FF/PM Employment

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JOIN THE HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Hoffman Estates Fire Department is looking for driven, energetic, and community-focused individuals ready to serve as Firefighter/Paramedics. We offer a career built on purpose — protecting over 50,000 residents across 22 square miles from four modern fire stations with advanced life support EMS, fire suppression, dive rescue, hazardous materials, and technical rescue response.

Below you will find everything you need to know about compensation, requirements, hiring process and how to apply. 

We are currently accepting applications at this time. Applications can be found at the National Testing Network


COMPENSATION                                                                                                           
SALARY 

$81,521.24-$124,153.43*   
Annual Firefighter/Paramedic Pay as of 1/1/2026     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
             $77,445.18    Annual starting Firefighter/Non-paramedic pay                                                                                                                                                                 

Local 2061 contract through 2026
*2027-2029 Contract negotiations are currently in progress


BENEFITS

Health Insurance
Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO and PPO, Dental and Vision- Coverage for employee and dependent. Insurance opt out plans available. 		 Life Insurance
$50,000 Group Term Life Insurance 

 Retirement
Article IV Pension. Optional 457 deferred compensation plans. Section 115 Plan (Trust) contributions for retirement health care. 
Sick Time
12 hours per month. Payout options available upon retirement. 		 Vacation 
5 days after year 1 and up to 14 days after 20 years of service		 Compensation Days
12 days per year



APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS                                                                           
ENTRY LEVEL FIREFIGHTER

The following are the current requirements to test for entry-level firefighter positions:
  • Be a United States citizen
  • Possess a valid Driver’s License with eligibility to operate a vehicle in Illinois
  • Possess a High School Diploma (or its equivalent)
  • Have vision minimum corrected to 20-20 with no color blindness
  • Have minimum, non-corrected hearing ability to perform as a firefighter
  • Have the ability to speak, read, write, and understand the English language
  • Must hold National Registry or IDPH licensure as an EMT by application deadline
  • Submit proof of a valid Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) with Approved Ladder Climb (LC) card from a licensed agency before December 15, 2026 (card must be dated 12/15/2025-12/15/2026)
    • CPAT/LC Cards can be obtained through any International Association of Firefighters approved CPAT Test Sites - https://www.iaff.org/cpat/
  • Minimum of 20 years of age by date of application deadline. Must be 21 years of age to be appointed. 
  • All new applicants to the Fire Department shall not be 35 years of age or older by the application deadline, except for a person who is under age 40 and who turned 35 while serving as a member of the active or reserve components of any of the branches of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as honorable or under honorable and who is separated form the military.
  • All candidates will be required to sign a Candidate Reimbursement Agreement at the time of hire.
    A sample agreement is included in this packet.

Preference Points
In accordance with the state statute (65 IL 5/10-2.1-6.3(h.)), the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners will award the following preference points 
  • Veterans Preference (5pts)
  • Educational Preference: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (2pts)
  • Paramedic Preference: IDPH license or National Registry (5pts)
  • Additional Preferences: 2 years of active employment in an occupation considered to be trade related (e.g., carpenter, electrician, plumber, laborer, mechanic) and have practical application to the fire service as determined by the Fire Chief (2pts)



HOFFMAN ESTATES HIRING PROCESS                                                            
Governed by State Statute 
Step 1
 Application is Due by December 15th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m		 Step 2
Written Exam completed through National Testing Network		 Step 3
 Interview with HEFD Staff 
Step 4
Polygraph		 Step 5
Background Check		 Step 6
Interview with Board of Fire and Police Commissioners
Step 7
Psychological Evaluation		 Step 8
Medical and Physical Examination		 Step 9
Ladder Climb
 
  • Testing will take place in or around Hoffman Estates, IL. The date, time and location for each testing process component will be released at a later date.
  • All portions of the testing process are mandatory. Failure to attend and successfully complete any portion of the process will result in elimination from employment consideration


Learn more about the Hoffman Estates Fire Department in the video below.