Riverdale Fire Department

*** Immediate Openings Available ***

Riverdale Fire Department

Riverdale, Illinois

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village of Riverdale, Illinois is accepting applications to the position of firefighter/EMT-B with the Riverdale Fire Department.

All Applicants Must Meet the Following Minimum Requirements established by the Village of Riverdale:

• Be a U.S. Citizen;
• Possess a valid driver's license;
• Must have attained their 21^st birthday by the application deadline date (May 11, 2026) - and - must be under the age of 35 at the date of testing (May 21, 2026) and at such time as the Final Eligibility List is posted.
  • Unless exempt by State Statute 65 IL 5/10-2.1-6., which provides in part that the age limitation does not apply to any person previously employed as a full-time firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of any municipality or fire protection district located in Illinois
• Have a High school Diploma, GED Certificate, or High School Proficiency Statement;
• No felony convictions and be of good moral character as described in State Statute 65 IL 5/10-2.1.6;
• Must possess a valid EMT License (EMT-B) issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) at time of hire;
• Possess an OSFM Certificate Firefighter II -OR- Basic Operations Firefighter Certificate at time of hire;
• Provide a valid CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test Card) with Ladder Climb Certification at time of hire;
• Must successfully meet all such other requirements as set forth by the Illinois Compiled Statutes and the Riverdale Fire and Police Commission Rules and Regulations, such as:  successfully pass a written examination, oral interview, polygraph test, background investigation, and pass a medical examination and drug test screening by a physician designated by the Village of Riverdale;
• Section 21.12: Residency Effective May 1, 2016, all newly hired employees covered by the terms of this Agreement shall live within a 30 mile radius of any village limit and within the State of Illinois.
• Pay a $25.00 non-refundable application processing fee. 

• Military: Persons who were engaged in the military or naval service of the United States for at least one year, and were honorably discharged. A copy of Form DD-214 (indicating status of discharge) must be submitted with application to qualify; -OR-

• Educational Preference:  Persons having successfully obtained an associate’s degree in the field of law enforcement, criminal justice, fire service, or emergency medical services, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, may be awarded 5 points; -OR-

• Experience Points: Paid-on-Call FFII, Paramedics, or any combination of those capacities, of the municipality 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 at the time of examination. Full-Time firefighters or firefighter/paramedics who were employed by fire protection districts or another municipality for at least 2 years shall have the same preference as paid on call personnel.  

Submission of Application:  Applications MUST be submitted online by Monday, May 11, 2026 at 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. Only one application per person, per testing cycle will be accepted.  

Mandatory Written Examination Testing Dates:  

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 9 AM on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 through Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 4 PM.  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 to the written exam date regarding their status in the process. NOTE: PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL SPAM FOLDER AS SOMETIMES EMAIL PROVIDERS (SUCH AS GMAIL, YAHOO, ETC.) SEND OUR EMAILS DIRECTLY TO SPAM. 

• Birth Certificate;
• High School Diploma -OR- GED Equivalent Certificate;
• Valid Driver's License;
• Current CPAT card with ladder climb (please see Summary of Hiring Process for more information on obtaining CPAT) (optional)
• Current EMT-B issued by the IDPH (optional);
• OSFM Certificate Firefighter II -OR- Basic Operations Firefighter (optional);
• Preference Points Documentation (proof of one of the following: military, college degree, fire service experience, or residency).