Fire Department · Combination
Community Volunteer Fire Department
Houston, TX · Harris County
One of only 75 agencies in Texas holding an ISO Class 1 rating; combination department (career + volunteer) with 24-hour station staffing.
The Community Volunteer Fire Department seeks TDSHS certified volunteers for its high-volume EMS division in Houston. This is an unpaid volunteer role requiring applicants to be at least 18, with year-round open applications.
The Community Volunteer Fire Department is seeking certified or experienced volunteer firefighters in Houston, TX. Requirements include being at least 18 and committing to 6 days of availability per month. Benefits feature shift stipends and tuition reimbursement.
The Community Volunteer Fire Department seeks volunteer firefighter recruits for an academy requiring no prior experience. Volunteers receive free training leading to Firefighter II certification, shift stipends, uniform allowance, and tuition reimbursement.
This youth program for ages 13 through 18 offers hands-on training and ride-along opportunities with firefighters in Houston, TX. Applications are accepted continuously for this volunteer youth development program.
This role requires current full-time career fire department employment, a TCFP Basic Firefighter certification, and a Texas EMT Basic certification, with a minimum availability of 8 days per month. Benefits include a uniform allowance and tuition reimbursement.
The Community Volunteer Fire Department is seeking volunteer rescue technicians with prior experience or TCFP, SFFMA, or equivalent certification, requiring at least 8 days of availability per month and offering shift stipends and tuition reimbursement.
Community Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) was founded on April 12, 1971, when a group of local volunteers began responding out of a borrowed Houston Fire Department engine and hand-built their first station near Bissonnet and Boone Road. The department grew through a 1972 merger with the Alief Volunteer Fire Department, added EMS service in 1973, hired its first paid personnel in 1976, and dropped "Alief" from its name in 1985 as its territory expanded. Today CVFD operates as a combination department -- a mix of career and volunteer firefighter-EMTs -- serving the Alief, Mission Bend, and Cinco Ranch areas of unincorporated Harris and Fort Bend counties under a service contract with Harris/Fort Bend Emergency Services District #100.
CVFD runs five fire stations (91-95) plus administration, a conference center, a dedicated training facility (opened January 2020), and the Westcom dispatch center, and fields roughly 300 personnel between paid and volunteer ranks. Beyond fire suppression and EMS, the department maintains special operations, tactical EMS, a Health & Safety division, community outreach, logistics, an honor guard, and an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drone) program. It also runs its own in-house Fire Academy and EMS Academy to train and certify new volunteer and career members.
MissionCommunity Volunteer Fire Department exists to provide excellent customer service to the citizens with a set of specialized skills to protect lives, property, and the environment through preparedness, education, and emergency response.
CVFD hires both career (paid) firefighters/EMTs and volunteer members, and runs its own Fire Academy and EMS Academy for candidates who need certification. The department describes itself as "one of the busiest and fastest growing fire departments in the greater Houston area."
Requirements
- Paid firefighters: minimum age 21, TCFP Basic Firefighter Certification, TDSHS EMT-Basic Certification, current full-time career fire department employment, at least 5 days/month availability, U.S. work eligibility
- Volunteer firefighters: minimum age 18, at least 6 days/month availability, U.S. work eligibility, and TCFP Basic Firefighter Certification, SFFMA Firefighter II (or equivalent), or NFPA 1001-standard academy completion (CVFD's own Fire Academy fulfills this)
- Paid EMS: minimum age 18, TDSHS EMT-Basic Certification, must meet scheduling requirements, U.S. work eligibility
- Volunteer EMS: minimum age 18, TDSHS EMT-Basic Certification, at least 6 days/month availability, U.S. work eligibility
Hiring process
- Apply online (under 10 minutes)
- Certified interviews held between the 1st-7th of each month; Fire Academy candidates also complete a physical ability test (PAT)
- Email offer, followed by background check and drug screening
- Start/onboarding, typically about one month after interview, including orientation and assignment
CVFD runs its own Fire Academy (Tue/Thu 6-10pm, Sat 8am-5pm, ~4-5 months, no tuition, protective equipment provided, cadets purchase some uniform items, leads to SFFMA Firefighter II certification) and EMS Academy (Mon/Wed 6-10pm plus alternating Saturdays 8am-4pm, 212 hours, $1,250 program cost covering tuition/uniforms/textbook/CPR cert, 88% NREMT pass rate vs. 78% state average, with 100% tuition reimbursement for graduates who obtain a Texas EMS license and volunteer with CVFD for one year).
What area does Community Volunteer Fire Department serve?
CVFD serves an estimated population of 150,000 residents in the unincorporated portions of southwestern Harris County and northeastern Fort Bend County, including the Alief, Mission Bend, and Cinco Ranch areas, under a service contract with Harris/Fort Bend Emergency Services District #100.
Is CVFD a volunteer or career department?
CVFD is a combination department with roughly 300 personnel made up of both paid career staff and volunteers, staffing its five stations 24 hours a day.
How do I become a firefighter or EMT with CVFD?
Apply online through the recruiting portal; certified candidates interview between the 1st and 7th of each month (Fire Academy candidates also take a physical ability test), followed by a background check and drug screening, with onboarding about a month later. Candidates who need certification can complete CVFD's own Fire Academy or EMS Academy.
What is CVFD's ISO rating?
CVFD holds a Class 1 ISO/PPC rating, the highest possible, held by only 75 agencies in Texas.
When was CVFD founded?
CVFD was founded on April 12, 1971, after merging with the Alief Volunteer Fire Department in 1972; it dropped "Alief" from its name in 1985.