Fire Department · Career
Warwick Fire Department
Warwick, RI · Kent County
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Department careers page ↗Warwick Fire Department protects Rhode Island's second-largest city, a coastal community bordering Narragansett Bay that includes T.F. Green Airport. The department fields roughly 224 uniformed emergency personnel who respond to fire, medical, hazardous-materials, and water/marine emergencies across the city's land and shoreline areas, and it maintains its own fireboat capability alongside heavy rescue, confined-space, and high-angle/rope rescue teams.
Beyond emergency response, the department runs a Fire Prevention division that handles residential smoke and carbon monoxide detector inspections (including online scheduling for real-estate transactions) and administers Warwick's CodeRED emergency-notification system. Department headquarters and administration are based at 111 Veterans Memorial Drive in Warwick, with Chief Peter K. McMichael leading the department.
Warwick recruits firefighters through a competitive civil-service-style process built around a written exam, an oral interview, and an 18-week recruit academy, with hiring preference points available to city residents and military veterans.
MissionThe men and women of the Warwick Fire Department pledge to the citizens of this city to provide the highest level of emergency services to mitigate incidents which arise from fire, medical, hazardous material or environmental mishaps either on land or water. We dedicate ourselves to a lasting partnership with the community, to support a higher quality of life through public education, loss prevention and service response.
Warwick Fire Department is currently accepting applications for Firefighter through FirefighterApp.com, with a posted deadline of September 30, 2026. Candidates must be between 18 and 34 years old at the time of application, and hiring runs through a written exam, oral interview, background investigation, medical exam, and an 18-week recruit academy.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years of age but not more than 34 years of age at time of application (34-year-olds must not reach their 35th birthday prior to appointment)
- Must be a United States citizen and furnish a birth certificate or US-INS proof of qualification for employment
- Must possess and furnish a copy of a valid driver's license
- Must possess a High School Diploma or GED prior to offer of employment
- Must hold current Physical Performance Assessment (PPA, dated September 2023 or later, administered by the RI Association of Fire Chiefs) or Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT, September 2023 or later) certification prior to offer of employment
- Must have no felony criminal convictions
- Must be able to obtain a Rhode Island EMT license prior to offer of employment (RI AEMT-Cardiac/Paramedic license or current NREMT EMT/AEMT/Paramedic certification also accepted)
- Must obtain a Rhode Island AEMT-Cardiac license within two years of appointment, at the applicant's own expense
Hiring process
- Submit online application via FirefighterApp.com
- Written examination (weighted 60% of score)
- Oral interview (weighted 40% of score); minimum passing score of 70% required on both the written exam and oral interview
- Background investigation
- Medical exam with drug screening
- Successful completion of an 18-week recruit academy
Successful completion of an 18-week recruit academy is required following appointment; recruits are paid during academy training.
Is Warwick Fire Department currently hiring firefighters?
Yes. As of the current posting, the department is accepting Firefighter applications through FirefighterApp.com with a deadline of September 30, 2026.
What is the age requirement to apply to Warwick Fire Department?
Applicants must be at least 18 and not more than 34 years old at the time of application; 34-year-old applicants must not reach their 35th birthday before appointment.
What certifications do I need before I can be hired?
You need a valid Physical Performance Assessment (PPA) or Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certification dated September 2023 or later, and you must be able to obtain a Rhode Island EMT license (or equivalent AEMT/Paramedic/NREMT credential) before an offer of employment. A Rhode Island AEMT-Cardiac license must be obtained within two years of appointment.
How is the Warwick Fire Department hiring exam scored?
The written examination counts for 60% of the score and the oral interview for 40%. Candidates must score at least 70% on both the written exam and oral interview to pass, and additional points are awarded for City of Warwick residency and current/past military service.
Do I need to complete a fire academy after being hired?
Yes, new hires must successfully complete an 18-week recruit academy; recruits are paid $800 per week during academy training.