Zion Fire Department

Zion Fire Department
Zion, Illinois

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the City of Zion, Illinois is accepting applications for the position of firefighter/paramedic with the Zion Fire Department.

Salary: $67,284 (starting) - $118,017 (end of current CBA)
Shift Schedule: 24 ON / 72 OFF
Population: 24,655
Sworn firefighter/paramedics: 29 Full-time & 12 Part-time

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements established by the City of Zion:

• U.S. citizen or legally authorized to work in the United States;
• Possess a valid driver's license with a good driving record;
• Must be at least 21 years of age and be under the age of 35 (or meet the exemption set forth in the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Act of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (65 ILCS5/10-2.1-6);
• High school diploma or GED equivalent;
• Must be certified as an Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Firefighter-Basic;
• At time of conditional offer of appointment, candidate must possess:
  • Proof of successful completion of the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) and Ladder Climb within past 12 months;
  • Current Illinois EMT-Paramedic license;
• Pay a $20.00 non-refundable application processing fee (this fee will be waived for City of Zion residents with proof of address);
  
• Application Deadline: Friday, September 13, 2024 at 4 pm (CST). 

Required documents (to be submitted at time of application):

• Valid driver’s license;
• Birth certificate;
• Social security card;
• High school diploma or GED certificate;
• Illinois OSFM Firefighter-Basic certification;
• Military Service Record Form DD-214 (if applicable).

 NOTE:  Incomplete or defective applications will NOT be accepted and will disqualify the applicant. 

Preference Points Shall be Awarded for the Following:

• Veteran – 5 points (mandatory)
  • Veterans shall be preferred for employment. Candidates who have actively served at least one year in the United States military and have been honorably discharged will receive 5 points.

• Educational – 5 points maximum
  • 2.5 points for Associate of Fire Science
  • 2.5 points for Associate of EMS (Emergency Medical Services)
  • 5 points for Bachelor’s Degree – any discipline
  • Degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university.

• Unique – 5 points maximum
  • 1 point – Fire Apparatus Engineer
  • 5 points maximum - 1 point for each full year served on Zion Fire Department

• Experience – 5 points maximum
  • Applicants employed by a municipality who have been paid-on-call or part-time certified Firefighter II, State of Illinois or nationally licensed EMT-B or EMT-I, or any combination of those capacities shall be awarded 0.5 points for each year of successful service in one or more of those capacities, up to a maximum of 5 points
  • Certified Firefighter III and State of Illinois or nationally licensed paramedics shall be awarded one (1) point per year up to a maximum of 5 points.
  • Applicants from outside the municipality who were employed as full-time firefighters or firefighter/paramedics by a fire protection district or another municipality for at least two (2) years shall be awarded 5 points.
  • Proof of previous employment must be provided on the previous employers’ letterhead and include the position in which the candidate served and the dates of service. Such proof must be signed by the previous employer.

Per Illinois Public Act 97-0251, an applicant cannot pass a veteran through the use of Experience Preference Points.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

1. Submit Application: Applicants must complete and submit all application materials by Friday, September 13, 2024 @ 4:00 pm (CST). Faxed, e-mailed, mailed or dropped off applications will NOT be accepted. Applications submitted after the deadline will NOT be accepted.  

2. Written Examination: Following completion of all application materials and review of minimum qualifications, successful applicants will be invited to participate in remote on-line written exam testing starting at 7 AM on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 through Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7 AM.  The test will only be available during this time period.  Candidates will need to have access to a laptop or desktop computer.  All candidates will receive an email approximately one week prior regarding their status in the process, along with further instructions for taking the on-line written exam. NOTE: Please be sure to check your email spam folder. Many email account providers automatically send our emails there in error (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.).   

A Study Guide for the written exam is available for purchase at the following website: https://www.applytoserve.com/Study/  It contains useful information for preparing to take the exam, including a sample practice test and sample test answer key to check your answers.