knowing what you know now

[fuhskid]

I'm a senior in high school, and wanted to know how you would approach becoming a firefighter, if you knew what you know now. What would you do in my spot? Where would you start? What classes would you take? And so on.

Right now the only thing I am doing, that might be looked at as beneficial for becoming a firefighter is volunteering at the boys and girls club.

It's been my dream job ever since I was nine, when I was in Montana with my relatives. Part of a neighbor'a house was on fire, and they "came to the rescue" in just a few minutes, and put the fire out. There are a couple other instances where firefighters made a mark in my life.

So, i'm hoping I could get some advice on how to go about this.

Thanks in advance!

[crankshaft]

skid,

This is a good question.
For classes that you should take, well any will be beneficial to you, but taking a EMT class and getting certified will be a great start.
Find out which towns or cities near you are either career or volunteer depts. The ones that are volunteer try to join one ofthem and get some experience. The ones that are career find out when they will be having entry level testing. Take as many of these entry level tests that you possibly can.
Good luck

[doughesson]

What he said.
I am a volunteer firefighter in Kentucky and the only regret that I have in doing this is that I didn't get on sooner!
I'm 40 now,with two years experience on my department.In that time,I have gotten the required training hours in house to be allowed to respond,the state required 150 hours for certification,have taken the IFSAC Firefighter I and II skills and HazMat Awareness tests and need to take the written portions of same.
I am planning on returning to my homestate of Tennessee and have been applying to paid departments in the Memphis area.
Good luck with what you are trying and remember to go home at the end of each call.That is my idea of what every firefighter should make sure they do.

[fuhskid]

For the volunteer depts, are there any specifications or requirements that i would have to meet to volunteer there?

[firehick]

I'm in the same position as you somewhat, senior year and wanting to get in the fire service. I decided on finding a college that offers a degree in fire science. Not sure of any schools around where you are but there are many that will offer two year associate degrees and some four year bachelor degrees. Not sure how concivible this is for you but you may want to look down that road if its an option for you. Good Luck.

[firefiftyfive]

Over the past few years that I have been on these forums the question of what type of schooling a person should take comes up a lot. Many people say to take fire science and emt classes and so on. I think that is all well and good. However I always believe in having a back up plan. I went to college and took regular classes, all liberal arts and I majored in Criminal Justice. I just think that it makes you a more well rounded person and leaves more avenues open for you in case being a career firefighter falls through. Plus it may give you the oportunity to have an extra job outside of the firehouse, for example an accounting practice. Learning all that stuff in fire science classes will most likely just get shown to you again when you get into the fire academy for your volly or paid dept.

I unfortunately did not get to finish my degree because my dream job came up and I took it. However I will be going back to finish it in the near future.

[xroadsbombera]

I'm 24 yrs. old with a bachelor's degree and an EMT-I I got on my own before I applied, knowing that it would dramatically increase my chances of getting hired. But before you look at any of that, my best advice I can give you is to join as a volunteer and learn as much as you can before making it your career.
Unfortunately, with all the education I had, I signed on without the most important education for the job - direct experience. I did volunteer for a short period of time (little over a year) but only as an EMT on a BLS unit - nowhere near enough volunteer time to learn the important stuff..It is expected that you have a basic understanding of the job by your shift. Yeah, the dept. will hire you if you look good on paper, but in the end it's the guys on your shift that will be teaching you the real world, need to know stuff and it will only make it easier on you and them if you have some experience beforehand.
Besides, it'll help you decide if this is really want you want to do..

[fuhskid]

Ok, thanks for all of the advice. Right now i'm a senior in high school and do not have to pay for anything (car, gas, insurance, ect...). My parents said once i go to college, they will pay for that and if i choose to stay at home, it will be free. I really appreciate everything and understand that i will need a job if i am wanting to own a cell phone, drive anywhere, ect... With everything going on (school, volunteering), will i have time for a paying job? I need some advice on how to deal with the universal problem...money!

[firefiftyfive]

GET A JOB!!!!!!!!!! I had one in high school and a minor one in college

[fuhskid]

I don't have time for a job, and won't the rest of my high school career (football & baseball). Yes I know i need a job!!!! That was not the question. Sorry if i asked it in a way you could not understand. My question is...will i have enough time to do well in school and volunteer to have a steady job? I have some job experience; del taco (joke, i know), vacation bible school, usher at amc, and teacher's aid during summer.

[LRFPD60]

fuhskid, I am 22 and joined a local volunteer department right out of high school. I initially wanted to do nothing but be a Medic so I figured Id run some medical calls and that would be it. Kind of like getting my feet wet to see if I really wanted to commit to the schooling and see if I could handle it.

Well, 4 years later I am a live-in at a station, senior man at that station, and have been involved in some pretty interesting situations. I got my department to pay for my EMT-B training, got certified through the local community college as a Firefighter-II and Dec. 16th I will graduate with an Associates degree in Fire Science Technology. I am also Haz-Mat Operations and numerous other certifications.

I have done all of this while also working full-time for Bass Pro Shops here in Springfield, MO. Luckily my bosses have been generous enough to let me off for the occasional Saturday or weekend training. I say yes, you can do all of this and volunteer while having a full-time job. You just have to remain committed and push through some of the rough spots. Schooling is by far the most important thing, outside of family.

I would suggest to check with one of the local volunteer departments in your area and see what they require. I know around here they don't require anything to initially get on. My department requires you become at least Firefighter I, First Responder and Haz-Mat Awareness within your first year. There is some lee-way for certain situations but that is up to our Chief to decide on that. This is a very rewarding career and hopefully you will love every second of it.

[Quint31Jumper]

I am working full time for a private ambulance company and then part time with a fire department. All that said, i pull at least 70 hours a week plus any call-backs in the middle of the night. Next semester i plan on taking some online and telecourses through the local community college. Its tough and sometime i wonder, but in the end its worth it. If you stay dedicated to the department and do what you can, they will understand. As for school, do what you can and see what other "untraditional" ways of taking classes that they have. Its your life, make it what you want it to be!