Careers @ the City of Urbana

• A good place to start is by taking a CPR class. Classes are available through a variety of local organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Carle, Presence Health, and Parkland College. 

• If you would like to go a step further, start working towards your Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.  Locally, Parkland College offers several programs:  a 5 credit-hour EMT-Basic certification; EMT-Paramedic certification, which is a 12-month, 29-credit-hour program; and an Associate’s degree, which is a 66-hour program. Programs incorporate clinical experience and internships; upon completion, students are eligible to sit for their licensing exams.

• If you are not located in the Parkland College region, contact your local community college for similar offerings.

Another great way to prepare for a career as a Firefighter is to volunteer as one!  Champaign County has several volunteer fire departments:

• Edge-Scott Fire Protection District

• Carroll Fire Department

• Eastern Prairie Fire Protection District

• St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District

• Savoy Fire Department (paid on-call)

If you are not in Champaign County, contact your local agencies for volunteer opportunities.

Volunteering is a great way to get to know your community better. Here are some websites that can offer you up-to-date opportunities based on your areas of interest:

• CU Volunteer (for those in the Champaign County area)

• Volunteer Match

• Volunteer.gov

• Red Cross

(We aren’t endorsing any agency or organization in particular—these are just ideas of where to start).

• Mechanical skills or physics

  • Need help? View a video on mechanical comprehension tests

• Knowledge of life sciences (most firefighters are also Emergency Medical Technicians)

• Map reading skills

• Computer skills

• Construction skills

• Excellent physical condition

• Basic math and reading skills

• Team player

• Able to multi-task and work well under stress