Fairfield County Sheriff's Office
Hiring and Background

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is an equal opportunity employer and has established the following procedure for the hiring of applicants. We do have a residency requirement for all employees. You must reside within a 50 mile radius of the City of Lancaster. The following steps outline the requirements, procedures and qualifications for employment with this office.

Step 1:

To complete an application for the position of Deputy Sheriff, Corrections Officer, Dispatcher, Clerk or Special Deputy, you must;

• Be 21 years or older at the time the application is submitted. (18 years of age for Clerk, Corrections or Dispatcher)
• Have a valid Ohio driver's license.
• Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Be able to read, write and speak the English language.
• U.S. citizen.

• You must currently be OPOTA certified. (If Applicable)

The application must be completed in its entirety. Your resume, copies of letters, certificates, etc. may be attached to the application as supplements only. Copies of the following documents are required:

• Birth Certificate
• High School Diploma or GED
• Driver's License
• Social Security Card
• OPOTA Certificate (if applicable)
• Military DD-214 (if applicable)

Step 2:

After submitting your application you will be contacted at a later time to complete fingerprints, if required. You may also complete an application and return it to the Sheriff's Office Civil Building,
345 Lincoln Ave., Lancaster.

Step 3:

If the initial review of your application does not reveal anything that precludes you from employment, your application is then assigned to an investigator for an extensive background investigation into your employment history, references, schooling, etc.

Step 4:

You will be scheduled for a mandatory truth verification examination. To reschedule; 24 hours personal notice to the person who scheduled you for the examination is required. Failure to comply with this process will disqualify you for consideration for a position.

Step 5:

If the investigation does not reveal anything that precludes you from employment, you will be scheduled for a final interview. The interview will take approximately 1 hour and will cover any questions or concerns related to your background investigation.

Step 6:

Having successfully completed all of the above steps, your application will be forwarded to Sheriff Alex Lape with a recommendation that you be employed. With his approval, you will be given a conditional offer of employment, subject to passing drug tests and a medical examination. A member of the Sheriff's Office will notify you of the date and time to report for appointment.

Please direct all questions regarding applications or status updates to Chief Jared Collins at 740-652-7253. If you qualify and are interested in a Special Deputy Commission, fill out the attached "Personal History Questionnaire" and mail it to the attention of Chief Jared Collins at the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office,
345 Lincoln Avenue, Lancaster Ohio 43130.