Fire Department
City of Colton Fire Department
Colton, CA · San Bernardino County
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Department careers page ↗The Colton Fire Department is the municipal fire department for the City of Colton, a general-law city of more than 54,000 residents in the East San Bernardino Valley at the center of the Inland Empire. From four fire stations covering roughly 16 square miles, the department delivers fire suppression, advanced life support EMS, light and heavy rescue, and hazardous materials mitigation. EMS accounts for about 70 percent of responses, and the department has provided paramedic-level care for more than 50 years under a "personal patient care" philosophy; it ran 7,946 calls in 2025.
The frontline fleet includes three Type-1 paramedic engines, a paramedic ladder truck, a medic squad, and a Type-3 engine, plus California OES-assigned apparatus — a water tender and Type-1 and Type-6 engines — that carry Colton crews into mutual aid across California and beyond. The department participates in the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement and automatic aid with neighboring cities, and members deploy to state and federal incidents as single resources and on incident management teams. A constant-staffing policy fills vacancies rank-for-rank so every unit is staffed 24 hours a day.
Crews train daily at the company level, run monthly multi-company battalion drills, and test twice a year against Company Performance Standards, much of it on a four-story training tower and a set of department-built props. Special teams include an Honor Guard established in 2007 and shift fire investigators who work arson cases in a regional group alongside neighboring departments, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney's Office, and the ATF.
MissionIt is the mission of the Colton Fire Department to protect life, property, and the environment in order to preserve and improve the quality of life of those we serve.
Colton hires through the City of Colton's GovernmentJobs portal, and recent Firefighter Medic recruitments have run continuously at both entry and lateral levels. Candidates must first be on the FCTC Statewide Eligibility List, which includes the statewide written test and CPAT. The posted pipeline moves from application review to a practical examination, chief's interview, tentative offer, background investigation, and official offer before an academy start, with the schedule built so candidates can give two weeks' notice to a current employer.
Lateral Firefighter Medics — currently employed firefighter/paramedics with at least a year on the job — start at a negotiable salary based on qualifying experience. As of mid-2026, postings advertised a $15,000 hiring bonus for both entry and lateral hires, paid in installments tied to academy and probation milestones. All hires serve a one-year probation.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience in emergency services or paramedic services
- Valid California Class C driver license and a satisfactory driving record at hire and throughout employment
- EMT-P (paramedic), CPR, and ACLS certifications, or the ability to obtain them upon hire
- Placement on the FCTC Statewide Eligibility List (statewide written test and CPAT)
- Lateral Firefighter Medic: one year of continuous employment as a firefighter and licensed paramedic with an established fire department, plus California State Fire Training Firefighter I certification
Hiring process
- Register with FCTC and complete the statewide written test and CPAT to get on the eligibility list
- Apply through the City of Colton's GovernmentJobs portal
- Application review by Human Resources
- Practical examination
- Chief's interview
- Tentative job offer and background investigation
- Official job offer and academy start
- One-year probation, with a probationary test at six months
Benefits
Per recent Colton Fire Fighters Association postings:
- CalPERS safety retirement — 2.7% @ 57 (PEPRA); 3% @ 55 or 3% @ 50 for classic members by hire date; the city does not participate in Social Security
- Cafeteria allowance for medical, dental, and vision — $1,675/month as of November 2025, rising to $1,750/month in January 2026
- Shift personnel: 192 hours of holiday credit per fiscal year and up to 160 vacation hours per year in the first five years
- Longevity pay of $100–$400/month at 10–25 years (prior fire service counts), bilingual pay $200/month, uniform allowance
- Tuition reimbursement up to $2,500 per fiscal year and city-paid $100,000 life insurance
Recent postings show new hires starting with a department academy after the official offer; lateral hires complete a 14-day mini academy. All members serve a one-year probation.
How is the Colton Fire Department's $15,000 hiring bonus paid out?
Per the mid-2026 Firefighter Medic posting, lateral hires receive $5,000 after completing the 14-day mini academy, $5,000 upon passing probation at 12 months, and $5,000 on the one-year anniversary of passing probation. Newly hired firefighters receive $2,500 after passing the six-month probationary test, $5,000 upon completing one-year probation, and $7,500 a year after passing probation.
Does the Colton Fire Department have a youth program?
Yes. The Colton Fire Explorer Program, sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, is open to ages 14–21 (students must hold a 2.0 GPA). Explorers train monthly, take part in station life, and can ride out with crews; applications are returned to Station 211.