Protecting the citizens of Denton since 1874
The next Fire civil-service exam is Saturday, January 9, 2027 (Denton Fire Department recruiting newsletter, October 2026), and registration officially opens in December (Denton Fire Department recruiting page). To be notified of employment opportunities and future exams, use the waiting list on Fire Department Careers. That waiting-list door is not an open exam.
Hiring status checked Sep 8, 2026. Deadlines change without notice; confirm on the official page.
Record figures
Fire Fighter
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting newsletter as of Jan 2, 2027, checked Oct 14, 2026.
No document cited for this section.
The Denton Fire Department has served the city since 1874. Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges. The Fire page (retrieved 2026-09-03) credits 235 sworn personnel and support staff; a city newsflash posted 2025-04-04 says 235 dedicated personnel across nine fire stations. ISO Class 1 rating effective October 1. CAAS accreditation in August 2025. Core values: Respect, Integrity, Courage, and Humility (RICH). Live mission on the Fire page: "The Denton Fire Department is a team of dedicated professionals who serve to protect lives and property in our community." An older about on this listing said: "To protect life, property, and the environment through prevention, education, and emergency response." Population: the Fire Chief's message says the population is now approaching 166,000 (https://www.cityofdenton.com/294/Fire, retrieved 2026-09-03); the 2025-04-04 newsflash says nearly 170,000 residents (https://www.cityofdenton.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/1004); an older about on this listing said approximately 159,000. The newsflash describes a response area of almost 100 square miles; an older about said 100+ square miles. The next Fire civil-service exam is Saturday, January 9, 2027, and registration officially opens in December. The door is the waiting list at https://www.cityofdenton.com/582/Fire-Department-Careers, not an open exam.
Source: Pay plan, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Fire Fighter
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting newsletter as of Jan 2, 2027, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Civil Service Fire Pay Plan, FY 2026-2027 / effective January 2, 2027
Source: City of Denton, FY 26/27 Civil Service Fire Pay Plan, effective January 2, 2027 (copy supplied by the Denton Fire Department; not yet posted by the City), checked Oct 14, 2026.
Step A
$88,545.60
Step B (2 yrs)
$92,955.20
Step C (3 yrs)
$97,427.20
Step D (4 yrs)
$101,857.60
Step E (5 yrs)
$106,308.80
Step F (7 yrs)
$110,739.20
At Promotion
$114,067.20
2 Yrs in Rank
$116,854.40
4 Yrs in Rank
$119,620.80
At Promotion
$124,883.20
2 Yrs in Rank
$127,878.40
4 Yrs in Rank
$130,873.60
At Promotion
$137,529.60
2 Yrs in Rank
$141,481.60
4 Yrs in Rank
$145,433.60
At Promotion
$156,769.60
2 Yrs in Rank
$161,740.80
4 Yrs in Rank
$166,691.20
Minimum
$171,953.60
Midpoint
$186,357.60
Maximum
$200,761.60
No document cited for this section.
Source: Texas Pension Review Board, Denton Firemen's Relief & Retirement Fund (plan 117), checked Sep 25, 2026.
Denton firefighters are members of the Denton Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund, a single-employer defined benefit pension plan authorized by the Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act and administered by the fund's Board of Trustees. The Texas Pension Review Board (plan 117, retrieved 2026-09-25) reports an employee contribution of 12.60 percent of pay and an employer contribution of 18.50 percent of pay, and lists the plan's Social Security participation as Yes. Benefits fully vest after 20 years of credited service, and firefighters may retire at age 50 with 20 years of service. The formula is 2.59 percent of the highest 36-month average salary for each year of credited service. The December 31, 2023 actuarial valuation (Rudd and Wisdom, letter dated September 16, 2024; City of Denton Archive ADID 811) reported a funded ratio of 91.1 percent. The fund publishes audited financial statements and actuarial studies on its public site.
Denton Firemen's Relief and Retirement FundWhat a candidate must hold or clear
No document cited for this section.
Source: City of Denton, Fire & Emergency Careers FAQ, checked Aug 11, 2026.
Published wording, quoted in full
Hire eligibility: To be hired, a candidate must possess either a Basic Structure Fire Suppression Certification from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) plus a current EMT certification or higher from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), or a current Paramedic certification from the Texas DSHS.
Age eligibility: Under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code, an applicant for a beginning firefighter position must be at least 18 years of age and not yet 36 (ages 18 through 35) as of the date of the entrance exam.
5 stages
Source: City of Denton, Fire & Emergency Careers FAQ, checked Aug 11, 2026.
The city notifies waiting-list members of employment opportunities and the next Civil Service Exam.
Denton is a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143 civil service city. The last Fire Civil Service Exam was held January 10, 2026; the next is Saturday, January 9, 2027, with registration opening in December, and the city FAQ line that the next exam will take place in 2026 predates the January exam. Entrance exam scores are good for one year.
Background packets are provided at the test as a link to an online form, issued to the highest scores in sufficient numbers to fill vacancies. A background investigation and polygraph follow.
The physical ability test is scheduled after the background and polygraph steps are completed.
Certified firefighters do not repeat the fire academy. Licensed Paramedics hired without fire certification attend fire school after hire, and any schooling for certifications a new hire needs is covered by the department. The overall timeline depends on vacancies and typically runs several months.
Stages run in the order the department publishes them
Source: City of Denton, Fire Department Careers, checked Aug 11, 2026.
Registration is currently closed.
The next Fire Civil Service Exam is Saturday, January 9, 2027 (Denton Fire Department recruiting newsletter, October 2026), and registration officially opens in December (Denton Fire Department recruiting page). The last exam was Saturday, January 10, 2026 (NEOGOV Fire Fighter-Recruit bulletin, job 26-0000000306). The city's careers FAQ, read September 8, 2026, still carries its pre-exam line that the next exam will take place in 2026 at a time and place which has yet to be determined.
Get notified when it reopensThe department's own mailing list
Exam announcements, hiring timelines and preparation guidance, sent by the department's recruiting team. Signing up happens on the department's site, not here.
Sign up on the department's siteOfficial city pages are labeled. Guides are written by Ready to Serve and are not written, reviewed, or endorsed by this department.
Start with the current city notice and any study material it names. Use Ready to Serve practice aids for rehearsal, then confirm dates and requirements on the official pages.
No document cited for this section.
After hire, if needed
Ongoing
9 on file
Read from the official facilities directory. Each station prints the entry it came from.
332 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201
Opened at its current location in 2003 in a renovated building that once housed Denton's first power plant. Houses department administration, the emergency operations center, and Texas' first electric fire truck.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 1, checked Aug 11, 2026
110 Mockingbird Ln., Denton, TX 76209
Apparatus
The current building opened in 2017 at McKinney Street and Mockingbird Lane, the intersection Station 2 has served since 1978.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 2, checked Aug 11, 2026
1401 Underwood St., Denton, TX 76201
Apparatus
A facility of more than 16,000 square feet built for future growth, with quarters for a second battalion chief who supervises the west side of the city.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 3, checked Aug 11, 2026
2116 E. Sherman Dr., Denton, TX 76209
Protects northeast Denton. The current station opened in June 2018, replacing the original station built in the 1960s.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 4, checked Aug 11, 2026
2230 W. Windsor Dr., Denton, TX 76201
Apparatus
Built in 1990 in North Lakes Park and dedicated to Chief Jack Gentry. Serves the northwest corner of the city.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 5, checked Aug 11, 2026
3232 Teasley Ln., Denton, TX 76201
Apparatus
Opened in 1993 to serve southeast Denton along the Teasley corridor, staffed with 5 to 6 firefighters daily.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 6, checked Aug 11, 2026
4201 Vintage Blvd., Argyle, TX 76226
Apparatus
Opened April 30, 2007 beside the department's training facility. Covers southwest Denton along I-35W with a minimum of five personnel.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 7, checked Aug 11, 2026
3113 Colorado Blvd., Denton, TX 76210
Apparatus
Opened in February 2021 to serve southeast Denton's medical corridor, staffed with 5 to 6 firefighters daily.
Source: City of Denton facilities directory, Fire Station 8, checked Aug 11, 2026
Address not published in the official directory
Fire Station 9 opened in 2024. A street address is not yet published in the city's facilities directory.
Source: City of Denton, Fire Department, checked Aug 11, 2026
23 recorded
No document cited for this section.
Operations
Technical rescue
Prevention and investigation
Support and community
Read from more than one document. Each passage prints the source it came from.
The Denton Fire Department began in 1874 in the back of a blacksmith shop on North Locust Street, a block north of the downtown square, with a handful of volunteers and a collection of three-gallon buckets. William J. Austin was elected the first fire chief in 1880. The city built its first fire station at McKinney and North Locust Streets in 1882, the same year voters approved a horse-drawn La France steam engine that became the pride of the town and won the hose stream contest at the 1886 Texas State Firemen's Meeting.
Source: City of Denton, Denton Fire Department History (PDF), checked Aug 11, 2026
The department hired its first paid member in 1896, began running college student firefighters in 1913, and placed its first motorized engine in service in 1916. Denton became a civil service fire department in 1949, and the Denton Fire Fighters Association was chartered as IAFF Local 1291 in 1957. The department transitioned to a fully paid force in 1964, and the three-platoon rotation of 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off began in October 1973.
Source: City of Denton, Denton Fire Department History (PDF), checked Aug 11, 2026
Three members have died in the line of duty. Firefighters Joseph J. Turpin and Ernest Bushey were killed in a wall collapse at the Craddock building fire on June 22, 1911. Student firefighter Kenneth Kramer was killed at the Kimbell-Diamond mill fire on June 14, 1967, fifteen days after joining the department.
Source: City of Denton, Denton Fire Department History (PDF), checked Aug 11, 2026
Chief Kenneth Hedges took command in April 2018, when Chief Robin Paulsgrove retired. He had served the City of Denton for 22 years at that point, rising through the ranks to become chief.
Source: City of Denton, Denton Fire Department History (PDF), checked Aug 11, 2026
Recent milestones include the opening of Fire Station 9 in 2024, an ISO Class 1 rating effective October 1, 2025, perfect-score accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services in August 2025, and the arrival of Texas' first electric fire truck in April 2025. The department's 235 sworn personnel serve a city approaching 166,000 residents, with call volume projected above 24,000 for 2025.
Source: City of Denton, Fire Department, checked Aug 11, 2026
The department patch is shown to identify the agency. Station and crew photos will be added only after written authorization from the Denton Fire Department. This page is hosted by Ready to Serve; every fact above carries its public source.
The department patch is shown to identify the agency. Station and crew photos will be added only after written authorization from the Denton Fire Department. This page is hosted by Ready to Serve; every fact above carries its public source.
No document cited for this section.
No document cited for this section.
City answers cite the city's Fire and Emergency Careers FAQ. Extra answers are confirmed separately and marked Not on the city FAQ.
The next Fire Civil Service Exam is Saturday, January 9, 2027, and exam registration officially opens in December. Sign up on the city's waiting list, or the recruit list on Ready to Serve's Denton page, to be notified when registration opens.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting page, checked Oct 14, 2026
Study guides are available on the Fire and Police Selection, Inc. website (FPSI CEB Candidate Orientation Guide).
Yes. It is scheduled after the background and polygraph steps are completed.
It depends on how many vacancies the department has in a given year. Entrance exam scores are good for one year. The city says it processes applicants as quickly as possible, and the process will likely take several months.
No. Certified firefighters do not have to attend fire school again.
Yes. All operations personnel must be certified as a Basic Firefighter by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
No. You must hold TCFP Basic Structure Fire Suppression and a Texas DSHS EMT-Basic or higher, or you must hold a current Texas DSHS paramedic certification or license.
Yes. To be eligible for hire you must be certified through TCFP and through Texas DSHS. Out-of-state firefighters and EMS providers transfer through those agencies' reciprocity processes.
Yes. The department lists Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF), Bomb Squad, confined space rescue, hazardous materials, high angle rescue, trench rescue, water rescue, and transfer opportunities to the Fire Marshal's Office for investigations or inspections.
Operations works 48 hours on and 96 hours off (48/96) on a three-platoon A, B, C system.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Oct 14, 2026
Under the local Meet and Confer agreement and Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143, a firefighter must have three years in rank before taking the Driver promotional test.
No. Schooling for certifications you need after hire is covered by the department.
Background packets are issued at the test as a link to an online form, to the highest scores in sufficient numbers to fill the next step.
Yes. Laterals start at Step A, the same civil service entry step as every other new hire. Time at another department does not move you up the Denton step table.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
No. Denton uses a department-specific physical ability test, not the IAFF/IAFC Candidate Physical Ability Test. It is scheduled after background and polygraph.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
EMT is enough. The hiring floor is TCFP Basic plus Texas EMT, or a Texas DSHS paramedic certification. Paramedic is not required to be hired.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
No. There is no residency or mileage requirement.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
Yes. With at least 180 days of active duty and an honorable discharge, you are eligible for 5 points on the civil service exam, as long as you score at least a 70.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
About 200 people usually sit for Denton's exams. Hiring numbers change each year with retirements and any new positions.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
Yes. The department's extra-points page lists three categories: military service with a DD-214 showing at least 180 days of active duty and an honorable discharge (5 points), current Denton residency with proof (1 point), and graduation from the LaGrone Fire/EMT program with a completion certificate (1 point).
Source: Denton Fire Department, civil service extra points submission, checked Aug 13, 2026
Yes. There is no residency requirement after hire. Current Denton residency can still add 1 extra point on the exam if you submit proof through the extra-points process.
Source: Denton Fire Department, civil service extra points submission, checked Aug 13, 2026
Recruiting instructions for the written exam prohibit hats or headwear except for religious purposes, sunglasses, cell phones or other smart devices, and watches of any type. Follow the exam notice you are given.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
Recruiting instructions ask you to attach a birth certificate, a high school diploma or GED (a transcript if the diploma is lost), a valid driver license, college transcripts if you have them, and any TCFP or Texas DSHS professional certificates. Follow the packet you are given.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
Recruiting updates describe a mobile-app polygraph for this process, after the Personal History Statement and before the physical ability test. Treat that as the current recruiting description, and follow the instructions you receive when you are scheduled.
Source: Denton Fire Department recruiting, confirmed for this listing, checked Aug 13, 2026
Written and published by Ready to Serve. Not written, reviewed, or endorsed by this department.
No document cited for this section.
Applications, testing dates and eligibility decisions are handled by the department. Ready to Serve does not take applications, forward candidates, or speak for any agency.
