Next Cadet Hiring Process will start soon
Click here to submit your application early to get on the list send applications to: [email protected]
Standby For Our Next Cadet Hiring Process
Cadet Class Coming Soon!
District 1 Fire & Rescue is seeking motivated and qualified individuals that are looking for a career in the fire service. This is a unique opportunity to get paid while attending certification classes for Firefighter and for EMT. Candidates that successfully complete our 16 week academy will go on to become full time firefighters with District 1 Fire & Rescue.
Cadet Training Academy: We will announce when the applicaton period opens here on this page and on our facebook page. Cadets will be on a 40 hour work week with some nights and weekends required for clinical and hands on training. The hourly wage for cadet will be $17.00 per hour while in the academy. The academy will be M-F 08:00 to 17:00 and held at Station 1 in La Vernia, Texas.
Upon successful completion of the cadet academy you will be a certified TCFP Firefighter, certified EMT Basic and will become a full time Firefighter with District 1 Fire & Rescue. You will be assigned to a 48 hours on and 96 hours off (48/96) duty schedule. You will also be eligible for the complete Firefighter benefit package and an annual starting salary of $48,100.00. (October 1 is our new budget and the base salary is expected to be over $50,000)
Standby for the application period to open.
Hiring Process: (Dates to be announced soon)
- Complete application
- Pass pre-employment aptitude test
- Pass Physical Ability Test
- Complete back ground and reference check
- Pass on an onsite interview
- Pass Drug Screen
Please click on one of the links on this page to get our application. Please send applications to Battalion Chief Fowner at [email protected]. Keep reading for more about District 1 Fire and Rescue.
District 1 Fire is a growing fire department. We value our people and take care of them. We value good training, good equipment, and aggressive but sound tactics as well as mentoring. This is a great place to work as there will be ample opportunities for additional TCFP certifications, wildland certifications, and various specialty training. Driver Operator will be offered to new hires as soon as your probation is complete and you obtain your Class B license. We also participate in TIFMAS deployments which will allow the opportunity to work at Natural Disasters, Large Wildland deployments, and other major events. District 1 has a great reputation for helping young firefighters gain valuable experience and move on to bigger departments, BUT, we also have a proven record and reputation for maintaining our people and promoting our Firefighters from within. Our 1st core value is taking care of our people and District 1 Fire will provide you with every opportunity to grow and succeed as a firefighter and as a person.
We are located about 10 minutes outside of loop 1604 in La Vernia, TX (15 minutes from San Antonio) and we offer a 48/96 schedule and a flexible trade policy. We staff 2 full-time stations and maintain 2 other non-staffed stations from which we provide Fire and Medical First Response to 126 square miles. Combined we respond to about 1800 calls per year. Since we only provide first response you will never be assigned to an ambulance. All EMS transport is handled by ESD #3. At District 1 you will see a wide variety of calls. In the last 12 months, we have responded to about 65 structure fires, about 200 Brush/Grass or “Other” Fires, about 220 MVA’s, and about 1200 medical calls. Since we are on a 48/96 we don not have a residency restriction but most of our firefighters live within an hour and a half drive.
Each station has two new brush trucks and two new engines. Station 1 also houses a tender, heavy brush and a rescue boat. Our two front-line engines are Pierce PUC rescue body engines and they are equipped like rescues or squads in bigger cities. We carry virtually everything we need on our trucks, for any job. Unlike an engine in the city which only does “Engine work” you will have to learn all disciplines. You may be first in the door on one fire and venting a roof on another. You may have to work a vehicle extrication one morning and a grass fire in the afternoon. Our firefighters are highly trained and we do more with less.
As a new hire you will be paired with an experienced firefighter and officer to mentor and coach you through your first few months. We are here to teach you how District 1 operates, how to be safe and to prepare you for the emergencies you will encounter. Each new firefighter is issued a basic task book of skills and this is to ensure your training is well documented and nothing is missed. If you do have experience the task book will be very easy and it will reinforce the way we do things.
There are plenty of opportunities to grow here at District 1. Once you complete your probationary period you will be given the opportunity to receive your Driver Operator task book and begin your training to ride up as an engineer. You will also be given the opportunity for basic wildland, instructor, and officer classes. The district plans on adding another firefighter position in 2023 and opening a new station in the next three to four years. The district also encourages you to obtain your degree and all employees are eligible for our college tuition reimbursement program.
Finally, District 1 truly is a family. We take care of each other and we hire the best we can hire. Our standards are very high. We expect a lot out of each other and our performance on the job is a direct reflection of this. The ESD board does a great job of taking care of us and we in turn have everything we need to take care of our citizens. If you want opportunity and are willing to train, learn, grow, and have a little fun, District 1 is where you want to be. Apply today or send us your contact information or a resume so we can let you know the next time we have an opening.
- 18 Years old or older
- High School Diploma
- Valid Texas driver’s license
- Base salary of $48,100 including FLSA overtime
- Opportunities for additional overtime and deployments
- Step pay program
- Holiday Bonus
- Firefighter rank is eligible for up to $1200 annually in TCFP certification pay.
- $3000 per year for paramedic and $500 per year for EMT-A
- Eligible for college tuition reimbursement
- 100% Paid employee healthcare
- 100% Paid children healthcare
- 100% paid Life and Disability
- Dental/Vision and other supplemental policies available
- 120 Hours PTO accrued annually with step increases
- PTO buyback program
- TCDRS Retirement at 7% with 2:1 employer match
- Annual Uniform Allowance and all PPE provided
- 48/96 Schedule with flexible trade policy
- In house TCFP and NWCG Courses, including paid testing and certification fee.
- All Fire and EMS CE’s provided
