Fire Department · Career
Odessa Fire Department
Odessa, TX · Ector County
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Department careers page ↗Odessa Fire Rescue serves the city of Odessa and surrounding Permian Basin communities in West Texas, protecting roughly 200,000 residents across about 904 square miles and answering around 23,000 emergency calls each year. The department pioneered several firsts in Texas, including 911 emergency dialing (1970) and the Jaws of Life (1972), and established its EMS operation in 1973.
The department operates nine fire houses with a front-line fleet of pumpers, quints, MICU ambulances, and specialty apparatus. Every suppression engine is paramedic-staffed, and the department transports patients on its own Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances.
With 229 full-time suppression personnel and dedicated divisions for EMS, the Fire Marshal's Office, HazMat, and training, Odessa Fire Rescue blends fire, rescue, and advanced life support into a single integrated service. It has earned the American Heart Association's Mission Lifeline Gold Plus award annually since 2019.
Missionkeep Odessa safe through fire prevention, safety education, training, and quick emergency response
Odessa Fire Rescue is a paramedic-based department, so EMS certification is central to the job. All suppression staff must be certified Paramedics or EMTs actively working toward Texas Department of State Health Services Paramedic certification.
Firefighter positions are posted through the City of Odessa's careers portal on ApplicantPro. Prospective candidates should watch that portal for open testing cycles and can subscribe to job-posting notifications to be alerted when new positions open.
Requirements
- Certified as a Texas paramedic or an EMT working toward paramedic certification
- Texas Department of State Health Services Paramedic certification
Do I need to be a paramedic to become an Odessa firefighter?
Odessa Fire Rescue is a paramedic-based department. All suppression staff must be certified Paramedics or be EMTs actively working toward Texas Department of State Health Services Paramedic certification.
How do I apply for a firefighter job with Odessa Fire Rescue?
Firefighter positions are posted through the City of Odessa's careers portal at odessatx.applicantpro.com/jobs. You can subscribe to job-posting notifications there to be alerted when new positions open.
How large is Odessa Fire Rescue?
The department has 229 full-time suppression personnel operating out of nine fire houses, serving about 200,000 people across roughly 904 square miles and answering around 23,000 emergency calls per year.
Does Odessa Fire Rescue provide ambulance transport?
Yes. The department runs its own Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances and staffs every fire engine with paramedics, providing advanced life support and patient transport as part of its EMS Lifeline service.
What specialty rescue capabilities does the department have?
Odessa Fire Rescue maintains a Hazardous Materials team and performs high-angle, confined-space, and water rescues, in addition to structural fire suppression and wildland response.