How to Become a Firefighter in New Hampshire

Who can apply

• Full-time (career) firefighters must pass the CPAT before hire; a CPAT is good for 26 months (Fire 701.01(d), Fire 702.01). A full-time firefighter transferring between departments does not need a new CPAT if they passed it (or the test in effect) at original appointment, but hiring eligibility lapses after 26 months out of fire service (Fire 703.01, 703.02).
• Full-time firefighters must be certified in Firefighter II within one year of their hire date (Fire 701.02).
• State hiring requirements for full-time firefighters also include being at least 18, a high school diploma or equivalency, U.S. citizenship or an unrestricted right to work in the U.S., no felony convictions, a criminal and motor vehicle background check, a pre-employment medical evaluation per NFPA 1582 (2022 edition), and an oral interview.
• Part-time, on-call and volunteer firefighters are not covered by the state hiring rules. Their departments set their own requirements, often including local residency.
• Recruit School (Firefighter I & II) prerequisites: a Student Medical Release, FEMA ICS-100, ICS-200 and IS-700, and Healthcare Provider CPR.

Step by step

1. Complete the Firefighter I prerequisites: Student Medical Release, ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700 and Healthcare Provider/Professional Rescuer CPR.
2. Take Firefighter I and II training: the Fire Academy's Recruit School in Concord, a course run by a fire department, or the self-paced On My Time program.
3. Register for state certification testing through the Division's Monthly Testing registration and pass the Pro Board-accredited Firefighter I and II exams.
4. For a full-time job, pass the CPAT. It is the state entrance exam: passing it (or submitting an out-of-state CPAT for reciprocity, with a fee) puts your name on the State Entrance List. There is no written entrance test. Some departments hold their own exams.
5. Get hired. Within 15 days the department files a Form A (Employee Status Notification) with the Fire Standards and Training Commission (Fire 601.01).
6. If not already certified, reach Firefighter II within one year of hire, and complete the acrophobia (100-foot aerial ladder) test within one year (Fire 702.02).

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Required only for full-time firefighters, who must reach Firefighter II within a year of hire. Courses use Fire Standards and Training Commission-approved curriculum taught by State Fire Instructors. The Recruit School at the NH Fire Academy is a several-week intensive program covering Firefighter I and II and HazMat Awareness and Operations; you do not need a department affiliation, but affiliated students pay a greatly reduced cost and get seating preference. The CPAT is not a prerequisite for Recruit School.

Exam: Full-time candidates must pass the CPAT before hire: a pass/fail test of 8 events in 10 minutes 20 seconds wearing a 50-pound vest (plus 25 pounds for the stair climb). The CPAT is the state entrance exam; there is no written entrance test. Passing it (or submitting an out-of-state CPAT with a fee) puts you on the State Entrance List, which is generated several times a year; some departments hold their own exams. A CPAT is valid for 26 months. Firefighter I and II certification exams are accredited by the Pro Board.

What it costs in New Hampshire

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 hold Firefighter II within 12 months of hire; the CPAT certificate must be no more than 26 months old at hire.

Good to know in New Hampshire

One-year Firefighter II rule: If a full-time hire cannot meet Firefighter II within one year, the hiring department can ask the Fire Standards and Training Commission in writing for an extension for good cause (for example illness, injury, military service or no available program), up to 2 years from the original appointment date (Fire 701.02(b)). The rule does not apply again to a firefighter who already met it and was laid off in a reduction in force; laid-off firefighters have up to 26 months to transfer to another department (Fire 701.02(c), 703.01(b)).

Coming from another state: Certifications accredited by the Pro Board, IFSAC or the U.S. Department of Defense, or backed by a letter from a state-level training organization, qualify for equivalency. Others need a reciprocity application with course hours, content and objectives, and you must pass a written and/or skills exam if reciprocity is granted. Out-of-state CPAT certificates can be submitted for reciprocity, with a fee, to get on the State Entrance List.

Career jobs are competitive: Only about 20% of New Hampshire fire departments are full-time/career. The Division says part-time and full-time departments often also want EMS certification (preferably EMT or higher), Firefighter II and a recent CPAT pass.

Citizenship or work authorization: Since January 10, 2025, full-time hires must be U.S. citizens or have the unrestricted right to work in the U.S. (with a valid federal employment authorization document if their status requires one). Fire 701.01 also bars hiring anyone discharged from the military under other than honorable conditions that cast doubt on their fitness, or whose fire certifications were revoked in another jurisdiction.

Sources

• NH FSTEMS - Firefighter Certification
• NH FSTEMS - Recruit School
• NH FSTEMS - Certification Reciprocity
• NH FST&EMS - How to Hire a Full-Time Firefighter (Fire 701-702)
• NH FST&EMS - Becoming a Firefighter
• NH Fire Academy - Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)
• NH Fire Academy - Bureau of Firefighter Training
• NH Code of Administrative Rules - Fire 100-900 (Fire 701.01, eff. 1-10-25)