Fire Department
OCEAN SHORES FIRE DEPARTMENT
Ocean Shores, WA · Grays Harbor County
21 career personnel plus volunteers; ~6,000 residents and up to 30,000 daily summer visitors
Pay scale
| Entry Level Firefighter Paramedic | $7,640–$9,248 monthly |
| Lateral Firefighter Paramedic | $7,640–$9,248 monthly |
| Firefighter EMT | $6,617–$8,043 monthly |
Ocean Shores Fire Department is hiring Entry Level Firefighter Paramedics at $7,640 to $9,248 per month with Washington State LEOFF II retirement and 95% city-paid medical coverage. Applicants must be 18 with a current Washington State EMT-P certification and CPAT. The testing deadline is July 1, 2026.
The City of Ocean Shores pays a monthly salary range of $6,616 to $8,042 for Firefighter EMTs. Requirements include Washington State EMT certification, Firefighter 1, CPAT, and a written exam. The deadline to test is July 01, 2026.
The City of Ocean Shores is hiring lateral firefighter paramedics with a monthly salary ranging from $7,640 to $9,248. Applicants need one year of full-time experience and a Washington State EMT-P certification. The application deadline is July 1, 2026.
Ocean Shores Fire Department protects a dynamic coastal peninsula — 6.6 miles long and 3 miles wide — bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Grays Harbor, with 23 miles of freshwater lakes and canals. The city has roughly 6,000 full-time residents but swells to 15,000-30,000 visitors a day during peak spring and summer months, and the coastal dune grass creates a wildland-urban interface fire risk driven by steady ocean winds.
The department is a combination agency with 21 career personnel — a chief officer, administrative assistant, fire inspector, and 18 firefighters licensed as paramedics or EMTs — plus volunteer members, staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Career staff work a 48/96 schedule under IAFF Local 2109 across three shifts, each with a captain and lieutenant. About 85% of the roughly 2,980 annual calls (2024) are for EMS, and crews often transport stroke and cardiac patients to higher-level care in Olympia, with the nearest ER 25 miles away in Aberdeen.
Ocean Shores hires entry-level and lateral firefighter/paramedics and firefighter/EMTs on a 48/96 schedule (IAFF Local 2109), and accepts volunteers trained to Firefighter 1 and EMT-Basic.
Pay
Firefighter/EMT base pay starts at $6,617/month and Firefighter/Paramedic at $7,660/month; laterals earn up to $8,043 and $9,249/month DOE, respectively.
Schedule
48/96
Requirements
- Washington State EMT certification at time of hire (EMT-B for Firefighter/EMT; EMT-P for Firefighter/Paramedic)
- IFSAC Firefighter 1 at time of hire
- Entry candidates apply and test through Public Safety Testing or the National Testing Network (scored pass/fail)
- Lateral candidates need at least one year of verifiable full-time paid experience
Hiring process
- Entry candidates test through PST or NTN (pass/fail); laterals apply via the city website with no written test or CPAT required
- Six-month probationary period
Benefits
11 paid holidays (12 hours each), 6-13 (24-hour) vacation days per year, and no residency requirement.
What area does Ocean Shores Fire Department protect?
A 6.6-by-3-mile coastal peninsula bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Grays Harbor, home to about 6,000 residents but up to 15,000-30,000 visitors a day in peak season.
How is the department staffed?
21 career personnel (including 18 firefighter/paramedics and EMTs) plus volunteers, staffed 24/7/365. Career staff work a 48/96 schedule under IAFF Local 2109.
How many calls does the department run?
About 2,980 in 2024 — roughly 85% for EMS — including mutual-aid responses and long transports to hospitals in Aberdeen and Olympia.
Does Ocean Shores hire lateral firefighters?
Yes — it recruits entry-level and lateral firefighter/paramedics and firefighter/EMTs, and also accepts volunteers.