Odessa Firefighter Hiring 2026: Window Closed

Public Safety Answers lists a Cadet / Firefighter I EMT / Firefighter II Paramedic window that opened February 11, 2026, closed March 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT, with a department PAT on March 28, 2026. Those dates are past. The PSA Apply Now buttons are not a live sitting. Next exam date is unpublished.

City /jobs redirects to ApplicantPro. That is the board to watch. The Fire Rescue hub line "Now Accepting Applications" is 2026 EMS Lifeline, a paid ambulance-membership form. That is not a career hire.

Official hub: odessa-tx.gov/271/Fire-Rescue. Fire houses: 1230/Fire-Houses. Fire Chief Jason Cotton. Contact on the hub: OFR@odessa-tx.gov, 432-257-0502. Department listing: Odessa Fire Rescue. The live slug is odessa-fire-rescue. /departments/odessa-fire-department is not this department. /588/Employment is a 404. /272/Fire-Stations is Solid Waste, not fire. Texas order of operations: how to become a firefighter in Texas. TCFP explained: what is TCFP certification. EMT path: how to become an EMT in Texas. Nearby: How to become a firefighter in Midland.

What You Need Before You Apply

Two doors, when a window is open.

Cadet: at least 18 by July 31, 2026 on the 2026 PSA, high school diploma or GED by that date, Texas Class C by hire. TCFP and EMT are not required to apply. If you do not already hold them when hired, you enroll in the first available classes and finish both.

Certified Firefighter I EMT / Firefighter II Paramedic: Texas Class C by hire, plus TCFP or IFSAC/Proboard firefighter, plus TDSHS EMT or paramedic (or National Registry), or obtain those by hire.

After hire, the department requires TDSHS paramedic.

The 2026 PSA printed no upper age limit. A 2018 cadet posting said pension new members max out at 35. That is not the 2026 testing rule.

Does Odessa Use CPAT?

No. The physical is a department PAT, not a CPAT card you bring. The March 28, 2026 PAT date is past. Event times were not in the opened pack. Train the department PAT when the next notice posts.

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

How Long Is the Academy?

The city has not published a recruit-academy week count. Older copies of this page printed 12 to 16 weeks. Odessa College is in town. It is not a required first step while the board is closed.

Stations, headcount, and retirement

The department lists nine fire houses. Central / Administration 1100 W 2nd St, 79763. Houses 2 through 9: 1801 E Murphy, 5151 E University, 2616 N Golder, 7155 Eastridge Rd, 2110 Penbrook St, 2425 W 16th St, 301 E Yukon Rd, 1900 87th St.

Full-time suppression is 229 (6 battalion chiefs, 6 division captains, 27 station captains, 27 lieutenants, 163 firefighters). 163 is the Firefighter rank inside 229, not a sworn total. TCFP appointed 242, FDID 1620. TFS last verified 240 paid firefighters on August 13, 2026. Those three counts are not the same number; they are not averaged. Emergencies are about 23,000 a year. Coverage about 904 square miles and about 200,000 people. A founding year is not on the city hub. ISO class is unpublished. The hub ISO line is training-hour recordkeeping.

Pension is the Odessa Firemen's Relief & Retirement Fund (TLFFRA), PRB plan 263, not TMRS. Employee 16 percent, City 26.01 percent. Social Security Yes. Active 229 / annuitant 189. Shift is unpublished. A 24/48 schedule is not an OFR-adopted line on the hub.

Union: IAFF Local 1665 (department history charter October 26, 1966). The IAFF directory page 404s.

What To Do While the Window Is Closed

Watch ApplicantPro and 271/Fire-Rescue. The February 11 / March 20 / March 28 2026 dates on PSA are past. EMS Lifeline is not a career hire. Decide which door you will sit when the next bulletin posts: cadet (none at apply) or certified (TCFP plus EMT or paramedic by hire). Train a department PAT, not a CPAT card. 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 Midland, Texas
• How to become a firefighter in Lubbock, Texas

Sources

• Public Safety Answers, Odessa. Cadet / Firefighter I EMT / Firefighter II Paramedic. Opens February 11, 2026. Closes March 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CT. Department PAT March 28, 2026. Cadet age 18 by July 31, 2026. Two doors. No CPAT card. Retrieved 2026-08-21; re-read 2026-09-03 (dates past).
• City of Odessa ApplicantPro, Current Job Listings. 30 city jobs 2026-09-03, 0 firefighter / cadet / paramedic / EMT. Police Officer and Police Recruit present. 2026-08-29: 30 city / 0 fire. 2026-08-21: 27 city / 0 fire. City /jobs 302s here. Retrieved 2026-08-29; re-read 2026-09-03.
• City of Odessa, Fire Rescue hub. Now Accepting Applications is 2026 EMS Lifeline. 229 full-time suppression. About 23,000 emergencies. 9 fire houses. 904 square miles. Chief Jason Cotton. Contact OFR@odessa-tx.gov, 432-257-0502. ISO line is training-hour records. Retrieved 2026-08-21; re-read 2026-09-03.
• City of Odessa, Fire Houses. Central 1100 W 2nd plus Houses 2-9. Retrieved 2026-08-21; headers re-read 2026-09-03.
• Texas Pension Review Board, plan 263. Odessa Firemen's Relief & Retirement Fund. Employee 16.00 percent, employer 26.01 percent, SS Yes. Active 229 / annuitant 189. Retrieved 2026-08-21; headers re-read 2026-09-03.
• Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Departments by size. Odessa Fire Rescue FDID 1620, 242 appointed. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
• Texas A&M Forest Service Fireconnect, department 1030. Paid 240, verified 2026-08-13.
• Odessa Fire Department History, OFFA Local 1665. Chartered October 26, 1966. IAFF directory page 404. Retrieved 2026-08-21.