Joliet Fire Department

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE CITY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY WITH QUESTIONS.
PER REQUEST OF THE CITY, ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO APPLICATIONS@STANARD.COM

Joliet Fire Department,  Joliet, Illinois

The City of Joliet Board of Fire and Police Commissioners is accepting applications for the position of firefighter/paramedic.

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements established by the City of Joliet: 

• U.S. citizenship;
• No felony convictions or misdemeanors involving moral turpitude;
• High school diploma or transcript or an equivalent high school education certificate as recognized by the Illinois State Department of Education (GED certificate);
• Possess a valid driver's license with good driving record (will be required proof of identification at all phases of testing); 
• No offensive and/or inappropriate visible tattoos, brands, or body piercings. No tattoos, body art, or brands will be on the head, face, scalp, neck, or hands from the wrists to the fingertips (Reference: Joliet Fire Department Standard Operating Procedure #A14 - under the Job Description section of the application);
• Possess 20/20 vision (or corrected 20/20 vision) and cannot be color blind;
• Must be registered with Selective Service (https://www.sss.gov)
• At least 20 years of age and UNDER 35 years of age at time of the application deadline (December 1, 2025) -AND-  Must be at least 21 years of age and UNDER 35 years of age at time of job appointment, unless otherwise exempt (see below).  
  • Except as provided in 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3 and 70 ILCS 5/102.1-6.3 (original appointments, full time fire department), all applicants shall be under 35 years of age.  No person 35 years of age or older shall be appointed to the position of firefighter or police officer (unless exempted by 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3).  If an applicant becomes over age during the application process or while on an active eligibility list, such applicant shall not be allowed to continue with the application process, shall not be appointed and such applicant’s name shall be deemed immediately stricken from the active eligibility list (unless exempted by 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3).  If an applicant is exempted by 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3, it shall be the burden of the applicant to provide documentation thereof.  Applicants who are 20 years of age by the date of the application deadline shall be eligible to take the initial examination, but will not be eligible for appointment (and shall be passed over) until such time as the applicant reaches 21 years of age.  Proof of birth date will be required at the time of application.
• Must successfully obtain a valid Paramedic certification (paid for by the City of Joliet) in the State of Illinois -AND- test into the Silver Cross EMS System by the end of their probationary period*  
  • Failure to do so will result in the candidate's termination.
• Every applicant must be of good moral character and must be physically able to perform the duties of the position applied for and shall be responsible for advising the Commission of any changes in any information disclosed in the application.  The burden of establishing these facts rests upon the Applicant.  All applicants must present a valid CPAT and Ladder Climb certification with any licensed agency, dated within one year, at time of Conditional Offer of Employment;
  • Additional information on the CPAT and Ladder Climb Certifications is available in the "Summary of the Hiring Process" section of the application. 
• Attend a mandatory orientation/written exam administration on Saturday, December 13, 2025; Candidates scoring in the top tier will move on to the first round of oral interviews; 
• Must meet the requirements of a background investigation and pass a medical, vision (cannot be colorblind), psychological and polygraph test;
• Residency Requirement: All persons hired on or after April 25, 2026, shall, as a term and condition of employment, reside within the corporate limits of the City of Joliet or within 50 miles of the intersection of Essington Road and Jefferson Street, within eighteen (18) months of initial employment and shall remain subject to these residency requirements until their 20th anniversary of employment.
• Pay a $50.00 non-refundable application processing fee;
• Application deadline is Monday, December 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM.

Preference Points will be awarded as determined by the City of Joliet for the following (up to a maximum of 10 points):  

• Military Veterans:  Applicants who served in the United States military for at least 1 year and who were honorably discharged or are now on inactive or reserve duty shall receive 5 points.  Proof of such service must include a copy of Military Form DD-214 (long form) as proof of active service and evidence of honorable discharge at time of application to qualify;

• Education:  Applicants who have successfully obtained an Associate's Degree in the field of Fire Science or Emergency Medical Services -OR- a Bachelor's Degree in any field from an accredited college or university, shall be awarded 2 points.  Official transcripts must be submitted at time of application to qualify;

• Paramedic Certification:  Applicants who have obtained a State of Illinois Paramedic (EMT-P) license shall be awarded 2 points. Proof of licensure must be submitted at time of application to qualify;

• Community Energency Response Team (CERT) Preference:  Applications who successfully complete the Joliet Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training program and who maintain at least 75% attendance at monthly CERT training sessions (a minimum of nine training sessions per year) for a duration of two (2) years, and participate in one (1) CERT event per year, shall be awarded one (1) point. Proof of CERT compliance must be confirmed by the City of Joliet Director of the Office of Emergency & Disaster Management.
  
  
• Bilingual Ability:  Applicants who are bilingual in Spanish and pass both an oral and listening test prescribed by the Board of Fire and Police Commission, shall be awarded 2 points.  The test will only be offered to candidates scoring in the top tier of the written exam who are invited to participate in the oral interview phase.  The candidate will be responsible for the cost of the voluntary bilingual testing. To be considered for preference, you must answer "yes" to Question #18 in the Eligibility Questions section of the application.  Requests received after the application deadline will NOT be considered. Bilingual skills testing will be scheduled in late January.  Candidates must schedule a time within this one week window with Joliet Junior College to be eligible for preference.  More details to be provided closer to the date.

Submission of Application

• Applications MUST be submitted online by Monday, December 1, 2025 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.

Clear your calendar and make sure you are available on the following date:  All candidates will receive an email approximately one week prior regarding their eligibility to continue in the process and specific information pertaining to the testing start time.  A second afternoon testing session may be added on this date based on the number of candidates attending.

• Candidates must present a valid driver's license upon check-in. 
• A mandatory orientation will immediately follow candidate check-in.
• The written examination will be administered following the orientation session.
• Candidates should expect to be on-site for testing approximately 3 1/2 hours.
• Candidates are encouraged to bring beverages and snacks to the testing site. 
• Electronic communication devices (such as cell phones, smart watches, laptops, or tablets) are not permitted in the testing area. 

Important Disclaimer for Potential Applicants:  As part of this application form, you will be required to submit various documents, records and/or additional forms. Be sure to allow sufficient time to gather this documentation and fully complete the application before the deadline. In other words, do not wait until one day before the deadline to collect and submit additional required documentation. In order for your application to be accepted, all materials must be submitted and received prior to the deadline. Failure to disclose complete and honest information may result in disqualification from the hiring process.   

The City of Joliet is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.