Fire Department
Junction City Fire Department
Junction City, KS · Geary County
53 members · 2 stations
The Junction City Fire Department is the career fire department of Junction City, Kansas. It handles fire suppression for the city and serves as the emergency medical services provider for all of Geary County, including Milford and Grandview Plaza, delivering both basic and advanced life support care and ambulance transport. The department also runs inter-facility transfers for Stormont Vail Health's Flint Hills campus, and every member performs both firefighting and EMS duties.
JCFD operates from two stations — Station 1 at 700 N Jefferson Street and Station 2 at 2245 Lacy Drive — with personnel spread across three shifts. The 53-member roster includes battalion chiefs, captains, lieutenants, firefighter/paramedics, and firefighter/EMTs. Beyond structure fire and EMS work, the department provides technical rescue as part of Kansas Task Force 2 and water rescue across Geary County through a joint dive team with the county. Frontline apparatus includes a 109-foot Rosenbauer aerial and Rosenbauer pumpers.
Junction City's fire service dates to February 1866, when the town organized its first hook-and-ladder company. The modern department has a history of EMS firsts: in 1998 it became the first EMS organization in Kansas to authorize EMT-Intermediates to perform endotracheal intubation and administer albuterol in the field, and its AEMTs continue to operate at the full scope of their certification.
Hiring runs through the city's GovernmentJobs portal, and the department accepts applications only while a firefighter/EMT opening is advertised; city human resources then notifies applicants of test dates. The pipeline is a written assessment drawn from the IFSAC firefighter essentials manual, a physical agility test, and an interview board made up of department officers. The fire chief reviews all scores, places candidates in a preferential hiring order, and finalists complete a medical examination with a drug screen.
Starting pay is set by EMT certification level (EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic). Fire certifications are preferred but not required at hire — new members qualify to NFPA 1001 Firefighter I standards through departmental training during their probationary first year.
Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
- Kansas (KBEMS) or National Registry EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic certification
- Current CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test)
- Valid driver's license
- Pre-employment physical with drug screening and criminal background check
Hiring process
- Submit an application online through the city's GovernmentJobs portal while a posting is advertised
- Written assessment based on the IFSAC firefighter essentials manual
- Physical agility assessment
- Interview board with department officers
- Fire chief's review and preferential hiring ranking
- Medical examination with drug screen
Benefits
Full-time members receive health, dental, vision, and life insurance, deferred compensation, flexible spending accounts, short-term disability, holidays, and paid sick and vacation leave. Retirement is through the Kansas Police & Fire Retirement System (KP&F): employees contribute 7.15% of gross salary and accrue 2.5% of final average salary per year of service, to a maximum of 90% at 36 years. The city furnishes uniforms and firefighting gear (except belts and shoes for station wear) plus a $200 annual gear allowance after probation, and the Fireman's Relief Association pays 85% of the premium on a life, accident, and sickness policy.
New hires qualify to NFPA 1001 Firefighter I standards through departmental probationary training during their first year, working under close supervision.
Do I need firefighter certification to apply to the Junction City Fire Department?
No. Fire certifications (NFPA 1001 Firefighter I or II through IFSAC or Pro Board) are preferred but not required — the minimums are a high school diploma or GED and a Kansas or National Registry EMT certification. New hires complete firefighter qualification training after joining.
Do Junction City firefighters have to live near their station?
Eventually, yes. After successfully completing the probationary period, members have one year to relocate to within a 30-minute response of their assigned station.
How can I find out when JCFD is hiring?
The department accepts applications only while a firefighter/EMT opening is advertised on the city's GovernmentJobs portal. Watch this department on Driftsmoke to get an alert when a new posting goes live.