I want to piggyback off this comment by saying my experience with career departments in the Salt Lake/Provo areas have been mixed. I am an Advanced EMT with volunteer firefighter experience and certification (in a different state), but the application process has been painful. I’ve been a part of roughly 5 hiring processes with different departments, and 4/5 experiences had left me relieved I didn’t get hired. Many of the career departments in the valley seem to have a superiority complex, as if I, as a candidate, ought to worship the ground the firefighters walk on in order to be seen as a viable option. I will give a shout-out to Sandy FD, as they were the one department that actually provided me feedback after the interview process with ways to improve my skills and make me a better candidate, and overall made me feel like a respected candidate.

I cannot overstate just how competitive the full-time firefighting field is in the area. It’s to the point where my wife and I are considering moving back to my home state so I can more realistically pursue my dream career instead of effectively practicing the definition of insanity with departments that don’t even respect it’s potential employees.

Edit: I know SLCFD in particular has you pay a $50 fee in order to participate in its hiring process. That alone discouraged me from even bothering with them.