Fire Fighter Trainee

County of Kauai; Hawaii; On-site; USD 66,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Kaua’i seeks a Fire Fighter Trainee to receive on- and off-the-job training to learn firefighting theories and methods under supervision. The position is civil service and requires a high school diploma or equivalent and a valid Hawai’i driver’s license. Certificates in First Responder, CPR and USLA ARRT must be kept current.

Exams include written and physical performance tests; probation lasts one year. Testing is scheduled in October 2026 on Kaua’i.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Two years general work experience.
• Valid driver’s license (Hawai’i Type 3 or equivalent).
• First Responder Certificate or higher; CPR; USLA ARRT Certificate must be maintained.

Responsibilities

• Study firefighting manuals, policies, codes and regulations.
• Tour fire districts to learn streets, hydrants and water resources.
• Assist in firefighting and rescue duties; perform salvage and cleanup.
• Reloads hoses, ladders and equipment for return to station.
• Washes and services firefighting apparatus and hoses.
• Maintain station building, grounds and equipment.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Skills

General work exp

Reading

Writing

Communication

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Two years general work experience

Tools

First Responder Certificate

CPR

USLA ARRT Certificate

Job description

Job Posting End Date:
September 25, 2026

ARE YOU A CURRENT COUNTY OF KAUA’I EMPLOYEE?

IF YES, DO NOT APPLY HERE! IF YOU APPLY ON THIS WEBSITE YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

This posting is for External Candidates only.

Current County of Kaua’i employees, must apply on the Internal Career Site by clicking on this link

Job Title:
Fire Fighter Trainee

Salary Range:
N/A

Position Salary:
5,646.00 USD Monthly

Location:
Fire Department Headquarters

Civil Service or Non Civil Servic e:
Civil Service

Job Summary

Serves in a trainee capacity, receiving on-and-off the job training to learn the theories, techniques and methods used in firefighting tasks under immediate supervision; and performs other duties as required.

Examples of Duties

( The following are examples of duties and are not necessarily descriptive of any one position in this class. The omission of specific duties statements does not preclude management from assigning such duties if such duties are a logical assignment for the position).

• Studies firefighting manuals, departmental policies, procedures, fire codes, rules and regulations;
• Participates in tours of fire districts to study and become familiar with the location of streets, building, hydrants, water resources, standpipe connections, sprinkler connections and fire escapes;
• Participates in conducting fire company inspections; assists in the performance of a variety of firefighting and rescue work;
• Performs salvage and clean-up work when fire is under control such as removing debris, loose beams, floorings, excess water and furnishings from the buildings;
• Reloads hoses, ladders, and other firefighting and rescue tools and devices for return to station;
• Washes, polishes and services firefighting apparatus and equipment;
• Washes, tests and dries hoses;
• Performs housekeeping and maintenance tasks in maintaining station building, grounds and equipment; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Training & Experience:

A combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from high school, and
two (2) years of general work experience.

Qualifying General Work Experience:

Any work experience which may involve the basic skills: reading, writing, computation and communication.

License Requirement:

Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license, as required (Hawai’i Type 3 or equivalent);

Prior to completion of probation candidate must possess the following certificates

First Responder Certificate or higher;

American Heart Association Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation Certificate; and

United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) Aquatic Rescue Response Team (ARRT) Certificate.

(These certificates must be maintained on a current basis thereafter).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE APPLICANTS

• The probation period is part of the examination/selection process. All Fire Fighter Trainee recruits must successfully pass an initial probation of one (1) year before becoming a regular member of Civil Service.
• Information provided herein constitutes requirements known at the time of announcement of this examination and may be revised or changed without limitation or notice for good reason thereafter.

Tests

Applicants will be required to qualify on appropriate examinations.

The examinations will consist of a written examination and physical performance evaluation.

• Please note exams are held ONLY on Kaua’i. We do NOT conduct testing in other jurisdictions.
• When attending the qualifying written and performance examinations, please be prompt. There will be no admittance if you are late.
• No spectators are allowed at testing sites.
• The written examination has been tentatively scheduled for October 6, 2026 – October 7, 2026
• The physical performance examination has been tentatively scheduled for October 19, 2026 – October 22, 2026.

Physical Performance Evaluation

Candidates must be able to perform the following (Applicants must pass each event in order to move to the next event):
100-yard pool swim within 2 minutes 5 seconds.

• Dive and retrieve a 5 lb. weight within 45 seconds after swimming the 100-yard pool swim.
• 10 flights of stair climb carrying a hose bundle, approximately 50 lbs., within 25 seconds.
• Aerial ladder climb (No time limit).
• Endurance event, one mile run within 8 minutes.
• Fire attack and rescue obstacle course event within 2 minutes 30 seconds.

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for The week of November 2, 2026 .

Work Shift/ Schedule

24/7; shift work (United States of America)

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the County of Kauaʻi that there shall be no discrimination in employment pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, and the Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapters 368 and 378.

Except for bona fide occupational or other legal requirements, no individual employed by the County, or applying for employment with the County, shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy or reproductive health decisions, arrest and court record, assignment of child support, national guard participation, Veteran status, credit history, domestic/sexual violence victim status, or any other basis covered by state or federal laws governing non-discrimination.