Becoming a Firefighter: A Rewarding Career Pursuit

Dec. 1, 2014
One tenet has become clear above all others, learn how to be the best person you can be and you will be the best firefighter you can be.

Does the idea of bringing solutions to others problems, being respected for what you do and what you stand for excite you? If you answered yes, then firefighting may be your true calling and you have just begun the journey of a lifetime. Starting anything new brings with it many questions. So, how do you get answers to your questions? You do what every successful person has ever done. You go to the experts and ask them.

Well, fortunately you have landed in the right place. On Jan. 28, 2015 in beautiful San Diego, Calif., Firehouse World is happy to present The "Future Firefighter Experience."  As part of the conference and exposition, this event inside an event will cover critical information and answers to many of your questions. If you are in the hiring process or even considering becoming a firefighter this is a must attend experience for you. Many are called and few are chosen, in this case you get to choose yourself.  

The "Future Firefighter Experience" will provide you with solid take home strategies to use on test day and every other day. At this event you will be able to network with other entry-level firefighters who are just like you as well as ask the experts your most pressing questions. You’ll also gain valuable insight and knowledge on what is currently happening in the world of the fire service by being at one of the industries leading trade events. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit the show floor and learn what equipment and tools are being used today and what is coming soon to a fire department near you.  

In order for you to be successful at anything in life you must learn and master the rules of success. These rules are simple. They are not negotiable, nor are they forgiving. They demand absolute adherence. You must follow them or face certain failure.  Success is a tough taskmaster and does not care if you or the next person embraces it. It only cares that someone does. There are no shortcuts. Even though you may see others have it sooner than you that doesn’t mean they worked any less than you. 

There will always be those who appear to have overnight success but there is really no such thing as overnight success. Just look at some successful people in today’s society. You will see it takes time to be successful.  It takes time to learn the rules and master the game. Just look at a few names: Bill Gates founded Microsoft in 1975 and it wasn’t until Microsoft went public in 1986 that he became an overnight success worth $350 million. It took Steve Jobs two decades to become an overnight dot-com billionaire. He established Apple in 1976 and really didn’t get on the map until the advent of the Macintosh in 1984. Jerry Yang and David Filo founded Yahoo in January of 1994. In April 1996 Yahoo had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 million. Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working on Google in 1996, fast forward to 2004 – Google had made it, going public in 2004 with a market capitalization of $23 billion. Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook fame, concocted “Facemash” in 2003, changed the name to Facebook and in 2009 it became an overnight success, and now has about 400 million users worldwide. 

So, as you can see even these “overnight successes” were not exactly overnight. Whether it takes two years or six years you have to have a plan, seek out the experts for advice and direction and work that plan day in and day out.  That is what success requires of you. 

For more than 20 years Deputy Chief Steve Prziborowski and I have worked with countless numbers of firefighter candidates on how to develop a plan, find the experts and stay engaged long enough to be successful so they can be the best firefighter possible. The only thing that can cause you failure is if you quit.

One tenet has become clear above all others, learn how to be the best person you can be and you will be the best firefighter you can be. As the ones who sit behind the table and grade you in your interviews, watch you perform on the physical ability tests, proctor you on the written exam and review your files come decision time, we can assure you that the complete candidate is one who can do it all and put it all together on game day.

Together we will share our insight into what characteristics a candidate must posses to get hired.  We will provide a unique outlook into the future hiring of entry-level firefighters and share basic, easy to master skills that will pay huge dividends for you in the process.  A great many have attended this event and are now firefighters living their dream. 

If living your dream is as important to you as your next breath than come join Deputy Chief Steve Prziborowski, acclaimed fire service instructor an author, and myself on Jan. 28, 2015 at Firehouse World for the "Future Firefighter Experience" and take your next breath.

Register now for Firehouse World 2015 and take the next step! Use promo code: CP12 when registering.

BOB ATLAS is a battalion chief with the Contra Costa County, Calif., Fire Protection District. He entered the fire service as a Community Fire Aide for the Milpitas Fire Department in 1996 and completed an internship with the South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire before being hired as a full-time professional firefighter in 1999. He is currently assigned to one of the busiest battalions and is responsible for eight fire stations. Atlas also serves on the district’s career development committee and is a Certified Oral Board Rater. He has been coaching entry-level candidates since 1999 and promotional candidates since 2005 and is a co-owner of www.firealumni.com.

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