Careers with South Whatcom Fire Authority

The application and testing phase of our Full-Time Firefighter/EMT process is now CLOSED.

Please check back in 2025 for additional career recruitment opportunities.

Entry-Level Firefighter/EMT

SWFA maintains an eligibility list for the purpose of filling vacancies of career firefighter/EMTs.  Currently a hiring list is in place with an expected renewal of the list through recruitment to occur in Summer of 2025.

Department Profile:

The South Whatcom Fire Authority (SWFA) serves the communities of Chuckanut, Lake Samish, West Lake Samish, Yew Street Road, Geneva and Sudden Valley. Our 26 career firefighters and chief officers, and more than 25 volunteer and part-paid firefighters, as well as dedicated administrative staff, and five elected commissioners all work toward the common goal of serving our citizens. SWFA is responsible for providing services to 21 square miles of combined suburban and rural areas, wilderness recreational regions, and interstate transportation routes.  Our services are mission-based and are guided by our principles and values. The Fire Authority provides emergency services including fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services.

 

Application Process:

Our application process is currently closed for the position of career firefighter/EMT.  We are not accepting application for this position at this time.  If you are interested in volunteering as a firefighter/EMT, please visit https://www.swrfa.org/volunteer/.  We encourage you to visit our website regularly as we typically recruit at least annually to maintain and eligibility list for hiring.

 

We encourage external applicants to participate in our Ride Along Program to experience the culture at South Whatcom Fire Authority, and to gain knowledge about how our organization operates.

 

SWFA Career Positions

SWFA currently has 24 full-time career firefighters/officers on staff.  We recruit annually to establish a new eligibility list for future hiring.  There are no current positions available, but the eligibility list will be used to fill vacancies and any new positions that become funded.
 
We encourage diversity in our ranks, and we administer an open and equitable hiring process.  We encourage women and minorities to apply.
 
SWFA maintains a current hiring list for one year (or until the list is exhausted), but may extend the list up to two years. An announcement will be posted when a new list needs to be established.
 
If you have any further questions, please contact us: 360-676-8080 or info@swrfa.org

Our Mission

Dedicated to maintaining a state of readiness to protect our communities through provision of effective and efficient fire and emergency life safety services.

Fire Authority Staff and Elected Board of Commissioners