LATERAL FIREFIGHTER AND LATERAL FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC
Hiring Rate
Firefighter: $25.00 – $31.91 per hour
Firefighter/Paramedic: $33.50 – $35.54 per hour (Hiring Bonus of $4,000 paid upon graduation and successful completion of Mesa County Protocols.)
About the Position:
Are you looking for a change of pace, a career that makes a difference, and a place you can call home? The Grand Junction Fire Department is experiencing unprecedented growth, and we are excited to welcome the next generation of community servants to join our family!
Firefighters and Firefighter/Paramedics respond to emergency and non-emergency calls, working with their assigned station crew to provide basic or advanced life support care to patients. Additional duties include performing fire prevention, fire suppression, and emergency rescue operations. Academy is typically scheduled 44-48 hours per week. Upon graduation from the Lateral Fire Academy the Grand Junction Fire Department has a 48/96 work schedule.
What You'll Do:
- Attend, participate, and successfully complete all skill blocks of the fire academy; learn and complete Mesa County Protocols; meet all job performance indicators to operate as a Firefighter or Firefighter/Paramedic.
- Perform various EMS and firefighting activities to protect life, property, and environment.
- Respond to a variety of emergency and non-emergency calls including emergency medical response, fire suppression, traffic collisions, hazardous materials incidents, building collapses, wildland fires, technical rescue, and extraction.
- Operate a variety of fire suppression and life-saving equipment.
- Perform station and equipment inspections and maintenance.
To view the full Firefighter job description, click here .
To view the full Firefighter/Paramedic job description, click here .
This position is a safety-sensitive position, which means you will be subject to random drug screens due to the nature of the work performed.
What We're Looking For:
Lateral Firefighter:
- Colorado EMT certificate OR National Registry EMT certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
- CPR certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
Lateral Firefighter/Paramedic:
- Colorado EMT-P certificate OR a National Registry EMT-P certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
- PALS certificate OR PEPP certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
- ACLS certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
- CPR certificate on or before October 12, 2026.
General (for all positions):
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in a full-time paid position on an all-hazards fire department.
- Firefighter II certification (ProBoard or IFSAC Accredited).
- Hazardous Materials Operations certification (ProBoard or IFSAC Accredited).
- Current State of Colorado Driver’s License or ability to obtain.
- Driver Operator Certification (ProBoard or IFSAC).
- Proof of completion of an emergency vehicle operator program (i.e. VFIS, CEVO, EVOC or other equivalent internal department program).
- Must successfully complete a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1580 physical
- Color perception resulting in the ability to use imaging devices.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Must be 18 years of age upon time of hire.
- Ability to pass a thorough background check.
- Current Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certification.
- If you do not possess a current CPAT certification, you must obtain one by September 10, 2026. If you are selected for initial testing, the Grand Junction Fire Department will offer CPAT Orientation, Practice sessions, and Testing. You are welcome to obtain a valid CPAT certificate from any certified testing location.
Notice to Applicants:
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, we kindly request that you do not include the dates of your education to include years of attendance or graduation on your application, resume or attachments.
Important Notice:
During the course of the application and hiring process, you will be asked to disclose information about your past activities. The below list of critical admissions, which may be cause for disqualification from employment with the Grand Junction Fire Department, is provided to applicants, Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) Technicians, and others involved in the recruitment process.
It is important that you be completely honest and forthright about this history. While a critical admission may or may not disqualify an applicant from a job, the discovery of misleading or deceitful information provided by the applicant is an immediate cause for disqualification.
- Any felony investigation or conviction.
- Any conviction for a crime of violence, specifically assaults, domestic violence, etc.
- Any conviction for a "hate crime" such as ethnic intimidation.
- Perjury conviction.
- Any theft conviction regardless of value of item.
- Theft from current employer or a previous employer.
- Drug use (including marijuana) and/or current alcohol abuse.
- An alcohol or drug conviction including but not limited to DUI/DWAI, depending on recency.
- Hit and run accident conviction.
- Being under or having been under driving restraint, cancelation, suspension or revocation of driving privileges in Colorado or any other state.
Please note: The listed critical admissions are not the exclusive basis for disqualification. The City reserves the right to disqualify any applicant who may or may not have any one or all of the foregoing admissions.
Assessment Process:
The assessment process may include the components below.
- Candidate Physical Ability Test. Click here to view the CPAT video.
- Phone Interview
- Oral Board Interview
- Lateral Skills Testing
- Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA)
- Fingerprints/Background Investigation
- Suitability/Psychological Evaluation
- Executive Interview
- Pre-employment drug, medical, and psychological evaluation screening
***If you are selected to participate in the assessment process for a Firefighter or Firefighter/Paramedic position, you will be contacted via email. Please check your email regularly for communication about this recruitment. ***
Tentative Assessment Weeks (will include CPAT requirements, Lateral Skills Testing, Oral Boards, and more) :
- August 10 - August 14, 2026
- August 24 - August 28, 2026
Tentative Executive Interviews for Finalists:
- September 21 - September 25, 2026
CANDIDATE PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST, ORIENTATION & PRACTICE SESSION GUIDE:
CPAT Test Sites | CPAT Manual
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) teamed up with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to develop the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). Additional CPAT test sites and information can be found on the IAFF website: https://www.iaff.org/cpat/ .
CPAT Testing | Firefighter Jobs | National Testing Network
CPAT at NTN. National Testing Network provides convenient, professional administration of the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) for firefighter candidates.
www.nationaltestingnetwork.com .
City Employee Health Clinic:
The City is committed to supporting the health and well-being of employees and their families. Our near-site Sage Health & Wellness Center offers free or low-cost healthcare services for employees and dependents enrolled in a City health plan. Services include preventive care, health assessments and coaching, treatment for common illnesses, lab services, physical therapy, a medical massage therapist, and behavioral health counseling. The clinic also offers wellness programs, challenges, and classes that empower employees and their families to stay healthy and thrive.
Explore the Area:
Grand Junction, Colorado, is the key access point to the mountains and canyonlands of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Centrally located between Denver, CO (250 miles east) and Salt Lake City, UT (270 miles west), Grand Junction was named for the convergence of the Gunnison River and Colorado River. Over 1.5 million acres of public lands connect the area’s alpine terrain with the dramatic high desert, nourished by powerful rivers that sustain the vibrant agriculture industry. Opportunities for outdoor adventures are abundant in every season due to the year-round temperate climate. Home to “Nature’s Trifecta,” Grand Junction is surrounded by the Colorado National Monument – a mini-Grand Canyon, Rattlesnake Arches – the second-largest concentration of natural arches in the world, and the Grand Mesa – the largest flat-top mountain in the world. Agritourism, art and history, boutique shopping, and trendy restaurants complement the outdoor recreation scene. With a population over 160,000 in Mesa County (over 70,000 within the City limits), Grand Junction has all the city amenities you expect with a hometown atmosphere that is friendly and comfortable. See Visit Grand Junction for more information.
At the City of Grand Junction, we proudly operate as an Equal Opportunity Employer, purposely building an inclusive workforce representative of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We believe in respect for all and do not discriminate based on hair, race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
If you have any questions or need assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please contact our Human Resources office at 970.244.1512.
