South Carolina fire job

[cfd28121]

Im a 19 year old college student in Wisconsin working on my Associates fire science degree, and have been on a volunteer fire department for almost a year. I am hoping to get a job in South Carolina as soon as i finish my degree and by that time i will have 2 years volunteer experience. I am a nationally certified EMT-b and am working on the EMT-I certification now. By the time I finish the degree i will have FF1, FF2, Driver opperator, Hazmat Tech., Investigation, Tech. rescue,and incident management. I am just wonding how competitive the fire career is in South Carolina and were a good place to start off will be? Thanks.

[SCFirefighter29]

I would suggest contacting the departments you are interested in. I'm not sure how competitive it is since I'm volunteer. I'll list some of the larger paid departments below.

Greenville
Charleston
Myrtle Beach
Columbia
Greer
Spartanburg
North Myrtle Beach
Rock Hill
Florence
South Greenville
Boiling Springs (Greenville County)
Anderson

[IronsMan53]

I would suggest contacting the departments you are interested in. I'm not sure how competitive it is since I'm volunteer. I'll list some of the larger paid departments below.

Greenville
Charleston
Myrtle Beach
Columbia
Greer
Spartanburg
North Myrtle Beach
Rock Hill
Florence
South Greenville
Boiling Springs (Greenville County)
Anderson

Don't forget one of the largest and busiest in the state:
http://www.horrycountyfirerescue.com/

Over 500 total firefighters (vol and career) with more than 300 career personnel and 40,000+ calls a year.

[ctrlaltdelete]

Just wondering if you guys except certs from other states(Florida) and do you have to be a resident of state to apply for full time?

[battlecomedown]

South Carolina will accept IFSTA certs. As far as being a resident prior to applying, it would vary by department. I know for a fact that the city of Columbia will allow you to apply without residency. We've just started a recruit class, and with the current fiscal mess the city finds itself in, I'm not sure when the next round of hiring will be, but it is a great department to work for (though Greenville starts you off at higher pay), and one definitely worth applying to (there is a continuous application period).

Good luck.

[ctrlaltdelete]

battlecomedown,

I just requested the ff application for Columbia, how is that area?

[SCFirefighter29]

Some of the job listings can be found here.

http://www.scfirewire.com/job-listings/

[ctrlaltdelete]

SCFirefighter29,

Thanks for the listings! Do you guys use a civil test or do you test from the essentials book?

[battlecomedown]

Columbia, like any city, has its good and bad sections of town. In the city limits, some decent neighborhoods are Rosewood, Earlewood, Cottontown, and the neighborhoods of the Northeast. It all depends what you're looking for. There's also West Columbia, Cayce, Lexington, Irmo, Forest Acres, and a number of places you can live that are all worth investigating. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at: battlecomedown@gmail.com

[ctrlaltdelete]

Battle,

Thanks man I will defiantly will shot you an email, thanks for your help!! Where abouts are you and are you guys hiring out of state certified FF?

[battlecomedown]

I work for the Columbia Fire Department until Tuesday, which is my last shift. On the 30th, I'll begin training with the Charlotte Fire Department. Their hiring process has closed for 2009, but if they do hold one in 2010, it will probably begin in January with registration for the written test. Charlotte is a great place to live, and the department is easily one of the best in the nation. Also, there are several good communities you could commute from, both in North Carolina and right across the border.

Good luck with the Columbia app. Like any department, it has its problems, but overall it's a great place to work.