Are you ready to join our team?  

Application process opens on February 23, 2026.  

Application process closes on May 22, 2026.  

Hiring process will be conducted on July 11th through the 17th. 

Academy is projected to start on August 31, 2026.

The Charleston Fire Department periodically hires for the position of firefighter trainee, an entry-level fire suppression, prevention, and emergency response position. We are a growing organization seeking candidates who have a desire to serve our community with honor, pride and integrity.

Selected candidates will be offered fulltime employment and a seat in a 28 week recruit academy.  Upon successful completion of the required recruit academy, personnel will progress to probationary firefighter status and have the opportunity to protect life and property by controlling and extinguishing fires and responding to a variety of emergency incidents.  We are a state licensed medical first responder agency, providing basic life support service to injured and sick persons.

 Our members continually seek improvement through training while promoting a safer Charleston through community life safety education programs, pre-incident planning, and a variety of risk reduction strategies.

 Please review the links on the left to learn more about the process.  Additional questions may be emailed to our recruitment team.

Official details included with the job posting

Pay Scale:  Firefighter Pay Scale   Firefighter Paramedic Pay Scale

Reminder: Please read the official job posting and attach all of the requirement documents.  It is the applicants responsibility to upload the required documentation.  Applications missing required documents will be disqualified.