If you have ever considered a career in law enforcement or fighting fires, the City of Elizabethton may be looking for you.

Both the Elizabethton Police Department and Elizabethton Fire Department are currently accepting applications for entry-level positions. Those seeking to apply should pick up an application from the Personnel Department at City Hall, located at 136 S. Sycamore St., in Elizabethton. Applications must be completed and submitted to the Personnel Department by Friday, Sept. 15, at 5 p.m.

Positions with both the Police and Fire Departments require an application as well as a written exam, physical agility test, and an extensive background check. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older, be a U.S. citizen, and possess a high school diploma or GED.

Both departments are hoping to get enough applications to create a hiring roster of the top scoring contenders. Applicants are scored at various stages of the process with each department and are ranked on the roster based on their average score. When positions become available, the department starts at the top of the roster and works their way down until the position is filled or the list is exhausted.

Rosters are maintained for one year, so those who have previously applied will need to submit a new application if more than a year has passed.

On the Fire Department side, the written examination does not include anything regarding fire codes or firefighting knowledge.

“It’s just a general aptitude test,” EFD Chief Barry Carrier said. “There is some reading comprehension, a little bit of math, and some reasoning. It’s similar in nature to a civil service test.”

For the Police Department, the written exam is a little more focused.

“Most of it is entry level criminal law and law enforcement procedures,” EPD Capt. Joy Shoun said. “There are study guides available to the general public for this type of entry level law enforcement examination.” Shoun added the study guides could be found at book stores such as Barnes & Noble or through Amazon.

The physical agility portion of the examination is a scaled down version of the training which the officers or firefighters will undergo if hired, and are designed to help determine if the applicant will be able to perform the physical requirements of the jobs.

For more information on applying with the Elizabethton Fire Department, contact the department at 423-542-5421.

For more information on applying with the Elizabethton Police Department, contact the department at 423-542-4141.

The City of Elizabethton’s Personnel Department can be reached at 423-547-6282. Applications for either the Elizabethton Fire Department or Elizabethton Police Department may also be downloaded from the City of Elizabethton’s website at www.elizabethton.org by clicking on the “Job Openings” button.