Firefighter Paramedic (Lateral and Entry Level)

Firefighter Paramedic (Lateral and Entry Level)

Salary

See Position Description

Location

Heartland Fire & Rescue, CA

Job Type

Regular Full-Time

Job Number

26-25

Department

Fire Department

Opening Date

10/08/2026

Closing Date

10/25/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position Summary

THE CITIES OF EL CAJON, LA MESA, AND LEMON GROVE ARE SEEKING QUALIFIED LATERAL AND ENTRY-LEVEL FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS.

Annual Salary Range:

City of El Cajon: $97,260.80 - $118,227.20

City of La Mesa: $101,308.48 - $135,757.44

City of Lemon Grove: $83,947.76 - $123,992.44

Lateral entry salary will be based on prior years of paid Firefighter Paramedic work experience.

All three cities participate in the CalPERS retirement system and offer comprehensive benefits. Please refer to each citys Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for details regarding benefits and eligibility for Educational Incentive Pay.

• Out-of-state applicants are encouraged to apply! *

The Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove welcome qualified candidates from across the country and provide a clear, well-organized onboarding process to support a smooth transition into the region. This area offers an exceptional quality of life, a strong and supportive fire service community, and the opportunity to gain broad operational experience within a cooperative agency structure. Applicants must provide documentation demonstrating equivalency for all required certifications, qualifications, and physical ability standards as outlined in the posting.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

The Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove will conduct a joint application and examination process. Each agency will establish its own eligibility list, and candidates may be placed on multiple lists.

All applicants must complete an online application and supplemental questionnaire through the City of La Mesas application portal, which will be used for all three agencies.

Examination Components:

• CPAT Requirement.

All candidates MUST possess a Cal-JAC Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certificate dated between: 04/25/2026 - 10/25/2026. More information is available at:

https://www.fctconline.org/cpat/

• Appraisal Interview & Paramedic Skills Assessment Scenario:

Scheduled for 11/4/2026 or 11/5/2026

About HEARTLAND FIRE & RESCUE:

The Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove operate under a cooperative cost-sharing agreement known as HEARTLAND FIRE & RESCUE (HFR), serving a regional population of nearly 200,000. HFR responds to approximately 34,000 calls annually across eight stations and provides advanced life support services in conjunction with a contracted ambulance provider. The Cities maintain deployable OES engines and participate in the regional US&R task force. More information is available at www.heartlandfire.org.

Key Responsibilities

To obtain each agencys Firefighter/Paramedic class specification, please click on the following links:

City of El Cajon - Paramedic/Firefighter Classification Specification

City of La Mesa - Firefighter/Paramedic Classification Specification

City of Lemon Grove - Firefighter/Paramedic Classification Specification

Minimum Qualifications

Please refer to each agencys class specification for Education and Experience Guidelines. Minimum qualifications vary amongst the three agencies.

City of El Cajon - Paramedic/Firefighter Classification Specification

City of La Mesa - Firefighter/Paramedic Classification Specification

City of Lemon Grove - Firefighter/Paramedic Classification Specification

Lateral Candidates: In addition to the requirements in the classification specifications above, lateral candidates must have the following:

• Experience: One year of full time experience as a regular Paramedic Firefighter (non-probationary). Active, seasonal time will count towards experience. Reserve time is not qualifying.

Examination Process

The 2026-2027 County of San Diego EMS protocols will be used during the Appraisal Interview and Paramedic Skills Assessment. For reference, candidates may access the County of San Diego EMS protocols at Emergency Medical Services Treatment Protocols/Policies.

Candidates must successfully complete all components of the examination process to be placed on an eligibility list for employment consideration by any of the three agencies.

Candidates who advance to the pre-employment stage may be required to undergo a comprehensive background investigation, which can include a polygraph examination, psychological evaluation, and pre-employment medical assessment.

For benefit information, please click the active link or contact the respective Human Resources Department.

City of El Cajon - (619) 441-1725

City of La Mesa - (619) 667-1181

City of Lemon Grove - (619) 825-3800

01

Each applicant must complete this supplemental questionnaire as part of the application screening and selection process. The information you provide will be reviewed and used to determine your eligibility to continue in the selection process. Resumes in lieu of this questionnaire will not be accepted. Please be as descriptive as possible in your responses. Incomplete responses, false statements, omissions, or partial information may result in disqualification from the selection process. Do you agree to answer each supplemental question truthfully and that your responses can be verified from information included within the application?

• Yes
• No

02

I understand the Appraisal Interview and the Paramedic Skills Assessment will be based on the 2026-2027 County of San Diego EMS protocols. Failure to follow these protocols during the testing components can result in a critical fail during the recruitment process. Information on the 2026-2027 County of San Diego EMS Protocols can be found in the job announcement.

• Yes
• No

03

I acknowledge that all candidates must possess a Cal-JAC Candidate Physical Ability Test - CPAT - certificate dated within last 6 months of the close of the application (04/25/2026 - 10/25/2026). I have attached my CPAT certificate to my application.

• YES - I have attached my CPAT certificate dated within the last six months of application.
• NO - I do not possess a CPAT certificate.

04

I acknowledge the interview dates for this Paramedic Firefighter recruitment are listed below: 11/4/2026 and 11/5/2026 - Appraisal Interview and Paramedic Skills Assessment Scenario

• Yes
• No

05

Do you possess a valid Class "C" California Driver License or equivalent?

• Yes
• No

06

Each agency requires State of California Paramedic license at the time of appointment. Do you possess a valid State of California Paramedic license? If you answered "Yes" please attach a copy of your license to your electronic application.

• Yes
• No

07

If you do not have your State of California Paramedic license, when do you anticipate on receiving it? If you already have your license, please write "N/A".

08

Each agency requires the County of San Diego Paramedic Accreditation at the time of appointment. Do you currently possess a County of San Diego Paramedic Accreditation? If you answered "Yes" please attach a copy of your accreditation to your electronic application.

• Yes
• No

09

Have you successfully completed a California State Certified Firefighter I Academy or equivalent?

• Yes
• No

10

If you answered "Yes" to Question 9, please attach a copy of your certificate to your electronic application. In addition, please type the school name and completion date in the text box below. If you have not attended a California State Certified Firefighter I Academy, please type "N/A".

11

Please indicate the years of experience you have working as a Firefighter in the State of California (include both reserve/volunteer and full-time/paid experience).

• No Experience
• Less than one year
• 1-3 years
• Over 3 years

12

Please indicate the years of experience you have working as a full-time/paid Paramedic in the State of California.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1-3 years
• Over 3 years

13

Please indicate the years of experience you have working as a Paramedic Firefighter in the State of California (include only full-time/paid experience).

• No experience
• Less than one year
• 1-3 years
• Over 3 years

14

Which agency are you interested in applying for? You may select more than one.

• City of El Cajon
• City of La Mesa
• City of Lemon Grove

Required Question

Employer City of La Mesa

Address 8130 Allison Avenue

La Mesa, California, 91942

Phone 619-667-1175

Website https://www.cityoflamesa.gov/