Careers with the Pocatello Fire Department

Join the Pocatello Fire Department

Become a Pocatello firefighter! The Pocatello Fire Department hires from a list of those who place on the Civil Service Exam. The exam takes place in January each year. The exam is offered remotely with the use of secured online proctors. To take the exam, an application must be submitted to the City of Pocatello's Human Resources Department.

Minimum Requirements

All individuals interested in employment as a firefighter with the City of Pocatello are required to take and score a minimum of 70% on the Civil Service Exam. The exam, held annually, establishes an eligible register in rank order of exam scores. The eligible register is then used to hire new firefighters for the next year (unless the list is exhausted prior to that date). If you wish to be notified of the next Civil Service Exam (January 2023) please fill out and submit the Civil Service Exam Notification Form.

Study Guide

The examination establishes the Civil Service eligible register from which all new Firefighter appointments are made. If you plan on taking the exam in the future, we suggest you review the Entry Level Fire Candidate Study Guide.

The City of Pocatello Fire Department utilizes the services of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) for its entry-level Firefighter Civil Service examination. Since 1953, IPMA-HR has been providing high-quality, reliable test products and services to police, fire, corrections, dispatch, and administrative departments throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

IPMA-HR offers an Entry Level Fire Candidate Study Guide to help candidates prepare for the civil service examination.

  • Answers your frequently asked questions about the test forms
  • Describes the content areas that are assessed by the test
  • Reviews the different types of questions you will see on the test
  • Presents sample questions from each content area
  • Shares basic test-taking tips
  • Provides you with a practice test and explains the answers to the practice test questions

Purchase of the guide is completely voluntary. You may order the guide through Public Safety Compass.

Hiring Process

Review information on the Pocatello Fire Department's hiring process and the benefits (PDF) of employment.

Civil Service Exam

Notification of Exam

Fill out the Civil Service Exam Notification Form to receive notice of an upcoming exam. The candidate list from the Notification Form is pulled the second week in November and won’t be pulled again until the next year. If you fill out the Notification form after the second week in November, you will not be notified until the exam for the following year.

Taking the Exam

To take the upcoming Entry Level Civil Service Exam, please submit an application by opening the City of Pocatello Employment Opportunities page and clicking the Apply button under Probationary Firefighter. You will be given test information after the application closes.