Firefighting job-seekers began to line up Thursday night and the procession of applicants got considerably longer when the doors opened early Friday at the Valley Regional Fire Authority headquarters at 1101 D St. NE.

The VRFA had 200 applications available, but no openings at this time, said Kelly Williams, VRFA public information and education officer. The agency planned to go through the application and testing process to create an eligibility list for future openings, she said.

Everyone who received an entry-level firefighter application Friday morning was in line by 10 o’clock Thursday night, Williams said.

To be first among the first in line, many camped out overnight.

Said one weary applicant: “I already have a job, but I want to fight fires.

“I understand that this is a very competitive field,” he said. “The wait was long and consuming, but it was worth it.”