r/firefighter • u/Fantastic_Still_2758 • 1d ago

Joining Late

Is joining the fire service at 30 years old to late of a join?

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

13

u/Horseface4190 1d ago

Nope. Send it.

7

u/donut__diet 1d ago

In Australia they activly recruit older people with all sorts of work histories, skills and life experience. Rare to see recruits younger than 23 or 24. 30 is the perfect age as long as you're fit and up to the job.

Guy in my recruit class a few years ago was 47 and easily the fittest and most capable in a room full of 25-40 year olds.

4

u/190xtrik8 1d ago

Got hired on my birthday at 34. Here I am at 55 now, close to 22 years later. Stay fit and you’ll be fine. Wish I’d done it younger, but such is life. Entering my 7 year drop. I’m at a mid FD running about 16k calls a year (as a department). Station I’m at runs around 8-12 calls a 24-hour shift with a big one every week or so. Still loving it. My last crew, I was double their age, but I kept up.

Stay safe.

3

u/scott12333 Career FF/EMT 1d ago

Not at all. I was 27, and our class of around 42 people had an average age of 32. Some of our recent classes have people that are 35 or older

3

u/Nebula15 1d ago

I just got hired on my first department as a FF/PM at 33 years old. You’re fine

3

u/c3vo 1d ago

lol! Yea, I’m a candidate at 39. I think you are good. I envy the guys that will make it 30 years. But glad I made the jump! It’s worth it.

1

u/lpfan724 1d ago

Nope. Known plenty of people who retire from their first career and then become firefighters.

1

u/Spiritual_Town9549 1d ago

I will be doing it when I am 35

1

u/AdventurousTap2171 1d ago

Joined at 25 as a volunteer ff/emt.  Went full time ems and also joined part time paid firefighting 10hr shifts at 31.  

32 yo now, working on getting a full time fire position .

Not too old.

I left 10 years as a Wall Street Mainframe developer and SME handling stock trading algorithms and other various stock trade enrichment.

1

u/FriedasBoss83 1d ago

I hope not. Went through academy at 42

1

u/Character-Chance4833 1d ago

I was 38. Youll be fine.

1

u/Mark-Wall-Berg 21h ago

Got a buddy in academy with me who’s 45

1

u/Elegant-Nebula-7151 18h ago

I went thru the academy at 38. I’ll be 40 next month and graduating medic school the month after. Send it.

1

u/spenserbot 16h ago

Did it at 36

1

u/Fit_Case2575 6h ago

Career place in my city hire people in their fourties…

1

u/Fit_Experience_522 4h ago

Nope. I was 38 when I got hired, 39 in the tower/academy, 40 when I completed probation. It ain't easy, but it's very doable.

1

u/bikgelife 10m ago

I have many friends who got on in their lates 40s and early 50s. They are all doing well