Philadelphia Fire Dept. Test

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Philadelphia just announced that they will be giving the civil service exam for Firefighter, date has not yet been determined, however it will
most likely be September. You do not need to be a resident of the City
of Philadelphia to test, but you need to be a resident ONE year PRIOR to
getting hired. In other words if you score really good, you better get an
apartment or address that you can prove you live at!! Philly's Civil
Service people will want to see utility bills, deeds, mortgages, rental
agreements, auto insurance records, payroll records, and driver license
records!!

You can get an application to take the test in any Philadelphia public
library, fire station, police district, or from civil service at the Municipal
Services Building. For any out of towners that want to take the test,
drop me an email and I'll get you one. You fill out the app, send it in,
and then you get a letter notifying you of the time and place to sit for
the exam. Thats it- if you can't make it there and then, too bad, so
sad. Also in the letter will be info for where and when you can obtain
your study book, but they issue those no less that 2 weeks prior to the
test. You have to take your letter to a police or fire station, and they
issue a book to you.

Good Luck on whatever tests you may try!!

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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Forgot one thing- Right now, the applications are only being distributed in areas of urban decay- read into that however you want to, and you can guess the reasons....Regardless, if you want an application right now, go to any BUSY fire station or police district, or library in an area of urban decay. The stations in nicer areas of the city will get the applications at the very last minute allowed by law, as the people who are more likely to go to these places to get an app are not the ones that the city desires right now.

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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Forgot one thing- Right now, the applications are only being distributed in areas of urban decay- read into that however you want to, and you can guess the reasons....Regardless, if you want an application right now, go to any BUSY fire station or police district, or library in an area of urban decay. The stations in nicer areas of the city will get the applications at the very last minute allowed by law, as the people who are more likely to go to these places to get an app are not the ones that the city desires right now.

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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[Brian Dunlap]

Will the City want to See all the Forms of Proof of Residency ? Or will one or Two Do the Job ? I hadn't Planned to move to the City

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Brian....trust me, trust anyone who has dealt with Philadelphia Civil Service....Don't try and get around the residency clause in Philadelphia. You won't be able to do it. Now, if you want to maintain two residencies thats your business....But make sure your drivers license, auto insurance, payroll chits.....all say a Philadelphia address....And PO boxes don't count. Be prepared also, to show a deed in your name, a mortgage, and any and all major utility bills. If you rent, be prepared to show a rental agreement. AND REMEMBER!!! You must show materials that indicate residency ONE YEAR prior to getting hired!!!


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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[RdgTruckie]

Its nice to see that some cities in PA that have the residency clause take the time to actually check if you live there. Unlike a few that have the "clause" but don't enforced it persay till someone would "rat" someone out that is just using an address. Not fair to the rest that actually move in to get a job.

[Brian Dunlap]

Originally posted by RdgTruckie:
Its nice to see that some cities in PA that have the residency clause take the time to actually check if you live there. Unlike a few that have the "clause" but don't enforced it persay till someone would "rat" someone out that is just using an address. Not fair to the rest that actually move in to get a job.

RdgTruckie...

I May be reading this wrong and I appoligize if I am but Moving to the city just to get a Job {That I may not get as a result of test scores} Isn't Something that is easily done. I'm not familiar with your living situation but I own a House and have an established Life Style in NJ. Would I move to the City after being Hired as a condition of Employment ? Absolutley... I think Firefighters should live in the City or at least the Close-By Suburbs for Quick Call-Back Response but to have to physically live in Phila. One Year Prior to being Hired for a Job you may not get is crazy, and not finacially suitable at least for me. It's bad enough I would have to take a major pay-cut If and I say If I was to be Hired as a PFD Firefighter. Another City in NJ {Camden-Just across the river } Has the Same Requirment as Phila. {With the exception of residency one year prior to being hired} and they follow through pretty well right down to physical documentation and knocking on your door if they suspect you don't actually live in the City {Which is a rule after being notified that you have been accepted } and I know quite a few that have dodged the Department Brass and have gotten hired. It comes right down to Luck and How you play the Game. --- I guess what I'm Trying to say is Although it may be wrong to break the rules of getting hired if you manage to pull it off {And I know those that have} all the power to you --- Will I try it with the Phila Test ? ---I'm not sure after reading the reply from ArmyTruckCompany it may not be worth it

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Brian I have quite a few friends on the job in Camden, so correct me if I am wrong....But I believe you are mistaken regarding Camden's rules....I believe the rule for Camden, as well as Newark, Trenton, AC, etc (because it is a statewide civil service thing) that you are required to live IN the city where you are testing at the time of the test...Once you are hired, you may move out.

I was going to test for Newark, but I wasnt able to due to the fact that I had no address there. Same thing for Camden.

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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[st34ff]

So, If i want to get a job in the Philly FD, I have to move down there right now, and in one year, I can try to take the entrance test and hope that I score good enought on it. I live maybe 45 min out of the city. That should be good enought for a call back situtation. Well, there goes that briliant idea of mine, getting a job with the Philly FD. I ain't moving to Philly.

Kyle

[Brian Dunlap]

Originally posted by ArmyTruckCompany:
Brian I have quite a few friends on the job in Camden, so correct me if I am wrong....But I believe you are mistaken regarding Camden's rules....I believe the rule for Camden, as well as Newark, Trenton, AC, etc (because it is a statewide civil service thing) that you are required to live IN the city where you are testing at the time of the test...Once you are hired, you may move out.

I was going to test for Newark, but I wasnt able to due to the fact that I had no address there. Same thing for Camden.

Yes....I stand Corrected. At the time of the Test you do have to live in the city or at Least be able to say/show you do. It is a good rule to have in place but I know several that got by it.

[ArmyTruckCompany]

sta34FF- you misread my post....You DO NOT need to be a resident to test. HOWEVER if you score well.....move in!! You need that year before you can get hired!!!



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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[ArmyTruckCompany]

sta34FF- you misread my post....You DO NOT need to be a resident to test. HOWEVER if you score well.....move in!! You need that year before you can get hired!!!



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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[ArmyTruckCompany]

sta34FF- you misread my post....You DO NOT need to be a resident to test. HOWEVER if you score well.....move in!! You need that year before you can get hired!!!


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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[ENGINE18-3]

That's correct about Camden City. I'll be doing the living in Camden deal very shortly. I'm still thinking of taking the Phila. test just to see how well I do. But I think I'll have a better shot with Camden City and "playing the game" there. Plus I'll still be close enough to run with the guys in Oaklyn. And if all else fails I have a buddy in H-Town and they are hiring 600 guys for the next 6 years.

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The statements above are my own opinions

FF Greg Grudzinski
Oaklyn Fire Dept.
Station 18-3

[paets]

This thread has really been interesting to me since I was born in Philly and raised in S Jersey. I took the test for PFD in 1976, using an aunt's address. 16,000 (that's correct, 16,000) people took the test that day. I scored a 97 on the exam and placed #1050. I'm no genius, but I could see that they probably weren't going to add that many people to their department by the time the list expired.

Soon after that I saw that the Houston FD was hiring. I came here to take the test in February and started the academy in April. Things aren't quite that simple here now, but the odds of getting on here are much better than the city of Philadelphia and you only have to live within 150 miles of City Hall, with no residency requirement after hire. The other big difference between here and PFD was that veterans don't automatically rise to the top of the list.

I just thought I'd add my 2cents and good luck to anyone trying for Philly that isn't a resident.