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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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| What is FIREHIRE® Inc.? |
| FIREHIRE® Inc. is a corporation run exclusively by professional career firefighters and firefighter/paramedics. Our registry allows prospective candidates to pay a fee and participate in an entry-level firefighter examination process. Once the candidate is listed on our registry, they are eligible for each and every agency that we contract with, as long as they meet the requirements set forth by the agency and the written and Physical Ability phases of their examination process are less than one year old. The candidates do not have to reapply, retest, or anything but wait for notification of an agency oral examination.
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| What is the make-up of your corporation? |
| Our corporate officers have a combined 28 years of firefighting experience and over 30 years of paramedicine background. Our advisory board is made up of retired and active fire chiefs, who are a tremendous resource. Each and every employee of FIREHIRE® Inc. is involved in emergency services.
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| How long have you been in business? |
| We researched this endeavor, and laid the foundation in 1993. We have actually been in operation since 1996.
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| How many agencies currently utilize or have utilized FIREHIRE® Inc. services? |
| 35 and climbing. We are constantly discussing our services with fire agencies throughout California and the United States.
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| Is this just for California fire agencies? |
| No. We are based in California, so it was convenient to begin here. We are open to performing examination processes outside of California.
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| Why do I (the candidate) have to pay to take the examination? |
| The candidates' fees absorb FIREHIRE® Inc. expenses. This allows FIREHIRE® Inc. to charge participating agencies a low fee for our services. By charging the agencies a low fee, in turn, attracts more agencies to utilize our services, which builds a bigger pool of agencies for the candidates to be considered for.
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| Is the examination fee only good for one agency? |
| No. Once you pay the examination participation fee, you are eligible for any agency that utilizes our services, and you meet or exceed their minimum qualifications.
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| How long is the fee good for? |
| Your written score is good for one year from the date that you participated. Your written, CPAT or FPAT dates MUST be less than one year old by the time the list is established. Your EMT-Paramedic Assessment Center score is good for as long as you wish to keep it.
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| Are there any other fees? |
| No. Our fee is all-inclusive. There are no "hidden charges".
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| Is It really necessary to possess my EMT certificate? |
| Yes and No. It is highly suggested that you possess your EMT certificate or you are currently enrolled in an EMT class. The written examination contains questions relating to the Emergency Medical Technician Basic criteria established by the DOT (Department of Transportation). The EMT-1 or Basic certification is a requirement for the majority of fire agencies that are looking for firefighters. It would be a disadvantage to our candidates to have them participate in an examination if they weren't EMT's.
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| If our application isn't accepted, do we get our money back? |
| Yes. No questions asked.
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| Once our application is accepted, can we get our money back? |
| No. Once we receive your approved application and we schedule you for an exam, your fee is non-refundable.
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| How often do you administer tests? |
| Our examination processes are administered semi-annually.
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| Can we reschedule any of the events? |
| No. If you do not show up at your scheduled time, you forfeit your opportunity to participate in the current examination process. There is a $35.00 reinstatement fee charged if you want to be rescheduled to participate in an upcoming examination process.
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| If I fail, can I retest? |
| Yes. If you want to retest, you must notify FIREHIRE® Inc. prior to the final filing date listed in the current job announcement for the next examination process.
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| On retesting, if I fail a portion, do I have to retest on every event? |
| No. You only have to retest the portion that you failed or have not completed. The only exception is if your written examination is over one year old.
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| Can I retest to improve my score? |
| Yes. You may retest as often as you like. There is a $50.00 fee and you keep the highest score that you obtain (as long as your last passing score is not more than one year old). Your written test score on the registry will be extended one year from the date that you retested, as long as it is a passing score. Your new score will only be good for future agencies lists, you CANNOT go backwards (sorry). Your CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) or FPAT (FIREHIRE® Inc. Physical Ability Test) MUST NOT be over one year old, otherwise your name will be deleted from the Registry. It is your responsibility to determine if any facet of your examination process is about to expire and you need to re-test.
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| Can you update us when you sign on new departments? |
| Yes. You can sign up for our FREE mailing list. We send out a quarterly newsletter.
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| How is the test weighed? |
| 100% on the written. The EMT-Paramedic assessment center exercise is a pass/fail event.
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| Is your test validated? |
| Yes. FIREHIRE® Inc. conforms to the 29 CFR Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures adopted by the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). All facets of our examination process have completed an extensive job analysis and are "valid predictors of future job performance".
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| Has your examination ever been challenged in court? |
| No. FIREHIRE® Inc.'s examination process conforms strictly to the Uniform Guidelines and is a valid predictor of future job performance, thus reducing the likelihood of litigation regarding test fairness.
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| How do your services compare to say, CPS's (Cooperative Personnel Services)? |
| FIREHIRE® Inc. is a totally private corporation, run by emergency services professionals who have been through the entry-level firefighter examination arena. We are not a public (Joint Powers Authority) which according to CPS is where "governments can join together to create an independent agency to provide services to its members and to other organizations". CPS, prior to 1985, was an integral part of the State of California. FIREHIRE® Inc. performs all facets of the examination process. We begin with the application process and end with the pre-employment screening process (pre-employment physical, background checks, and drug screens). To this date, no agency (public or private) can match our cost per candidate price and still offer a validated examination process where the employing agency still has total control.
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| I have some more questions that was not answered on this page. How do I get my question answered? |
| FIREHIRE® Inc. staff responds to questions via our toll-free number (800·755·5891) or via e-mail. To ask your question, please click here.
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| Click here to download your copy of the Frequently Asked Questions (Adobe PDF Format) |
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