Fire Department · Career
Reading Pa Department Of Fire & Rescue Services
Reading, PA · Berks County
Combination department descended from fourteen volunteer fire companies that once operated citywide; today staffed predominantly by full-time career personnel.
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Department careers page ↗Reading Fire Department grew out of the Rainbow Volunteer Fire Company, chartered in 1773, and expanded over the following century and a half into a network of volunteer companies that, by 1914, numbered fourteen. Over the 20th century the department motorized its fleet, professionalized its staffing, and unionized its paid apparatus drivers as IAFF Local 1803, evolving into today's combination department that is now staffed predominantly by full-time career personnel.
The department's mission centers on preserving life and property through fire suppression, pre-hospital medical care, fire prevention, public outreach, and emergency planning, and it resumed direct delivery of EMS transport service to the city in 2001 after the closure of a private ambulance provider. Firefighters routinely respond to medical emergencies as well as fires, since only a handful of paramedic units cover the city and engine companies are frequently the closest unit able to reach a patient.
Beyond emergency response, the department runs community-facing programs including Operation SAVE-A-LIFE, free smoke-detector distribution for residents in need, and public fire station tours, and it maintains ties to the Reading Area Firefighters Museum, which preserves the department's firefighting history and apparatus.
MissionPreserving life and property through fire suppression and pre-hospital medical care activities, fire prevention, public outreach, and emergency planning.
The City of Reading hires firefighter/paramedic and firefighter/EMT positions through a civil service process, with open recruitment periods announced on the city's employment page; candidates apply via a civil service application and progress through testing before appointment.
Requirements
- Minimum age 18
- Valid driver's license
- Pass background check
- For Paramedic positions: PA EMT-P certification, PHRN certification, National Registry Paramedic certification, or current enrollment in an accredited paramedic program
- Must be certified and eligible at time of appointment
Hiring process
- Submit civil service application
- Pass civil service testing
- Complete CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) preparation and testing
- Background check
- Appointment upon certification eligibility
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance effective on the first day of employment; basic life/AD&D insurance with optional portable life, disability, and specialty coverage; a defined contribution retirement plan with additional retirement savings options; flexible spending accounts; an Employee Assistance Program; paid time off including 12 city holidays; internal/external training and career advancement opportunities; a 50% tuition discount at Alvernia University; and subsidized parking.
Why do fire trucks use lights and sirens even late at night when there's no traffic?
Pennsylvania state law extends certain privileges to emergency vehicles, such as proceeding through intersections and traveling against traffic flow, but these privileges require the use of lights and sirens under the law and department policy.
Why does a fire engine respond to medical/ambulance calls?
Fire trucks often arrive first because they are the closest unit, and all firefighters provide basic emergency medical care. Since only four paramedic units serve the city, firefighters respond to life-threatening calls to stabilize patients until paramedics arrive.
Why are multiple vehicles sent to small fires?
Each truck carries only two firefighters, and firefighting requires many workers performing specialized roles simultaneously; insufficient staffing per vehicle makes fires harder to extinguish quickly without multiple units.
How do I arrange a fire station tour?
Contact Esmeralda Villasenor at 610-655-6080 at least 30 days in advance. Tours can accommodate groups of up to 30 people, with larger groups able to arrange multiple tours.
How can I obtain a free smoke detector?
Contact the Office of the Fire Marshal at 610-655-6080; a limited number of free smoke alarms are available for residents who cannot afford them.