Amarillo Firefighter Hiring 2026: Window Closed

The join page prints Next entrance exam test date is June 20, 2026. That date is past. It is not an open sitting. The exam is typically offered each summer. Dates are announced in late spring on the city's social media channels. The AFD Fire Academy typically begins each January.

During open recruitment, apply on careers.amarillo.gov. fire.amarillo.gov/about/join/ redirects to the hub. The hub FAQ apply link is /fire-department/link; that URL returned 404 on 2026-09-03. The join-page line "apply through careers@amarillo.gov" is an email address, not the portal.

Official hub: amarillo.gov/fire-department. Fire Administration 310 S Van Buren, 806-378-9360. Fire Chief Jason Mays. Department listing: Amarillo Fire Department. The live slug is amarillo-fire-department. /departments/amarillo-fire-rescue and /departments/amarillo-fd are not this department. Same-city police hiring is How to Become a Police Officer in Amarillo. Texas order of operations: how to become a firefighter in Texas. TCFP explained: what is TCFP certification.

What You Need Before You Apply

The join page lists:

• Age: at least 18 and no older than 36 at the date of hire
• Background: no felony convictions

It does not list TCFP or EMT as an application gate. The department runs a paid six-month cadet academy, then an in-house EMT-Basic course for new cadets. Paramedic work is in cooperation with Amarillo College after hire. Amarillo College is not a required first step while the board is closed.

The join page does not print a high school diploma, GED, U.S. citizenship, or Texas Class C as a hire minimum. When a window opens, the Workday posting is the cycle rule.

Veterans who served honorably may receive 5 bonus points with a valid DD-214 submitted by the deadline. Hiring follows Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143.

Starting salary is on the join page. This guide does not print a dollar.

Does Amarillo Use CPAT?

Yes, after the written exam. Qualified applicants sit a written exam. Candidates who pass the written complete an aerial ladder climb the same day. Then the department-run CPAT: orientation, practice, and test at AFD's training center or a specific venue. NTN CPAT Candidate Instruction Video. Do not bring a 12-month CPAT card as an Amarillo rule. The join page does not print that.

After CPAT: oral interview(s), background investigation including criminal history, and a medical examination. Those who clear the list are invited to the academy.

Specs for the standard eight-event CPAT: CPAT vs firefighter physical ability tests.

How Long Is the Academy?

Six months, typically January. Older copies of this page printed 12 to 16 weeks. The join page names January, not a week count.

Stations, headcount, and retirement

The department operates 13 fire stations. Station 10 is Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting at the airport. Station 14 broke ground October 14, 2025 in the hospital / medical district, with completion late 2026 or early 2027. Count 13 until 14 opens.

Phone 806-378-9360. Fire Prevention 821 S. Johnson, 806-378-4238.

Headcount: 305 appointed on the TCFP size list read 2026-09-03 (FDID 50, rank 13). That is the commission's count on that read date, not a current headcount. Older copies of this page said 319. Those figures disagree; they are not averaged.

ISO: the 2025 annual glance prints Class 2. Class 1 is not the printed rating.

Pension is Amarillo Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund (AFRRF / TLFFRA), PRB plan 9, not TMRS. Employee 14 percent, City 20.82 percent. Normal retirement 50/20. Suppression is an average 56-hour week (Handbook 703). A 24/48 schedule is not an AFD-adopted line in that handbook.

What To Do While the Window Is Closed

Watch the join page, careers.amarillo.gov, and city social in late spring. Do not apply while the board has no firefighter posting. The June 20, 2026 exam line on the join page is past; confirm the live join page before you treat it as this cycle. Ready to Serve is the candidate tracker for certifications, PAT fitness, and application materials.

Related

• How to become a firefighter in Texas
• What is TCFP certification
• How to become an EMT in Texas
• CPAT vs firefighter physical ability tests
• How to become a firefighter in Lubbock, Texas
• How to Become a Police Officer in Amarillo

Sources

• City of Amarillo, Join Amarillo Fire Department. Age 18-36 at hire. No felony. Written plus same-day aerial. Department CPAT. June 20, 2026 exam line (past). Typical summer exam. January academy. Retrieved 2026-08-21; re-read 2026-09-03 (page modified 2026-04-21).
• City of Amarillo Workday, Amarillo External Career Site. Board read 2026-09-03: 55 city / 0 firefighter, cadet, paramedic; fire search 9 non-fire titles. 2026-08-29: 68 city / 0 fire. 2026-08-21: 73 city / 0 fire. Retrieved 2026-08-29; re-read 2026-09-03 (board 55 / fire-search 9); re-read 2026-09-07 (0 firefighter, cadet, recruit, paramedic among current postings).
• City of Amarillo, Fire Department hub. 13 stations. Chief Jason Mays. 310 S Van Buren. FAQ apply href is /fire-department/link (404 on 2026-09-03). Retrieved 2026-08-21; re-read 2026-09-03 (page modified 2026-08-21).
• City of Amarillo, 2025 AFD Annual Report. Stations 1-13. Station 10 ARFF. Station 14 groundbreaking 2025-10-14. ISO Class 2 on the glance. Retrieved 2026-08-29; headers re-read 2026-09-03.
• Amarillo Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund, Benefits Guide June 2025. Employee 14 percent, City 20.82 percent, 50/20. Retrieved 2026-08-29; headers re-read 2026-09-03.
• Texas Pension Review Board, plan 9. AFRRF / TLFFRA. Retrieved 2026-08-21; re-read 2026-09-03.
• City of Amarillo, Handbook 703 Fire Fighters. Average 56-hour week. January 2008. Retrieved 2026-08-21; headers re-read 2026-09-03.
• Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Departments by size. Size list read 2026-09-03: Amarillo Fire Department FDID 50, rank 13, 305 appointed.