Training & Careers

Training at the Gastonia Fire Department is a continuous process, beginning with all probationary employees. Newly hired personnel are required to complete the NC Firefighter Certification, NC State Emergency Medical Technician D, and Haz-Mat Operations Level I training within 18 months. 
 
The Gastonia Fire Department assists personnel who choose to obtain an AAS degree by providing $500 annually in a reimbursement program. The Department also sponsors firefighters who attend advanced specialty training classes at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
 
Staying abreast of the latest fire and rescue knowledge and techniques is a matter of course for Gastonia firefighters. Much of the fire department’s mandatory, supplemental, and certification-required training is conducted either in-house by our 30 state-certified instructors or at the Regional Emergency Service Training Center at Gaston College. Gastonia firefighters benefit greatly from the state-of-the-art training that is nearby at the RESTC, which is the largest burn center in the U.S., and the largest emergency training center in the state.