Montana Firefighters Consortium

[Goober157]

I was wondering if there is anybody out there who is working for one of the depts involved in the Consortium or who has gone through the process in the past. A couple of buddies and I are headed out there from Wisconsin for the test in June. Just wondering what to expect. THANKS.

[Jskierpx]

Just trying to bring this thread back to life. Has anyone been through the process in the past or have any insight? Are there any Montana Firefighters on here at all?

Thanks~

[pepedepaco]

There are a few of us here in Montana. I went through the Consortium in 2006 and would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

The written test is held on the first morning (Monday) and is a pretty typical written test with reading comp, math, spacial relations, memorization and map reading. Your test scores will be posted that night and you will be given a test date and time for your CPAT if you pass with a 75%. Mine wasn't until Thursday so I had a few days to kill and hang out in Bozeman.

If you pass your CPAT you can pick up application packets from the cities of your choice to take home and complete. There will be personnel from most cities there to ask questions of.

I am a transplant from Wisconsin also so I know the trip a little too well.

Hopefully that helps somewhat. Do you know what city or cities you are applying for?

[DblBlack26]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of written scores earned interviews?

[Jskierpx]

Hey thanks for the info! I would be willing to work for any city really, and want to apply to all of them. Bozeman definitely grabs my attention the most though... I guess my main question is after you get through the testing week and get the applications in, how many times did you make the trip back and fourth for interviews. And is there any way to schedule some interviews while I am out there that week? (of course assuming I pass everything).

Just really trying to get an idea of how many trips it will take, as airfare to Bozeman is pretty steep. How do you like it up there? And echoing brittja, is a high written score needed to get high on the list and into interviews?

thanks again~

[pepedepaco]

It is hard to say what test scores will get you an interview since it all depends on how many applicants each city wants to interview--that will vary by hiring needs of each city. All I can advise is make sure to study and take as many practice tests as possible to get a score in the high 90's to 100. Then you will be at the top of the list for interviews.

You should only need to make one additional trip to interview after completing the consortium, I don't know of any cities that have multiple interviews. The earliest interview I got was in July so you won't be able to schedule an interview the week of the consortium. I applied to several cities and had to make separate trips to interview at each, but that is to be expected.

If you are flying in, try flying into Billings and rent a car to drive to Bozeman. Billings is a lot cheaper to fly into and it's only a 2 1/2 hour drive to Bozeman. It sucks scheduling a flight for the consortium because your CPAT can be 1 of three days--you might be done by Tuesday or not until Thursday.

I love it in Montana, it is a playground for any outdoor activities. The cost of living isn't bad, of course it also depends where you live--the further west you go the more expensive it becomes. Just beware that Montana is a very conservative state--it's a bit of a culture shock.

I hope this helps, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Good Luck!

[Jmason66]

Hey can any of you guys tell me if Montana is a IFSAC state or proboard? Thanks in advance

[pepedepaco]

How did the 2011 Consortium go for everyone? Has anyone gotten an interview yet?

[mrf215]

Looks like most of the departments are just starting to actually adverstise any open positions in the state.