Printable View
When I was 16 I was arrested for possession of Marijuana, a charge which has since been dismissed and sealed. I am now 21 and am expecting a call relatively soon from the FDNY. How much can this blemish on my record negatively effect my chances of becoming a Fire Fighter? I have not consumed marijuana since and plan on being 100% honest when asked about any prior arrest.
It depends how you spin it. Have you looked over Captain Bob's interviewing material? Eatstress.com. He talks about an incident he had and how he overcame it. It can definitely hurt you but if you show how it wasn't a pattern, and you've grown since then I think you should be able to overcome it. Captain Bob's approach is pretty straight forward: admit what you did, what you have done since then and how it is not a part of your life today.
Check out his program if you haven't already...
I smell another shill for Cap'n Spam...
First and foremost there is no such thing as an expunged record. Your background investigator will determine if this was an isolated event or a signal of a pattern of heavy drug use. You were wise to declare it as lying about it is grounds for immediate disqualification.
Additionally, you have done well to quit your drug usage (for many reasons other than the obvious). Best of luck with the process.
Paul Lepore
Division Chief
Aspiring firefighters.com