Just passed the P.A.T. for the local FD, now to see if I can get equivalency for my Firefighter 1 and 2 certs as NM doesn't recognize my ProBoard certs as they are an IFSAC state.

It's all Greek to me but congrats!

PAT= Physical Agility Test
IFSAC= International Fire Service Accreditation Congress ( a certifying authority along with ProBoard for the fire service)
ProBoard= see above

and thanks brushdog!

Cool!  Good for you!

What was the PAT like?

It started off with 4 events.
1st event was done from the top of a 75' aerial ladder, had a 100'section of 3" line attached to a rope, had to hoist it to the top and then lower it back down to the ground.
2nd event was done wearing a turnout coat, helmet and gloves....had to swing a sledgehammer and strike a target of tire rubber tacked to a railroad tie 30 times.
3rd event was done in coat, helmet and gloves...drag a charged 3" line 100 feet
4th event was done in coat, helmet, gloves, and SCBA pack....155pound dummy drag for 100feet.
You had 9 minutes to complete that.
Then you took a 10 minute break and strapped on a 40 pound weighted vest and climbed a 5 step section 100 times....you had 10 minutes to complete that....

Needless to say my calves feel like they are about to explode....it's gonna be a Motrin night tonight...LOL

UPDATE: Got a letter in the mail yesterday afternoon, passed the background check. Scheduled for the Chief's interview next Tuesday 8/17 at 1030 am.....
This is the fastest hiring process I've seen!

What's the # for the Chief?  I have a few things to let him in on......










Congrats

LOL....this one time in Germany....LOL....Whatcha up to bro? As you can see I moved and am remarried now. Shoot me a line and I'll give you my addy out here

Update 8/17.......Just had my Interview.....Chief told me he liked ALL my answers and then informed me they will be hiring 2 positions........Knocked that Interview outta the park Grand Slam Style!!!!

Welp....so much for thinking I was getting the job....Turns out I got a letter on 8/21 in the mail saying I was unsuccessful. The kicker is I had all my firefighter certifications...
Instead they chose a 19y/o female whose only experience is working at McDonalds and had high school JROTC. I watched her do the physical agility test in the same group as me and she could BARELY drag the dummy 100ft. The other person to get hired was a cook at Denny's with no FF experience as well.


The kicker to this story is the fact that on 8/20 there was a FedEx package on the doorstep offering me a Firefighting job over in Iraq for a year....sooooo, I better get to packing...waiting on a ship date...figuring the end of September and I'll be playin in the sandbox.

UPDATE: 8/30
Verrrry True....and definitely ALOT more moolah!

I went in today to talk to the Chief and find out if there was anything I could improve on, he said "No, you we're at the top of our choices, but the other officers have their own criteria".
He then informed me that I could apply again. I said "I might think about it if your officers weren't so threatened by someone that has more certs/training as evidenced by your line of questioning about my having more certifications than most in the Department". (Yes it sounds cocky but it's also the truth, as that Dept only requires Firefighter 1 and EMT-B to be an employee.)
You should've seen him backpedal and look shocked. He literally looked like I had just tased him. The female they hired couldnt even lock her hands around the dummy during the drag event, and I know for damned sure that I had the EXACT same time for the PAT as another person that had been OFFERED one of the positions. And the Volly FD I'm part of has me in charge of training for them because of my experience and certs.

When I get back from the sandbox I'll have even more certs. Then I'll be looking at bigger Depts....not one in a small town!

Nothing happens fast in the fire service.



Good luck BTW.

ETA Sorry just scrolled down to the update. Fucking quotas.

UPDATE YET AGAIN:
Welp....Firestorm is inbound as the FD failed to have HR involved in the hiring process. The State of NM's Dept of Labor says that I have a valid Discrimination complaint. I went over to city hall this past Wednesday after having a little chit chat with the Chief on Monday.

Needless to say the Chief did quite a bit of backpedalling during the chit chat and tried telling me that I could work on my PAT time (I know for a fact that one of the people that was offered one of the positions had the EXACT same time as myself on the PAT and had LOWER writen test scores). When I informed the City HR Director of these facts she told me that she wanted to have a meeting with myself AND the Fire Chief present.

Honestly I don't care about getting on with the Dept anymore as I was offered a contract position overseas. I just don't want to have this happen to anyone again, and hopefully the FD learns it lesson. The city is scared shitless that I'm getting ready to file suit (screw em, let them think that).

I'll update this after I get back from the meeting.

Including their reponse

You really have to wonder which idiot on the panel would want someone on their crew that can't physically do the job.  Fucking idiots.  Once she gets hired and the guys on the line realize she's worthless and want her gone, they'll have a hell of a time booting her since she's a woman in a male dominated field.  We have a few on my dept, I pray that every time they get pregnant they won't come back.  We have 2/10 that can actually do the job right.