Any fire fighters on the board?

[Polska]

I am considering embarking on becoming a fire fighter.

Just wondering what kind of advice any fellow bros could give me in respect to this profession.

I am 24 and I don't even know where to start.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[neverenuff21]

Hey I'm also interested in this. Bump for answers.

[Mizfit]

Toronto
http://www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment/pf.htm


http://www.firefightingincanada.com/

[THE_DOME]

its a pretty select few that get hired, im not a firefighter but have inquired upon it. you have to take your basic test, which is hard becuase if you get a 95 and someone with military background gets a 95 they get bonus points so there at 100 for expierience so they are going to get scores that arent even achievable for you. i think it would be a great occupations but very competitive, but really arnt all the good jobs competitive

[QuieTSToRM33]

FDNY test is in January if you're interested ..... the last day to file is sometime in October ...... do a search for it

[anaBROLIC]

i dont know if its everywhere but i started to go through the processs. up here in ct they want you to be emt-b certified first. by getting that out of the way you can then apply to places that have openings. thats when you take the written test and physical test. it may help with the politics end of it if you know someone or especially if you are already a volunteer.
hope that helps.

[THE_DOME]

yea volunterring or knowing someone will always get you in the door

[Red Ketchup]

I'm a FF in Montreal

Over here before you can become a full timer you have to go to 1 year at the academy and 2 years College in Fire Sciences.

Then you have to pass the city's written exam, interview, background check, full medical and finally physical exam. After that you get 2 weeks integration and you're assigned to a station.

I don't know how it works in Ontario, but I imagine it's probably not terribly different.

My advice? Keep in shape, and make your cardio 200% better... usually the physical test is a contest. The longer you last on the beep-test, the higher you rank. The faster you run the incident course, the higher you rank...

Generally FD's like their FF's big, but they like them to have good endurance better. Oh and stay flexible! Do lots of stretching, they have a flexibility test here when you do the medical!

If you can get your foot in the door in a Volunteer or Part-Time dept on your way to becoming a full timer, it helps once you're in the job. When you become a probie the guys will definetly respect the experience you'll have gained. (I got 2 probies on my shift and I am extremely happy that they are volunteers in the small towns where they lived... at least I know they have seen fire before).

Red

[Red Ketchup]

Oh and often the test to get in the academy is harder than the test to get into the full time departments!!!

They don't want to waste time and resources training people who will drop out halfway, so they weed out the weakest (physical and minded).

Red

[Polska]

Excellent advice, thanks !

[J.S.N.]

billy bathgate/turd ferguson

[wascaptain5214]

24 year 9 month ff/medic........my advice for someone wanting to become a firefighter is ............do the best you can for the written exam....be in the best shape you can get in for the fitness test.....for the interview, you gotta be sharp as a razor and sell yourself.......but as you may not know, the way to get hired(at least on my department) is political, if you know a councilman, or the mayor get them to put in a "WORD" for you. good luck to you

[Phreak101]

Start fires in the neighborhood then video tape yourself putting them out and send it to your local FD.

That should help you demonstrate your talents for the job!

[Red Ketchup]

but as you may not know, the way to get hired(at least on my department) is political, if you know a councilman, or the mayor get them to put in a "WORD" for you. good luck to you

Hmmm not around here...

The union is VERY powerfull here and any such irregularity will ensure that you will NEVER get a full time FF job in this town in they find out. Our union despises favotism due to political pressure (and should you get in that way, you'll never be accepted by the guys in a station).

Red

[dedic8ed1]

Stayin stacked is a firefighter

[wascaptain5214]

red.......sad but true, here, political pressure rules the hiring practices. the hiring hierarchy goes like this.....political appointees, women, minorities, family, veterans and then off the list.

[stayinstacked]

yeah, I'm a firefighter. It's different everywhere, some places like FDNY work 12 hr shifts, some places work 24 on/48 off like I do, and some work 48 on/96 off. As far as getting hired, some bigger cities like NY may have you on a waiting list for years, I was fortunate enough to get hired here(in the Carolinas) within 6 months after submitting my application, but I was pretty damn lucky. Try contacting city Hall and asking them if they have any application packets. You'll have to go round up some things like a copy of a HS diploma or college work, Motor Vehicle record, copy of birth certificate and social security card, etc etc. They has us do a physical agility test first which was a friggin joke, then they had us do a written test(its a basic test which evaluates short term memory, reading skills) and then they'll call you back for an interview. I was interviewed by a board of other firefighters and a couple captains who each gave input and commented on what they thought about my answers to a variety of questions. The process can be a bit long and stressful at times(wondering when the hell your going to get your next letter in the mail) but it's worth it bro. You have a TON of time off, and between p/t work or overtime(if available in the dept.) you can make decent money, even if it's your first year on the job. Pay scale is different everywhere, I started at 25k/yr here, some guys who are Senior firefighters and Engineers who have been on for a little while are pulling 40's, some Captains and Battalion Chiefs are making 70g's here. But in other places they might be making twice that, all depends on the area, cost of living, qualifications etc etc. But I will say this, it's the best job in the world. I have everything I never had in any other job, great benefits and retirement, sick leave and vacation time, tons of time off regardless, alot of down time to wash my car, watch football, work out at the station. But best of all is guys who will run into a burning building to save one of their homeboys w/out thinking twice if they had to, you'll never make friends like the ones you got in the fire dept.

[Red Ketchup]

It is indeed the best job in the world!

In montreal the pay scale is 35-63k (can$) for a simple FF, 70k lieutenant, 80k captain... In Toronto, a simple FF earns 46-72k.

Montreal runs a 10/14 schedule (10 hours day shifts, 14 hours night shifts), but I know Toronto runs a 24hrs rotation. We're trying to get the 24 hrs rotation here next year. Our collective agreement expires dec 31...

Polska, I don't know if Toronto is your target, but if so, here is their recruitment page: http://www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment/index.htm

Red

[Red Ketchup]

http://www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment/pf.htm is the actual recruitment process...

Red

[Polska]

Thanks for all the info ! There's been only two things holding me back... bad discs in my back... and my vision (worse than 20/30 uncorrected). chiro and laser vision correction is in my near future.