Hundreds Compete for Virginia Firefighting Jobs
Source The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
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Nov. 25--VIRGINIA BEACH -- Like many little boys, Joseph Grandison III dreamed of becoming a firefighter when he grew up.
Achieving that dream turned out to be a little more challenging than he expected. The process can take years, even once applicants pass a written test and background check. Competition for open spots is fierce, and wait lists can boast hundreds of names and last as long as two years.
Grandison, 23, applied to the Virginia Beach Fire Department in January along with about 1,500 other applicants, the most the department has ever seen, said Battalion Chief Tim Riley, a department spokesman. He faced physical and mental tests, an interview and a background screening in which even one speeding ticket in the last year can eliminate a job candidate. Nine months later, the department offered him a spot.
He's one of 46 who made it.
That's pretty typical for fire departments in South Hampton Roads, where departments have seen applications as much as triple in the last few years. Only a small fraction of applicants ever receive job offers.
In Virginia Beach, 3 percent of those who applied earlier this year made the cut. The Chesapeake Fire Department in September offered jobs to 33 people, 6 percent of those who applied. And Suffolk last month hired 29 new firefighters, also about 6 percent of applicants.
"It is competitive," said Susan Salafranca, a recruiter for the Virginia Beach Fire Department. "You're looking at hundreds of applicants for 40 positions, so it is difficult."
Going up against 1,500 applicants was intimidating, Grandison said. But he prepared, volunteering for the Fire Department, working out and practicing his interview skills, he said.
The process is designed to weed out applicants who are untrustworthy, out of shape or otherwise not up to the rigors of the fire-fighting profession, Riley said.
"We know what the public wants from our firefighters," he said. "They want our firefighters to get there quick, they want them to be competent and they want them to be nice."
The initial written exam knocks out as many as half of applicants, according to data provided by local fire and human resources departments. Others fail the physical test or have poor driving records. And most departments won't hire anyone with a felony conviction or a conviction for a crime that involves theft or lying.
That's because residents have to be able to feel safe calling the fire department in an emergency, Riley said.
"When you call a firefighter, you have the ultimate trust in them that they're going to assist you and protect you during your most vulnerable time," he said. "The last thing you want to worry about is, 'Oh man, I've got my money out, my jewelry out. I'm in my nightgown.'"
Salafranca largely credits the economy with the surge in applications and the variety of applicants that the Virginia Beach Fire Department has seen.
But the process has always been competitive, said Jimmy Carter, a retired Virginia Beach firefighter and executive director of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association.
"A firefighter is kind of like a hero to some people," he said. Plus, he added, "it's a great job with great benefits."
A firefighter typically starts off making between $35,000 and $43,000, according to data provided by local cities' human resources departments. The average salary ranges from about $44,000 in Suffolk to about $55,000 in Norfolk.
Portsmouth officials did not respond to multiple requests for information for this report.
Virginia Beach fire recruit Kevin Breen, 22, who is currently in training, said he applied to seven fire departments here and near Washington, D.C. Three offered him jobs, but the Army veteran chose Virginia Beach in the hopes of joining its search-and-rescue team.
The process was tough, he said.
"It's a lot of work," he said. "It can be stressful."
But it paid off when, in late September, Virginia Beach offered him the job.
"That was probably the best phone call I'll ever get in my life," he said.
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, [email protected]
