The Village of Hoffman Estates is located 30 miles northwest of the City of Chicago. It was incorporated in 1959, has a current population of approximately 52,000 and encompasses an area of about 21.3 square miles. Census figures from 2010 place the population at 51,895, which represents a 3.98 percent increase from the 2000 population. Hoffman Estates’ population and total housing units has continued to climb over the past 50 years.

Hoffman Estates is an extremely livable community with a range of affordable housing options, excellent schools, reliable Village services, wonderful parks and open spaces and easy access to major expressways (with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway traversing our Village), rail lines and O’Hare International Airport. Hoffman Estates is home to the International Headquarters for Sears Holdings, the Sears Centre Arena, Siemen’s Healthcare, Claire’s Boutiques and Cabela’s. The Village is adjacent to three forest preserves with over 4,000 acres of open space and trails.

The Department

Built on a strong tradition and dedicated to professionalism, the Hoffman Estates Fire Department continues to be a progressive leader in providing quality fire protection and emergency medical service to the community.

Established in 1959, the Department is currently comprised of one Fire Chief, one Deputy Chief, one Assistant Chief, three Battalion Chiefs, 4 Captains, 11 Lieutenants, 72 firefighter/paramedics and two additional Administration/Fire Prevention Bureau personnel. The Department responds to approximately 5,400 calls annually, covering 21.3 square miles from four fire stations. Specialty teams and services include hazardous materials, technical rescue, dive, fire investigation, public education and emergency management.

Additionally, the Department was a founding member of M.A.B.A.S., or the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, as well as a pioneer in the use of paramedics within the fire service in the state of Illinois.

The annual starting salary for a Hoffman Estates firefighter/paramedic is currently $61,043.

Eligibility Requirements

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners for the Village of Hoffman Estates is charged with the appointment of all firefighters. To be considered for employment, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Be a United States citizen;
• Possess a valid Driver’s License with eligibility to operate a vehicle in Illinois;
• Possess a High School Diploma (or its equivalent);
• Have vision minimum corrected to 20-20 with no color blindness;
• Have minimum, non-corrected hearing ability to perform as a firefighter;
• Have the ability to speak, read, write, and understand the English language;
• Submit proof of a valid Illinois Department of Public Health license as a State of Illinois Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic (EMT-P);
• Submit proof of a valid Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) and Approved Ladder Climb card from a licensed agency before July 12, 2014 (card must be dated 7.12.13 through 7.12.14);
  • NIPSTA (Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy) – Glenview, IL –www.nipsta.org or 847-998-8090.
  • SUFD (Southwest United Fire Districts) – Darien, IL – www.sufd.org or 708-579-2064.
• Minimum of 21 years of age and under 35 years of age, unless previously a full-time Firefighter in Illinois as noted under state statute (65 IL 5/10-2.1-6.3), at the time of the written examination. 

Firefighter Preference Points

In accordance with the state statute (65 IL 5/10-2.1-6.3(h.)), the Fire and Police Commission will award a maximum of five (5) preference points each for paragraphs (1) – Veterans Preference, (3) – Educational Preference (associate’s degree in the field of fire service, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university), and (5) – Experience Preference – as a full-time firefighter or firefighter-paramedic by a fire protection district or another municipality for at least two (2) years for all qualifying candidates upon their request and at the required time under the testing process. The Fire and Police Commission will award zero (0) preference points for paragraphs (2), (4), (6) and (7) of 65 IL 5/10-2.1-6.3(h.).

Applications

Selection Works is managing the application process on behalf of the Hoffman Estates Fire Department. Applicants will be required to purchase the application for a nonrefundable fee of $40. Please review this document carefully prior to purchasing the application. Should you have any questions, contact Selection Works atapplications@selectionworks.com or (630) 812-0400.

Applications will be available from May 7, 2014 to June 13, 2014. All applications and required documents must be submitted to Selection Works prior to 2:00 p.m. on June 13, 2014, OR YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED INELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE in the testing process. You are wholly responsible for ensuring the completeness and accuracy of your application.

You will purchase your application from Selection Works by clicking “add to cart” for the Hoffman Estates Fire Department Job Application above, and then by following the check-out screen prompts. The application package will contain instructions for completing the application and supplying all necessary documents. The application will be delivered via the website as a PDF document. We strongly recommend that you save this document to your computer or data storage device. You will be able to complete the application using ADOBE READER® by typing in the necessary information.

 

Testing Process 

The initial testing process will consist of two primary components: a traditional firefighter examination and a situational judgment test. Both will be administered in a paper-and-pencil format. The firefighter exam will assess job-related cognitive abilities, personality characteristics and behavioral traits. The situational judgment test will assess job-related skills associated with interpersonal and problem-solving interactions similar to those you may have on the job. You do not need to have any firefighter experience, training or knowledge to successfully complete these tests. An orientation will be provided immediately prior to the administration of the tests to provide further information regarding the testing process.

The written exams will be conducted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at the Hoffman Estates High School, 1100 W. Higgins Rd, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169. You are required to arrive at the testing location no later than 9:00 a.m. to sign-in. Doors will open for sign-in at 8:15 a.m. and the orientation will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Applicants will be processed through the following ordered steps:

• Completion of an application and required documents
• Proof of completion of Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) and proof of passing a Ladder Climb Test, with attainment date less than one (1) year of written exam date
• Proof of Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (EMT-P) license through the Illinois Department of Public Health
• Attend a mandatory orientation meeting at the testing facility just prior to the written exams
• Written Examinations: Comprised of two exams – a cognitive Firefighter Selection Tool (FST) Exam and a subjective Situation-Based Styles Assessment (SBSA) Exam. The cognitive FST Exam will be graded in compliance with statute (the median test score), or by receiving a passing test score of 70%, whichever is lower
• An Initial Eligibility Roster (ranked) without preference points based on 60% of the FST written test score combined with 40% of the SBSA written exam score
• Submission of proof of preference points as described in the Firefighter Preference Points section above
• A Final Eligibility Roster which includes all preference points will be established in numeric descending order
• The Final Eligibility Roster is valid for a period of two years from the date of certification by the Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, unless said list is depleted prior to the two-year anniversary

Further participation in the selection process will take place as vacancies occur. Applicants will be invited, in ranked order, to participate in and successfully advance through the following steps:

• Valid CPAT including Ladder Climb as required by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, consistent with Illinois State Statute
• Polygraph evaluation
• Background investigation including criminal, business, education and employment history
• Oral interview by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners as part of the background investigation
• If conditional offer of employment is approved, completion of Psychological evaluation and Medical evaluation, including drug screen, and a ladder climb
• If final offer of employment is approved, enter into established Village agreements
• Appointment and swearing-in ceremony by the Mayor or Board of Fire and Police Commissioners

Following appointment, a new firefighter is required to satisfy other requirements, including:

• Successful acceptance into the Northwest Community Hospital EMS System as an EMT-P
• Successful completion of the Illinois Fire Protection and Training Act approved training course and obtain State certification as either a Certified Firefighter II or Basic Operations Firefighter and Hazardous Materials First Responder – Operations within twelve (12) months of his/her original appointment. An original firefighter appointee, at the option of the Fire Department, shall complete either his/her Advanced Certified Firefighter III certification and the Fire Apparatus Engineer certification or the Advanced Technician Firefighter course completion and the Fire Apparatus course completion within five (5) years of original appointment. Failure to obtain such certification and/or course completion shall be cause for discharge.
• Successful completion of the twelve (12)-month probationary period.

Currently, the Hoffman Estates Fire Department has at least five (5) (possibly up to seven) immediate openings to fill through this testing process.  

thanks Dan