Fire Department · Career
City Of Downey Fire Department
Downey, CA · Los Angeles County
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Department careers page ↗Downey Fire Department has provided fire and life-safety services to the city since September 10, 1957, when it took over from the Los Angeles County Fire Department under founding Chief Robert Gain and 53 original members. The department grew from a single inherited station to four permanent stations located throughout the city's roughly 12.4 square miles, a buildout completed with the opening of Fire Station #4 in 1959.
Today the department is organized into six divisions — Administration, Fire Operations, Fire Prevention, Emergency Medical Services, Communications, and Emergency Preparedness — with about 100 employees serving a population of just over 112,000. Apparatus assigned across the four stations includes four paramedic-engine companies, a truck company, two paramedic squads, four BLS ambulances, an Urban Search & Rescue unit, and a command vehicle, backing a Class 1 ISO rating and a call volume of over 10,000 emergency incidents a year.
Beyond emergency response, the department runs a public education and community outreach program and maintains two long-running entry pathways into the fire service: the Auxiliary Firefighter Program (since 1987) for fire-academy graduates seeking on-the-job experience, and Explorer Post #641, run with Learning for Life, for young adults ages 16-21 interested in a fire service career.
MissionThe dedicated men and women of the Downey Fire Department strive to deliver the highest quality of service to the expanding needs of our community. We will safely and aggressively prevent or minimize the loss of life and property through our combined professional efforts.
Downey Fire Department fills full-time firefighter, paramedic, and other department positions through the City of Downey's job portal, which posts openings when they occur. The department also maintains two structured entry pathways: the Auxiliary Firefighter Program, which gives fire-academy graduates paid on-the-job experience and has historically fed a significant share of the department's full-time hires, and Explorer Post #641 for youth ages 16-21 interested in a fire service career.
Requirements
- 18 years of age or older
- Valid California Driver's License with a good driving record
- Valid CPR Certification
- Valid EMT Certification with a California county
- Graduation from a California State Fire Marshal accredited fire academy
- Ability to commit to the Auxiliary Firefighter Program for two years
- Ability to volunteer one 24-hour shift weekly
Hiring process
- Openings posted (including via firecareers.com)
- Application submitted during open exam period
- Oral interview (pass/fail)
- Physical agility test: circuit training events and a distance run (pass/fail)
- Mini-Tower training period (3-4 days) for equipment orientation
- Background check
- Final selection based on interview, physical agility, tower performance, and attitude
Auxiliary Firefighter applicants must already be graduates of a California State Fire Marshal-accredited fire academy.
What counts as Public Education versus Public Outreach for the fire department?
Public Education covers things like school visits about smoke alarms, fire-extinguisher demonstrations for businesses, and neighborhood-watch presentations on fire safety. Public Outreach covers requests for department personnel or apparatus to appear at community events such as graduations, grand openings, or holiday events.
Can I request a fire engine to appear at a private party?
No. The department considers fire personnel and apparatus a taxpayer-funded public safety resource, so committing them to a private event would be unfair to the rest of the community and could put residents at risk.
How can fire academy graduates get on-the-job experience with Downey Fire?
Through the Auxiliary Firefighter Program, started in 1987, which lets fire academy graduates work alongside full-time crews on the ALS squad, BLS engine, or BLS truck company to build the experience needed toward State Fire Marshal Firefighter I certification.