The Fire Fighter and EMT dual title

A number of New Jersey fire departments run a combined title, Fire Fighter and Emergency Medical Technician, and they staff it from the same list as the standard firefighter exam. If you carry an EMT certification, this route can matter to you, because it opens positions a firefighter without one cannot fill.

The dual title is not a separate exam. It is the entry-level Fire Fighter list with an added certification requirement, and understanding that distinction saves confusion at application time.

What the dual title is

The combined title appears in some jurisdictions' tables of organization as Fire Fighter and Emergency Medical Technician. Appointments to it are made from the entry-level Fire Fighter eligible list, so you do not sit a different test. What changes is the certification you have to hold.

The certification requirement

To be appointed to the dual title you need a current and valid certification as an Emergency Medical Technician issued by the New Jersey Department of Health. A higher certification counts as meeting the requirement, so a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic or a Mobile Intensive Care Registered Nurse certification also qualifies. If you want to be considered for this title, upload a copy of your current certification with your application, and be ready to provide it again at appointment.

CPR and other requirements

Appointees may also be required to hold a current CPR certification from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. Departments vary on exactly what they ask for, so the safe move is to contact the hiring agency and confirm whether the EMT certification is required for the positions you are chasing.

Why some departments use the dual title

Many New Jersey fire departments respond to far more medical calls than fires, so a firefighter who is also a certified EMT is more useful on a typical shift. That is why some departments build the combined title into their table of organization and prefer, or require, an EMT certification for the positions they fill from the list. Holding the certification widens the set of appointments you are eligible for rather than narrowing it.

Getting your EMT certification

EMT certification in New Jersey is issued by the Department of Health after an approved training course and the state examination. If you are pursuing firefighter positions and want to keep the dual-title option open, earning the certification before you are reached on the list is the practical move, because the requirement is checked at appointment. Departments differ on whether the certification is required or only preferred, so confirm with the hiring agency what it expects.

How it fits the process

Everything else about the process is the same as the standard firefighter route. You meet the age, residency, and citizenship rules on the residency and preference page, you take the written exam and the Physical Performance Test, and you get placed on the eligible list. The EMT certification simply determines which appointments you are eligible for once you are on it. For the full sequence from list to appointment, see the hiring process guide.

Frequently asked questions

Related: New Jersey firefighter jobs and the Fire Fighter exam · Firefighter residency preference and volunteer service credit · Firefighter promotional exams: lieutenant, captain, chief · All New Jersey public safety exams