Posted: 6/20/2012 5:44:32 PM EDT
|
I am going through a career change and attending fire academy right now. Should finish up in Oct/Nov. I know jobs are tough to come by right now but keep hearing that things will be opening up because many of the current firefighters are in DROP. Any words of encouragement or ideas on what I should be doing to line up a job would be greatly appreciated. I fully expect to be searching for close to a year before finding anything...and that is being hopeful. I will be looking for firefighter EMT positions and then plan to go to paramedic school once I get hired on. I know a couple of people in the industry but have no family members involved in it. I do have a BA so hopefully that will give me little bit of a leg up. I am in the Tampa Bay area. Its frustrating to be so excited about something only to have to temper that because jobs seem so hard to find. Any insight? I would be willing to go vollie for a little while to keep certs up but that is obviously not ideal.
Wish I would have come up with this plan 10 years ago 
|
|
Go to medic school if you are intent on doing the Fire thing. Being a FF/medic is a good way to get in. Once you get your standards, start taking the other officer development classes if you can. Fire officer I series and the like.
Getting in public safety now is not what it used to be. We are now a target of the public. We are being blamed for all the problems with the state budgets, so everyday the Govenor and the rest of the state government attacks public employees; FF's being in that group. It's frustrating to say the least, esp. since I am in NW FL and our pay is way below what FF's in the rest of the state make. I should have taken a different career path years ago, but everything happens for a reason. I am Lt./paramedic on a small career dept. in NW FL. |
|
Where are you?
Brevard usually hires at least once a year. We'll hire FF/EMT's if they're quality people, but you have to commit to medic school,( Dept riembursed), and be prepared to spend the first third of your on a busy Ambulance before you can get assigned to an engine company. |
|
We have a LOT of guys in the drop right now... The next 2 or three years will have quite a few promotions, and hiring.
www.slcfd.com |
| Volunteer somewhere. Use that to get into as many classes as you can. Best thing I could have done was this. When it comes to selection this will seperate you from the guys with no experience and no drive to better themselves. There are jobs out there but the market is flooded with unemployed firefighters. You need something to set you apart. |
| I work for Hillsborough County, sounds like you are on the right track. As stated if possible do your Medic before getting hired it helps in the interview process. We just hired ~30 Firefighter/EMT's and supposedly have the funding to hire another 30. We also are in the process of hiring a few medic only personnel. Like you said a big turnover is coming, something in the range of 300 people are leaving over the next 5 years. I'm not too sure where Tampa stands as far as hiring but Pasco and Polk counties seem to be actively hiring fairly often. If you have any specific questions I will try to help out best I can. Good Luck! |
| Not many places in north central Florida are hiring either... Most that are are snapping up FF/Medics... So my advice to you, if you can afford it... Go to medic school on your own dime after fire school... but keep putting in applications to those agencies that are hiring as much and as often as you can. |
| Thanks for the replies. I guess first things first...passing the state exam. I will definitely pursue medic school at some point. The problem I am having is that all the schools in the Tampa Bay area have schedules set up around fire shifts. That means no night classes so I would have to leave my current job. I guess I could go to Sunstar if need be but the pay cut working as an EMT would be brutal. |
| We have all had to make sacrifices. Some have it easier than others. Unfortunately, mine was tough,(scheduling and was laid off form my job at the time), but in the end it was well worth it. I enjoy the fact I can make a positive difference in the world today and that is worth more than anything to me. One of the biggest obstacles right now, is that the job field is flooded with people who are ff/emt and medic certified, but don't let that change your mind. Getting your paramedic cert. is your biggest benefit. Don't wait to be hired first to get it if poss.. Once you have your medic cert., you can get decent paying jobs in a hospital e.r.,which is great experience and looks good on a resume. Also, it may open your horizons to other jobs-nursing,p.a.,etc.. I know of and have many brothers and sisters who have gone this route. |