About the Department

NOTE: You must attach all certifications to your application in Government Jobs.

Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must have certification(s) that fall into one of the following 3 categories at the time of application.
Preference will be given to applicants in the following order:

1. TCFP Firefighter with Texas DSHS Paramedic or NREMT Paramedic

2. Texas DSHS Paramedic or NREMT Paramedic only

3. TCFP Firefighter with Texas DSHS EMT or NREMT EMT
   
   

Applying for Firefighter is a 2-step process. BOTH steps must be completed to be considered.

• Application (Here on this application in Government Jobs)
• Online-Based Written Exam & Video Interview (Public Safetey Answers)
  
  

IMPORTANT: After completing the application, if you meet the minimum qualifications, you will recieve an email link within 1-2 days to start the testing process. Exam must be completed by May 31, 2026.

Please wait for approval from McKinney FD via email link before moving along to step 2 of the process.

Base Salary:
Firefighter: $85,105.56 - $105,787.40

Incentive Pay:
 Paramedic: $200 per month
Education: $50 - 150 per month
Certification: $50 - 110 per month
Ambulance: $1 per hour
Field Training Paramedic: $150 per month

TCFP-Certified & Experienced Firefighters
If you already have prior experience AND have been able to successfully achieve advanced levels of your Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) certifications, your training and experience will be reviewed by the department to determine eligibility for a lateral entry position. If approved, laterals will enter the pay scale based on their years of full-time experience and TCFP certifications. Entering the department at an advanced step can increase your starting base pay. Please see the link below for the McKinney Fire Department step plan, and possible advanced steps.

Click Here for the Fire Step Plan

Position Duties

OUR CORE VALUES
City of McKinney employees work hard and at a very fast pace.  However, we also look after and support one another.  All of us are guided by four employee-inspired values – Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence (RISE).  We are also supported by servant-based leaders who foster and support a healthy, family-oriented culture.  All new employees are expected to embrace and live by our core values and commit to helping us sustain our exceptional work environment as a high performance organization.

Under general supervision, the purpose of the position is to perform fire prevention, fire suppression, rescue duties, and act as Firefighter-EMT/Paramedic. Employees in this classification perform highly skilled, technical level work. Position is responsible for providing life and property protection. Performs related work as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years of age by application date.
• Must be a US Citizen or Legal Resident.

• Must have a high school diploma or GED

• Must have certification(s) that fall into one of the following 3 categories at the time of application:

  1. TCFP Firefighter with Texas DSHS Paramedic or NREMT Paramedic

  2. Texas DSHS Paramedic or NREMT Paramedic only

  3. TCFP Firefighter with Texas DSHS EMT or NREMT EMT

YOU MUST ATTATCH YOUR CERTIFICATIONS TO YOUR NEOGOV APPLICATION

If you do not fall into one of the above three categories, you are not elligible to apply at this time.
Minimum passing score on the online exam is 70%.

Military DD214: 
Candidates with an Honorable Discharge from the military as documented on their DD-214 will receive an additional 5 points to their minimum passing score of 70 on the written exam.

Physical Ability:
The Physical Ability Test is similar to the IAFF/IAFC CPAT test. There are events that the applicant will be required to wear a weighted vest and helmet during some events.
Here are the details:

Physical Ability Test

The PAT is a pass/fail assessment with specific guidelines for each event. The maximum time allowed is 8:30.

• The candidate climbs a 100' aerial.
• After reaching the top, the candidate will look over the top rung and identify the tool a proctor points to on the ground.
• During a 60 second rest period on the ground, the candidate will replace the ladder belt with a weighted vest and move towards the Keiser Sled.

• The candidate drives the Keiser sled until completion. (Approximately halfway)

• The candidate picks up a 2.5" high rise pack and ascends to the landing with a balcony. 
• The candidate uses a rope to hoist a 3" hose roll over a railing using a hand-over-hand method.
• The high-rise pack is then picked up, and the candidate proceeds to the ground floor, dropping the pack upon exiting the tower.

• The candidate walks around a marked cone towards a charged hose connected to a hydrant.
• The candidate will drag the hose 100 feet.

• The candidate picks up a 24' ladder, and carries it 25 feet, around a light pole, and 25 feet back to the marked box.

• Utilizing whatever method they choose, the candidate moves the dummy 25 feet, around a light pole and 25 feet back to the starting position marked by 2 cones.

Automatic Disqualifiers

Personal Integrity and Background

• Must not have committed any act(s) in their background that would indicate a lack of personal integrity or morality.
• History of unsatisfactory employment.
• Must not have a history of chronic recurring financial problems indicating an unwillingness or inability to live within financial means.
• Candidates who are Military Veterans must have had an Honorable Discharge or General Discharge under Honorable Conditions from the military.
• Must have a complete application and personal history statement without falsification.

Criminal Record

• Must not have been convicted of a Class B misdemeanor or above within the last 3 years.
• Must not have a conviction of a Class A misdemeanor or above.
• Must not be currently on probation or indicted for any criminal offense.
• Must not have a family violence conviction.

Drug Use

• Must not have used any illegal drug in the past 3 years (except for marijuana).
• Must not have used marijuana in the past 12 months.
• Must not have used an illegal drug, which would amount to a felony crime if found in possession within the last 5 years.
• Misuse of prescription medications (including illegal steroids), intentional misuse of products (e.g., tetrafluoroethane, propellant in compressed air).

Driving Record

• A driver’s license currently under suspension or revocation is a disqualifier.
• Must not have a noticeable pattern of traffic arrests, citations, and/or convictions within the last 3 years (e.g., stop sign violations, red light violations, reckless driving, speeding, parking tickets, and careless driving).
• The applicant must not have been convicted of DUI/DWI or other chemical substance-related driving offenses, hit and run, failure to stop and render aid at the scene of an accident, or failure to disclose identification at the scene of an accident within the last 3 years.

REQUEST FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION OF DISABILITY FOR THE FIREFIGHTER EXAMINATION

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabilities. The City of McKinney does not discriminate on the basis of disability status in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs, services or facilities. To request reasonable accommodations for the Firefighter Examination, please submit your written request no later than two weeks prior to the written exam to:

City of McKinney Human Resources Director
401 E. Virginia St.
McKinney, TX 75069
[email protected]

Requests for reasonable accommodation should specify the name of the applicant, the type of accommodation needed and the reason for the accommodation.

Other Qualifications

Physical Demands: 
Tasks involve the ability to exert heavy physical effort in heavy work with greater emphasis on climbing and balancing and typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds); may occasionally involve heavier objects and materials (100 pounds and over).
 

Frequently Asked Questions