Prince George's Fire/Ems Department

The Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department is the largest fire department in the State of Maryland and one of the busiest in the United States. It answers more than 160,000 calls for service each year, protecting close to a million residents and visitors just outside Washington, D.C.

The department fields an emergency response workforce of over 900 sworn personnel operating from 45 community stations and support facilities. It is organized into seven community response areas known as battalions, each functioning like a smaller fire department within the whole and overseeing up to seven fire-rescue stations.

Fire service in the county traces back to 1742, when the Bladensburg Fire Company passed the first fire prevention ordinance. Individual companies began operating countywide in 1922, the first career members were hired in 1966, and the modern Fire/EMS Department took its current form in 1970 under the county's charter government.

Career hiring runs through a formal, announcement-based cycle for Fire Fighter I and Experienced Fire Fighter I. When an announcement opens, candidates apply online only; after the announcement closes, applicants receive emailed instructions for the Firefighter Entry-Level written exam within about 14 days, followed by the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT).

Candidates who pass both the written exam and CPAT complete a Personal History Statement and move into an initial interview, background investigation, psychological screening, and a medical examination before entering the academy. All communication is by email, so applicants should monitor their designated account closely. Prospective candidates can reach the department's recruiter directly to learn when the next announcement opens.