Probation at Denton Fire: Twelve Months, or Up to Eighteen

30-second answer. Probation at Denton Fire depends on what you hold on your first day. Article 4, Section 9 of the City's Meet and Confer Agreement with the Denton Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1291, sets twelve months for a new firefighter "certified as both a fire fighter and a paramedic." Everyone else "must serve a probationary period of up to eighteen (18) months beginning on that person's date of employment as a Fire Fighter." Section 11 of the same article supersedes the state's one-year rule, Texas Local Government Code Section 143.027, to the extent the two conflict.

What the agreement says

Article 4, Section 9, in full: "Unless already certified as both a firefighter by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and a paramedic by the Texas Department of State Health Services, a person appointed to a beginning position in the Department must serve a probationary period of up to eighteen (18) months beginning on that person's date of employment as a Fire Fighter. A person appointed to a beginning position in the Department who is certified as both a fire fighter and a paramedic shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months."

Article 4, Section 11 lists the Local Government Code sections the article supersedes "to the extent the Article may be in conflict," ending with "section 143.027 regarding probationary period." The City Council approved the agreement on September 19, 2023 (council item ID 23-1643), and it covers fiscal years 2023-24 through 2026-27.

So the two common Denton hires land differently. A hire who holds TCFP firefighter certification and DSHS paramedic certification serves twelve months. A hire who holds TCFP firefighter certification and EMT-Basic serves up to eighteen, and so does a licensed paramedic hired without fire certification.

The state rule it replaces

Without an agreement, Section 143.027(a) sets one year: a person appointed to a beginning position "must serve a probationary period of one year beginning on that person's date of employment as a fire fighter, police officer, or academy trainee." Section 143.027(b) adds that during probation the department head "shall discharge the person and remove the person from the payroll if the person's appointment was not regular or was not made in accordance with this chapter or the commission rules." Section 143.027(d) is the end point: a firefighter appointed in substantial compliance with the chapter "who serves the entire probationary period automatically becomes a full-fledged civil service employee and has full civil service protection."

Fire school and the longer period

The City's careers FAQ says a certified firefighter "will not have to attend fire school again." A certified or licensed paramedic will attend fire academy, because "all operations personnel must be certified as a Basic Firefighter by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection." A paramedic hired without fire certification is not "certified as both," so the agreement gives that hire up to eighteen months. The academy guide covers the academy itself.

After probation

The pay plan marks the years on the money side. Its footnote says step increases "are based on anniversary date": Step B at two years, then C, D and E at three, four and five, and Step F at seven. The pay guide has every step.