Fire Department · Career
Bossier City Fire Department
Bossier City, LA · Bossier County
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Department careers page ↗The Bossier City Fire Department (BCFD) is a full-time, professional department serving the City of Bossier City, Louisiana, with more than 200 employees operating out of nine fire stations. Beyond structural firefighting and emergency medical response and transport, BCFD maintains capabilities in hazardous materials operations, high-angle and confined space rescue, water rescue, a bomb squad, and SWAT, alongside dedicated fire prevention, investigations, and public education programs. The department is organized into divisions covering communications, EMS, fire prevention, training, special operations and safety, information technology, maintenance, and operations.
BCFD traces its roots to 1926, when the Bossier City Volunteer Fire Department was organized in the wake of a pair of destructive fires the previous year that burned through much of the young city. The department transitioned to a full-time professional force in 1950 under its first full-time chief, F.M. Smith, and steadily expanded its station footprint and services over the following decades, adding EMS transport in 1985 and a dedicated fire training center in 1994. Two Bossier City firefighters, Larry Baldwin and Royce Glen Vogel, died in the line of duty in 1963 while attempting to rescue city workers trapped in a sewer lift station, and both are memorialized by the department today.
The department continues to grow alongside the city, having rebuilt several of its original stations in more modern facilities in recent years while maintaining its full slate of fire, EMS, and special operations services.
MissionOur mission is to protect the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of Bossier City, by providing the most proficient, reliable emergency and non-emergency services with the highest degree of honor.
Firefighter candidates go through a multi-stage civil service hiring process combining a written exam, an online application with cognitive/behavioral testing, a physical fitness assessment, and a series of background and medical screenings.
Requirements
- Pass the Firefighter Civil Service Exam with a score of 75% or better
- Complete the online application process through publicsafetyanswers.com/bossiercity, including a cognitive and behavioral assessment
- Pass the BCFD Fitness Assessment: five events (push-ups, sit-and-reach flexibility, sit-ups, one-rep-max bench press, and a 1.5-mile run), each worth up to 100 points; applicants must accumulate at least 350 total points and score at least 70 points on the 1.5-mile run
- Pass an applicant interview
- Pass a background and criminal history check
- Pass a voice stress analysis
- Pass a psychological evaluation
- Pass a physical exam and drug screening
Hiring process
- Pass the Firefighter Civil Service Exam (75% or better)
- Complete the online application at publicsafetyanswers.com/bossiercity, including cognitive and behavioral assessment
- Pass the BCFD Fitness Assessment (5 timed/scored events)
- Applicant interview
- Background and criminal history check
- Voice stress analysis
- Psychological evaluation
- Physical exam and drug screening
Benefits
Louisiana Firefighters' Retirement System, medical and dental insurance, a tax-deferred savings plan, and sick and personal leave, plus incentive pay for EMT certification (EMT-Basic and EMT-Paramedic) and trauma unit shift pay.
What does it take to become a firefighter with the Bossier City Fire Department?
Applicants must pass the Firefighter Civil Service Exam (75% or better), complete an online application with cognitive and behavioral testing, pass a five-event physical fitness assessment, and clear a background check, voice stress analysis, psychological evaluation, and physical exam with drug screening.
What is starting pay for a Bossier City firefighter?
Beginning pay is $3,518 per month, with $600/month in state supplemental pay after one year of Firefighter I certification, plus EMT incentive pay and trauma unit shift pay for qualified employees.
Does BCFD do more than fire and EMS calls?
Yes. Beyond traditional fire suppression and EMS, BCFD provides hazardous materials operations, high-angle and confined space rescue, water rescue, a bomb squad, SWAT, fire prevention and investigations, and public education programs.
How many fire stations does Bossier City have?
Nine fire stations, staffed by more than 200 employees, serve the city's roughly 62,000 residents across 41 square miles.
How did the Bossier City Fire Department get started?
It was organized in 1926 as the all-volunteer Bossier City Volunteer Fire Department, formed after two major fires destroyed much of the city's business district in 1925. It became a full-time professional department in 1950.