What's your opinion on Rural/Metro?

[whitefire70]

I'm thinking about joining the R/M fire dept and I don't really know a whole lot about the company. What's your opinion? I need the good and the bad of working for them. Thanks.

[twitchsingley]

I actually work for Tucson Fire. A couple of guys I work with are former RM firefighters, and I've never heard any complaints about the department. It does seem like RM tends to be used as a stepping stone to get to Tucson Fire, or Northwest Fire/Rescue. (These are two of the bigger departments in the area.) We've worked a couple of joint operations (structure fires & extrications) and it's seemed like I've seen more red helmets (chiefs/capts) than yellow (firefighters/ engineers) on scene. I don't know if the department is actually top heavy for captains/chiefs, or if they simply called out extra chiefs for the operations. I believe they tend to run a three man crew on their engines, and that firefighers are all expected to rotate to the engineer's spot, but consider that as hearsay, as I don't work for them. I'll see if I can remember to talk to some of the former RM guys. Hope that helped.

[CACBAND]

I'm thinking about joining the R/M fire dept and I don't really know a whole lot about the company. What's your opinion? I need the good and the bad of working for them. Thanks.

The pay is **** poor (atleast it is for Rural/Metro guys in the Yuma County trucks).
They are really more of a steeping stone, just know that you'll be giving some hard times for working for a dept that charges people to put out fires.