Skip to main content
City of Madison
  • Accounts
    • All Accounts
    • My Account
    • ePayments
    • Water Customer Care
    • Employment
    • Licenses & Permits
  • Services
  • Jobs
  • Agencies
    • All Agencies
    • Assessor's Office
    • Attorney's Office
    • Building Inspection
    • Civil Rights
    • Clerk's Office
    • Common Council
    • Community Development
    • Development Services Center
    • Economic Development
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Engineering
    • Finance
    • Fire
    • Fleet Service
    • Golf
    • Goodman Pool
    • Housing Authority
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Madison City Channel
    • Madison Public Library
    • Madison Senior Center
    • Mayor's Office
    • Metro Transit
    • Monona Terrace
    • Municipal Court
    • Office of Business Resources
    • Office of Real Estate Services
    • Olbrich Botanical Gardens
    • Parking Utility
    • Parks
    • Planning
    • Planning, Community & Economic Development
    • Police
    • Public Health Madison & Dane County
    • Public Works
    • Streets & Recycling
    • Traffic Engineering
    • Transportation
    • Treasurer's Office
    • Warner Park Community Recreation Center
    • Water Utility
  • Data
  • Contact
    • Mayor
    • City Council
    • City Staff & Agencies

Search form

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • City Services
  • Public Health
  • Get Alerts
  • Español
  • Hmoob
Madison Fire Department

City of Madison Fire Department

Steven Davis, Fire Chief

Invest in People Today!

  • Home
  • Stations
  • Join MFD
  • Your Safety
  • Permits & Inspections
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Emergency Management
  • About
  • Media
  • Contact
  1. City of Madison
  2. Fire
  3. Join MFD
  4. Salary

Salary

Entry Level Salary & Benefits

Job Title Firefighter
Job Status Full Time
Work Week 48 Hours (24 Hour Shift)
Biweekly Starting Salary* $2,039.00
Annual Salary $53,014.00
Probationary Period Eighteen (18) Months
Benefits* Vacation
Sick Leave
Health Insurance
Designated Holiday Leave
Retirement
Workers Compensation
Income Protection Plan
Training
Tuition Program
Life Insurance
Taxed Deferred Compensation Program

Learn more about pay and benefits from Human Resources.

Promotions

Firefighters compete for promoted positions in the department.

A Fire Officer or Lieutenant oversees a crew at each station. On emergency calls, the Lieutenant will take command of the scene until a Chief Officer arrives. The officer has many different responsibilities, but ultimately, is responsible for the actions and safety of the crew.

Apparatus Engineer (AE) is another promoted position. This is the driver/operator of the engine or ladder. They need to be thoroughly familiar with the equipment, function and operation of all apparatus. Every morning, the AE checks the vehicle for proper operations. Everything from the light bulbs to the engine oil is checked and documented. At an emergency scene, the AE operates the pumps or the aerial ladders.

Reclassification

Paramedics are some of the busiest people on the department. An MFD ambulance might respond on 22 calls in a 24 hour period. Did you know that Madison had one of the first paramedic ambulances in the country? After being selected for paramedic training, these firefighters must complete 6 months of intensive medical training before they are allowed to work on one of Madison's ambulances. Paramedics are well versed in pre-hospital medicine and respond to a wide variety of calls – anything ranging from cardiac arrest and automobile accidents to less complicated requests for service, like a nosebleed or broken arm. Madison Fire Department paramedics receive the highest level of training available in the emergency medical services field.

Training

The City of Madison Fire Department Training Unit consists of training officers who work as drillmasters under the supervision of a Division Chief.

The Training Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing all training activities for the department. This is a massive effort as it includes driver training, officer development training, and various specialized training modules, such as handling of hazardous materials emergencies.

Training responsibilities also include the training of all new personnel. The City of Madison Fire Department´s Training Center is located at Fire Station 14, 3201 Dairy Drive.

Join MFD

  • About the Process
    • Multiple-Choice Test
    • Interviews
    • Physical Ability Test
    • Academy
  • What We Do
  • Why MFD
  • What We Look For
  • Salary
  • Training
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Talk to a Recruiter

Recruitment Questions

  • JoinMFD@cityofmadison.com
  • Phone: (608) 513-3446

City of Madison Fire Department

City of Madison Fire Department
314 W. Dayton St
Madison, WI 53703
  • Administration Phone:
    (608) 266-4420
  • Dane County Communications Non-Emergency Line:
    (608) 255-2345
  • Fax: (608) 267-1100
  • Email: fire@cityofmadison.com
  • Office Hours: M - F: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • WI Relay Service

Join MFD

  • Talk to a Recruiter
  • About the Job
  • About the Process
  • What We Look For
  • Frequently Asked Questions

I Want To...

  • Find my Fire Station
  • Smoke Alarm Information
  • Do I Need a Permit?
  • Pay an Ambulance Bill
  • Request a Fire Report

Stay Informed

  • Fire Chief's Blog
  • Fire Daily Reports
  • Fire Department Blog
  • Fire Department Email Lists
  • Fire Department Facebook
  • Fire Department Flickr
  • Fire Department Instagram
  • Fire Department Twitter
  • Fire News Releases

All Social Media »

City of Madison, Wisconsin logo, copyright City of Madison

Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

Copyright © 1995 - 2021 City of Madison, WI
  • Contact Webmaster
  • Accessibility
  • Web Policies
2019 Winner of the Digital Cities Survey by the Center for Digital Government