The Wichita Fire Department is in hiring mode, and applicants no longer need to possess an Emergency Medical Technician certification to become a recruit.
The department is now offering EMT training in-house. Recruits are hired at a salary of $19 an hour and begin their training with an eight-week EMT program. Once they complete the EMT certification, they move on to the Fire Academy, which is another eight weeks of training before they are fully qualified and assigned to a station.
The Department applied for and was awarded a Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant of $10.2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. That grant has enabled the department to add two new fire engines and hire 42 more employees, said Lt. Jose Ocadiz.
Potential recruits must be at least 18 years old and able pass the physical agility which involves a mile and a half run and an obstacle course to be considered for hiring.
Prospective applicants can apply online at: https://www.wichita.gov/Fire/Pages/Jobs.aspx.
Links to the application site can also be found on the Wichita Fire Department’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Ocadiz said there is no closing date for the application process, but urged those interested in a firefighter career to apply right away.
He added that the department still prefers candidates who have an EMT certification, but being able to get that training in-house eliminates that requirement as a barrier to some applicants.