City of San José
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SJFD - Fire Explorers
It may cost approximately $250-$300 to join the program. Expenses include: $50 for dues (this includes CPR Certification and snacks), $50 for physical training gear, and $150-200 for a uniform (depending on the type of boots you purchase).
- Yes. However, for public safety, and in compliance with local public health orders, the Explorer program will be conducted entirely online until further notice. While we will strive to give students the best and most complete experience, under these circumstances some portions of the Explorer program may be impacted.
SJFD - Firefighter Recruitment
During the firefighter application process, how much of your total score is based on qualifications, written scores, and oral scores?
Please visit SJFD's Firefighter Qualifications and Firefighter Selection Process webpages to learn about the scoring.- Please visit SJFD's Firefighter Selection Process webpage to learn more about the Personal History Questionnaire.
- All communication about an active recruitment process will be via email. Please ensure that you have added SJFDRecruiting@sanjoseca.gov to your address book. SJFD will not be responsible for messages missed due to spam filters.
- Applicants will be asked to provide a complete work history and respond to the City of San José’s standard candidate questions. Candidates will also be asked how they meet the minimum requirements. Candidates must complete the entire application and respond to all questions.
Should I apply with a different fire department to understand what to expect with SJFD's hiring process?
Each fire department has its own hiring process. To learn more about SJFD's hiring process, please visit our Firefighter Selection Process webpage.- No. Visit SJFD's Firefighter Selection Process webpage for more information about criteria that is considered.
- The City of San José has a Veteran’s Preference Policy that applies to SJFD's firefighter recruitment. To claim veteran’s preference, you must provide a copy of your honorable military discharge (Form DD214) when appearing for this recruitment's written and practical examinations.
- If you meet certain low-income requirements, you may qualify for assistance with the cost of SJFD-related testing. For assistance with Firefighter Candidate Testing Center written exam and Candidate Physical Ability Test costs, please visit their Financial Aid webpage and complete the Fee Waiver Application.
- There are several qualities that make up a highly-competitive firefighter candidate. Some of these qualities are determined by skill-based tests, background investigations, and written and oral psychological exams. Please visit our Firefighter Qualifications webpage to learn more.
What type of experience will you be looking for in your firefighter candidates in order for them to be considered highly-qualified?
Review the San José Fire Department's Firefighter Qualifications webpage for information on minimum and desirable qualifications.Will letters of recommendation be considered during the firefighter hiring process? If so, when should we submit these?
You may submit letters of recommendation to your background investigator, should you reach that stage in the hiring process.What questions in the Personal History Questionnaire need to be date/time specific (i.e. employment)?
You will answer these questions based on your personal history from age 18 and up. Driving questions are based on your personal history from age 16, or the time that you received your driver’s license, until the present.During the firefighter application process, what kind of crime would disqualify me during the background investigation?
Each individual’s situation is based on its own merits. For more information, please review SJFD's Firefighter Selection Process webpage.What is the process for EMTs who are certified in another county or out of state in order to work for SJFD?
If you receive a job offer from the San José Fire Department you will be required to get accreditation in the County of Santa Clara. For more information, please visit Santa Clara County's website.- Yes. While in the SJFD's firefighter academy, recruits receive wages and are eligible to enroll in various medical benefits.
- You are not required to live in the City of San José to work for the San José Fire Department; however, during the academy, you must attend every weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the 18-week duration. This is not a live-in academy. Firefighter recruits will be responsible for their own transportation. As a condition of employment, once recruits are promoted to firefighter, they must provide proof of residency within 180 minutes travel time from the nearest City of San José fire station.
- Scheduling a ride-along is a great way to learn more about the San José Fire Department, as well as the duties and professional life of a firefighter. You may schedule a ride-along at your convenience, provided that the station can accommodate your request. To schedule a ride-along, please email us at SJFDoutreach@sanjoseca.gov.
- You may not request a ride-along within sixty days of a prior one. However, we encourage you to visit as many stations as you can. SJFD has 34 fire stations and many of them are different. For example, some fire stations receive more incident calls than others.
SJFD - General FAQs
- The San José Fire Department is committed to providing members of the public their full right of access to Department public records under the California Public Records Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. For information about fire reports or other San José Fire Department public records, please visit our public records webpage.
Where can I dispose of prescription medications, paint, solvents, batteries, propane, fertilizers, pesticides, and other types of hazardous household waste?
The Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program holds a number of drop-off events each year. For more information contact the County at 408-299-7300.- Fire hydrant concerns are handled by local water companies. Depending on your location, water service is provided by one of the following three companies:
- San Jose Water Company: 408-279-7900
- San José Municipal Water: 408-535-3500
- Great Oaks Water Company: 408-227-9540
- Please contact your alarm monitoring company in advance so they will know the fire alarm activation they receive during your test or fire drill does not require a fire department response. If there will be audible alarms sounding during your test or fire drill, also call our San José Fire Communications Center at 408-277-8950. This ensures the fire department is aware it is a test or drill in case people passing by hear the alarm or see people evacuating and call 9-1-1.
- For all inspection or occupancy requests, please contact SJFD's Bureau of Fire Prevention at 408-535-7750.
- California's Safe Surrender Baby Law helps parents in need by giving them a safe, legal and private way to surrender their baby to a loving home. A parent who is unable or unwilling to care for an infant can legally and confidentially surrender their baby within 72 hours of birth to any Safe Surrender Site (this includes any fire station or emergency hospital room in Santa Clara County) without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment, as long as the baby shows no signs of abuse or neglect. This can be done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information, please visit our Safe Surrender webpage.
- The purpose of emergency warning equipment is to let drivers and pedestrians know that an emergency vehicle is on the way to an emergency. By state law, we do have certain privileges extended to us, such as the privilege to proceed through controlled intersections without stopping or to travel against the designated flow of traffic. These privileges have rules that the state legislation and our department policies put on our drivers. The main rule of safety is to ensure that all traffic is aware of us responding, even in the middle of the night.
I saw an SJFD fire truck at a local grocery store or restaurant. Why do firefighters use fire trucks for non-emergency purposes while they are on duty?
To ensure the most effective service at the time of an emergency, our crews must remain in their designated response territory with their vehicles during their entire shift. Our crews work 48-hour shifts with no scheduled breaks, and meals are not provided. Because personnel on each shift must purchase and prepare their own meals, they often make a daily trip to the grocery store or a local restaurant. Since all personnel maintain constant radio contact with our dispatchers, they are always ready to respond to an emergency—regardless of their current location or non-emergency assignment.- Our firefighters are cross-trained to provide emergency medical services and firefighting duties. A fire vehicle generally responds to all calls involving life-threatening symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pains, severe bleeding, and car crashes. They respond in order to begin basic or advanced life support before an ambulance arrives. In many medical situations, it takes more than two people to tend to a victim. For example, it takes a minimum of three people to properly immobilize a victim who has fallen and become injured.
- Firefighting is a very labor-intensive activity and there are different specialized roles that firefighters undertake at a fire. If there are not enough resources on a call, it can be more difficult to quickly extinguish a fire and prevent it from spreading. Bad weather can also play a role. For example, if it’s very windy and dry, a small brush fire could jump a great distance and quickly grow into a large fire.
- The City of San José has an ordinance against residential open burning and the state has an ordinance against residential open burning in Santa Clara County. However, farmers may request an Agricultural Burn Permit by calling 408-535-7750.
- Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors can be purchased at a wide variety of retail stores. Home improvement centers and hardware stores generally carry a good selection. To more learn about these devices, visit our Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors webpages.
- Install smoke alarms throughout your home. Install them in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of your home—including basements and attics. Large homes may need extra smoke alarms. For more information, please our Smoke Alarms webpage.
- Carbon monoxide (also known as CO) is a poisonous, colorless and odorless gas that can be found inside your home. Dangerous concentrations of this gas can build up in an enclosed space when a fuel-burning appliance or machine is not working or vented properly. When a person or animal inhales carbon monoxide, it displaces the oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain, and other vital organs of oxygen. Extended exposure to strong concentrations of carbon monoxide can be life-threatening. The good news is that CO poisoning can be prevented by taking simple precautions, such as installing CO detectors throughout your home and maintaining fuel-burning appliances. For more information, visit our Carbon Monoxide Detectors webpage.
- Portable fire extinguishers can be purchased at a wide variety of retail stores. Home improvement centers and hardware stores generally carry a good selection to choose from.
- There are generally five types of fires. Fire extinguishers are labeled using standard letter or picture symbols that correlate to the type of fire they are designed for. A multipurpose fire extinguisher rated “A-B-C” is recommended for home use. If you're purchasing one for your business, consider what class of fire your business may encounter. For more information, visit our Fire Extinguishers webpage.
Fire extinguisher ratings and uses:- Class A: Ordinary materials (e.g., wood, cloth and paper)
- Class B: Flammable liquids (e.g., grease, gasoline, oil, and oil-based paints)
- Class C: Electrical equipment (e.g., circuit breakers, appliances, and power tools)
- Class D: Flammable metals (e.g., magnesium and aluminum)
- Class K: Cooking media (e.g., vegetable oils and animal fats)
- We do not service fire extinguishers. There are private fire protection companies that offer this service.
- We do not offer this service. To find more information and to find the nearest location for a child safety seat inspection, please see our Child Car Seat Safety webpage.
- We currently do not offer public training classes. However, the American Red Cross does offer a variety of safety classes including CPR, AED, and First Aid. For more information, please call 408-577-1000 or visit their Take a Class webpage.
- The City of San José Bicycle Licensing Program was suspended in 2010 due to low participation. If you wish to register your bicycle, there is a national bicycle registry that works with local police agencies to identify the owners of lost or stolen bicycles. For more information, please call 1-800-848-2453 or visit www.nationalbikeregistry.com.
- While we are grateful for donation offers, we are not currently accepting any donations. Instead, we recommend that residents consider donating to those who have been impacted by fire:
- Burn Foundation: The San Jose Firefighters’ Burn Foundation supports burn survivors throughout the Bay Area by means of response, prevention, education and rehabilitation. Donations can be made at www.firefightersburnfoundation.com.
- Red Cross Donations: You can help fire victims through a monetary donation to the Red Cross at www.redcross.org/donate. The Red Cross cannot accept unsolicited material donations. Businesses wishing to make an in-kind donation of materials should go to www.redcross.org/contact-us/in-kindform.html.
- Red Cross Volunteer Opportunities: For those who wish to donate time, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html.
- We currently operate one volunteer program: San José Fire Explorers Post 888. This program is design for high school students (16-18 years old) who want to learn about the fire service and what it takes to be a firefighter. Explorers work with us to learn firefighting techniques, leadership skills, and much more—all while having fun and earning community service hours. Recruitment is held annually around October. To learn more, visit our Fire Explorers webpage.
There are additional volunteer opportunities available through Santa Clara County:- San José Office of Emergency Management: Community Emergency Response Team (ages 18 and up)
- Milpitas Fire Department: Milpitas Fire Explorer Program (ages 16-18 years)
- Mountain View Fire Department: Community Emergency Response Team (ages 18 and up)
- Palo Alto Fire Department: Community Emergency Response Team (ages 18 and up)
- Santa Clara Fire Department: Reserve Firefighter Program (ages 18 and up)
- Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety: Explorer Post 417 (ages 14-20 years)
- Fire Associates of Santa Clara Valley: Fire Associate Program
- You can properly dispose of fire extinguishers through the County of Santa Clara's Household Hazardous Waste program.
SJFD - Hazardous Materials
- Please submit a completed Unidocs form UN-033 to sjfd.billing@sanjoseca.gov. A hazardous materials inspector will be assigned to your request and will help you close out your operational permits.
- The City of San José allows mobile fueling operations at an approved site with a Mobile Fueling Operational Permit. To get your site approved, please call 408-535-7750 to submit plans for approval followed by an inspection.
- Please submit your Hazardous Materials Business Plan to the California Environmental Reporting System . San José Hazardous Materials Inspectors continuously review hazardous materials business plans submitted on California Environmental Reporting System for the City of San José.
Please submit the hazardous materials quantities stored or used on-site to the California Environmental Reporting System if the chemicals are equal to or greater than:
- 200 cubic feet of compressed gasses or
- 55 gallons of liquids or
- 500 pounds of solids
If you have hazardous materials quantities are below the thresholds listed above, please submit a completed UN-12 Hazardous Materials Registration Form to sjfd.billing@sanjoseca.gov.
Our hazardous materials staff consists of highly-trained inspectors who are responsible for the regulation of complex chemical facilities. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Providing consultations to businesses regarding the safe use, storage, and handling of hazardous materials.
- Reviewing construction documents related to hazardous materials facilities, including new construction and tenant improvements.
- Conducting inspections of facilities that use, store, or handle hazardous materials.
- Investigating complaints pertaining to hazardous materials spills and releases.
- Responding to emergencies when requested to provide additional technical assistance.
- Hazardous materials, including hazardous waste, in storage and use as part of a system based on the current California Fire Code, San José Municipal Code, and adopted standards.