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How to hire a fire captain

Fire captain hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring fire captains in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a fire captain is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per fire captain on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 15,633 fire captains in the US and 5,885 job openings.
  • Valdez, AK, has the highest demand for fire captains, with 2 job openings.
  • Tucson, AZ has the highest concentration of fire captains.

How to hire a fire captain, step by step

To hire a fire captain, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a fire captain:

Here's a step-by-step fire captain hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a fire captain job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fire captain
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the fire captain you need to hire. Certain fire captain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A fire captain's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, fire captains from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents fire captain salaries for various positions.

    Type of Fire CaptainDescriptionHourly rate
    Fire Captain$19-52
    Company CommanderIn the military, a company commander serves as the commanding officer to a unit of soldiers. They are primarily in charge of overseeing every soldiers' performance and the overall company's daily progress, taking responsibility for every activity and outcome... Show more$37-73
    Fire FighterFirefighters are responsible for controlling, putting out fires, and responding to emergencies involving life, property, and the environment. They operate firetrucks and other emergency vehicles, along with track down and save victims in burning buildings or other emergency situations... Show more$16-42
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Emergency Response
    • EMT
    • Fire Suppression
    • EMS
    • Fire Service
    • Medical Services
    • Fire Prevention
    • Hazmat
    • Fire Protection
    • Ladders
    • CPR
    • Fire Safety
    • NFPA
    • Firefighting
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Achieve a long time department goal by exceeding the NFPA and DPSST standards by recreating the fire district's training program.
    • Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
    • Certify as CPR and defibrillator instructor.
    • Fulfill a specialize function in the HAZMAT discipline.
    • Train local nationals and Americans on EVOC and CPR.
    • Establish incident command and mitigate all fire, medical, hazmat emergency scenes.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your fire captain job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A fire captain can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, fire captains' average salary in alaska is 56% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level fire captains 63% less than senior-level fire captains.
    • Certifications. A fire captain with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a fire captain's salary.

    Average fire captain salary

    $66,742yearly

    $32.09 hourly rate

    Entry-level fire captain salary
    $40,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 13, 2025
  4. Writing a fire captain job description

    A fire captain job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fire captain job description:

    Fire captain job description example

    Firefighter Captain

    IMMEDIATELY HIRING! FIREFIGHTER CAPTAIN FULL-TIME/Temporary Opportunity in Utah

    $ 22.00 -$25.00 per hour

    Capstone Fire Management is seeking experienced and motivated, fire officers to join our Capstone Team. We are looking for team-oriented fire captains/engine bosses who posses outstanding leadership and communication skills. The perfect candidate makes good decisions based on our established operational policies, procedures, and practices. They can be trusted to make sound decisions and/or exercise good judgement on behalf of the Capstone Fire & Safety Management organization. Working in the private sector offers many challenging and rewarding opportunities. We work with commercial, utility, and industrial customers during their critical infrastructure projects, outages, shut downs, and emergency call out situations across the Western and Central Regions of the United States.

    If you meet the required qualifications and are motivated to support the "Capstone Way", we welcome you to apply for a Fire Officer position with Capstone Fire & Safety Management.

    Description

    • Highly Desirable - NWCG ENGB (I-200, S-230, S-231, S-290) with signed Task Book .
    • Supervises a team of Firefighters, Fire Engineers, Driver Operators, and Rescue Technicians.
    • Participates in fire, rescue, EMS stand by, training events, and related tasks.
    • May fill single resource positions of Fire Marshal, Fire Coordinator, and Safety Officer.

    Supervisor: Battalion Chief

    Captain:
    • Minimum Qualifications:
      • 21 years old (min insurance requirement) AND
      • Five (5) years Wildland firefighter and structure experience
      • Three (3) Fire Service supervisor experience AND
      • 1 or more years' experience at CFMI or equivalent
    • Minimum Training Requirements:
      • State Fire Marshal Firefighter 1 OR
      • Military Driver Operator Equivalent OR
      • NWCG FFT1 with S-131, S-133, S-216 (PMS 419) and signed Task Book
    • Desirable Qualifications:
      • NWCG ENGB (I-200, S-230, S-231, S-290) with signed Task Book
      • L-280, S-200, S-215, S-270, Fire Command 1A, Fire Command 1B, Fire Command 1C, Fire Prevention 1A.
      • Haz FRO
      • EMT-B

    *Get paid to work with your friends! GMR is looking for people like you!

    GMR Employees, if you know someone like you, have them add your name to their application and receive a Referral Cash Bonus!

    #WeAreGMR

    #referralbonus

    #hiring

    #captain

    #firefighter

    #capstonefire

    #ruralmetro

    #firehire
    EEO Statement:
    Global Medical Response and its family of companies are an Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes supporting veterans and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with a disability.
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right fire captain for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your fire captain job on Zippia to find and recruit fire captain candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit fire captains, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fire captain

    Once you've selected the best fire captain candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new fire captain. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a fire captain?

There are different types of costs for hiring fire captains. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new fire captain employee.

You can expect to pay around $66,742 per year for a fire captain, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for fire captains in the US typically range between $19 and $52 an hour.

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