Does Denton Fire Have EMS-Only Positions?

30-second answer. No. Every operations position at Denton Fire is a firefighter position that also delivers EMS. The city's careers FAQ says it directly: asked whether a certified or licensed paramedic has to attend fire academy, the answer is "Yes, all operations personnel must be certified as a Basic Firefighter by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection." There is no single-role medic track, no résumé route around the civil service exam, and no lateral EMS hire. What Denton does offer a paramedic is the second of its two doors: be hired on the paramedic licence alone and go through fire academy after hire, with the department covering the schooling.

Two doors, one job

The FAQ's eligibility answer: to be hired you must be a TCFP Basic Firefighter and a DSHS EMT-Basic, or a certified or licensed paramedic through DSHS. That is the whole rule. A paramedic is hireable without fire certification. An EMT is not, and a firefighter who is not at least an EMT-Basic is not either.

Once hired, the schooling runs the other way. Asked whether there is any financial cost after hire, the FAQ answers: "No, any schooling for certifications that you may need will be covered by the Department." A paramedic hired under door two goes to fire academy on the payroll. The department's 2025 summary shows the same machinery from the EMS side: eleven new paramedics completed training in 2025, and seven EMTs started paramedic school in December. Denton grows its own medics. It does not staff ambulances with people who are not firefighters.

How you get in

The same way everyone does. Denton hires under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code, so the first step is the civil service entrance exam, and rank on that list decides who gets a background packet. Nobody is hired off a résumé, and there is no one to send it to who can change that. The hiring-process guide covers the order, the exam guide covers the scoring, and the résumé question has its own answer.

If your medic certification is from another state, or from the National Registry only

Denton requires Texas certification: the FAQ says so and links the DSHS reciprocity page. A paramedic or EMT certified in another state, or a military medic holding a current National Registry card, applies to DSHS for Texas certification by reciprocity. The requirements run several steps, and every state you have ever held certification in has to verify you directly to DSHS, so the process starts long before the exam. The reciprocity guide on this site walks through it. If you also hold fire certification from another state, the commission's transfer process is separate and covered in the TCFP path guide.

What the paramedic licence is worth here

Beyond opening door two, paramedic certification carries its own pay lines under the city's agreement with the firefighters' association, on top of base pay, with a further hourly line while assigned to a Medic unit. The figures are in the certification and specialty pay guide, from the agreement's own schedule. Base pay by step is in the salary guide, from the city's pay plan.