Fire Officer Family
Career series with 4 positions across 4 levels
Fire Officer groups 4 related titles into a 4-level career ladder.
Entry is typically through Fire Officer 1, advancing through the ladder toward Fire Officer 4.
Fire Officer reports to supervising titles such as Principal Staff Officer and Supervising Classification Officer.
Positions in This Family
- FIRE OFFICER 1 (09010)
- FIRE OFFICER 2 (09011)
- FIRE OFFICER 3 (09012)
- FIRE OFFICER 4 (09013)
What the Fire Officer family covers
Fire Officer covers 4 title codes arranged into 4 levels of responsibility. Every title in it is a local title, used by the counties, municipalities, authorities and boards that have adopted civil service under Title 11A rather than by state departments.
Sworn and investigative titles sit apart from the rest of civil service. They carry their own salary schedules, their own unions and, in most cases, an academy requirement and a medical and psychological screen on top of the exam. Rank is handled by moving between titles rather than by moving up a range, so the ladder here is a sequence of separate classifications. New Jersey also runs a large civilian investigative service alongside the sworn forces, and those titles follow ordinary competitive rules even though the work overlaps.
What each title does
Reading the definitions side by side is the quickest way to see what changes as you move through the family.
- Fire Officer 1: Under direction of a Fire Officer 2, or higher level fire official, has charge of firefighter team(s) engaged in extinguishing fires; directs firefighters in providing fire…
- Fire Officer 2: Under direction of the Fire Officer 4 or a Fire Officer 3, has charge of a battalion or group of fire companies engaged in providing fire protection for persons and…
- Fire Officer 3: Under direction of the Fire Officer 4, assists in the management and discipline of fire department operations to ensure their timely, thorough, and cost-effective…
- Fire Officer 4: Under direction of a designated member of the local governing body, has charge of the fire department. Manages all fire department operations to ensure their timely…
Requirements across the family
Across the 4 titles we have parsed, the education requirements read as a high school diploma on 4 of them. Stated experience runs from 2 years at the lowest rung to 5 at the highest, which is the main thing separating one level from the next.
On how the jobs are filled: 1 is competitive, filled from an eligible list after an open competitive or promotional examination and 3 are non-competitive, appointed on proof of the stated qualifications rather than by examination.
How the pay is set
No state salary schedule applies here, because these are local titles. Pay is set by each adopting county, municipality or authority under its own ordinance or negotiated agreement, so two employers using the same title code can pay very differently. How local civil service pay works.
Where these jobs exist
These are local titles, so the hiring employers are New Jersey's counties, municipalities, authorities, library boards, school districts and fire districts that have adopted civil service under Title 11A. Not every New Jersey employer has. A town that never adopted the system hires however it chooses and never posts against these codes at all, which is why checking the employer before checking the title saves time. Look up whether an employer is a civil service jurisdiction, or read how local civil service differs from state.
Related titles elsewhere in the plan
Other classifications built on the same terms as Fire Officer. Worth checking if this family has no current opening.
- Fire Safety and Prevention Officer, State Colleges ($50,059 to $72,550, state jurisdiction)
- Fire Chief (local jurisdiction)
- Fire Captain (local jurisdiction)
- Fire Fighter (local jurisdiction)
- Fire Fighter (local jurisdiction)
- Fire Official (local jurisdiction)
Common questions about Fire Officer jobs
How many Fire Officer titles are there in New Jersey civil service?
The Fire Officer family holds 4 title codes arranged across 4 levels. Each code is a separate classification with its own published specification, requirements and salary treatment.
What does a Fire Officer earn in New Jersey?
No state salary schedule figure is published for the titles in this family, which is normal for local classifications. Local civil service employers set their own pay by ordinance or negotiated agreement, so the rate depends on which county, municipality or authority is hiring.
Do you need to take an exam to become a Fire Officer?
Not for the non-competitive titles in this family, of which there are 3. A non-competitive appointment is made on proof that you meet the stated requirements, without a competitive examination, though the position is still in the classified service with its own protections.
What qualifications does a Fire Officer need?
The most common education requirement in this family is a high school diploma, named on 4 of the 4 titles. Stated experience ranges from 2 to 5 years depending on the rung. Read the individual specification for the exact wording, including any experience substitution.