Fire Department · Career
Bismarck Fire Department
Bismarck, ND · Burleigh County
No active openings right now
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Department careers page ↗The Bismarck Fire Department protects the life and property of everyone who lives, works, and visits the capital city of North Dakota. Five fire stations, each staffed with a Fire Captain and on-duty career firefighters, are positioned around the community to allow for timely response, with larger incidents drawing crews from multiple stations at once.
Beyond structural firefighting, crews handle emergency medical response alongside Metro Area Ambulance Service, hazardous materials incidents, high-angle and confined space rescue, structural collapse, and vehicle extrication. The department also runs an active prevention and public education program, including business inspections, Knox Box coordination, an Adopt-a-Hydrant program, school visits, safety house tours, and day care inspections.
The department traces its lineage to the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company, organized March 20, 1877, when Bismarck was still part of Dakota Territory, making it the oldest organized fire company in either Dakota. Its history includes the Great Fire of Bismarck in 1898, which destroyed much of downtown after the Northern Pacific freight depot caught fire.
MissionTo be an innovative leader in fire services and emergency management.
Bismarck Fire Department maintains an active certification list of qualified firefighter candidates. Applications are submitted online through the City of Bismarck's governmentjobs.com portal and are automatically scored by recruiting software; top scorers are invited to a written test, with the highest aggregate scorers on written test and qualification points advancing to interviews and a physical ability test.
Requirements
- At least 18 years old
- High school graduate or GED
- Valid driver's license (or ability to readily obtain a North Dakota-equivalent license)
- Able to report to work within 45 minutes for emergency callbacks
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; no sponsorships considered
- Subject to medical examination, drug screen, and background check
- No gauged ears, facial, or tongue piercings; no head, face, or neck tattoos; no tattoos that could reasonably be interpreted as offensive, obscene, sexual, racial, or religiously discriminatory while on duty
Hiring process
- Submit online City of Bismarck application with resume, transcripts, licenses, certifications, and training summaries
- Applications automatically scored by recruiting software, then reviewed for required documentation about two weeks before testing
- Written test (two available test dates with limited space)
- Interview for candidates with highest aggregate written-test and qualification scores
- Placement on a certification list (valid approximately one calendar year)
- When a vacancy opens, the three highest-ranked candidates on the list are evaluated and one may receive a conditional offer
- Physical ability test (mask/blind crawl, supply hose drag, hydrant opening, forcible entry, attack hose advance, ladder raise, stair climb with high-rise pack, crawl maze, overhaul, equipment hoist, manikin drag)
- Medical examination, drug screen, and background check before final offer
Benefits
100% employer-paid health insurance (single or family), $30,000 employer-paid life insurance policy, workers' compensation and unemployment compensation, plus employee-paid options including dental, vision, voluntary and dependent life insurance, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, pension plan, and optional ICMA 457 deferred compensation. Additional benefits include annual and sick leave, a wellness program, tuition reimbursement, 10 paid holidays per year, annual medical examinations, uniforms and equipment, in-service and on-duty fitness training, and annual fitness evaluations.
How do I obtain a fire incident report?
Email the Bismarck Fire Department with the incident date and location to request the report.
Can I have a backyard fire pit?
Yes, with exceptions. Charcoal grills, chimineas, fire pits, and patio heaters are allowed within city limits but must be placed at least 15 feet from combustibles, not on wood decks or under overhangs, and are banned during high fire-danger periods or red flag warnings.
Can I burn in city limits or outside city limits?
Burning within city limits requires Fire Chief approval and a burning permit, plus contacting the State Health Department and Central Communications beforehand. Burning outside city limits must go through the Rural Fire Department and State Health Department.
My carbon monoxide detector is beeping and we don't feel sick, what should we do?
Check for low batteries first. If a constant alarm continues, move everyone outside to fresh air, call the fire department, and leave windows and doors closed so crews can survey the home with air monitoring equipment.
Where should I place smoke detectors in my home and how should they be maintained?
Place a smoke detector in each bedroom, in hallways outside sleeping areas, and on each level of the home. Change batteries at least once a year, test monthly, and replace detectors every ten years.