Overview

Gresham Firefighter/EMT Basic and Firefighter/EMT Paramedic Flyer (DownloadPDFreader)

The City of Gresham is accepting applications for the position of Firefighter/EMT Basic and Firefighter/Paramedic. Working as a Firefighter for the City of Gresham presents an exciting opportunity to serve the public of the fourth largest city in the State of Oregon, along with the cities of Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village and unincorporated areas of Multnomah County. As a Firefighter, you will respond to emergency calls related to fire suppression and emergency medical services.

Gresham Fire Department - Join Us! - YouTube

An eligibility list will be created in anticipation of a March 2027 hiring and recruit academy. Future vacancies may be filled from the same list.

WHY GRESHAM NOW

Arguably one of the best wage and benefit packages in Oregon and beyond.
Gresham Firefighter wages compare to other Department’s Engineers/AOs.
IAFF contract (greshamoregon.gov)
Multiple specialty team opportunities: HazMat, Water Rescue, USAR, Technical Rescue, SCBA Technician, & SWAT Medic.
Modern Fleet. New TDA placed in Service 2023, 3 New Fire Engines and Brush Rig arrive fall 2026.
NO routine ambulance/medic transport. Transport is by AMR through contract with Multnomah County.
We’re busy. You will certainly run a lot of calls for service. You won’t be bored, and you won’t be transporting.

About Gresham Fire

Gresham Fire is known for having a high call volume distributed amongst the seven fire stations (which includes a station staffed by both Gresham Fire and Portland Fire). Each fire apparatus provides Advanced Life Support (ALS)

and is staffed with at least one certified Firefighter Paramedic as part of the minimum three-person engine crews, four-person on the truck, or two-person rescue, focused on serving the public. During the Gresham Fire Academy, recruits will be assigned to a 40-hour work week. Upon successful completion of the academy, assignments will be issued for shift schedules.

Living and working in and around the City of Gresham, you will have convenient access to rivers, mountains, forests, ocean beaches, and urban centers. Due to our diverse response area, Gresham Fire responds to a wide variety of calls for service.

Gresham Fire is a great place for career-minded individuals, those looking for opportunity with a desire to serve and make a difference to a diverse community, in a collaborative and team-oriented environment. Ongoing training and career development is provided.

Gresham Fire is led by a fire chief, an assistant chief and five battalion chiefs, one of which is the fire marshal. The department employs administrative staff, fire and life safety staff (conducting fire prevention services), training staff and emergency operations staff.

This position is represented by the International Association of Firefighters, IAFF Local 1062. A comprehensive benefit package is offered to all new firefighters to include: medical/vision, dental, basic life insurance, long-term disability, health reimbursement account, PERS, employee assistance program, and accrued leave benefits. Additional voluntary benefits include: 457 deferred compensation plan, flexible spending accounts, Aflac, and supplemental life insurance.

As Oregon's fourth-largest city, Gresham is a welcoming community of hard-working people where tradition and heritage meet innovation and opportunity. Gresham is a dynamic and rapidly growing city where families and businesses have a mutual desire and drive to thrive. City of Gresham employees care deeply about the community they serve, and go 'one step beyond' to deliver services in collaborative, inventive, practical, and nimble ways. Our work is challenging, fast-paced and rewarding.

We believe that to deliver the highest level of service to all Gresham community members, it is crucial we employ a diverse workforce, foster an inclusive working environment, and ensure our policies and systems result in equitable outcomes. The City seeks candidates who will support these values by continuously incorporating equity in their daily work, and actively contributing to a workplace culture that respects unique viewpoints, life experiences, and cultural perspectives.

Come build the future with us.

Position Description

City of Gresham Firefighters respond to emergency calls to provide fire suppression, rescue and emergency medical assistance to the public. This position may include fire prevention inspections. Other duties include: general maintenance on fire apparatus, equipment, and facilities. You can learn more about the functions performed by a Gresham Firefighter.

Working Conditions

Work is performed at a variety of locations. When responding to emergencies, employees risk physical hazard from fire, smoke, chemicals and other hazardous materials, falling debris, unstable buildings, extreme heat and extreme weather conditions.

Physical exertion is required to climb ladders, pull hoses, move heavy objects, crawl through tight spaces. Physical effort is required to lift materials, equipment, and persons exceeding 50 lbs. You may also be required to work at heights of more than 20 feet.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF HIRE:

Must be a minimum of 18 years of age
High School diploma or G.E.D.; college course work in fire science preferred
Valid driver's license
Emergency Medical Technician: Basic, Intermediate or Paramedic Certification
Valid CPAT certification dated between September 18, 2025, through November 1, 2026
Applicant is responsible for verifying any out of state or DOD certification reciprocity with the State of Oregon

Click HERE for a list of Disqualifying Criteria (Download PDF reader)

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to candidates with Paramedic Certification and/or applied career experience.

Selection Process

The selection process includes several phases. To move forward to the next step of the selection process candidates must successfully pass each phase.

All candidate communication will be done by e-mail. Please check your e-mail on a regular basis. Some email providers may block messages sent from the governmentjobs.com portal. You will want to check your inbox within the governmentjobs.com portal regularly to ensure you do not miss important communications. Please print or save this job posting. This web page will not be available after the application closing date of November 1, 2026. You may need to refer to the job announcement for details about the recruitment process.

Recruitment and Selection Timeline

Application: Must be completed on or before Sunday, November 1, 2026.

All candidates must complete a City of Gresham online application and respond to the supplemental questions by November 1, 2026. You can apply by clicking the "Apply" button at the top of this posting. Faxed and emailed resumes and or cover letters, in lieu of an application, will not be accepted or considered.

Fire Team Test: Must be completed on or before Sunday, November 1, 2026.

It is the candidate's responsibility to schedule the required Fire Team test with NTN at www.NationalTestingNetwork.com. You must elect to have your scores sent to the City of Gresham through NTN.

A minimum passing score of: Human Relations 70%, Mechanical 65%, Math 70%, Reading 70% (overall average cannot fall below 70%) on the Fire Team test and a Pass on the certified CPAT, must be received by the City before being considered for an Oral Board interview.
We do not accept written test scores from other agencies' processes. You must complete the Fire Team test through NTN. Please note, you can have scores from previous test dates submitted to the City of Gresham for a low cost. Please contact NTN for more information.
There is a fee associated with the testing. A fee waiver is available for applicants who cannot afford the testing fee and meet the eligibility requirements. Please refer to NTN for more details.
If you will be testing virtually, please note you will need a desktop or laptop computer for the exam. You cannot use a cell phone.

3. CPAT : Must be completed on or before November 1, 2026. Valid test dates are September 18, 2025 through November 1, 2026. Candidates are required to take a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). It is the candidate's responsibility to schedule the required CPAT. We will accept the CPAT certification from any valid testing source. If you need to schedule, visit one of the following websites:

www.NationalTestingNetwork.com
www.PublicSafetyTesting.com
CPAT results prior to September 18, 2025 will not be considered.
We will accept current CPAT certifications from other certified agencies. The CPAT certification from an agency other than NTN must be submitted as an attachment with your online City of Gresham application or emailed to HRRecruiting@GreshamOregon.gov on or before November 1, 2026. CPAT certifications will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m. November 1, 2026.

4. Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ): Must be completed on or before Sunday, November 1, 2026.

A Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ) must be completed with your NTN profile no later than Sunday, November 1, 2026. Candidates who do not have a complete PHQ on file with NTN by this deadline will not be considered further. The PHQ must be completed on a desktop or laptop computer. The NTN site is not mobile friendly which may result in missing or incomplete information. A preliminary review will be conducted to determine if a candidate is eligible to proceed in the selection process. If you are advanced to the background phase of the selection process after the Oral Board Interviews, it will be important that your references and previous employers contact information is accurate. It is recommended to let previous employers know about your participation in this recruitment process and that they may be contacted.

Panel Interview (in person):

A review of applications, test scores, and a preliminary screen of the PHQ, will determine who will be invited to an in-person panel interview. Panel interview dates are anticipated to start in October 2026 and continue through November 2026. Candidates will receive an email notification to self-schedule a date and time for their interview. Candidates must receive a minimum average score of 70% on the panel interview to be considered for the next phase of the selection process.

Background Investigation:

A detailed background will be conducted on the top candidates following the panel interviews. Candidates will be notified that the background investigation is taking place.

Executive Interviews (in person):

The top candidates that pass the background will be invited to an in-person executive interview to be held early December 2026. Candidates must attend in-person.

Interview with the Gresham Fire Chief (in person).

The Gresham Fire Chief will evaluate finalist candidates recommended from the Executive Interviews. Invitations will be sent by email to include a request for consent to check references form. This form must be completed and returned right away. It is advised that candidates reach out to their listed references and notify them to expect someone from Gresham Fire to contact them. The in-person interviews are scheduled for December 14-15, 2026.

Offers of Employment:

Candidates will be notified of their Conditional Offer of Employment in January following the Gresham Fire Chief interview and completed reference checks. Any offer of employment will be contingent upon a clear drug screen, physical exam, detailed background check and psychological evaluation.

The background check and psychological evaluations can be done virtually/electronically. Candidates will be required to attend the physical evaluation with our contracted provider in Portland in early 2027.

The City of Gresham Fire Academy is anticipated to begin on March 1, 2027, at the City of Gresham Fire Training Center. Room and board accommodations are not provided for the academy. Attendance at the academy is mandatory and all hired candidates must plan to be present on March 1, 2027. Graduation from the academy will take place on May 27, 2027.

Special Instructions

The City of Gresham offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education verified in your application. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Oregon Equal Pay.

If you desire a modification of this process to accommodate a disability, please provide your request in writing to HRRecruiting@GreshamOregon.gov, upon submitting the required application documents.

Veteran's Preference

The City of Gresham provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with state law. Any candidate wishing to have their qualifying veteran's preference applied to the process must submit a qualifying document (DD Form 214 or 215) at the time of application providing proof of eligibility that includes discharge status. Disabled veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the US Department of Veteran Affairs at the time of application, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.

Our Commitment

The City of Gresham is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without unlawful regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, familial status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law.

Contact information

For questions related to this selection process or additional information regarding Fire and Emergency Services, please contact HRRecruiting@GreshamOregon.gov.

For questions related to the required testing, contact NTN directly at www.NationalTestingNetwork.com.

For assistance with the online City of Gresham employment application contact NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627.

The City provides full family, comprehensive medical and dental insurance. Vision and prescription coverages are included in the medical plans. Most limited term and regular status employees who work at least 30 hours per week pay nothing for their medical and dental coverage.

Medical Insurance Options

City of Gresham Core Plan- UnitedHealthcare Options PPO Network
Kaiser Permanente Traditional HMO

Dental Insurance Options

Delta Dental PPO Plan
Willamette Dental Insurance
Kaiser Permanente

Additional benefits include: life insurance, long term disability, a deferred compensation plan, flexible spending accounts (medical, child care), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) retirement (City picks up the 6% employee’s contribution), an HRA/VEBA account, accrued time off.

For more detailed information, please visit our Employee Benefits page at: https://greshamoregon.gov/benefits/

01

Will you be at least 18 years old by March 1, 2027?

02

What best describes your highest level of education?

High School diploma or G.E.D.
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Post Graduate Degree
None of the above

03

Will you have a valid driver's license by March 1, 2027?

04

Please select the response below that best reflects your certification status.

Basic EMT Certification in Oregon
Basic EMT Certification in a state other than Oregon
Currently Enrolled in a Basic EMT program
Intermediate EMT Certification in Oregon
Intermediate EMT Certification in a state other than Oregon
Paramedic Certification in Oregon
Paramedic Certification in a state other than Oregon
Currently enrolled in a Paramedic program
No Certification

05

If you are currently enrolled in a Basic EMT or Paramedic program, please share the name of the school and your scheduled graduation date. Type N/A if this does not apply.

06

Are you fluent in another language besides English?

07

If you are fluent in another language besides English, please list the language(s). If you do not speak a language other than English, type 'N/A'.

08

What best describes your firefighter experience?

I do not have any experience
I have experience as a cadet
I have experience as a volunteer
I have experience as a resident student
I have paid career experience

09

Based on your previous response to experience as a firefighter, please describe when and where you acquired this experience (include fire agency name) and duties performed. If you do not have this experience, please type 'N/A'.

10

Why do you want to work for Gresham Fire Department?

11

In reviewing all elements of minimum qualifications as stated in the job announcement, I can meet the minimum qualifications as listed with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Yes
No
Required Question

City of Gresham

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