Skip to content
READY TO SERVE
Create Free AccountSign In

Fire academies / Houston, TX

Last verified August 29, 2026

Houston Fire Department Academy

Houston Fire Department runs this open-enrollment fire academy in Houston, TX. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection lists it as a Structure Firefighter provider. The next dated cutoff on the sourced calendar is apply by June 1, 2027 (FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE 4984560 / 36698). Published tuition: Paid trainee. NEOGOV FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE 4984560: $36,114.00 annually. HFD fire-careers compensation table (Beginning 07/8/2023, checked 2026-08-19 on the department record): Firefighter Trainee $37,388. HR duplicate table on that record prints Trainee $36,000 under the same stamp. Those figures disagree. None of them is tuition..

As of August 29, 2026. Where this academy's own pages disagree, every version is below. Act on the earliest restriction.

When can you apply?

ProgramCutoffStartEndDelivery
FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE 4984560 / 36698June 1, 2027July 2, 2025Not datedFull-time
Houston Fire Department AcademyNot datedApril 14, 2025Not datedFull-time
Certified 4676752Not datedNot datedNot datedFull-time
  • WINDOW OPEN. NEOGOV non-certified trainee: Opening Date July 2, 2025; Closing Date 6/1/2027 11:59 PM Central. Date of announcement December 20, 2025. Exam Dates: 02/24/2026; 06/05/2026; 01/15/2027; 06/11/2027 at 9:30am, Harris County Department of Education Bldg., 6300 Irvington Blvd, Houston, TX 77022. The June 11, 2027 exam is after the June 1, 2027 close. Apply before the close. Apply at governmentjobs.com/careers/houston. Invitation by email if you qualify.
  • WINDOW CLOSED for the dated 2025 academy table on houstontx.gov/hr/hfd/ and requirements.html: Civil Service exams November 8, 2024 through May 9, 2025; academy starts April 14, June 23, and August 2025. As of 2026-08-29 those dates are past. That table is not a live door. The live door is NEOGOV 4984560.
  • Careers list: CERTIFIED FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE and/or EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, 8030 Braniff, posted Continuous. No close date on the list.

How much does it cost?

Paid trainee. NEOGOV FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE 4984560: $36,114.00 annually. HFD fire-careers compensation table (Beginning 07/8/2023, checked 2026-08-19 on the department record): Firefighter Trainee $37,388. HR duplicate table on that record prints Trainee $36,000 under the same stamp. Those figures disagree. None of them is tuition.

This is a hire academy, not an open-enrollment tuition program.

Certified FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE listing 4676752 is posted Continuous with no close date on the careers list. That is a separate door from 4984560.

How long is the academy, and what does it award?

ProgramWeeksHoursDelivery
Non-certified Firefighter/EMT Trainee academyNot printedNot printedFull-time
Certified Firefighter/EMT Trainee academyNot printedNot printedFull-time
  • Non-certified: Fire (basic) certification and EMT (Basic) with the Houston Fire Department (requirements page)
  • FAQ: EMT certification prior to graduating from the Academy; paramedic classes after the academy
  • TCFP Upcoming Training List on 2026-08-29 has no Structure Firefighter row for Houston Fire Department

Do you need EMT to enroll?

During the academy. The sourced page says: "Yes, all FF Trainees are required to pass the EMT Certification prior to graduating from the Academy."

What are the enrollment prerequisites?

  • Hire academy; Chapter 143 civil service. Not open enrollment
  • Age: at least 18 but not 36 years of age or older to take the entrance examination; may not be certified eligible if 36 or older (NEOGOV cites Tex. Loc. Gov't Code 143.023). Requirements page: 18 when applying and less than 36 before receiving the oath of office. FAQ: at least 18 but not more than 36 when taking the oath of office. Those age clocks disagree.
  • Non-certified: 15 accredited college hours OR 2 years full-time active military with honorable discharge / DD-214 Member 4. Must meet by the Civil Service Exam date
  • Certified path: TCFP Fire Basic or higher AND DSHS EMT Basic or higher
  • Driving: 2 or less moving violations in the last 36 months (requirements page)
  • No Class A or felony convictions or court-ordered supervision or probation (requirements). NEOGOV: must not have ever been convicted of or received community supervision or probation for a Felony or a Class A Misdemeanor
  • Official online application only; exam and PAT by invitation, first come first serve

Where is it, and who do you contact?

Val Jahnke Training Facility, 8030 Braniff, Houston, Texas 77061 (FAQ). TCFP Houston Fire Department – OL FDID 373: 8030 BRANIFF ST, HOUSTON, TX 77061. TCFP Houston Fire Department FDID 1110: 500 Jefferson 17th floor, Houston, TX 77002. NEOGOV trainee location: 8030 Braniff. Employer address on the bulletin: 901 Bagby St, Houston, Texas, 77002. Those addresses disagree. This academy is not Houston Community College Fire Academy.

Phone: (832) 394-7000.

Email: hfdhiringprocess@houstontx.gov

Academy page

What else do the sourced pages say?

  • This is a department hire academy. A candidate cannot pay to enroll. They apply as Fire Fighter Trainee, sit the civil-service exam by invitation, then are hired as a paid cadet. Houston Community College Fire Academy is a separate TCFP training site.
  • Two TCFP region rows: Houston Fire Department – OL FDID 373 at 8030 BRANIFF ST, HOUSTON, TX 77061; Houston Fire Department FDID 1110 at 500 Jefferson 17th floor, Houston, TX 77002. Same phone (832) 394-7000. Process mailbox hfdhiringprocess@houstontx.gov is the contact the FAQ and NEOGOV bulletin name for documents and questions.
  • Pay conflict: NEOGOV trainee $36,114.00; fire-careers table Firefighter Trainee $37,388 (Beginning 07/8/2023); HR duplicate $36,000. Those figures disagree.
  • Length conflict: non-certified about 9 months vs disclaimer/FAQ 7-9 months; certified about 3 months vs FAQ 3-6 months. Those lengths disagree.
  • TCFP Upcoming Training List checked 2026-08-29 has no Structure Firefighter row for Houston Fire Department. No commission class date is printed for this academy.

Which department pages sit near this academy?

Nearby is not a hiring endorsement. Confirm that department's own requirements.

Where should you go next?

Sources

Last verified August 29, 2026. Aggregators are not sources.