Fire Department · Combination
Bigfork Fire Department
Bigfork, MT · Flathead County
Twelve paid staff (Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, Office Manager, three Lieutenants, six firefighters) plus roughly 30 additional paid and volunteer firefighters/EMTs; 75-square-mile fire district and 186-square-mile EMS district.
No active openings right now
Watch this department to be notified when Bigfork Fire Department is hiring, or check their careers page.
Department careers page ↗Bigfork Fire Department traces its roots to August 18, 1941, when Joe Nelson and 24 volunteer residents formally organized the department in the wake of a brutal 1937 fire at the Bigfork Inn fought in twenty-below weather. What began with a single borrowed 1913 Reo engine has grown into a combination department running three stations across the Bigfork area, with the 2010 merger of the Bigfork Quick Response Unit ambulance service into the volunteer fire department shaping the agency into the fire-rescue-EMS operation it is today.
Today the department covers a 75-square-mile fire protection district and a larger 186-square-mile EMS district along Flathead Lake, responding to structure and wildland fires, medical emergencies, technical rescues, traffic collisions, and hazardous situations. Around a dozen paid staff, including a Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, Office Manager, three Lieutenants, and six firefighters, work alongside roughly thirty additional paid and volunteer firefighters and EMTs to staff Nelson Hall headquarters, Echo Lake Fire Hall, and Woods Bay Fire Hall around the clock.
MissionThe Bigfork Fire Department provides fire, EMS, and public safety services to Bigfork and the surrounding area.
Bigfork Fire Department hires both paid FF/EMT-A, FF/EMT-B, and FF/EMT-P personnel and recruits volunteer firefighters and EMTs (EMT-A, EMT-B, EMT-P), using a standardized application form posted on its employment page for all open positions.
Hiring process
- Download and complete the department's standard application form
- Submit the application at least 30 days before the next volunteer onboarding session
- Attend an onboarding/orientation session, held each March and October
How do I become a volunteer firefighter or EMT with Bigfork Fire Department?
The department accepts volunteer firefighter and EMT (EMT-A, EMT-B, EMT-P) applications year-round, but onboards new volunteers only twice a year, in March and October. Completed applications must be submitted at least 30 days before the upcoming onboarding session.
Does Bigfork Fire Department hire paid firefighters and paramedics?
Yes. In addition to its volunteer ranks, Bigfork Fire Department employs paid FF/EMT-A, FF/EMT-B, and FF/EMT-P staff, and posts openings such as part-time firefighter/paramedic and office administrator positions on its employment information page.
What area does Bigfork Fire Department serve?
The department protects a 75-square-mile fire district and provides 24/7 paramedic-level ambulance service across a larger 186-square-mile EMS district in the Bigfork area along Flathead Lake, from three stations: Nelson Hall, Echo Lake Fire Hall, and Woods Bay Fire Hall.
How big is Bigfork Fire Department?
Bigfork Fire Department runs with twelve paid staff, a Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, Office Manager, three Lieutenants, and six firefighters, supplemented by roughly 30 additional paid and volunteer firefighters and EMTs.