Firefighter/Paramedic Recruitment

The City of Naperville is a dynamic community of approximately 153,000 residents, located 28 miles west of Chicago. Various publications have named Naperville as one of the best cities in the United States in which to live. The city has gained national recognition for its family-friendly environment, excellent schools and library system, low crime rate and vibrant downtown area. 

The Naperville Fire Department is responsible for protecting approximately 153,000 residents (daytime population of more than 200,000) living in a 50-square mile area. A nationally accredited agency, the Naperville Fire Department’s mission is to safeguard the lives and property of the citizens of Naperville. This is accomplished by providing professional, quality fire prevention and public education programs, as well as effective and efficient fire suppression, emergency medical, rescue and other emergency services. 

Over the past two decades, the Naperville Fire Department has experienced periods of rapid growth. The fire department has 10 fire stations strategically placed throughout the city. Over the past two years, the Naperville Fire Department has updated and renovated its headquarters station (Station 7), as well as Station 1 and Station 3, providing individual bunkrooms for members. The department is continuing to renovate its remaining stations, including the Fire Department Training Center, to provide even better facilities for its line personnel. Currently, the department employs more than 200 sworn personnel over 10 stations, manning six engines, two heavy rescue squads, six paramedic ambulances, two ladder trucks and two Battalion Commander vehicles 24 hours a day, and servicing around 18,000 calls annually. The department anticipates holding a fall Fire Academy in 2026.

Application and Testing  

• Review the Naperville Fire Dept.'s profile on the Public Safety Testing website. 
• Register for an exam by clicking "Apply Now" and continue through the checkout process to choose the most convenient time and location for your written exam from the calendar.
• Both in-person and virtual in-home testing options are accepted. 
• Complete the Personal History Statement on Public Safety Testing's website (this is your application) and upload the required documents.
• The testing period will be held between April 17 and July 18, 2026.
• You must test between these dates. Only scores from tests taken during this period will be accepted. 
• There is no application fee.
• The testing deadline is July 18, 2026.

Please direct any questions regarding test registration or technical issues with the PST website to PST Recruitment at 866-447-3911 or contact PST via the web. 

Required Documents

• Copy of the applicant's “birth record” as proof of citizenship and age. Applicants may submit copies of a U.S. county- or state-issued birth record, valid U.S. passport or naturalization papers as their birth record. Hospital-issued birth certificates will not be accepted.  
• Copy of the applicant's high school diploma. The Board will also accept a copy of the applicant's high school transcript (showing graduation date) or evidence of a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. For applicants educated outside the United States, appropriate documentation of a high school-level diploma shall be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• Copy of the applicant's valid driver’s license, including the back side if license bears renewal sticker.
• Copy of the applicant's valid Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) card with ladder certification issued within one year at the time of background screen.
• A copy of the applicant's valid Paramedic License (EMT-P), proof of passing the National Certified Paramedic Exam, or copy of a valid RN License; candidates must be licensed as an Illinois EMT-Paramedic or have passed the National Certified Paramedic Exam (or be a current RN able to go through the Paramedic Bridge Program through Edward Hospital after hire) in order to start the screening/background process.

Candidate Physical Ability Testing (CPAT) Card 

• Must have successfully completed the CPAT and Ladder Climb Exercise issued within one year by the time of background screen.
• To register for a Naperville CPAT contact (630) 420-6755 or visit www.naperville.il.us/cpat.

Preference Points

• At the end of the testing period, the City will create an initial eligibility register, which will be sent to all passing candidates.
• Candidates will have 10 days after the date of the initial eligibility register to upload their documents to claim preference points.
• Please note, only candidates with an active EMT-P (or RN license) and CPAT will be eligible to move to the background stage. It shall be the candidate's responsibility to notify the City of Naperville’s BOFP Liaison upon attaining their licensure if obtained after the close of the testing period.

1.  Veteran's Preference Points — Applicants who served in the United States military actively for at least one (1) year and who were honorably discharged or are now on inactive or reserve duty shall be preferred for employment and shall receive not less than five (5) preference points. Proof of such service must include a copy of his or her most current Military Form DD-214 (long form) as proof of active service, evidence of the honorable discharge and a sworn affidavit by the candidate.
2. Cadet Preference Points — Candidates who have successfully completed at least two (2) years of study with the City of Naperville’s Fire Department’s Cadet program may receive from zero (0) to five (5) preference points. The amount of points to be awarded shall be announced at the time of the notice of the examination process. For the 2026 testing, there will be two (2) points awarded for completing two (2) years with the Cadet program; three (3) points for completing three (3) years; and four (4) points for completing four (4) years.
3. Educational Preference Points — Any candidate who has successfully obtained an associate’s degree in the field of fire service or emergency medical services, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university may receive from zero (0) to five (5) preference points. The Board reserves the right to award a greater number of preference points for job-related degrees than for nonjob-related degrees. For the year 2026, the number of points that shall be awarded to applicants who have successfully obtained an associate’s degree in the field of fire service or emergency medical services, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university are five (5). Preference points awarded under this sub-section shall not be cumulative.

 

Weight of Components
Testing Component	Minimum Passing Score	Weighting of Components
Written Test	70%	60%
Situational Judgment Test	N/A	40%

Citizenship and Residency

Applicants must be citizens of the United States of America. Sworn personnel of the Naperville Fire Department shall not be required to be residents of the City of Naperville.

Age

Applicants must be at least nineteen (19) years of age and shall be under thirty-five (35) years of age. Note that the minimum age for appointment to the position of firefighter/paramedic with the City of Naperville shall be twenty-one (21), calculated as of the date of a conditional offer of hire.

Age for application will be calculated as of the date of the exam.

The age-35 limitation shall not apply in cases where the applicant was previously employed as a full-time firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of (i) any municipality or fire protection district located in Illinois, (ii) any fire protection district whose obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section 21 of the Fire Protection District Act (70 ILCS 705/21); or (iii) a municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire protection district. To qualify for these exceptions to the age limitations, the applicant shall have been actively working as a firefighter within two (2) years of the date of his or her application to this City. To qualify as “employment status” for purposes of this section, the applicant must have received or should receive a W-2 from a municipality under federal law or regulations. 

Furthermore, the age-35 limitation shall not apply to any applicant who turned 35 while serving as a member of the active or reserve components of any of the branches of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as honorable or under honorable, if separated from the military, and is currently under the age of 40.

Education

Applicants must be a high school graduate or equivalent at the time of application.

Wage and Benefits

The starting pay for a Firefighter/Paramedic is $85,257 as of Jan. 1, 2026.

Additional benefits for firefighters include an immediate increase to step 6 ($115,549 for 1/1/2027) for any firefighter/paramedic who has five years or more of experience, their Advanced Technician Firefighter Certification through the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal, and has successfully completed their 12-month probation with the Naperville Fire Department.

For registered nurses (RNs), the starting rate will be $82,896. Once RNs have gone through the Paramedic Bridge Program through Edward Hospital and successfully passed the National Certified Paramedic Exam, they will move up to $85,257 (Step 1 Firefighter/Paramedic rate)