Newly hired firefighters are paid while undergoing up to 32 weeks of intense training to become properly certified and licensed in fire-fighting, rescue, hazardous materials, and emergency medical services. Currently, the Fire Academy is 18 weeks and EMT School is 14 weeks. If you want to be a
firefighter we want you to be the best.
The Knoxville Fire Department protects over 100 square miles within the City of Knoxville, serving a population of more than 197,000 individuals. With 19 fire stations and 327 uniformed personnel, the Knoxville Fire Department responds to over 28,000 calls annually. Calls for service include fires, technical rescues, hazardous materials responses, and emergency medical responses. Chief Stan Sharp, who has been the Fire Chief since 2009, leads the Knoxville Fire Department.
Click here to learn about the history of the Knoxville Fire Department.
DIVISIONS
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Suppression
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Fire Prevention Bureau
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Training
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Logistics
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Fire Investigation Unit
• Public Education
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Emergency Medical Service
- 1st responder for both BLS and ALS emergencies
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Administration
• Public Education
SPECIALTY TEAMS
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Hazardous Materials
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Technical Rescue
- Rope
- Confined Space
- Collapse
- Trench
- Swiftwater
- Search and Rescue
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Wildland
• Critical Care Paramedic
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
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Applicant must have reached their 18th birthday before their application will be accepted;
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High School graduate or equivalency;
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Applicant required to possess or be able to obtain a valid Driver’s License; and
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No firefighting experience or EMS certifications are required.
AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFIERS
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Bad Conduct Discharge or Dishonorable Discharge from the Military
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Felony Conviction
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Use of the following illegal drugs within the last 2 years:
- Marijuana
- Adderall or other, similar combination prescription drugs containing mixed salts of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine
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Use of the following Schedule I or II drugs within the last 7 years:
- LSD, Cocaine, Heroin, Amphetamines, Barbiturates, Crack or any other Schedule I or II drug
PAY
Recruits are paid while attending the fire academy.
Base Salary
Below please find the current (2025) base salaries for positions in the Department.
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Recruit Firefighter : $41,106
- This is the base salary during the 18 week fire academy
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Firefighter : $45,319
- This is the base salary after graduation of the 16 week fire academy
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Senior Firefighter : $49,964
- After 2 years in the rank of Firefighter, you may be eligible for promotion to Senior Firefighter
- This is a noncompetitive promotion but there are requirements that must be met for eligibility
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Annual 2.5% cost of living increase in July, contingent upon approval by Knoxville City Council
First Responder Supplement
The City of Knoxville offers a supplement based on your level of EMS certification. Those who are hired with EMT-B, AEMT, or Paramedic, will begin earning this supplement upon proof of State of Tennessee licensure.
This is in addition to your base salary:
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EMT-B (Basic EMT): $1,000/yr
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AEMT (Advanced EMT): $3,750/yr
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EMT-P (Paramedic): $8,000/yr
Holiday Pay
11 paid holidays per year
State Pay
The Knoxville Fire Department also participates in the State Education Incentive each year. This incentive pay is in addition to your base salary.
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$800 – Paid by the State of TN in the Spring, upon successful completion of all requirements set forth in the State Education Incentive Program.
BENEFITS
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Leave
- 1 to 3 years of continuous service [10 (12 hour) days annual leave]
- 3 to 7 years of continuous service [15 (12 hour) days annual leave]
- 7 to 12 years of continuous service [20 (12 hour) days annual leave]
- 12+ years of continuous service [24 (12 hour) days annual leave]
- Allowed to carry over twice the yearly accrual of your annual leave
- Sick Leave [12 (12 hour) days per year (accumulative)]
- 8 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents. This is for moms, dads, and adoptive parents too.
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11 paid holidays per year
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Pension: For complete info, please visit the
City of Knoxville pension website (will fall under Plan H-UB – Uniformed Bodies)
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$500 annual uniform allotment
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Longevity pay
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Health insurance – individual and family coverage is available
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Life insurance up to $50,000 plus $25,000 one-time death benefit in line of duty
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Long-term disability insurance plan
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Deferred Compensation program
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Wellness program
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Employee Assistance program
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Educational Tuition Reimbursement program up to $5,250 per year
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One-time education incentive for newly acquired college degrees
- Associate's Degree - $1,000
- Bachelor's Degree - $2,500
- Master's Degree - $3,000
HIRING PROCEDURE
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Application Submitted
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Civil Service written exam and physical performance test
- Subjects on Written Test: Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Interpreting Tables, Situational Judgement, Reading Gauges, Basic Math, Mechanical Aptitude, Spatial Sense, Map Reading and Vocabulary.
- A study guide is optional and can be
purchased at this link
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Submission of Personal History Questionnaire
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Interview and tentative selection
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Orientation
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Background Investigation, Medical Evaluation, Drug Screening, Polygraph, Fingerprinting
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Ladder climb and confined space crawl
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Fire Recruit Academy
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Fire Academy Graduation
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EMT training for those hired without State of TN EMS certification
TRAINING
Fire Recruit Training consists of 18 weeks of intensive instruction and testing in areas that cover all aspects of the fire service.
Recruits will graduate with successful certification in the following:
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Firefighter I with necessary training to test for Firefighter II
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Hazardous Materials Awareness
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Hazardous Materials Operation
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Hazardous Materials Technician
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Vehicle Extrication Technician
All recruits must complete the 18-week recruit academy regardless of previous service or certification. The State of TN offers reciprocity for fire certifications with an IFSAC or ProBoard seal. After graduation, those without a State of TN EMS license of EMT-B or higher will move to the next phase of training, which is Emergency Medical training. The Knoxville Fire Department Academy is located in Knoxville, and is nonresidential, so you can return home daily. Our academy typically operates Monday – Friday from 0800-1630 (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
The Firefighting Division is structured to provide for three (3) shifts. Each shift shall work an average of fifty-six (56) hours per week (averaged over a twenty-eight (28) day period) consisting of duty periods of twenty-four (24) hours.
Work schedule is as follows:
On 24 hours; off 24 hours; on 24 hours; off 24 hours; on 24 hours; then off for 96 hours (or four 24 hour shifts).
HOW TO APPLY FOR FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT
Current jobs with the City of Knoxville are listed at
KnoxvilleTN.gov/Jobs.
If you are interested in being notified when this position becomes available, you may save a search on the Careers homepage and you will receive an email notification when this position is posted. Old mailing list cards will not be maintained.
To save a search, go to the Careers homepage and click on the link for "Job Search" that appears at the top of the page. Put the job title in the key-words field and save the search.
You may contact Civil Service for more information by calling 865-215-2106 or by visiting the Civil Service office in the City County Building at 400 Main Street, Suite 569.
Contact us about the Firefighter Explorer Program at 865-595-4673.
FOLLOW THE KNOXVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT
Facebook.com / KnoxvilleFire
Twitter.com / KnoxvilleFire