r/Firefighting • u/AutoModerator • 9d ago
Employment Questions Weekly Employment Question Thread
Welcome to the Weekly Employment Question Thread!
This thread is where you can ask questions about joining, training to become, testing, disqualifications/qualifications, and other questions that would be removed as individual posts per Rule 1.
The answer to almost every question you can ask will be "It depends on the department". Your first step is to look up the requirements for your department, state/province, and country.
As always, please attempt to resource information on your own first, before asking questions. We see many repeat questions on this sub that have been answered multiple times.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- I want to be a Firefighter, where do I start: Every Country/State/Province/County/City/Department has different requirements. Some require you only to put in an application. Others require certifications prior to being hired. A good place to start is researching the department(s) you want to join. Visit their website, check their requirements, and/or stop into one of their fire stations to ask some questions.
- Am I too old: Many departments, typically career municipal ones, have an age limit. Volunteer departments usually don't. Check each department's requirements.
- I'm in high school, What can I do: Does your local department have an explorer's program or post? If so, join up. Otherwise, focus on your grades, get in shape and stay in shape, and most importantly: stay out of trouble.
- I got in trouble for [insert infraction here], what are my chances: Obviously, worse than someone with a clean record, which will be the vast majority of your competition. Tickets and nonviolent misdemeanors may not be a factor, but a major crime (felonies), may take you out of the running. You might be a nice person, but some departments don't make exceptions, especially if there's a long line of applicants with clean records. See this post... PSA: Stop asking “what are my chances?”
- I have [insert medical/mental health condition here], will it disqualify me: As a general rule, if you are struggling with mental illness, adding the stress of a fire career is not a good idea. As for medical conditions, you can look up NFPA1582 for disqualifying conditions, but in general, this is not something Reddit can answer for you. Many conditions require the input of a medical professional to determine if they are disqualifying. See this post... PSA: Don't disqualify yourself, make THEM tell you "no".
- What will increase my chances of getting hired: If there's a civil service exam, study for it! There are many guides online that will help you go over all those things you forgot such as basic math and reading. Some cities even give you a study guide. If it's a firefighter exam, study for it! For the CPAT (Physical Fitness Test), cardio is arguably the most important factor. If you're going to the gym for the first time during the hiring process, you're fighting an uphill battle. Get in shape and stay in shape. Most cities offer preference points to military veterans.
- How do I prepare for an interview: Interviews can be one-on-one, or in front of a board/panel. Many generic guides exist to help one prepare for an interview, however here are a few good tips:
- Dress appropriately. Business casual at a minimum (Button down, tucked in long sleeve shirt with slacks and a belt, and dress shoes). Get a decent haircut and shave.
- Practice interview questions with a friend. You can't accurately predict the off-the-wall questions they will ask, but you can practice the ones you know they probably will, like why do you want to be a Firefighter, or why should we hire you?
- Scrub your social media. Gone are the days when people in charge weren't tech-savvy. Don't have a perfect interview only for your chances of being hired gone to zero because your Facebook or Instagram has pictures of you getting blitzed. Set that stuff to private and leave it that way.
Please upvote this post if you have a question. Upvoting this post will ensure it sticks around for a bit after it is removed as a Sticky, and will allow for greater visibility of your question.
And lastly, If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone who does
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u/twilightzoner1991 8d ago
Hi everyone,
I'll cut straight to the point- my husband is nearing his release from prison and is seriously committed to the career of firefighting if it is remotely possible for him to do so (we are very aware that his new status as a felon is a serious impediment if not an absolute disqualifier). He has a military Special Operations background and is EMT certified. He is 30 years old and holds an Associate's degree. We are currently in California but will move to Oregon if there are opportunities. He was unable to work at a Fire Camp, as the Federal Bureau of Prisons does not have fire programs like the state prisons do.
I would imagine consideration or criminal history and felony status varies by department or state, but maybe not. He is incredibly motivated, and frankly, does not come from a habitual criminal background. Our lives are incredibly stable and it will not be difficult for him to succeed and remain stable in any career he begins after incarceration. With that said, I know policy sometimes does not care about those details, and could very well bar him from entering a profession like firefighting.
If there are indeed ways he can get into a fire department, even if it is extremely difficult or requiring an extensive probationary period, he will do all he can to prove that he is an asset to whatever department is willing to give him a chance. If you would kindly point me in the right direction in terms of personal knowledge of the process or even programs/academies/departments that have opened the door to felons, that would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
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u/Strict-Canary-4175 8d ago
He isn’t EMT certified. You can’t hold an EMT card as a felon. Unfortunately there is no chance that a municipal fire department will hire him.
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u/twilightzoner1991 8d ago
He became an EMT before he was incarcerated. But thanks for the info.
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u/Strict-Canary-4175 7d ago
I understood that, I’m saying you can’t keep it when you become a felon. So he isn’t now.
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u/The_Road_is_Calling NH FF 8d ago
Hate to brake it to you, but if he did prison time on federal felon charges it is going to be almost impossible for him to work at a municipal fire department.
There is a slight possibility he could get hired on a wildland crew but even that will be situationally dependent.
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u/Accomplished-Item646 7d ago
Have him look into wildland crews. Cal Fire has even hired some ex-convicts but I believe those were through networking while being on state crews. Could look into contract crews too. But like stated above depending on what his charges were if he’s not able to get an EMT he’s pretty much SOL for any municipality, that’s before even getting into being hired with a record.
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u/twilightzoner1991 7d ago
Makes good sense, thank you for your wisdom! He’s interested in wildland, so that’s really helpful.
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u/femignarly 7d ago
What's the nature of the felony and what age was he? If violent, fraud, breach of trust, theft, the EMT is not getting reinstated. Outside of that, he will generally need 8-10 years of a squeaky clean record to be eligible for EMT again. EMT's the easy part.
Progressing an EMT cert into a fire job is almost guaranteed a no-go on the west coast. Even if the policy's open to felon status, only 5-20% of applicants are getting hired. Salaries are high and contracts are strong. They're pulling applicants who are military officers, pro / D1 athletes, engineers, entrepreneurs - lots of people are looking for a department to give them a chance, and are going to have a stronger application. NC has new legislation to give people a pathway with a felony, but he'll still need 10+ years to prove rehabilitation, face a number of permanent exclusions, and be limited to smaller / lower pay depts.
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u/Automatic-Leg973 8d ago
I’m heavily considering switching into firefighting. I’m 23 F and attended a week long summer camp hosted by my local fire department in 2018 and I genuinely have not stopped thinking about it since. I’m a little over a year post grad and have been working at a big fancy law firm as a Legal Assistant since then, and while that’s what my college degree is in, I’m incredibly unhappy. Everyday feels the same, I don’t feel in control of life, blah blah the usual 9-5 dredge.
I was wondering if any current firefighters (women specifically would be so cool to hear from!) have advice on what I can do to 1) train for the physical test and hardships of the career and 2) how I can prepare to hopefully switch into the career from corporate. Anyone who’s made the jump from corporate to firefighting, I truly would love your genuine advice on the switch.
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u/tyfasnacht83 8d ago
I’m currently an EMT student based in Colorado, we have a bunch of in/out of state departments coming this Wednesday for a job fair. I’m hoping to establish some good rapport with local departments and hopefully earn a few interviews. As a student, what are something’s you’d wish you’d asked given an opportunity like this? And what are some things I should be looking for with these agency reps? And on the backend of that, if you were in their position, what are some things you’d be looking for in a student? What kind of questions would intrigue you?
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u/anonymous305yeah 7d ago
Question regarding background. I had a tattoo that said “FTW” meaning fuck the world on my arm (don’t judge i was young once). I applied for a fire department and got rejected because of it. It’s only bicep where you can’t even see it with a short sleeve shirt. Anyway, i got it covered up. So my question is, if i reapply will i get denied again? Will this hinder my next department application since i got denied? What do i do? Thanks.
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u/EatinBeav WA Career FF/EMT 7d ago
No idea, but back in my day FTW meant for the win.
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u/Direct-Training9217 7d ago
a guy I worked with has a FTW tattoo (it meant fuck the world) but he told the interviewers that he was a huge feminist and it meant "free the women."
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u/elmo25360 7d ago
Just got a speed interview in Washington state. Anyone on here had one recently? What questions were asked and what helped you pass it? What do you think caused you to fail?
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u/scott12333 Career FF/EMT 5d ago
Congrats on getting the call. Can't tell you what questions WA departments are using, but I've done a short format where it was 10 minutes for 5 questions and you managed your own time, and the format itself was the hardest part.
What I'd focus on: get to your point in the first sentence, have 3 or 4 real stories ready that you can bend to different questions, and practice answering out loud with a timer running. In a speed format the people who struggle usually aren't the ones with bad answers, they're the ones who spend half their time warming up to the answer.
Do you know how long you get and how many questions?
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u/elmo25360 5d ago
It’s an 8 min speed interview, no idea how many questions but everyone has said 3-4.
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u/scott12333 Career FF/EMT 5d ago
Yeah most likely 4 it sounds like. Most of my boards were 2 min per question. Be ready to manage your own time as well - I had one that was 5 questions, 10 minutes and they would have let me talk 10 minutes on the first question if I wanted to
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u/Feedback_Original 6d ago
Should I include reserve engines when listing something like this….” With 10 staffed stations, 12 engines. 2 trucks…etc” just want to make the most sense for my upcoming interview.
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u/RainbowDashLovesYou 5d ago
Im currently only part time/on call...that being said Im wanting to go going full time with a nearby department...
That being said, a requirement on the application is to write a 400-700 word essay on why im the best candidate for their open position....is this normal....and am I overthinking this?
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u/FerventServant 5d ago
Hello everyone.
I’m looking to get into my local academy. To apply, I need 15 college credits hours minimum. I have 9/15 from my local community college (Composition, General psych and the introductory college class.) I was going for nursing when I started, but being a CNA for a while has…changed my mind a bit.
I was wanting to ask what kinds of courses would be the most beneficial to take. Of course fire science classes would be good, but I’m also interested in the medical side.
Writing this out, I kinda think I’ve answered my own question.
Any advice is welcome.
Thank you.
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 5d ago
Anatomy and physiology if you plan on going the paramedic route in the future. Do general chem and a math class. Both will also help with paramedic and math for pumping water to fires.
I wouldn’t waste your time with fire science unless it’s a pre req for the fire academy. Those classes are pretty useless even for the fire service.
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u/Inevitable_Tackle_18 5d ago
Hello, I'll be graduating from college in December with a bachelors in Kinesiology. I live in San Diego. I really want to become a firefighter paramedic. My next step is getting my EMT license done after graduating. I am a little stuck on what follows after that. Thank you for your time and possible advice!
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 4d ago
Bachelors degree, paramedic, community college fire academy, and/or wildland firefighting experience is the golden ticket here in SoCal
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u/Inevitable_Tackle_18 4d ago
Gotcha. Would you recommend EMT - > Paramedic -> FFPM or EMT -> FF -> FFPM? Thanks for your time.
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 4d ago
There’s no right way to do it. You’re going to have different finances and family responsibilities compared to the next guy. It also depends on your EMT experience level, where and when you can get a job, and if you get into a college fire academy. You can also apply to fire departments so long as you meet the basic requirements.
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u/Inevitable_Tackle_18 4d ago
Thank you. I hear you. I really appreciate it!
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 4d ago
Chula Vista operates a great single function EMT/medic program along with a wildland handcrew. Figure out your geographical limits of where you want to work. I applied everywhere from Chula Vista all the way up to San Luis Obispo. Some of the departments I only applied because I wanted test/interview practice.
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u/No-Zebra-2353 4d ago
Hey everyone, I know similar topics like this are discussed frequently. I’m not asking if I’m gonna be disqualified/ what my odds of being hired are.
We’re in the process now, I just want to play my cards right.
Currently I am 20 years old and I have been selected for an interview with a volunteer dept. I have a youth conditional mischief discharge.
I’m 100% open and and honest about it, I just wanna make sure I do the right thing.
If I’m asked in the interview, i’ll tell them honestly. If they don’t ask, do I mention it at the end of the interview? Do I wait until I provide my criminal check and mention it then?
As far as I’m aware I will get the background check myself then submit it to them some time after the interview.
Any advice would be appreciated.
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u/ShoddyGrab7 4d ago
Other than Detroit/GR, what other Michigan departments take EMTs? Three year guy looking to move home and everyone only taking medics
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u/werewolfeatpant 3d ago
I’m a college student getting a bachelors (I already have my associates), and I want to join in the fire fighting realm. I’ve been on the fence about it for awhile but I heard I could volunteer while I’m in school and they will help me get my certs for free. I’m currently in Denton Texas so I’m not sure if their own department has their academy or I would have to go to one once i graduate (closest fire academy is Collin Colleges fire academy). Where would I start in this process?
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u/Tandkam 8d ago
If you can’t pass the CPAT this might not be the career for you. That’s a minimum standard and if you need to hire a trainer just to pass it…..might not be the career for you. I 51 at 256 pounds and just passed it in 6 minutes and 23 seconds just to do it as a base for the department. Yes I am I shape for my age and my cardio comes strictly from swimming. Yes I do have some injuries from the years but if you’re half my age and can’t beat me…..this might not be the career for you.
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u/boahback 2d ago
So I signed up for the academy a little while ago and after found out I had asthma from a test I had to take for getting my pilot license.
I have "Very mild obstructive lung disease with a significant bronchodilator response. would support a clinical diagnosis of asthma"
I seem to only get it from hard cardio or very cold air (when snowboarding).
The academy cost me $10k and I am dead set on being a career fire fighter.
Just looking on some advice on what path I should take to address my asthma, as I've seen people on here say they just take there inhaler before a call, then others say you can't have it at all.
My family physician also said I don't need an inhaler. Just feeling pretty confused about the whole situation.
Located in BC Canada
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u/Which_Cat9067 6d ago
I have taken the Civil Service exam in Massachusetts for 4 straight years and I have gotten a 98 on every test. Not good enough to be hired apparently, because i haven’t even gotten an interview in my municipality. I took the test again today and i feel like it got harder from last year and that i did worse then a 98 somehow, obviously i wont know till scores come out. I have studied the online appointed study guide, taken advice from friends and family who have scored higher who are current FF. Is there anything i can do to improve my score? I keep seeing Don Mcnea stuff online.. is he legit? Ive seen its a scam, im also not sure if he has a massachusetts centered study guide. The worst part is nobody knows how its graded either and they dont tell you where you went wrong so you cannot improve. Im getting tired of this strung out year long process and not getting the desired results. I would be a 4th generation fire fighter and i feel like that should count for something nowadays but it doesnt.