Fire service agencies across the region have experienced an influx in hiring needs as communities continue to grow and existing crews ready themselves for retirement. In the latest spring recruitment, Renton welcomed TEN new recruits who are ready to enter fire academy and ultimately serve the Renton community.
The process of joining the fire service is a little different than the average civilian career. For starters, individuals do not apply through a standard job application. Instead, interested individuals have to take a written firefighter exam, and score well, to be considered for the interview process. The written exam focuses on four main areas: human relations, mechanical, reading, and math. They also must pass a CPAT (Candidate Physical Abilities Test). Even with the current hiring needs, joining the fire service is a competitive process. Fire agencies typically pull the top scoring candidates for interviews, and while that may be hundreds of candidates pulled, it’s still recommended to score in the high 80 to low 90 percentile to make that cut.
Once a candidate passes an initial prescreen and are invited to move forward in the hiring process, they go through panel interviews and chief’s interviews, which can take several weeks in total due to the high number of candidates interviewed. From the chief’s interviews, select candidates receive conditional offers of employment before entering a thorough background check process that includes a reference check, criminal background check, medical exam, and psych exam. Once the background check process concludes positively, they receive formal offers, making them new recruits! You might think that’s where the process ends, but it is really just the beginning. From there, recruits enter a 20-week fire academy. Those who do not make it through fire academy do not continue on to become Renton firefighters. Only after graduating from fire academy do recruits become official, probationary firefighters.
Once recruits become probationary firefighters, they possess all the baseline skills necessary to begin their first shifts serving the Renton community, but their education does not stop there. As probationary firefighters, they have three years to complete an additional training program, called JATC, that enables them to become journeyman firefighters. Renton continues to provide state-of-the-art training on firefighting and EMS best practices for the rest of their fire service career and makes it possible for our team members to branch out into specialty areas, including HAZMAT, water rescue, technical rescue, and wildland fire, if they choose. Continued professional development is key to helping our members enjoy fulfilling careers while providing the best level of service possible to our community.
Joining the fire service is a lengthy but rewarding process. We are extremely proud of these individuals for beginning down this rewarding pathway and wish them all the best as they enter into fire academy. We hope to see each and every one of them cross the graduation stage and begin serving the Renton community in early 2023!
 Robbie Perkins |
 Quincy McFalls |
 Bradley Paramapoonya |
 Ben Wright |
 Danielle Rue |
 Gerit DeBerry |
 Danny Nguyen |
 Zach Wright |
 Jorge Guerrero |
 Austin Marler |
