FILING FOR FIREFIGHTER EXAM IS NOW OPEN

Must Also Pass Physical; $31G For First Year; 15 College Credits Or Work Experience Is Required

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services is accepting applications for an exam leading to Firefighter jobs.

Forms 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, for an overall first-year salary of $30,800. The top pay is $63,309 after 5-1/2 years on the job.

Hiring Requirements

By the time of appointment, candidates must have 15 college credits, six months of full-time work experience, or military service with an honorable discharge.

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 gain appointment.

To be hired, 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. During instruction, the Fire Department provides a CFR-D training program that costs $775.

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.

The written multiple-choice test and the physical test will likely each count for 50 percent of a candidate's final score. Details of the written test have not yet been released.

What Test Measures

According to the 2002 exam notice, the written exam will test 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 took 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.

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.

Residency Bonus

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., 10004.