new to firefighting

[tunite]

hello all! I'm am deciding to change my career from the business world and be a firefighter. There is just one thing I'm worried about and I also wanted to know about something.

The ONLY thing I am worried about it the polygraph test. Exactly how bad are these? My friends told me they basically find out your whole life story. Is this true? I mean I'm not a bad guy, but no one's perfect you know. I did some stupid things when I was a kid...like stealing, drugs. There's others but those would be like the worst of things. I'm just mainly curious if it's going to be hard to get a job if I've done some bad things in the past.

Also, whats up with the retirement plan? I understand you get half of your 3 highest payed years after 20 years for retirement. Now is that how your 401k is set up or do you get your retirement pay plus 401k? thanks in advance for anyone who can give me some more info

[jerry4184]

There is no nation wide answer for how retirement is set up, that varies department to department.

As far as stealing and drugs, the drugs might just do you in as far as a fire service job goes. How old were you, what did you actually do, how long did this last, and things like that might all factor in, or you could end up trying somewhere that just boots you for past drug use. It's gonna vary place to place, but drug use usually doesn't go over too well in the fire service, and neither does theft.

[2andfrom]

hello all! I'm am deciding to change my career from the business world and be a firefighter. There is just one thing I'm worried about and I also wanted to know about something.

The ONLY thing I am worried about it the polygraph test. Exactly how bad are these? My friends told me they basically find out your whole life story. Is this true? I mean I'm not a bad guy, but no one's perfect you know. I did some stupid things when I was a kid...like stealing, drugs. There's others but those would be like the worst of things. I'm just mainly curious if it's going to be hard to get a job if I've done some bad things in the past.

Also, whats up with the retirement plan? I understand you get half of your 3 highest payed years after 20 years for retirement. Now is that how your 401k is set up or do you get your retirement pay plus 401k? thanks in advance for anyone who can give me some more info

Don't worry about the stealing or drugs--all of us did it (if we hadn't the powers that be would think there is something wrong) and besides who wants to hire a honest straight guy these days?
I also like your attitude about the "what's innit for me?" on the pension--you ain't even taken the first step about getting in the job--you are just "deciding" about being a firefighter-great decide away. Me? I have just decided to rule the world but am not sure about the pension.
By the way do a search-this subject is well covered elsewhere.