Fire Department
Chester County Fire Marshal's Office
West Chester, PA · Chester County
Fire Instructor II role teaching emergency responders in fire, rescue, and hazmat. Requires Certified Fire Instructor I, 3+ years emergency services experience, and availability 24/7/365 for potential emergency assignments.
Hazmat Technician supporting Chester County emergency response; requires NFPA 470 certification (or ability to obtain within 1 year), 6+ months related experience, and 24/7 availability. No salary information provided.
The Chester County Fire Marshal's Office is a county office within the Fire Services Division of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services (DES), based at the county Government Services Center on Westtown Road in West Chester, Pennsylvania. County fire marshals conduct fire origin-and-cause investigations at the request of the local authority having jurisdiction or the incident commander, using findings to identify trends in behavior, product design, and building standards. The office also delivers public fire prevention education, performs annual inspections of county property, and assists municipalities — which hold primary fire code enforcement jurisdiction in Pennsylvania — with code compliance questions.
Through Y-FIRE, the Youth Fire and Injury Reduction and Education program, the office provides a confidential intervention service that addresses youth fire-setting behavior through education and community partnerships rather than prosecution. The Fire Services Division also fields the county Hazardous Materials Response Team, which responds to hazardous materials incidents countywide and manages community response planning under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and the division coordinates with the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association and Fire Police Association in support of the county's fire and rescue services.
DES serves more than 500,000 residents across Chester County's 73 municipalities and operates the Public Safety Training Campus at 137 Modena Road in Coatesville, where fire, rescue, hazardous materials, EMS, and emergency management courses — including NFPA Firefighter I and II certification classes — are delivered to the county's emergency responders.
MissionPromote and assist in providing safety and security to Chester County citizens so they can work, live, and grow in a healthy and safe community.
The Fire Marshal's Office and the wider Fire Services Division hire through the County of Chester's application portal on GovernmentJobs.com. Recent openings include Hazardous Materials Response Team technicians and Emergency Services Fire Instructors (levels I through III) who teach fire, rescue, and hazmat courses through the Public Safety Training Campus; these roles post continuously with hourly pay stated up front.
All DES employees are designated essential personnel and may be assigned to the county Emergency Operations Center or deployed to field locations during emergencies and exercises; some positions require availability 24 hours a day, year-round. New hires complete FEMA incident command coursework (IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, and IS-2200) within six months of hire, and background checks, clearances, physicals, and drug tests are conducted after a conditional offer per county policy.
Hiring process
- Apply through the County of Chester portal on GovernmentJobs.com
- Receive a conditional offer of employment
- Complete background checks, clearances, physical, and drug test per county policy
- Finish required FEMA ICS courses (IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, IS-2200) within six months of hire
Fire, rescue, hazmat, and EMS training runs through the county's Public Safety Training Campus at 137 Modena Road in Coatesville.
What is the Y-FIRE program in Chester County?
Y-FIRE (Youth Fire and Injury Reduction and Education) is the Fire Marshal's Office's confidential intervention service for youth fire-setting behavior, built on education and community partnerships rather than criminal prosecution. The program can be reached at 610-344-5054.
What certifications do Chester County's ES Fire Instructor positions require?
Instructor postings call for NFPA Fire Instructor and Firefighter certification at the corresponding level, at least 100 hours of certified emergency training, hazmat operations-level training, basic vehicle rescue training, and one to five or more years of active fire, rescue, or hazmat service depending on the level.
Does the Hazmat Technician job require certification before applying?
No — the posting requires NFPA 470 Hazardous Materials Technician certification or equivalent, or the ability to obtain it within one year of hire, along with an annual hazmat physical and first aid/CPR certification (or the ability to obtain both within a year).