Fire Department · Career
Lafayette Fire Department
Lafayette, IN · Tippecanoe County
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Department careers page ↗Lafayette Fire Department traces its roots to 1830, when the earliest firefighting response in the city relied on bucket brigades. The department modernized over the following century, adding its first steam engine in 1863 and transitioning to motorized apparatus starting in 1911, retiring the last of its horse-drawn units (two gray horses named Dick and Sam) soon after. That long institutional history is documented in an extensive photo archive the department maintains covering 1830 through 1971.
Today the department operates seven fire stations across the city and has earned an ISO Public Protection Classification of 2, on a 1-to-10 scale where 1 is the best possible rating, reflecting a high standard of fire suppression capability and infrastructure. Fire Chief Brian Alkire has led the department since June 2023, succeeding former Chief Richard Doyle, with Deputy Chief Jamason Blacker among the department's recent command promotions.
The department runs its own recruit academy and a structured, multi-stage hiring process for new firefighters, graduating a new recruit class in 2026, and maintains a nonprofit support foundation that funds community and firefighter-support initiatives.
Lafayette Fire Department hires through a multi-stage pre-employment, application, and appointment process leading to placement on a Merit Commission hiring list, followed by a paid recruit academy and a year of on-the-job evaluation before promotion to Firefighter I.
Requirements
- Age 21-40 at time of application (exceptions for prior firefighters and veterans)
- High school diploma or GED
- Valid driver's license
- No felony convictions
- No Class A misdemeanor convictions within the past 2 years
- No more than one alcohol-related violation, none within the past 2 years
- No DUI conviction within the past 5 years
- No illegal substance use within the past 2 years; no THC use within the past 1 year
- Must pass the CPAT physical agility test within 2 years of hire (or provide proof of prior completion)
- Must complete a 75-foot ladder climb at a 75-degree angle
- Must meet vision screening standards per Indiana PERF
Hiring process
- Submit initial application online
- Written test
- CPAT physical agility test (or proof of prior completion)
- Interview with hiring committee
- Polygraph examination
- Background investigation
- Merit Commission interview
- Placement on hiring eligibility list
- Conditional offer, then physical and psychiatric examination
- Merit Commission approval and hire date established
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance; HSA contribution; INPRS pension; paid recruit academy; and advancement opportunities.
12-16 week paid recruit academy, followed by one year of on-the-job training before promotion to Firefighter I.
How do I become a firefighter?
There is a pre-employment phase, an application process, and an appointment process to be hired by the Lafayette Fire Department.
What type of shift do firefighters work?
Firefighters work a rotating schedule: a 24-hour shift followed by 24 hours off, repeated across three shifts, then 4 days off, averaging a 53-hour work week.
What is the Lafayette Fire Department's Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating?
The department's current ISO rating is a 2, on a scale from 1 (highest) to 10 (lowest).
How many fire station houses does Lafayette have?
Currently, there are 7 fire stations within the city.