Thanks to various sources – including a note from the Ministry of the Interior, dated January 27th, in response to union requests regarding the staff shortage – it has been confirmed that a new public competition for 400 firefighter positions will shortly be announced.
These 400 new hires will have to be absorbed into the hires to be authorized for the year 2026 to cover the 2024 turnover terminations, 1404 in total. Furthermore, in 2026 it will be possible to draw from the ranking of the 350-place competition in 2024.
Let’s see what we know so far and what the resources are for preparing for the upcoming competition.
Fire Brigade Competition 2026: the PIAO of the Ministry of the Interior
Annex 5 of the PIAO (strategic personnel planning 2026–2028) illustrates:
- an overall shortage of 3829 units as of 31 December 2025 (real headcount: 36878, compared to theoretical staffing of 40707).
- 4025 terminations estimated in the three-year period 2026–2028 (estimate based on retirement age limits).
The document also explains that the hiring requirement for the three-year period derives from multiple factors (terminations, deficit repayment, upgrades, etc.).
On the competition side, Annex 5 also indicates the “Firefighter – public competition” profile among the competition procedures scheduled for 2026-2028, without an indication of the positions. The clarification then comes with the note from the Ministry of 27 January 2026, which specifies that the administration has asked the Department of Civil Service for authorization to announce a new public competition for 400 firefighter positions.
In addition to the new 400-place call, as mentioned, there will be other hires for firefighters in 2026:
- Recruitment 2026: 1404 Firefighter units (turnover 2024), awaiting the authorization Prime Ministerial Decree – of which 400 with the upcoming competition:
- Possible use of the ranking of the 350-place competition for 2024: there are 2,739 candidates in useful positions, with 850 already hired in 2025.
Fire Brigade Competition 2026: how the selection will work
To understand how the selection could be structured, the most immediate reference is the last call for 2024 for 350 positions (departmental decree no. 239 of 12 June 2024).
In 2024 the selection was based on qualifications and exams, and in addition to the general requirements, the following were required:
- upper secondary education diploma;
- age not exceeding 26 years, with elevation up to 37 years for VVF volunteers (plus elevation rules linked to military service, within certain limits).
The application was electronic via the Fire Brigade competition portal, with access via SPID or CIE and a time window of 30 days from publication on inPA.
The previous selection was as follows:
- Pre-selective test;
- Motor-aptitude tests;
- Securities valuation.
The pre-selective test consisted of solving multiple choice questions on the following subjects:
- history of Italy from 1861 to today;
- elements of chemistry and physics;
- logical-deductive and analytical questions, aimed at exploring intellectual and reasoning abilities;
- questions aimed at ascertaining knowledge of the use of the most widespread IT equipment and applications and of the English language.
Fire Brigade Competition 2026: how to prepare while waiting for the announcement
In this phase, in addition to monitoring InPA and the Fire Brigade competition portal, it is important to start studying for the pre-selection, preparing on the subjects required in the 2024 competition, combining the study with physical preparation in view of the motor tests (aimed at ascertaining the possession of physical efficiency and the predisposition to exercise the functions of the role of firefighter).
