Fire & EMS Pathway Intern

General Description

The Madison Fire Department (MFD) is hiring a Fire & EMS Pathway Intern!

This is a two-year program where interns will spend their time between on-the-job training at MFD, classroom instruction at Madison College, intern work at MFD, and experiential shadowing at the MFD. These positions will spend up to:

• 16 hours per week participating in incident response and job shadowing, 
• 12 hours per week participating in community outreach and administrative work, and 
• 12 hours per week of classroom instruction and study (up to 16 credits per semester).

During the internship, participants will rotate quarterly through the full breadth of department operations, including administration, medical direction, fire inspection, fire suppression, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), community paramedicine, special operations, hazardous materials, and community education. Interns will receive dedicated time for study, school supplies, and mentorship from MFD to maximize the likelihood of success. At the end of the two-year program, the interns will graduate with an Associate's degree in fire science and may earn a position on the MFD eligibility list for placement in a Firefighter/EMT recruit academy.

Program Dates: July 2026 to June 2028
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week
Standard Work Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (occasional evening and weekend hours may be required)

Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We value the unique blend of lived experiences and diverse perspectives that comes from non-traditional education pathways and the variety of transferrable skills each candidate brings to the table. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Even if every item on the job posting doesn’t match your experience perfectly, we encourage you to apply and share how your skills and experience can best serve our community.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

Incident response and station training/mentoring

• Participate in quarterly rotations focusing on administration, medical direction, fire inspection, fire suppression, EMS, community paramedicine, special operations, hazardous materials, and community education.
• Meet with MFD leadership and academic partners for employee evaluations that may be used to assess areas for continued instruction.

Internship and administration

• Work through all aspects of the department, providing additional capacity and efficiency to the various divisions and stations.
• Gain in-depth opportunities to learn about the intricacies of the department’s operations.

Classroom instruction and associated study

• Register for up to 16 credits at Madison College per semester to earn an Associate’s degree in Fire Science.
• Dedicate at least 12 hours per week to instruction and associated study to maintain satisfactory academic standing. (Additional study time outside of this internship may be required for successful completion of the Associate’s degree.)

 Job shadowing

• Rotate through 4-hour weekly job shadows in all aspects of the department, including: administration, leadership, community outreach, community paramedicine, Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES), prevention, EMS training, fire training, Public Information Officer (PIO), elevator inspections, Officer in Charge (OIC) office, etc. 
• Meet and shadow appointed mentors to ensure healthy relationships, personal growth, and confidence.

Perform related work as required.

Minimum Qualifications

High school graduate as of June 2026. 

Depending on the number of applications, random selection may be used to determine who will proceed to the interview process with the following considerations:

 

• This program is made possible by outside grant funding intended to provide a community member with an economic opportunity to obtain a degree, therefore applicants who already have a degree will not be given priority for these positions. 
• The grant also highlights opportunities to the local community, so residents of Madison and Dane County may receive priority to interview. 
• NextGen is a partnership program between Madison College and Juniors/Seniors from within the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD).  Current students and graduates of the NextGen program may be given priority consideration in the application screening process to further build upon this foundation of learning.

The City of Madison strives to provide exceptional customer service to all its residents and visitors.  Therefore, successful candidates will have demonstrated ability to work effectively with multicultural communities.

Special Requirements

Possession of a valid driver's license.

Physical Requirements 

 

• Ability to sit/stand at a desk, using standard office equipment.
• Must be able to occasionally be able to lift filing boxes weighing up to 30 pounds and reach, climb and kneel.

* The payroll title is Fire/EMS Apprentice.