Firefighter

St. Cloud State University; Saint Cloud (MN); On-site; USD 74,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of St. Cloud invites applications for a Firefighter position with the St. Cloud Fire Department. The department operates from multiple stations and provides EMS, hazardous materials response, and specialized rescues. Written testing, interviews, and residency requirements form part of the selection process.

Salary for 2027 ranges from $73,883 to $95,508. Benefits include extensive healthcare, PERA retirement, and paid leave as outlined by the labor contracts.

Job description

Thank you for your interest in the Firefighter position for the City of St. Cloud Fire Department. The St. Cloud Fire Department is a full-service, fully-career organization currently operating out of five fire stations, with a sixth station including training facility coming soon. We have a motivated team that enjoys strong external stakeholder support within the community, quality equipment, and ongoing training for excellence. Located in the heart of downtown St. Cloud, Fire Station 1 serves as the department’s headquarters, housing our prevention services, administration, training and education services, and fire apparatus maintenance, in addition to housing three full-time emergency response units. Our crews staff stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which allows for a quality response anywhere in the city. Our emergency units respond to over 10,000 incidents per year. The St. Cloud Fire Department also provides hazardous materials incident response. Our Chemical Assessment and Emergency Response Teams provide primary coverage for eleven counties in central Minnesota. The St. Cloud Fire Department offers quality Emergency Medical Services to ensure the highest level of care is provided by the closest unit responding. Additional services provided by the St. Cloud Fire Department include airport rescue and firefighting, confined space rescue, extrication and complex rescue services, ice and water rescue, technical and high-angle rope rescue, fire inspection and plan review and public fire education.

Written Test

Candidates who successfully meet all requirements will be contacted and invited to the Assessment Center to take a written exam. The written test will be conducted on November 16, 2026. Candidates who successfully pass the written test with a score of 70% or higher will have the opportunity for an interview. Optional study material for the Written exam: International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) Essentials of Firefighting 8th Edition.

Interviews

Interviews will be held on December 14-18, 2026.

Residency

Firefighting personnel shall live within a one (1) hour driving time distance of the closest St. Cloud fire station. To aid new employees, the fire department provides an accommodation of the first six (6) months of probation to achieve residency.

Application Process

The firefighter application must be filled out completely, to include identified supplemental information. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Deadline for applications is October 30, 2026.

Additional Resources

• Firefighter Position Profile
• Fire Department Recruitment Page
• Fire Department Recruitment Video

The 2027 Firefighter salary range is $73,883 to $95,508. The beginning 2027 salary is $73,883, per union contract.

Benefits

The city is proud to provide a competitive healthcare package which includes single insurance premiums covered 100% by the employer and family covered 90%. Many voluntary benefits, including disability and flexible spending accounts, are also offered. See benefit overview for more information on City benefits.

Retirement

An excellent retirement pension plan is provided by the city through the Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA).

Paid Leave

Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Day and Holiday pay can be found in the applicable labor union contract.

To learn more about the City of St. Cloud community, visit the Community Profile