FILING FOR FIREFIGHTER EXAM BEGINS AUG. 2

Must Also Pass Physical; $30G For First Year; 30 College Credits Among Standards For Hiring

Filing is set to open Aug. 2 for the exam leading to Firefighter jobs, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services said.

Applications must be submitted by Oct. 13. The written test is set for Jan. 20, 2007. The starting salary is $25,100, and rises to $32,700 after appointees complete 13 weeks of training. The top pay is $63,309 after 5-1/2 years on the job.

Job Requirements

Based on the prior exam notice, to be hired candidates must have 30 college credits. Candidates who do not have the required college credits must have a high school diploma and two years of military service to qualify.

The exam will likely be open to anyone who has not reached their 29th birthday at the start of filing. Applicants may be as young as 17-1/2 by the filing deadline, but must wait until they turn 21 to be hired.

By the time of appointment, Firefighter candidates must be U.S. citizens and have a driver's license. Those appointed are required to have Certified First Responder certification with defibrillation (CFR-D) by the end of their probationary period and maintain it during their careers.

Firefighters are required to assist in the control and extinguishing of fires, in providing pre-hospital emergency medical care, and in the enforcement of laws regarding fire prevention and safety.

What Test Covers

According to the 2002 exam notice, the written multiple-choice test and the physical test each count for 50 percent of a candidate's final score. The written exam tests candidates' abilities to learn and perform as a Firefighter. It will also gauge how well candidates' understand and memorize information, recognize or identify the existence of problems, and apply general rules to specific situations.

An additional application fee last filing period was required for those who take the physical test.

That exam consists of eight events, each of which must be completed within a set time. A 20-second break is allotted upon completion of each of the first seven events, with a five-minute break given before the final challenge. Candidates must wear a 25-pound vest and air tank, and a pair of department gloves. For the first event, designed to measure aerobic capacity, candidates must walk on a stepmill at a specific rate within a required time without holding the handrail. Candidates will have 30 seconds to acclimate to the stepmill; those who fall or step off it after that time fail the event.

Ladder Drills

Candidates must also raise a 20-foot ladder, hinged to the floor against a wall, and then extend a 24-foot extension ladder within 15 seconds. Other aspects of the physical test require candidates to move a fire hose through various obstacles. In addition, they must drag a 130-pound dummy through an enclosed tunnel in a simulated rescue.

A five-point residency credit will be given to Firefighter candidates who live in New York City. Also, candidates who have a parent who died on duty as a uniformed officer can apply for a legacy credit. Five points will be added to the final score of those candidates after they pass the written and physical exam.

Application forms and further information can be obtained online at www.nyc.gov/dcas, or by writing the DCAS Application Center, 18 Washington St., New York, N.Y., 1004.