- When is your next hiring test?
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We have just finished establishing our current eligibility list. Please check this
web site frequently for announcements regarding the next firefighter hiring process.
- How many calls does PFA run a year?
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Our department responded to approximately 12,000 calls in
2006. This includes emergent and non-emergent responses.
Medical calls account for 63.05 percent of PFA's emergency
responses. In 2005, fire companies also responded to 889
False Alarms, 685 Fire/Explosians, 356 Hazardous Conditions
and 1884 Service/Good Intent calls. Engine and Truck
companies also performed 317 Business Fire Safety
Inspections and 103 Re-inspections as part of their normal
non-emergency company activities.
- What is a fire "authority"?
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Poudre Fire Authority was created in 1980, through the consolidation of the City of Fort Collins Fire Department and the Poudre Valley Fire Protection District. Poudre Fire Authority provides fire, rescue and EMS services within its authority jurisdiction, which includes Fort Collins and, outside of the city, parts of Larimer and Weld counties. The Fire Chief works with the authority board of directors, which is composed of several members of the Fort Collins City Council and the Fire District Board of Directors. Funding for the department is provided by the City and District through a tax and revenue formula.
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I'm already an engineer on the fire department where I currently
work. If I'm hired at PFA, may I take PFA's engineer test after my
first year?
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No. Current policy allows firefighters to become an acting
driver/operator after two years on the department, and you
may take the test for driver/operator certification after
three years on the job.
- Do you accept lateral transfers?
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PFA currently does not allow lateral transfers for uniformed
personnel.
- Do you have firefighter/paramedics?
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Poudre Fire Authority currently operates at the EMT-Basic
level. PFA does have some firefighters who have their
paramedic certification, but they do not function as
paramedics while working on PFA apparatus. Advance life
support in Fort Collins is provided by Poudre Valley
Health Systems.
- How many fire stations do you have?
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PFA operates ten (10) stations staffed by career/professional firefighters, and three stations staffed by volunteer firefighters.
- How many new stations do you plan to build?
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The schedule for opening Station 8, located in Timnath, is 2009-11.
The newest fire stations are Station
14, opened in 2005 and Station 12, which began operation in
1998.
- How many people will you hire from an eligibility list?
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This is always an unknown number. Due to growth and
retirements, an exact number cannot be determined for each
hiring process.
- Does your testing process include a polygraph test?
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No, PFA does not require a polygraph for pre-employment testing.
- What is the starting salary?
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The base salary for introductory firefighter in 2007 is $42,744, excluding overtime and holiday pay.
- Is there an age limit to apply for the hiring process?
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Poudre Fire Authority does not have a minimum-age
requirement. However, applicants must have a minimum number
of college credits to apply.
- What are the hiring interviews like?
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Poudre Fire Authority considers the candidate interviews to
be the strengths of its hiring process. For an applicant who
makes it through the entire testing process, there will be
three interviews: the panel interview, the oral-resume
interview and the Administrative Interview. During the panel
interview, candidates are asked approximately five questions
by a group of 3-5 PFA firefighters, driver/operators and
captains. The session lasts 20-30 minutes. During
the oral-resume interview, applicants have about five
minutes to give a presentation about themselves. They are
then asked about five questions by a panel of 3-5 PFA
firefighters, driver/operators and captains, and the
interview lasts 20-30 minutes. The Administrative Interview
is the final interview, which determines whether a candidate
receives a job offer. Several PFA Chief Officers interview
the final candidates, then make a conditional job offer
based upon performance in the interviews.
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Does PFA give extra points for military experience, paramedic
certification, volunteer/career firefighting experience, or
being female or another minority?
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The PFA hiring process is designed to provide each candidate
with an equal opportunity to be selected. Therefore, all
candidates are considered equal and no preference points are
given.
- How long is the probationary period?
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In most instances, one year from date of hire.
- How large is your response area?
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About 235 square miles. The size and diversity of our
district lends itself to a variety of emergencies:
residential fires, commercial fires, high-rise fires,
urban/interface fires, medical and other emergencies at
Colorado State University, water rescue, and high-speed
motor-vehicle accidents on an interstate highway and several
U.S. and state highways.
- What is your physical ability test like?
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PFA uses the Candidate Physical Ability Test, a product of the International Association of Fire Fighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. For more information on the CPAT, check out the CPAT section on the PFA web site.
