City Of Pullman Fire Department

The City of Pullman Fire Department protects the largest city in Whitman County in southeastern Washington, home to Washington State University. The department traces its founding to July 23, 1890, when Rescue Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was organized after a series of fires leveled the young city; since May 2005 it has handled all fire suppression and ambulance transport for the WSU campus as well, after the university's own fire department was discontinued.

Crews operate from two stations — Station 1 at 620 South Grand Avenue (also the administrative office) and Station 2 at 55 NW Terre View Drive — with eight career fire personnel on duty each 24-hour shift across four platoons. The frontline fleet includes three engines, a ladder truck, five medic units, and a Type 6 brush truck alongside a Type 1 urban-interface engine for wildland response. The department logged 3,706 requests for service in 2025, with medical aid accounting for roughly 80 percent of emergency responses.

All engine, ladder, and medic companies are staffed with EMTs and paramedics delivering BLS and ALS care, and the department's ambulance service area covers roughly 450 square miles including the rural communities of Albion, Johnson, and Palouse; about 40 percent of calls are dispatched to the WSU campus and College Hill. Specialty programs include a 14-member technical rescue team, a hazardous materials team trained to the specialist technician level as part of Idaho Regional Response Team 2, wildland crews that deploy with the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team, an honor guard, a chaplain program, and EMS standby staffing for WSU events.

Pullman Fire hires through Public Safety Testing (publicsafetytesting.com), with continuous postings for entry-level firefighter, firefighter-paramedic, and lateral firefighter EMT/paramedic positions. Candidates register with PST, then pass a written exam (70 percent minimum) and the CPAT before moving to civil service oral boards, a chief's interview, and background, driving, and reference checks; offers are contingent on a drug screen and pre-employment medical exam.

Lateral candidates must hold Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications, a current EMT or paramedic certification, and at least two years of full-time structural experience with current employment as a firefighter. New hires attend the 12-week Washington State Fire Training Academy in North Bend. The department also runs a reserve program, though reserve applications were closed as of July 2026.