Position/Program Information
FIRE DEPARTMENT
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
We welcome applications from County employees within the Los Angeles County Fire Department. This opportunity is available for current Los Angeles County Fire Department employees who have successfully finished their initial probationary period.
FILING PERIOD
We will be accepting online applications beginning Monday, July 6, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) until Friday, July 17, 2026, by 5:00 PM (PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, July 17, 2026, to be accepted.
EXAM NUMBER
30213I
Current employees in unclassified service who meet the following criteria also qualify to participate in this exam:
- Unclassified employees who have attained permanent County status on a classified position by successful completion of the initial probationary period, with no break in service since leaving the classified service.
- Full-time employees in the unclassified service with at least six months of full-time experience in the unclassified service by the last day of filing or at the time of filing the application.
Essential Job Functions
- Plans, directs, assigns, and evaluates the work of subordinate Air Operations personnel responsible for aerial fire suppression and rescue activities.
- Determines personnel and equipment requirements and supervises the actions of responding pilots for fire suppression and rescue missions.
- Operates twin turbine powered aircraft over mountainous or hilly terrain to give assistance to fire fighting activities below.
- Coordinates with other fire fighting agencies and operating ground units the assignment of helicopters and airplanes to fire suppression target areas, the water/retardant loading operation, determination of flight patterns for separation, and location of bulk aerial drops.
- Maintains flight logs and records pertaining to individual expended hours of aircraft operation and personnel including type of response and identification of the agency for which the revenue service was provided.
- Adjusts flight schedules or work assignments according to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance needs including emergency fire, transportation, or medical responses.
- Evaluates and monitors fire response equipment and systems or instruments designed to facilitate operation of the helicopter or the pilots ability to fly and amplifies existing operations according to newly adopted procedures.
- Keeps pilots informed of federally regulated operational requirements of the aircraft and auxiliary equipment including new regulations of a safety related nature.
- Reviews pilot discrepancy reports and verifies the corrective action necessary.
- Ensures pilot proficiency, familiarity with all departmental aircraft and fire response areas, and compliance with Federal Air Regulations by observing actual flying technique on a yearly scheduled or as needed basis.
- Functions as a ground vehicle operator during required personnel manning changes at remote deployment sites.
- Attends in and out-of-state Department training and meetings requiring operating a Department vehicle, privately owned or rented vehicle.
- Operates Department refueling vehicle during normal operations.
Requirements
REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY
Four years of experience flying helicopters in aerial fire suppression, two years of which must have been with the County of Los Angeles.
LICENSE:
Candidates must present a valid California driver's license* at the time of appointment.
REQUIRED CERTIFICATES:
A valid Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with a Rotorcraft-Helicopter Rating issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)** – OR – A valid Commercial Pilot Certificate with a Rotorcraft-Helicopter Rating issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)**.
A current and valid First Class (1) OR Second Class (2) Medical Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)**.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain and present a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.
WITHHOLD INFORMATION:
If you are within six months of meeting the experience requirement, then you can still apply for this exam. However, we will not include you on the list sent to hiring managers until we have verified that you meet the requirements.
OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE:
Out-of-Class experience or a Verification of Experience Letter (VOEL) will not be accepted for this examination.
PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class 4 – Arduous: This class involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working above ground on irregular surfaces. It includes those positions that occasionally demand extraordinary physical activity such as those in Safety positions.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Night Vision Goggles (NVG) Endorsement IAW 14 CFR Part 61.31(k) – OR – Military Equivalent.
- A valid Flight Instructor Certificate with an Instrument Rating.
- A valid Flight Instructor Certificate with Rotorcraft-Helicopter Rating issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)** completed within six (6) months of probation.
Additional Information
EXAMINATION CONTENT:
This examination will consist of two (2) parts:
PART I: An evaluation of training and experience, weighted 50%, based on application information and supplemental questionnaire responses.
PART II: An Appraisal of Promotability, weighted 50%, assessing Professional/Technical Expertise, Work Skills, and Communication Skills.
Applicants must meet the minimum requirements and must achieve a combined passing score of 70% or higher to be added to the eligible list.
EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS:
We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.
diego.gonzalez@fire.lacounty.gov
Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov
info@governmentjobs.com
noreply@governmentjobs.com
talentcentral@shl.com
Domain: @fire.lacounty.gov
Domain: @hr.lacounty.gov
New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to govermentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.
Notice of non-acceptance and final results letters will be sent via email. Test scores cannot be given over the phone.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.
Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.
We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.
**Applicants for this position are required to include a copy of all required certificate(s) at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting their online application. If you are unable to attach the required documents, please e-mail them to Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov, please include the exam number, and exam title in the Subject line of your e-mail.
We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:
Applicants who passed the assessment(s) are placed on a list for a period of 12 months. We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Fire Department as they occur.
PASSING THIS EXAMINATION AND BEING PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST DOES NOT GUARANTEE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT.
AVAILABLE SHIFT:
Any Shift - Appointees must be willing to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
TESTING ACCOMMODATION:
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, contact the Testing Accommodations Coordinator at
Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov. Please note that you may be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation.
Department Contact Name: Fire Examination Section
Department Contact Phone: (213) 466-5500
Department Contact Email: Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov
Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2929
Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement:
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.
Testing Accommodations for Applicants:
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.
Fair Chance:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Employment Eligibility:
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder:
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.
Veteran’s Credit:
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf (Download PDF reader)
Revised September 2025
Employer
County of Los Angeles
Address
******************
Los Angeles, California, 90010
Website
http://hr.lacounty.gov
