Nearly 3000 Applications Received for 50 Firefighter Positions

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930, mebrady@co.pg.md.us

The Prince George’s County Maryland Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department apparently continues to be a popular place to start a career. Perhaps the popularity is a result of the economy and the difficulty in finding work or it could be the compensation and benefits and/or the prestige and honor that come with the position of being a Prince George’s County Firefighter/Medic. The starting salary is $40,848 with a 20-year-retirement and opportunity for shift work.

On April 6, 2012, the Fire/EMS Department opened up the application process that remained open until April 20. All applications had to be completed and submitted on-line.

The Fiscal Year 2013 Fire/EMS Department budget currently includes 50 new firefighter positions. We received nearly 3,000 applications. After the initial vetting process, over 2,300 applicants met the minimum qualifications and invited to participate in the written examination.

In comparison, in 2011, nearly 2,100 applications were received and 1,675 were eligible to take the written test.

The written portion of the process will be held this Wednesday, May 16, and conducted at Martins Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland. There will be two sessions, one each in the morning and afternoon. Any media wishing to attend the afternoon session is limited to the time when candidates are lining up and registering to take the examination. Each registration process runs for 45 minutes.  Media is invited to attend the 1:00 pm registration where as interior video, photographs and interviews are permitted.  Candidates will typically line up outside of the building as early as noon for admittance into the written examination.  Please note that this written examination is part of an on-going hiring process and this is not an announcement for walk-up applications.

Candidates that successfully pass the written examination will move on to background investigations, interviews and a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) at some point in the near future.

Hiring for the 50 open positions from the eligibility list created by this process will occur in early 2013.