While jobs in the state may not easy to find everywhere — the state’s largest city has some 14 to 20 positions open for people with the right physical and mental makeup. The Des Moines fire department is looking to fill those slots. Department spokesperson Linda Frangenberg says the number of openings isn’t unusual, they plan it that way. She says they wait until they have 14 to 20 positions open so they can train all the new firefighters at once and be more cost effective. Even with that many slots open, the applicants usually outnumber the positions.In past she says they’ve had 500 to 600 applicants, so she says it’s a pretty competitive process. The September 11th disaster put the spotlight on firefighters — but Frangenberg isn’t sure it has peaked interest in the job.She says she’s not so certain that some of the interest is down since 9-11. She says the public does have a greater understanding of the danger of being a firefighter, but she says she can’t say for sure that that’s led to a decreased interest. Frangenberg says potential firefighters have to meet some basic requirements.She says you have to have a high school diploma or g-e-d, be at least 21 and have a valid driver’s license and good driving record. If you meet the initial requirements, you then must take a written exam, pass a physical agility test, take a second written exam, an oral exam, an oral interview and a medical test. She says it is a very lengthy process and many candidates go through the process four or five times before passing. Frangenberg says if you’re interested you should contact the City of Des Moines’ Human Resources Department at 515-283-4213. Or visit the city’s web site at www.dmgov.org. The application deadline is August 29th.