Cal Fire Hiring Process

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Originally Posted by dkline1

Thanx dude, another questions, I'm having trouble finding the units fire stations phone numbers and adresses for those units. I've looked everywhere and can't find them. What should I do?

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Whats up man, in regards to "what to do now" Im in a similar situation. I didnt get any 1's but a 2 with a unit I really want to get in with. I dont have any fire exp per say besides being halfway through a 350+ hr academy. It sounds like you present yourself well, do you have any friends in Cal Fire that can give you advice? I know for sure after talking to a lot of guys that you have to politic, you have to.. As far as getting addresses, phone numbers etc that can be tricky, I went through the same thing. Id say call me and I would give them all to you but I've only applied to one unit, and its not any that you applied to. Tip, start with operations headquarters for your area (North-South). Every person I've spoke to with Cal FIre thus far has been extremely helpful and pleasant. Just tell them straight up what you want to do, if you get the cute receptionist "at least she sounds cute" then she'll do her best to help you or transfer you to someone that can. Most units will have a main station where there will be more Caps than say the other stations in the area, focus on that station being your best visit. In other words dont start there, start small, and by the time you get to the station with the caps then youll be warmed up. Time of day is really important, you can ruin everything by showing up at the wrong time. Again, just my .02. Im brand new to this, but have doen a lot of research and spoken to a lot of knowledgeable people. Good luck, keep in contact, if I find anything that works better I'll let you know and you do the same. Remember, most of these guys got a break in their day, and are open to helping you.

Need some CAL FIRE info? There are some people over at www.californiafirefighter.com. The site will be up in a few days, but you can long in and join now at- http://siteground228.com/~califo21/

Welcome back CalBou!

Hey dude thanx for the info. I did my station visits to about five stations big and small and they were quite helpful with everything. Now i guess we wait and see. Do you know when they start calling people for seasonal work?QUOTE=rowdyroddy;1049022]Whats up man, in regards to "what to do now" Im in a similar situation. I didnt get any 1's but a 2 with a unit I really want to get in with. I dont have any fire exp per say besides being halfway through a 350+ hr academy. It sounds like you present yourself well, do you have any friends in Cal Fire that can give you advice? I know for sure after talking to a lot of guys that you have to politic, you have to.. As far as getting addresses, phone numbers etc that can be tricky, I went through the same thing. Id say call me and I would give them all to you but I've only applied to one unit, and its not any that you applied to. Tip, start with operations headquarters for your area (North-South). Every person I've spoke to with Cal FIre thus far has been extremely helpful and pleasant. Just tell them straight up what you want to do, if you get the cute receptionist "at least she sounds cute" then she'll do her best to help you or transfer you to someone that can. Most units will have a main station than say the other stations in the area, focus on that station being your best visit. In other words dont start there, start small, and by the time you get to the station with the caps then youll be warmed up. Time of day is really important, you can ruin everything by showing up at the wrong time. Again, just my .02. Im brand new to this, but have doen a lot of research and spoken to a lot of knowledgeable people. Good luck, keep in contact, if I find anything that works better I'll let you know and you do the same. Remember, most of these guys got a break in their day, and are open to helping you.[/QUOTE]

I havent heard anything yet. I havent had an opportunity to politic, with a f-t job, academy and 2 toddlers its hard, but then again its all about sacrifice. Im going to try to get up there this weekend. If I dont and I get a thank you letter I'll be ****ed off at myself. I hope to get a call, anyone out there know what contact method is used if they want you? i.e. call or mail?

Hey guys,

I'm a 20 year old college student with only my first responder and a few fire classes. I had an interview and got a 3 on it due to the lack of my fire experience. However, I politiced hard (I live 3 hours away from the unit I interviewed in) usually about once a week to different stations in that unit. On monday I got a call with a job offer. I mean this might be rare, but it just proves that you don't necessarily have to have all the certs as everyone else. But you need to be a salesman when you go to the stations. You need to show them that you are a better canidate than the next guy.

[QUOTE=dkline1;1050349]Hey dude thanx for the info. I did my station visits to about five stations big and small and they were quite helpful with everything. Now i guess we wait and see. Do you know when they start calling people for seasonal work?


From another thread I started I've been told you can get a call anytime, and that you better respond asap if you get a voicemail. Even if you get a denial letter, you can still be on a list for late hire, so its still not out of the ? You dont accept private messages? I was wondering if you've heard anything?

Politic your *** off

Hey guys, I wanted to bring this thread back up because I wasn't completely sure, by reading all on this thread, what I need to join CAL Fire. I would like to know the requirements and if I DO need to be a firefighter in order to apply?

From reading this thread, I see that an EMT-1, hazmat fro, confined space awareness, and CAL FIRE Basic Firefighter (67 Hours) is required and ideally what i need.

Also, where in the Bay Area can get the cdf wildland class(67 hours) cert?
Is that class called S-130?

Hey, I wanted to find out what type of odds I was looking in getting hired for the 2010 season. I am planning on applying to the forest service and cal fire. I'm currently a explorer and have been for 2 and a half years, I have also went to a wild land academy for explorers and have my I-100 S-110 S-130 S-190 L-180 IS-700 and going to finish my emt program around mid november.

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Originally Posted by adlx21

Hey guys, I wanted to bring this thread back up because I wasn't completely sure, by reading all on this thread, what I need to join CAL Fire. I would like to know the requirements and if I DO need to be a firefighter in order to apply?

From reading this thread, I see that an EMT-1, hazmat fro, confined space awareness, and CAL FIRE Basic Firefighter (67 Hours) is required and ideally what i need.

Also, where in the Bay Area can get the cdf wildland class(67 hours) cert?
Is that class called S-130?

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Technically the only requirements are that your 18 if I remember right, but you better teally wow the interview panel to get on with just your age. The system is set up so the more 'checks in the box' you have the better you do. In alot of cases the 67 is a must, there are cases of people being hired without it, but its something they look for, despite the fact that some units put on a spring 67 after they hire people. Once upon a time john doe off the street could apply and get a position but its not that way anymore.
IDEALLY, you want to have your EMT-B, Hazmat awareness, confined space, FF1. I think paramedic is even a checkable box so having that doesn't hurt either, paramedics get grabbed up pretty fast.
S-130 is not the 67 hour. The 67 is a seperate deal all together S-130 is a NWCG(basically the NFPA of wildland) standard class and the 67 is Cal-Fires own deal.

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Originally Posted by thernandez63

Hey, I wanted to find out what type of odds I was looking in getting hired for the 2010 season. I am planning on applying to the forest service and cal fire. I'm currently a explorer and have been for 2 and a half years, I have also went to a wild land academy for explorers and have my I-100 S-110 S-130 S-190 L-180 IS-700 and going to finish my emt program around mid november.

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I would say the odds of getting hired with the Forest Service are good. As long as you start calling Captains NOW as in monday morning. They will be extremely hard to get ahold of this month, but now is important timing. Get in AVUE and get ur app in for them, then call ever captain in the areas you want to work.
As for Cal-Fire, well turn in the applications to every unit possible. You have to turn in your application in person for all units in South Ops, MVU(San Diego) RRU(Riverside) BDU(San Bernardino) TUU(Tulare) FKU(Fresno-Kings) BEU(Monterey) MMU(Mariposa-Merced) TCU(toulumee-Calaveras). The rest you can mail in. I would apply and go to any interviews you get just now that its VERY VERY competive out there right now for Cal-Fire postions, and you will have stiff competions.

Anyone else hear wanna car pool soon down south reply!
Stay safe!

:)

I'm a certified EMT-P. I have reserve time along with ICS-200, Confined space awareness, and haz-mat FRO.

I do not have a 67 hour academy but am enrolled in one coming up in the next couple weeks. Can anyone give me some insight on chances of getting hired at either the San Diego or Riverside units as a Cal Fire seasonal firefighter.

Be prepared for STIFF STIFF competion in both of those units. In the last year I have seen people that were way way OVER qualified taking seasonal FF1 jobs because there is nothing else out there.
But with your certs and experience I would say you should get an interview. So nail the interview and cross your fingers.

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Originally Posted by 2008TNFHS

Be prepared for STIFF STIFF competion in both of those units. In the last year I have seen people that were way way OVER qualified taking seasonal FF1 jobs because there is nothing else out there.
But with your certs and experience I would say you should get an interview. So nail the interview and cross your fingers.

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Are there any units up North that are not as competitive as the others? I live down south and can only take off a limited amount of time from work.

Yes, but even that is competitive right now. But Yes, I would mail your apps TODAY for all the northern units. Might as well mail them to all the North Ops units, and see if you get an interview. I am not trying to discourage you, just so you have a reality check. I have seen people with every cert in the book and masters degree's trying to get a position.
I reread your post(I misread it the first time I posted) and what certs you had, and I think you have a good chance in any unit. You should get an interview in any unit with that list of experience and certs(no guarantee's some units are only interviewing the top XX% of the applicants). With that being said, I would say that weather or not you get a job depends on the amount of reserve time and experience and your interview.

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Originally Posted by 2008TNFHS

Yes, but even that is competitive right now. But Yes, I would mail your apps TODAY for all the northern units. Might as well mail them to all the North Ops units, and see if you get an interview. I am not trying to discourage you, just so you have a reality check. I have seen people with every cert in the book and masters degree's trying to get a position.
I reread your post(I misread it the first time I posted) and what certs you had, and I think you have a good chance in any unit. You should get an interview in any unit with that list of experience and certs(no guarantee's some units are only interviewing the top XX% of the applicants). With that being said, I would say that weather or not you get a job depends on the amount of reserve time and experience and your interview.

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I have 9 years reserve time and 5 years fulltime with DOD. As for certs, I have all but the paramedic. I also have my fire science degree.

If I can get some interviews, I will have my captains and assistant chiefs help prepare me.

This might be in the job announcement, but I will ask anyways.

When we submit are applications for Seasonal Fire Fighter, do we include a copy of our certs and resume? I am thinking only the certs that they ask for on the application.

Thanks.

if your talking about calfire...NO you just sent in your application, they will ask to see all of that at your interview. I would take ALL of my certs to an interview, you never know what might bump you over the edge. If you have other certs it might mean that they have to train you less in certain things. It also shows that you are serious and this is the extra work I have done/am doing to advance my career in fire.

Does anyone know which certs are the best to get, besides the ones listed on the seasonal FF1 application? I was thinking Fire Fighter 2, Driver Operator 1A & 1B, Rescue Tech (confined space, swift water, trench), level 1 Fire prevention courses, ICS courses not included in 67. I ask for your help cuz I saw these classes and many more being offered close to where I live. But, I can only take a few.