Fire Department
Sarasota County Fire Department
Sarasota, FL · Sarasota County
“Serving our Community with P.R.I.D.E.”
500+ firefighter/EMTs & paramedics · 60+ support staff
Earn $31.16 per hour as a Certified Fire and Life Safety Inspector. Requires a Florida State Certified Fire Safety Inspector Certificate and one year of inspection experience. Apply today.
Lead fire prevention and life safety programs as a Fire Marshal with starting pay up to $145,000 annually. Requires a degree and supervisory experience, plus up to $3,000 in relocation assistance.
Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) is the county fire-rescue agency under Sarasota County Emergency Services, providing fire suppression and emergency medical services to unincorporated Sarasota County and the City of Sarasota, plus EMS-only coverage in Laurel, part of Nokomis, and Englewood. The all-hazards department protects roughly 433,742 residents across more than 450 square miles and 37 miles of Gulf shoreline, operating from 25 stations organized into four battalions. Crews answer over 67,000 emergencies a year, about 7,000 of them fire-related; the department is internationally accredited through CPSE and holds an ISO classification of 2/2Y.
Every SCFD firefighter is certified as an EMT or paramedic, and the department runs its own ALS transport system: up to 49 ALS units, including 25 transport rescues, 23 ALS-equipped engines, and three EMS Captains, delivering patients to 10 resource hospitals. In February 2025 the department began carrying low-titer O+ whole blood for prehospital transfusion.
Specialty assignments include a state-recognized Type 1 hazardous materials team — one of 19 deployable teams in Florida — that also handles technical rescue and USAR work, a Marine Operations group operating a fireboat on coastal and Intracoastal waters, an ALS tactical bike team, and an Honor Guard. The department also carries out wildfire mitigation, with about 60 permitted prescribed burns a year, alongside a broad community risk reduction program. Sarasota County's fire service traces back more than 100 years.
MissionStrengthening community through a network of skilled professionals dedicated to saving lives and protecting property.
SCFD hires Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics through the National Testing Network: candidates complete an NTN application, share passing FireTEAM and CPAT results with the department, and file a Sarasota County employment application on the county's Workday-based jobs portal. Hiring runs in scheduled classes — the class posted in July 2026 held panel interviews in August, chiefs' interviews in early September, and started in October.
No prior experience is required. New hires spend their first 10 weeks on a 40-hour training schedule before moving to 24/48 shifts, and firefighters hired as EMTs must become dual-certified Firefighter/Paramedics within three years, with paramedic school paid by the county. Line personnel are represented by IAFF Local 2546; the department's recruitment team answers questions at JoinSCFD@scgov.net.
Requirements
- At least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent; no minimum experience required
- Florida Firefighter Minimum Standards certification (Bureau of Fire Standards), meeting Chapter 633.412 F.S.
- Current State of Florida EMT or Paramedic license
- Valid Florida driver's license, or obtained within 30 days of hire
- Passing FireTEAM and CPAT results shared with SCFD through the National Testing Network
- Pre-employment and annual NFPA 1582 comprehensive physical
- Pre-employment drug screen and extensive background check (CJIS clearance)
- Become dual-certified Firefighter/Paramedic within three years of hire
Hiring process
- Complete an application with the National Testing Network (NTN)
- Take the FireTEAM written exam and CPAT, and share passing results with SCFD via NTN
- Submit a Sarasota County application for employment in full
- Provide current Florida Firefighter Compliance certification and EMT or Paramedic license
- Panel interviews
- Chiefs' interviews
- Job offer, uniform sizing, drug screen and background check
- Start in a hiring class with a 10-week training schedule
Benefits
Firefighters are covered by the Florida Retirement System Special Risk pension, with a deferred compensation program and the Sarasota Firefighters' Insurance Trust Fund — a county-paid contribution equal to about 6% of top-step Firemedic base pay that funds health coverage in retirement.
- Medical, dental and vision insurance, plus a county-paid annual NFPA 1582 physical
- 96 hours of vacation (increasing with longevity), 120 hours of holiday leave, and 120 hours of sick leave per year
- Longevity pay at 10, 15 and 20 years of service; college tuition reimbursement and county-paid paramedic school
- Pay additives for Paramedic In Charge ($20,000 a year), special operations, ladder, and marine assignments
New hires complete a 10-week, 40-hour-per-week training schedule before assignment to 24/48 shifts; firefighters hired as EMTs attend county-paid paramedic school to become dual-certified within three years.
How can I find out when Sarasota County Fire Department is hiring?
Watch this department on Driftsmoke to get an alert whenever a new Sarasota County Fire Department opening is posted. The department typically hires in scheduled classes several times a year through the National Testing Network.