Fire Department · Career
Flint Fire Department
Flint, MI · Genesee County
87 budgeted firefighter positions (FY2026)
The Flint Fire Department protects the city of Flint, Michigan — home to about 81,000 residents per the 2020 Census — and is Genesee County's only full-time fire department, with mutual aid available to neighboring communities. The department is headquartered at Fire Station 1 at 310 E. 5th St. downtown. The city's FY2026 budget grows its firefighter positions from 84 to 87, and a voter-approved police and fire millage helps fund public-safety hiring.
In October 2024 the department launched its own ambulance service to reduce emergency response times for Flint residents. The service collected more than $900,000 in revenue by June 2025 — well past the city's original $350,000 estimate — and was projected to top $1 million by January 2026.
The Flint Fire Prevention Bureau handles the department's community risk reduction work: two fire code inspectors conduct annual inspections at city businesses, investigate suspicious fires when arson is suspected, and run Project Get Alarmed, which provides residents with free smoke detectors. The department's Fire Safety House reaches over 600 K-3 students each year, with another 200 older students during Fire Prevention Week, alongside the Straight Talk injury-prevention program and CPR, first aid, and AED courses taught in churches, schools, senior centers, and neighborhood associations.
MissionTo serve and protect the people from loss of life and property from fire and other natural and man-made disasters, to provide emergency medical services that are responsive to the needs of the community, and to provide fire prevention and education activities to the citizens of the City of Flint.
City of Flint openings, including fire department jobs, post on the city's GovernmentJobs portal, and the city's careers page notes the fire department offers hiring bonuses, on-the-job training, and opportunities for advancement, with a stated commitment to promoting from within. Employment is contingent on pre-employment screenings under civil service rules and collective bargaining agreements, and applications must be filled out in full — resumes are not accepted in place of a completed application, and missing documentation (transcripts, driver's license) disqualifies a candidate.
Command ranks are filled from inside the department: a 2023 Fire Battalion Chief posting required at least two years of seniority as a Lieutenant plus Fire Officer I, II, and III certifications and 15 job-related college credit hours.
Benefits
Full-time City of Flint employees join the MERS Hybrid retirement plan — a defined-benefit pension paired with an employer-matched defined-contribution account (employer contribution capped at 10%). Also included:
- Medical (HAP or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan), dental, and vision coverage
- Free life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance after six months
- Retiree health care savings plan with a $1,500 annual employer match
- Flexible spending accounts and an employee assistance program
- Earned paid time off plus 11 paid holidays
Do Flint firefighters need EMS certification?
All Flint Fire Department personnel are State of Michigan certified as Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics, and the department employs state-certified trainers who conduct fire and EMS courses.
How do I apply for a job with the Flint Fire Department?
Openings post on the City of Flint's GovernmentJobs portal. Applications must be filled out completely — resumes are not accepted in place of a full application, and missing required documentation disqualifies a candidate. Watch this department on Driftsmoke to get alerted when new postings go live.
Does the Flint Fire Department run youth programs?
Yes — the department holds a summer fire camp for ages 12 to 17 and participates in career fairs at schools and colleges as part of a career-development effort to introduce Flint youth to the fire service.