Municipal fire department · Ohio · United States

Cleveland Division of Fire

The Cleveland Division of Fire (CDF) protects the City of Cleveland — approximately 375,000 residents across roughly 80 square miles on the southern shore of Lake Erie, the second-largest city in Ohio. The department traces continuous service to 1863 and fields roughly 700 uniformed members from around 22 fire stations. The Cuyahoga River, which winds through the city and famously caught fire on multiple occasions in the 20th century (most notably in 1969, a major trigger for federal clean-water legislation), is part of the historical and operational picture; CDF maintains marine firefighting capability on the river and Lake Erie. The department provides structural fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and marine firefighting. EMS first response is provided alongside the separate Cleveland EMS agency, which handles primary 911 ambulance transport. Firefighter recruitment is administered by the City of Cleveland Civil Service Commission. The process typically includes an online application, civil service entrance examination, the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), medical and psychological evaluation, polygraph and background investigation, and an oral interview. Successful candidates attend the CDF Training Academy for a recruit course covering structural firefighting and technical rescue. Confirm current openings on the official Civil Service Commission portal; Bluewatch refers candidates there.