters may enter with existing certifications.
Do I need firefighting experience to apply?
No. Applicants can be hired as apprentice firefighters with no prior training, and the department provides all training. Experienced applicants with Firefighter I & II, Hazmat Operations, and Emergency Medical Responder certifications may also apply.
When can I apply?
The department recruits once a year. As of this writing the application window is closed and reopens in May 2026, with recruitment information meetings held June-July 2026. You can sign up for notifications through the city's job interest system.
Where do I have to live to be a Maple Grove firefighter?
Because this is a response-based, paid-on-call department, you must live in Maple Grove or within a five-minute response zone of one of the five fire stations.
Is this a full-time career position?
No. Maple Grove uses a paid-on-call (part-time) model. Firefighters are paid an hourly wage for calls, on-duty duty-crew time, training, and department activities, and are expected to respond to about 30% of station calls and attend 80% of training drills.
What is the hiring process?
An interview, reference and background checks, a physical ability test, and psychological, medical, and drug screening.
What benefits are offered?
Members join the Firefighter's Relief Association, a defined-contribution pension plan with partial vesting after 5 years and full vesting at 10 years, in addition to hourly pay.