How to Become a Firefighter in Mississippi

Who can apply

• Paid fire personnel (full-time or less than full-time) hired by a local government fire department after January 1, 1991 must be MSCB certified. Volunteer, reserve and auxiliary firefighters are not required to be, but may choose to.
• You must be at least 18 by the start of the certification training program. MSFA does not train students under 18 or students not sponsored by a department or organization.
• You need a standard high school diploma or a valid GED.
• A licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.) must verify you are in good physical condition on the MSCB Physical Examination Release Form (MSCB-04). The signed form is valid for one year and must stay valid from the exam date through the whole scheduled course.
• You must pass the Mississippi Trainee Agility Test (MSTAT) and meet the board's emergency medical care training requirement.
• Anyone meeting the standards is certified unless convicted of a felony. A person with a felony may petition the board, which weighs the crime, time passed, its relation to firefighting and rehabilitation.

Step by step

1. Get hired by a Mississippi fire department. Departments run their own hiring.
2. Your department submits the Personnel Action Form (MSCB-01) and enrolls you in the MSTAT through MSFA. Upload proof of age, high school diploma or GED, and the physician-signed MSCB-04 before the test.
3. Pass the MSTAT (a timed 1.5-mile run plus a job performance course with a weighted vest).
4. Complete Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations (470 A&O) and show a current CPR card plus proof of emergency medical care training (First Responder, EMT or first aid class).
5. Start the Firefighter I/II (NFPA 1010) program at MSFA, or through your department's field delivery program, within 365 days of passing the MSTAT.
6. Pass the written and skills exams for IFSAC-accredited Firefighter I and II.
7. Your fire chief submits your credentials and a Personnel Action Form to MSCB within 30 days of finishing; MSCB issues your state certificate.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: The state minimum standard is NFPA Firefighter I and II (now referenced as NFPA 1010). MSFA's 2026 catalog lists the Firefighter I/II NFPA 1010 course at 280 hours, accredited by IFSAC and Pro Board. Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations is required before entry. Departments that train their own firefighters must contract with MSFA for the curriculum and certification exam. Students must bring full protective gear; MSFA supplies an SCBA for the on-campus program.

Exam: MSFA, the only IFSAC-accredited certification testing agency in Mississippi, gives written and skills evaluations for Firefighter I and II. MSCB accepts IFSAC-accredited Firefighter I and II certificates issued by MSFA as meeting the state standard. The MSTAT physical test must be passed before training; a passing MSTAT is valid for 365 days and must be retaken if you do not start an approved program in that time.

What it costs in Mississippi

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

Full-time firefighters must finish certification within one year of hire (or 2,800 compensated hours); one extra year may be granted in extraordinary circumstances.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: MSCB certification is valid for life as long as you do not have a break in fire service of more than two years. After a break of two to five years you must pass the MSTAT and the MSCB-approved certification exam again. After more than five years you start over as a new entry.

Good to know in Mississippi

One-year deadline: No one may be employed as a full-time firefighter by a local government fire department for more than one year, or more than 2,800 compensated hours, without completing the certification requirements (Miss. Code 45-11-203). In extraordinary circumstances the board may grant one more year if the fire chief asks in writing.

Military duty: If you are called to active duty by Presidential order during your one-year probationary period, your department may ask MSCB to pause the probationary period and your MSTAT expiration.

Coming from another state: MSCB can only act once you are employed by a Mississippi fire department. IFSAC-accredited certificates get direct entry; others may need challenge testing at MSFA. Your training must have been done before Mississippi employment, out of state for a course MSFA does not offer, or in the military. Under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act, a new resident with a full-time firefighter certification held at least one year in another state, or three years of full-time work in a state that does not certify firefighters, can also qualify; MSCB decides within 120 days.

Volunteers: MSFA offers non-accredited volunteer courses at no course fee, including a 40-hour Firefighter Operations course (NFPA 1010 Chapter 5) new for 2026.

Sources

• MSCB - Frequently Asked Questions
• 19 Miss. Admin. Code Part 101 - MSCB Rules and Regulations for Minimum Standards Certification (MSCB-1)
• MSCB - Request for Fire Fighter I-II Training Extension (rev. 9/2025)
• MSFA - Become a Certified Firefighter in Mississippi
• MSFA - Firemanship Group Course Catalog 2026