Fire Recruiting

  • Minimum Qualifications: There are certain qualifications that an applicant must meet in order to become a Rockford Firefighter/Paramedic. The qualifications set forth are established by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners' Rules and Regulations, the City of Rockford Ordinances, and all applicable state statutes.
  • Minimum Age: No individual may be appointed as a sworn member of the Fire Department until he or she has passed his or her twenty-first (21st) birthday. Proof of an applicant's birth date will be required before the appointment.
  • Maximum Age: An applicant must not have attained the age of 35 years by the closing date of the application period for this recruiting cycle (March 19th).
  • Driver's License:
    • An applicant shall possess a valid driver's license at the time of hiring.
    • At the conclusion of recruit training (approximately 11 weeks), the recruit must possess a valid Illinois driver's license with a Class B, Non-CDL permit
    • At the conclusion of one-year probation, the recruit must possess a valid Illinois Class B, Non-CDL driver's license
  • Vision: An applicant upon time of hire shall have correctable vision to 20/20 in each eye.
  • Education: An applicant shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • Arrest Record: An applicant must not have any felony convictions nor have been convicted of certain misdemeanors.
  • Citizenship: Applicants for examination must be U.S. Citizens or those aliens who meet the criteria set forth in 8 USC. Section 1324b prior to the closing date of the application period.
  • Residency: At the conclusion of one-year probation, the recruit must live in Winnebago County or within a fifteen-mile radius of the Public Safety Building (420 W State Street)
Rockford Fire Pay Schedule