Question about hiring in Florida

[CentralFL]

Quick question for the FF working in Florida. When they do the background part of the hiring process is it the same type of background check they do for police agencies? E.G, polygraph, checking your neighbourhood, contacting old friends ect... Just trying to gauge how extensive it is.

Also quick question about ambulances that are affiliated with the FD's. With OCFRD and OFD and whom ever, are the ambulance crew FF aswell? Go though the same process as the FF do to get hired and are rotated with the engine crew like I would imagine or are they just hired are medics and strictly work the ambulance and are not FF certified?

Thanks in advance

[JMCFF]

Quick question for the FF working in Florida. When they do the background part of the hiring process is it the same type of background check they do for police agencies? E.G, polygraph, checking your neighbourhood, contacting old friends ect... Just trying to gauge how extensive it is.

Also quick question about ambulances that are affiliated with the FD's. With OCFRD and OFD and whom ever, are the ambulance crew FF aswell? Go though the same process as the FF do to get hired and are rotated with the engine crew like I would imagine or are they just hired are medics and strictly work the ambulance and are not FF certified?

Thanks in advance

Yes Dept. background checks are pretty extensive..

Full driving record usually last 3 -7 years. If you have any moving violations you are pretty much done right there.

Full criminal background check.

Polygraph at most depts.

Psych evaluation almost all that I know or have heard of.

Previous employers checks

Personal reference checks

Credit checks possible at some depts as well..

There may be more but that is what I can think of off top of my head.

If you are asking this question you probably have something you are worried about?

[CentralFL]

Thank you for the reply, JMCFF, much appreciated.

It is not so much that i'm worried, but more or less kicking myself in the rear-end for having that at fault vehicle accident. It was a fender bender; nonetheless, I was found at fault.

Other than that my record regarding everything else is clean.

Do they contact ex-girlfriends and such?

[JMCFF]

Do they contact ex-girlfriends and such?

Not likely... Unless you list her as a personal reference they could call her...

[Want2BAFF.]

the credit check would be the one that would worry me. i have a squeaky clean record otherwise.

[CentralFL]

I know that Orange county has some "medic only" employees but I believe they are required to get certified in FF within 2 or 3 years. I don't think that is normal for the county either. They had to put a few more medic units on the road and didn't have time to waste doing an entire firefighter hiring process. Those guys were hired specifically as Paramedics only, so they knew what was up. As for Orlando, I'm pretty sure everyone is a firefighter, you just rotate or do time in the medic units.

Also, they call the medic units/ambulances down here RESCUES. I "think" it's because if your unit is assigned on a working fire you might be doing search and rescue with a truck...(correct me if I'm wrong OFD & OC guys) Orlando has an actual Rescue truck they call a "Heavy", and the county has 3 of them but call them "Squads". Just a little tidbit of terminology!

Thanks for the response FireFuss, very helpful.

[BLSboy]

If you want to be just a Paramedic, Lake County (I think) has EMS only dept, and hillsborough County will hire Paramedics, with no requirement to go to standards. Of course, you will be working for 11.50/hr, so it is up to you to decide if you want to go that route.

[Want2BAFF.]

If you want to be just a Paramedic, Lake County (I think) has EMS only dept, and hillsborough County will hire Paramedics, with no requirement to go to standards. Of course, you will be working for 11.50/hr, so it is up to you to decide if you want to go that route.

$11.50/hr... as a paramedic? Not much difference in pay b/w a paramedic and an EMT.

[BLSboy]

$11.50/hr... as a paramedic? Not much difference in pay b/w a paramedic and an EMT.

Yup. That's where I am now.

[JMCFF]

If you want to be just a Paramedic, Lake County (I think) has EMS only dept, and hillsborough County will hire Paramedics, with no requirement to go to standards. Of course, you will be working for 11.50/hr, so it is up to you to decide if you want to go that route.

Lake County EMS is a private company that runs the transport for all the Departments in Lake County... Up until Oct. 1 they were Lake-Sumter EMS and handled all of Sumter county as well...

They just "laid off/Fired over 100 medics and EMTs. So they will not be hiring anytime soon....

[layinonair]

Also, they call the medic units/ambulances down here RESCUES. I "think" it's because if your unit is assigned on a working fire you might be doing search and rescue with a truck...(correct me if I'm wrong OFD & OC guys) Orlando has an actual Rescue truck they call a "Heavy", and the county has 3 of them but call them "Squads". Just a little tidbit of terminology!

Yes sir we have a Heavy Rescue. Primarily R.I.T on the fireground, but capable of anything else. It's a beast.

And everyone is FF/EMT or FF/PM at OFD. No medic only.

[Firemedic 61]

Also, they call the medic units/ambulances down here RESCUES. I "think" it's because if your unit is assigned on a working fire you might be doing search and rescue with a truck...(correct me if I'm wrong OFD & OC guys)

Here is your correction(no prob bro). Here in Florida, a transport unit run by a private company is an ambulance. A transport company run by the Fire Department is called a Rescue. Not because you may me doing a search with a Truck Co. but because thats what we call them.

[BLSboy]

A transport company run by the Fire Department is called a Rescue.

Or Medic. Guess it depends on the dept.