Several South King (WA) Fire & Rescue departments have collaborated to create WAFireCareers.org, a Web site that is designed to make the firefighter exam process more accessible, affordable, and inclusive for applicants.
WA Fire Careers is comprised of the following organizations: Eastside Fire & Rescue, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Renton Regional Fire Authority, South King Fire & Rescue, Tukwila Fire Department, and Valley Regional Fire Department. These organizations came together to create WA Fire Careers as a means to tackle some of the barriers applicants face in the examination process.
Fire department leadership throughout King County have long since held the belief that just because an applicant is not a great “test taker,” does not mean that the applicant cannot be a great firefighter. Those chiefs have also been very vocal about understanding that not all applicants begin their journey into the fire service on a level playing field. WA Fire Careers is designed to help alleviate some of those variances and make a career in firefighting more achievable for those who are public servants at heart.
One of the key features of WA Fire Careers is that its firefighter exam is completely electronic. With the global pandemic still a very real concern for local staff and the community, the departments are pleased to offer an exam solution that keeps both groups safer and healthier. WA Fire Careers has partnered with exam administrator Fire and Police Selection, Inc. (FPSI) and its partner, exam proctor organization Examity, to deliver a secure, proctored exam using their state-of-the-art platform. This online exam also provides improved accessibility over older methods, allowing applicants with transportation concerns, other job obligations, or personal road blocks to take the exam at their convenience, in the comfort of their own home, over a 48-hour exam window, rather than having to be at a physical test location at a specific day/time.
Another key benefit of the exam is the cost. The firefighter exam through WA Fire Careers is being offered at just $33, including the cost to send the applicant’s score to ALL of the agencies within the organization. The exam fee also covers the cost of the comprehensive exam process orientation guide, which includes sample questions to help applicants feel prepared, as well as access to the state-of-the-art exam software to set up their access and select a desired timeslot within the 48-hour exam window.
Between the accessibility of this exam and the improvement in cost to applicants, this new exam process will dramatically improve the inclusivity of the firefighter exam for many firefighter hopefuls throughout the King County community and beyond.
One of the unique features of WA Fire Careers is that an exam window is only opened when these agencies are actively hiring. Between exam windows, applicants may sign up for the mailing list to be notified as soon as the next exam window opens. An exam window is currently scheduled for April 30 – May 1. The registration deadline for this exam window is April 19, 2021. This exam will fill vacancies in both the September 2021 fire academy as well as the February 2022 fire academy for many of our agencies.
Find out more at www.wafirecareers.org.
