Click here to view the OIFD Employment Application:
OKALOOSA ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT
HIRING REQUIREMENTS & TESTING
104 Santa Rosa Blvd.
Fort Walton Beach FL 32548
REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the following requirements and show proof thereof. All applicants must be eighteen (18) years of age and have a High School Diploma or GED, and a current Florida Class E driver license. Applicants may be subject to a background investigation, medical evaluation and/or controlled substance screening. All applicants must be a non-user of tobacco or tobacco products for at least one (1) year immediately preceding application, as per FL. §. 633.34 (6).
WRITTEN EXAM
All applicants shall take a fifty (50) question exam. The written exam shall include questions related to the information required for employment as a firefighter including, but not limited to firefighting and medical knowledge at the First Responder level. This test will be administered at the Okaloosa Island Fire Department in the training room located on the second floor, promptly at 8:00 am. The testing room door will be locked and NO applicant(s) shall be allowed to test that are not in the room by 8:00 am. The applicants will be allowed ninety (90) minutes to complete the test and will notified if they have obtained the required score once the written exams are graded directly following the exam. Those that pass the written exam with a 70% or better will be allowed to compete in the swim test and/or physical agility test whichever is scheduled first.
SWIM TEST
New hires are required to have and maintain a USLA certification within one year of their hire date. To ensure candidates are able to obtain this certification, we require a swim test.
The swim test will consist of a two-hundred fifty (250) yard swim that is timed. A point system awards those candidates with greatest number of laps and bonus points for a time that falls under the fastest time scale. If the candidate stops, touches the bottom of the pool or rests at the wall their time will stop and the number of laps will be recorded. A minimum number of five (5) laps will be required to continue in the testing process. Those that pass the swim test will be allowed to compete in the physical agility test or vice versa.
PHYSICAL AGILITY TESTING
The physical agility portion of the testing shall consist of five (5) events. Each event will be timed and/or scored. There will be a two (2) minute cool down period between events as the scorer and applicant walk to the next event. Each candidate will be ranked based on the cumulative time and score of the swim and the physical agility test.
1) Ladder Climb: The aerial ladder shall be fully extended and at a fifty-five-degree (55˚) angle. Individuals shall climb the aerial ladder to the top rung. Individuals will then return to the turntable. Time begins when the evaluator signals the start and time will end when both feet are back on the turntable.
2) Rescue Carry/Drag: The approximately one hundred-pound (100#) rescue manikin shall be used for this event. Two (2) traffic cones shall be placed seventy-five (75) feet apart. The rescue manikin shall be carried or dragged by the individual backwards, starting at the first cone and carried/dragged around the second cone and back across the finish line. The manikin’s feet shall be allowed to drag the ground. No running will be allowed; at least one foot shall be in contact with the ground at all times. Time starts when the individual touches the manikin and stops when the manikin and the individual have completely crossed the finish line.
3) High Rise Pack Carry: Individuals shall carry a high rise pack up and down the flight of stairs located at the rear of the station (or at an alternate site with the same number of steps). A cone will be placed at the start/finish line near the base of the stairs and a piece of tape shall be placed on the wall at the top of the stairs. The high-rise pack shall be placed behind the start/finish line. Time starts when the individual touches the high-rise pack. The individual will carry the high-rise pack on his/her shoulder. The Individual will carry the pack up the stairs to the platform and touch the tape on the wall and back down around the cone near the base of the stairs. This will constitute one (1) lap. Individuals shall make five (5) laps. Time will stop when the individual passes the start/finish line after the fifth (5th) lap. Individuals shall touch every step on the way down. Individuals can skip a step on the way up. If an individual falls, while traversing the stairs, he/she will be assessed a five (5) point penalty. If the individual falls a second time or is unable to proceed due to the original fall, he/she will fail the event.
4) Hose Drag: Individuals shall drag a charged one and three-quarter inch (1¾ in.) hose line with nozzle over his/her shoulder one-hundred-forty (140) feet. A cone shall be placed at the start line and again at the eighty (80) foot mark and every ten (10) feet thereafter, up to the one-hundred-forty (140) foot mark at the finish line. The nozzle of the charged one and three-quarter inch (1¾ in.) hose shall be placed just short of the starting line. This event begins when the individual crosses the starting line with the nozzle and hose. This event stops when either the individual decides to stop or when the evaluator observes the forward motion has stopped. The distance traveled and time will be recorded.
5) Hose Hoist: A donut roll of three-inch (3”) diameter hose and five-eighths inch (5/8”) rope is used for this event. The applicant is not allowed to stand on anything other than the balcony floor while hoisting. The evolution is complete when the roll touches the ground after five (5) complete cycles (a complete cycle is considered from ground over the top of rail, to the balcony deck and back to ground). The donut roll must ascend and descend without a loss of control (i.e., slippage of the roll to the ground) as this will result in a loss of points for that revolution. The event will end upon the second slippage or fallen donut roll and all points will be recorded. A fallen donut roll may not be retrieved or calculated in the scoring. This task must be completed before three (3) minutes has elapsed, the number of complete revolutions will be calculated at the end of timing.
After the practical, up to fifteen (15) applicants with the highest combined written and practical scores will return for the swim test and interview process. At the conclusion of the interview process, there shall be a list of up to ten (10) applicants created for hire. This list shall be utilized by the department for the purpose of hiring for the current vacant position(s).