Posted: 4/25/2011 7:22:26 PM EDT
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Seems like they have the coolest job. Especially structural firefighters. I've wanted to be one for over a decade. Getting out of the mil soon, and looking to see what I can do to better my chances, as I know it's a tough gig to get into.
Aside from my mil background and a fire science degree, what can I do to stand out? I will be nearing 30 when I separate from the mil. Is that gonna hurt me? |
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Seems like they have the coolest job. Especially structural firefighters. I've wanted to be one for over a decade. Getting out of the mil soon, and looking to see what I can do to better my chances, as I know it's a tough gig to get into. Aside from my mil background and a fire science degree, what can I do to stand out? I will be nearing 30 when I separate from the mil. Is that gonna hurt me? Check here. What is your .mil background? Are you wanting to be an FF in NV? Start checking around with the depts in your area and see what they require. When you find that out, stay in shape and get to getting what you need!! |
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Im trying right now. Tough gig to get into especially since my city is trying to get the ladies and blacks on the dept first  What city? I'm looking into a department here in MD, but they're not hiring again until next year (as far as I can tell). Plus the salary is shit. 
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Get your paramedic license it can only help and good luck I love my job! +1 This is what all the firefighters, chief, etc told me as well. I'm starting paramedic school in about 6 weeks. Good luck to you, being former military will get you 5 extra points on any civil service tests, at least around here it will. If I was you I would get started on all the school stuff while studying civil service exams and testing as often as possible. You never know, you might get lucky. If I was former military I'd already be hired. I tested just for practice with my local department and made it well into the hiring process, before the oral interviews I was 13th and they are hiring 7. I could easily get called anytime within the next year to fill a vacancy, but if I was military, I'd already have a job thanks to those 5 more points  .
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Your Military back ground will not help you if they are trying to fill their female/ethnic positions. Everyone is so afraid to hire on skill that care and experience are sacrificed due to color and gender.
The previous posts are correct about getting your medic. Look into that school first. Most have a shortened 6-8 month course with some stretching out to 2 years. Its tougher than fire school, thats for sure! I would check with your department that you are trying to get hired on if they will send you to fire school. Most will if they hire you. Also, what are you going to go for? Fire I and II or just I. Maybe try a volunteer service if applicable and get some experience while going to medic school. Usually pretty easy and couldn't hurt the resume. Either way, good luck and apply now and often and get your butt in shape lol. |
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Get on a Vollie or Paid on Call department & get your civvy FF certificate, Then go for Medic.... It'll take you a little while but it'll be worth it. Most places these days want you to be a FF/PM....
I did it kind of bassackwards.... Started out as a POC, then became a cop, then left there & became a Volunteer Fire Fighter, then got hired on a career department.... A lot of places have an age restriction... in Illinois it is 35.... I took the test at 34 & got hired FT at 36..... So you have a little time, but very little !! Good Luck...It's the best career choice you can make ! |
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Not to be debby downer. But its a pita to get hired on.
What state are you going back to? Oregon has a very shitty job market for municipal fire jobs. There are 50+ applicants per opening at the smaller departments. The civil service testing is a crock of shit in my opinion. Someone can test and interview well. But be complete shit bird to work with. Fwiw, I am vet, 7 year medic, 9 year structural FF, and have some fairly impressive bullet points and experience on my resume. but the last couple of hirings I have been to. They hired guys with 6 months of experience. |
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I would say more than anything its about oral board skills. I've been interviewing with both police and fire for a little bit over a year. I have had a few interviews both police and fire, and granted sometimes its hard to get an interview sometimes. But your written score really doesnt mean anything once you get to the interview stage, so don't be discouraged by that. I suffer from a bit of anxiety during oral boards and am just getting to the point where I am comfortable with them. So do as many mock ones as you can, and you will have a huge leg up on people.
I would focus on interviewing skills, mock interviews, and anything that will help you get a leg up on people (ride alongs, talking to people in the job, in the city, agency etc) As it stands right now I am #3 on one agency's list(police) and have a 2nd interview with another (fire dept) later this month, and also have another oral board in the pipe. It's a terrible job market for public safety right now, so don't get discouraged. Once the economy recovers a bunch of people that are holding out on retirement are going to leave and there is gonna be a lot more open spots. |
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I will offer you the wisdom of a retired firefighter...my father.
I was young and seeking some direction so I thought walking in my fathers footsteps would be a good path. I went to a firefighter "interview', 160 job openings, 1600 applicants showed up. Run 1.5 mile in less than 12 min, do the obstacle course in record time and take the aptitude test. At the time is was not required for you to be an AMT, now you must be already, on your dime to even apply. I did "ok" but I said "Dad, you've know these guys for 30 years, can you put a good word in for me? "No" What? "No." Why not? " Because you don't want to be a firefighter." Why not? "Don't get me wrong ,I love fighting structural fires. But the job is different now. When I applied there where a few big stations around the city. Now there are all these sub-stations at every corner and every 911 call you are the first on the scene. You will see more burnt ,mangled and mutilated bodies in a month than most people see in a lifetime and it just gets old. I like putting out fire but this is not the same and you just don't get paid enough to deal with it all." So be the hero, but if you think being a firefighter is about putting water on the blaze, you're wrong. Good luck, if it's what you want go for it, I wish you well. ~Willz |
| I'm a second generation firefighter here in Indy and I find it to be a very rewarding career. Sure, you get a lot of dumb medical calls but that's my job and I do it well and with a good attitude because the citizens of Indianapolis pay me 57k a year plus benefits regardless if it's to change a band aid or rescue a child from a burning building. Plus you only work 9 days a month. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. It's a great and rewarding career. |
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It's a great job, but be prepaired for it to be 80% ems. Also don’t expect to get hired right away. It took me 4.5 yrs to get my current job from time of application to my hire date. Your mil experience will help you with most departments, especially bigger cities. I am a marine reservist on active duty training for at least the next year and can't wait to get back to "the" job!
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| Get your ALS certification. A friend is going for an FF job. He works for a private ALS service to keep current and he gets to meet all the people he would see if he was hired by a town. He also trains constantly so he can place well in the physical tests. He said he was surprised at how many people showed up for tests that were not in condition to do the tasks. It's not like it was a surprise, or they didn't know what they would be asked to do. I saw the same thing trying to get hired by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. If you're able to do well on the test, you're ahead of perhaps half the applicants. Maybe more. |
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Quoted: This is NOT the case at the vast majority of departments. Unless you work at a high volume dept like Chicago or FDNY or something like that, you aren't going to see fire every shift. Maybe back in the day there were burning bodies everywhere, but not now. While I have definitely seen some messed up stuff, it is not every shift. You have to learn to let go of the stuff you DO see.I will offer you the wisdom of a retired firefighter...my father. I was young and seeking some direction so I thought walking in my fathers footsteps would be a good path. I went to a firefighter "interview', 160 job openings, 1600 applicants showed up. Run 1.5 mile in less than 12 min, do the obstacle course in record time and take the aptitude test. At the time is was not required for you to be an AMT, now you must be already, on your dime to even apply. I did "ok" but I said "Dad, you've know these guys for 30 years, can you put a good word in for me? "No" What? "No." Why not? " Because you don't want to be a firefighter." Why not? "Don't get me wrong ,I love fighting structural fires. But the job is different now. When I applied there where a few big stations around the city. Now there are all these sub-stations at every corner and every 911 call you are the first on the scene. You will see more burnt ,mangled and mutilated bodies in a month than most people see in a lifetime and it just gets old. I like putting out fire but this is not the same and you just don't get paid enough to deal with it all." So be the hero, but if you think being a firefighter is about putting water on the blaze, you're wrong. Good luck, if it's what you want go for it, I wish you well. ~Willz OP, a fire science degree is worthless, if you are going to spend time taking classes, get a degree that is worth something. Business is a good choice, if you ever *shudder* promote to an admin position. Now, some of the classes are good, like building construction, etc. Like the others have said, EMS now takes up 80%+ of FD runs now, many places either require Medic certification, or give you preference if you do have it. Many places will give you extra points for .mil service. |
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I retired a yr and half ago. It definitely changes but still the best job in the world. I'm wired a little different cuz I miss the carnage. I would take a fire in a box any day all day long, over the grassy shit that grows back every yr.
Unfortunately not too many dept are doing any hiring. Most are cutting staff, closing stations and browning our rigs. My former dept just hired 24 so there are jobs. Any medical experience is a plus. No brownie points for mil exp in Cal, that I know of. Having sat on oral board I will say you get more respect and really have to be bad to not get advanced. If you are anywhere near a large city you might look into local ambulance co's for jobs to get the inside track on medical training. Keep your intentions to yourself i think the private amb co's are tired of being a training ground for the good ones who go off into the fire service. Also, there is a lot of negativity in the private amb bus. A lot of burned out medics. Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you want more. |
| In a small town, you will be viewed and expected to serve as an extension of the highway department, ambulance and occasionally the school janitors. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great job, but small town firefighting is not what people think it is. Be prepared to deal with a lot of auto wrecks. |
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There is a book called Smoke Your Firefighter Interview which I utilized to "smoke" my police oral hiring boards. I went from ranking 116th with my first interview to 2nd place 6 months later at another interview. I can't recommend it enough. It provides sample questions. It also categorizes questions so even if they don't ask the exact question you can understand why it is being asked and what sort of answer the board is looking for. Start contacting fire departments in your area now, before you separate. Always easier to job hunt while you still have a paycheck. Not sure what branch of service you are in but look into getting any combat life saver classes or CPR/First aid certs you can get. Don't know if you have Montgomery GI Bill or Post 9/11 GI bill but with the Montgomery GI bill you are able to draw money while you are in the fire academy since it counts as an apprenticeship. This allows you to "double dip" if you are getting paid by the Fire Dept while in the academy. http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Your-Firefighter-Interview-Lepore/dp/0972993401 You can pick up the kindle edition for $9.99. Ideal if you have a smartphone or tablet with a kindle ap. |
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Get on a Vollie or Paid on Call department & get your civvy FF certificate, Then go for Medic.... It'll take you a little while but it'll be worth it. Most places these days want you to be a FF/PM.... Yup. Mil+ already certified=win If reloctaing after you ETS is something you are open to, come someplace like my county here in NC. If you volunteer with any of the VFD's here, or the rescue squad, you get 100% of your training for free. As much as you are willing to soak up. FF Level II, Paramedic, Hazmat Tech, Rescue Tech. The only thing you can get here is airport crash certified. All just for volunteering, and all you are doing then is getting experience. It is an amazing deal. I don't know how many other states do this for their volunteers, but NC does in most counties. I would advise finding an area where you can do this, volunteering, taking the classes, and working whatever job while applying to various departments. Keep applying while you keep adding certifications. |
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If you're relocating to NC, the only Dept you should consider is Charlotte. They have their own retirement system that is separate from the State's, and the payout is much higher than other NC cities, and it is better funded.
If reloctaing after you ETS is something you are open to, come someplace like my county here in NC. Some of the best benefits you'll find as an Emergency Services employee is in Florida. |
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This is NOT the case at the vast majority of departments. Unless you work at a high volume dept like Chicago or FDNY or something like that, you aren't going to see fire every shift. Maybe back in the day there were burning bodies everywhere, but not now. While I have definitely seen some messed up stuff, it is not every shift. You have to learn to let go of the stuff you DO see.
I will offer you the wisdom of a retired firefighter...my father. I was young and seeking some direction so I thought walking in my fathers footsteps would be a good path. I went to a firefighter "interview', 160 job openings, 1600 applicants showed up. Run 1.5 mile in less than 12 min, do the obstacle course in record time and take the aptitude test. At the time is was not required for you to be an AMT, now you must be already, on your dime to even apply. I did "ok" but I said "Dad, you've know these guys for 30 years, can you put a good word in for me? "No" What? "No." Why not? " Because you don't want to be a firefighter." Why not? "Don't get me wrong ,I love fighting structural fires. But the job is different now. When I applied there where a few big stations around the city. Now there are all these sub-stations at every corner and every 911 call you are the first on the scene. You will see more burnt ,mangled and mutilated bodies in a month than most people see in a lifetime and it just gets old. I like putting out fire but this is not the same and you just don't get paid enough to deal with it all." So be the hero, but if you think being a firefighter is about putting water on the blaze, you're wrong. Good luck, if it's what you want go for it, I wish you well. ~Willz OP, a fire science degree is worthless, if you are going to spend time taking classes, get a degree that is worth something. Business is a good choice, if you ever *shudder* promote to an admin position. Now, some of the classes are good, like building construction, etc. Like the others have said, EMS now takes up 80%+ of FD runs now, many places either require Medic certification, or give you preference if you do have it. Many places will give you extra points for .mil service. I didn't mean to suggest everyday is an inferno, the point of my post, every 911 call in your district your rescue squad will be the first on the scene. Every car wreck, domestic, unattended death, etc. ANY report of injury, you are there first. The small sub-stations allow for very quick response times, you'll get there before the "real" ambulance, and the police. It's not just about fighting fires. 30+ years ago my father signed on to fight fires, the other carnage occured on a daily basis, more so than structural fires. I have a nothing but respect for the men who do this job and find it rewarding. If it's what you want, do it please, we need more men like you. Just know what you are in for. |
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My buddy, Mad Mike, got out of Firefighting because he said it's a lifestyle, not just a job. Be ready for that. I was Army for a bit, so I knew what he meant, and I wasn't interested in a job that becomes my life. I have to admit that's true. Similarly to .Mil it's a job that's more than a 9 to 5 gig. To some folks it's less a job and more a calling.
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This is NOT the case at the vast majority of departments. Unless you work at a high volume dept like Chicago or FDNY or something like that, you aren't going to see fire every shift. Maybe back in the day there were burning bodies everywhere, but not now. While I have definitely seen some messed up stuff, it is not every shift. You have to learn to let go of the stuff you DO see. Maybe not in a month, but unless you do emergency services, hospital ER or military during a war most people will almost never see anything as screwd up as what qualifies as "another day" at the FD. OP, a fire science degree is worthless, if you are going to spend time taking classes, get a degree that is worth something. Business is a good choice, if you ever *shudder* promote to an admin position. Now, some of the classes are good, like building construction, etc. Like the others have said, EMS now takes up 80%+ of FD runs now, many places either require Medic certification, or give you preference if you do have it. In my case having 2 fire/EMS type degrees was a big plus in selecting me and I get a 3% bonus check each year for having the degrees. Many places will give you extra points for .mil service. True, extra 10% where I work. If had had ben .mil my testing score would have been over 100%, pretty easy to get hired in that case. |
OP, send me a pm. I'm at the firehouse right now as all of these storms are slamming us.  Structure fires during tornadoes and heavy ass thunderstorms just plain suck.Seriously. The previous replies about EMT-b or EMT-p is spot on. Just make sure if you get you medic first, DO NOT get hired on as a medic. You may get lost in the system and never get to cross train. That shit does happen at some departments. Apply for firefighter and have your EMT-b or p as a resume padder. My department pays you a 6 thousand dollar stipend extra for medic. One the other hand, you are required to get EMT-b once you get hired. (They send you to emt school, basic only.) Some departments require you to get you paramedic after you get hired on within a certain time frame. Also, some places are civil service, some are not. STAY IN SHAPE!!! A lot of cities have gone to the C.P.A.T. This is the Candidate Physical Agility Test. (Look it up on YouTube.) If your not ready for it, this test can make a fool out of you. It is deceptively hard for some. Do not go to rookie school to get into shape, some schools are very much like boot in the military. Fire science is something you can work on after getting on the job. Public administration is what I'm working on. It helps for later career moves. "OMG! A possible chief position!" Hope this was a little helpful. Shoot me a PM and I'll be more than happy to answer any other questions I can. If I can't, I may be able to put you on the right road for answers. Jeff |