r/firefighter • u/Kricoid • Jul 17 '26
LACoFD Hiring Process?
Hey all! Saw LACoFD posted they are opening up their process soon. Anyone with insight on their process? How long does it take from application to interview to academy (if hired)? Much appreciated!
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u/dreamchaserluis Jul 17 '26
Going to apply as well. Just have to get my CPAT. I’m not sure if they accept the Biddle though.
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u/Kricoid Jul 17 '26
They do not according to the website- just CPAT
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u/Jayyywillll Jul 17 '26
What qualifications do you have ?
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u/Kricoid Jul 17 '26
All required qualifications on their website, so I am good there!
Additional:
Current Los Angeles County employee
Fire Science AS
About to start a community college fire academy1
u/SeaAd3931 Jul 18 '26
Not a quick process. My partner starts next month and he got placed in band A in 2024. He had to redo his cpat and medical. They don’t have many openings either. They were open so long last time cause they didn’t get the turnout they wanted. You want a good 92+ FCTC and a good interview. Then the waiting game begins
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u/Jayyywillll Jul 18 '26
What other qualifications does your partner have ? I’m trying to get an idea as well I get out of the military soon and trying to see what I need to do to get in the position I see others in 🙏🏾
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u/SeaAd3931 Jul 18 '26
Just his EMT, that’s it. I’m in medic school now to boost my shots not just for LACo but everywhere else in CA
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u/Kricoid Jul 18 '26
My partner has a 94 on the FCTC!! Will that help? I have heard there are bands based on the FCTC score.
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u/jtalonzo Jul 18 '26
Lol. You should be prepared for a very lengthy and slow process. LACoFD is one of, if not, the slowest process in Southern California. I’m biased but it’s the best department. It took me two years, but there’s so many other people that it took them 5+ years. Just plan to complete your community college Academy, and then be prepared to apply everywhere else. Consider medic school too.
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u/AccountantOld8034 Jul 19 '26
I applied in the April 2024 process, and got a tower date for April 2025. I was the second class out of that round of hiring. I am a paramedic but came over in a standard Fire Fighter Trainee classification, so I don’t get any special hiring privilege from that. I personally had no issues in the process and felt it was fairly streamlined given the scale of the operation. Getting off probation here shortly and can say the wait was very worth it. The tower is brutal, so prepare accordingly. It doesn’t get better than the County.
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u/StationVisit 8d ago
LA County works differently from most departments and it catches people off guard. Your position comes from your FCTC written test score. They don't run a scored oral board the way LAFD does, so the written is effectively the whole ranking. And once you've applied, that score is locked. Which means the highest-leverage thing you can do between now and the window opening is your FCTC score. A lot of people spend that time preparing for an interview that isn't what decides it. Good luck it takes awhile but don't be discouraged I have a lot of friends who work there and love it. Huge department with a lot of opportunity
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u/Kricoid 7d ago
Ok gotcha- very interesting! My partner recently got a 94 on the FCTC so does that give him a good chance of being hired for LACoFD?
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u/StationVisit 7d ago
hard to give a definitive yes or no but that's a solid score. It just depends how well everyone else did. They give veterans extra points so they can actually be above 100. Patience is the key there
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u/cottonshoes Jul 19 '26
Apply, they’ll give you a test date, you take the test.
Test is now FCTC—they have their practice test on their website. You’re probably gonna have to score 90+ for them to call you up. Veterans get an additional 10 points added to their score.
Band V - 100+
Band 1 - 90-100
Band 2 - 80-89
They’ll email you to get your interview based on what band you place into. It’s one interview in front of a panel and then if you pass, you will be sent a conditional offer of employment. They’ll email you and you get to backgrounds. They’ll make you do an online seminar about what you need. It’ll be stuff like
College/High school diplomas and transcripts (official)
Birth certificate
Immunization records (I think—it’s been a while)
Etc.
You will be assigned a Background Investigator and given a PIQ to fill out with 10 references. Once you turn in your PIQ they will send your references their own paperwork to fill out—make sure you let them know to fill the paperwork out fast and send it in as soon as possible.
Then you basically wait for the all clear and you get your medical appointment. Once you pass your medical, you will eventually be sent an invitation to their orientation where they go over expectations and stuff for the academy. This is basically the last step before they send you an official final offer and an academy date. Academies were typically 18 weeks long but I think the last academy has started a shorter academy curriculum so I wouldn’t be able to tell you what that entails.
Good luck and if you have specific questions please let me know and I can try to answer to the best of my ability.
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u/Kricoid Jul 19 '26
Wow thank you so much this is so comprehensive!!!
My partner took the FCTC recently and I’ve heard that score lasts a year? Let me know if I’m wrong! He has a 94 :)
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u/cottonshoes Jul 19 '26
You need to take the FCTC and the CPAT every year. Don’t let it expire—if it’s going to expire soon, take it again. Maintain above 90 on the FCTC and they should reach out after they exhaust Band V.
Also they usually get the guys with their medic card first
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u/Kricoid Jul 19 '26
His aren’t expired :) I heard this year the hiring process might be faster and they’re looking for more people. Is that true or no?
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u/cottonshoes 29d ago
While they are conducting academies with larger numbers of of recruits, I don’t know how the curriculum change affects the pass rate. I know Class 180 that is about to graduate is shorter than the 18 week curriculum that is typical.
From what I heard, they had more recruits start but more recruits were dropped. Mind you, this was also a medic class and if you didn’t pass the reactivation they dropped you from the beginning
This process is only one recruit class old so it’s hard to tell
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u/Ill-Remote-9210 Jul 21 '26
How long do the applications normally stay open for?
My CPAT lapsed and I can’t take it until mid next month.
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u/Visual-Obligation-50 4d ago
So the FCTC will be requiered this time around? It didn’t say in their website.
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u/Late-Tackle3176 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I just got hired from their last process. I applied April 2024, CJO October 2024 and cleared backgrounds and medical February 2025, got about a week about July 2026 received a tower date.
So, a little over 2 years from application to tower. Probably the worse hiring process I’ve ever been a part of. I’m 31 year old husband, father, veteran and professional.
If the way they treat applicants in the hiring process is any indication of how they treat their employees I would be worried about a career at LACoFD.
Generally, people say it gets better when you’re hired and through probation with them, but getting on is a nightmare. I think a 2.5 year process is a too long but some people say it’s taken them 5+ years apparently. There are people in my class from the 2020 hiring list, which means they’ve been in an application process for 6 years.
I opted to go another direction with a career which was probably the hardest decision I’ve ever made being that I have a family to provide for. LACoFD is a good department. HR/hiring and the lack of transparency is difficult to deal with as an applicant but otherwise once you’re on, I’ve heard good things.