Becoming a Camden Firefighter
The Camden Fire Department is now accepting applications for entry-level firefighters — no previous experience or training is required. Applicants who pass a written exam will conduct oral interviews and a physical agility test. Upon successful completion of all requirements, applicants will be placed on a hiring list that is valid for one year.
Dates for the written exam, interviews, and physical agility test will be set after all applications are received.
Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and may be obtained at the Camden Fire Department-Central Station, 140 Van Buren Street NW; by calling Central Station at (870) 836-2413; or filled out online and returned to Central Station in person, by mail, or email. An application must be completed and turned in to the department by the deadline to be eligible for testing.
Requirements:
- Citizen of the United States.
- High School graduate or GED equivalent.
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35.
- Must pass the department firefighter entrance examination and interviews.
- Must pass a physical agility exam.
- Must pass a thorough physical examination and drug screen.
- Pass a thorough background investigation.
- Must successfully complete the Firefighter Standards Course at the Arkansas Fire Training Academy and obtain and keep a National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Basic certification (or higher) within 12 months of employment.
Benefits:
- Starting base salary of up to $42,600 — plus additional holiday pay.
- Educational incentive pay of up to 10 percent of base salary (based on college credit hours and degree).
- Certificate pay of up to 10 percent of base salary (based on certified fire service training).
- Uniform allowance of $1,000 annually.
- Annual vacation (accrue 192 hours annually).
- Sick leave benefits (accrue 360 hours annually).
- Health and life insurance premiums for the employee, and majority of family coverage, are paid by the city of Camden.
- Excellent retirement benefits, including:
- Enrollment in the Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System (LOPFI), a statewide defined-benefit retirement system.
- Optional enrollment in the State of Arkansas Deferred Compensation Plan, a tax-advantaged 457(b) retirement plan available to government employees.
About the Department:
The Camden Fire Department is a career department in Camden, Ark., with 28 full-time personnel staffing three stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a 48/96 schedule. The department averages approximately 2,000 annually, responding to all hazards including fires, motor vehicle collisions, technical rescues, hazardous material incidents, and emergency medical assists.
The city of Camden is an equal opportunity employer.