Help!!

[enters]

I am planning on moving to CT in the next year and would like to get hired onto a good department. I have FF2 and EMT-B through VA, but I am looking into getting nationally certified on the EMS side. I have looked into what it takes to get hired in CT and see that you need to pass the cpat before you can apply for most departments, which I will be doing once they post the dates for the testing for next year. What I would like to know is, what else can I do to make myself a better candidate? I have thought about putting myself through the fire academy (thinking that one of the smaller departments would appreciate that fact that I would be CT certified), but after reading another forum I am hesitant to do that. I know that becoming a paramedic is the way to go, but the EMS side is not my favorite thing to do in the world.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

[rugburn]

Only a hand full of depts. require being a paramedic, most others require a Ct Emt-B and others nothing at all.

[enters]

Thanks, so whats the best way to make myself a better candidate? Passing the CPAT, putting myself through fire school, or is there a better option?

[LCKAngels]

If I were you, here's what I would do. Understand that it took it me 3 1/2 years to get hired and I tested at probably 35-50 different depts up until 2002 when I was finally hired.

- Obtain your national reg EMT and maintain it!
- Stay in shape and take the CPAT. You will have to renew this at least every six months.
- Join a reputable vol station that is part of a large combination dept so that you can hopefully get hired in the town you volunteer in and take advantage of any points granted for being a volunteer.
- I wouldn't go to recruit school. Almost all of the depts will send you back unless you're lucky enough to get hired within a year of graduating. Even then some depts will still send you because it's in the labor contract that all new hires shall attend recruit school.
- Consider going to paramedic school. Although not a lot of depts require paramedics, the pool of candidates that have fire experience, can pass the CPAT and are paramedic certified is very very small. This would nearly guarantee you a career firefighter position assuming you're in good health and can pass the background/psych tests.

Good luck to you and don't give up. The average person tests for 3-5 years before being hired as a career firefighter.

[Shrek801]

Absolutely get your CPAT. Its a requirement in 90% of departments before you take the written.

Concentrate on medic and/or taking fire science classes. Its your best way to make a good impression. Especially since most deptartments are looking for medics and/or college educated people to fill their ranks.

[RNP977]

Best thing you can is join a volunteer dept and get more experince, you can challenage your fire certs if there pro-board certified, your EMT-B if your not National Registry you might have to start from scratch Dept of Public Health can help you out with that. Most depts you need a CPAT cert in order to take the test so you may want to start there.

[FFIrish1]

If you can challenge your fire certs to attain CT cert that would be the first place to start. Some departments will give extra points on the test for fire certs. Also getting your EMT in CT cannot hurt. Most departments will send you to EMT school if they hire you, but some require it for applying. And yes as you guessed it. You need a current CPAT for just about every FD. Putting yourself through the academy is an option...but it is any expensive option, and some departments will send you back even if you just went through. Some will honor it within three years, but that is something you would have to do research on to find out which ones. And most of all, study study study when you get the test prep material.

[enters]

i just sent in the application and payment for cpat, i don't know when the test will be held yet. anyone have any inside on who might be hiring this year?

[FFIrish1]

If you go on to the Connecticut Fire Academy website, or on this website, you can find who is running tests this year. Where in the state are you living and or looking to work? I know a lot of cities have working lists and a few that have lists that will expire soon. But I'm not sure of any specific cities that have announced a test yet this year though.

[enters]

she is from bolton, but we do not have a partular area that we would like to live in. it more depends on where i can get hired at. our main goal is to get her closer to her family. do departments hire from the waiting lists regularly or do the lists usually expire without the department hiring anyone?