The City of DeKalb, Illinois is currently testing and accepting applications for Firefighter/Paramedic to fill immediate openings!

Department Overview

The DeKalb Fire Department is comprised of 81 full-time sworn employees including a Fire Chief, 2 Deputy Chiefs and 2 civilian employees. The Department has an ISO Rating of 2 with a primary response area of 16 square miles and serves an additional 55 square miles by contract to the DeKalb Fire Protection District. In 2025, the department responded to 7,403 requests for emergency services of which 82% were medical calls. Located in a university community, the DeKalb Fire Department serves more than 16,000 students and 40,666 residents, delivering high-quality emergency response and public safety services to a diverse and growing population.

Candidates must:

• Be at least 21 years old and under the age of 35 unless exempt from such age limitations as provided in Section 5/10-2.1-6 of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Act.
• Have State of Illinois Paramedic License or be currently enrolled in an accredited EMT-P training and certification program (completion within 3 months of application).
• Have a High School diploma or equivalent.
• Have a valid Driver’s License.
• Be a US Citizen
• Not have any felony convictions and or crime involving moral turpitude as specified in Section 5/10-2.1-6 Part C of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Act.
• Successfully complete the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) with ladder climb certification within twelve (12) months (prior to the conditional offer).
• Pass psychological and medical examinations and drug screening (including cannabis) (at conditional offer).

Salary and Benefits

• Salary Range: $80,715-$117,551 *Subject to collective bargaining increases
• Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, fire pension, deferred compensation plan with match, education bonus, clothing allowance, wellness reimbursement, longevity pay, wellness bonus. Paid time off including vacation in lieu of holidays, vacation, sick leave, Kelly days, bereavement leave and compensatory time.
• For more information regarding salary and benefits please view the current IAFF contract

Please click the link to view the application instructions and the hiring and residency requirements.

The testing deadline is Sunday, October 11, 2026, and the application deadline is Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

The City of DeKalb is an Equal Opportunity Employer