What I should do next

[wrightje]

My name is Eliot, I am 22 years old and currently serving in Iraq as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines. In nine months my five year enlistment with the Navy is over and I want to become a career firefighter. I have been involved in volunteer EMS and Firefighting since the age of 16 and have also worked part time as a paid EMT. My question is what should I do when I leave the service to give me the best chance at a career in the fire service? What should my priorities be? Should I enroll in Fire Science courses or get my paramedic certification? In a few months my time in Iraq will be over with and I am anxious to move on and prepare for the career I have wanted my entire adult life.

[CaptBob]

Since you have demonstrated you enjoy the EMS side, the shortest distance between you and that badge is to become a paramedic. In some areas fire/medics are 80% of the job offerings.

Make sure you have a current EMT card. Find out what the classes you need to take to get into medic school. Select a medic school with the best success of getting their students their field internship on the box. Many promise it, but candidates have had to wait up to a year to get signed off.

If you feel you don’t have enough experience on the street as an EMT ride ambulance for more experience. Medic school will be harder without it. If you can get in an academy along the way it will give you and a department the hands on confidence that you have a better chance of passing an in service academy.

No matter what you decide learn how to take a fire department interview because that will probably be 100% of your score to get hired.