anyone a paid firefighter?

[beatango2008]

I am looking into becoming a firefighter for a career,
I just need someone to point me in the right direction.
Like how long do you train for is it paid training what are the requirements,
do you need to know how to swim, Can you get in with a GED
and stuff like that.
I have gave it alot of thought and I have decided its what I want to do.
so if anyone here is a (Paid) firefighter please give me a little insight on what it takes. Thanks

[LawMan018]

I'm not a paid firefighter but I am going to be doing firefighting in the Air Force... It's free schooling at a top notch fire academy... Have you ever thought of going that route?

[wascaptain5214]

you aint got to know much to get started in firefighting(some deptments is WHO you know, not what you know), you will be taught. on the dept i was on, a ged was good enough. what it takes to get hired on, is alot easier then to "stay on" and finish out a career. firefighting is not for everyone, hope it works out for you. good luck

[Red Ketchup]

You didn't say where you are located so it's pretty hard to give you a specific answer.

I can tell you that here in the province of Quebec, a carreer FF in a large city needs a one year technical Firefighting course at the academy followed by 2 years of fire sciences in college.

Smaller cities will accept a candidate who doesn't have his fire sciences course.

It really depends where you are though... many cities will just hold physicals + written exams and will then hire you and send you to the academy.

Red

[tommy0677]

In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada you have to go through a 10 month University course after applying, even if you pass there is no guarantee that you will be accepted and if you get in more school & training. Remember though fighting fires ain't like the movies.

If I were you I'd go to a local department and talk to someone involved in recruitment or just one of the boys/girls. Like RK said it all depends on you location, be it large or small metro area. Forgot to add I'm just a crazy volunteer industrial fire fighter, but am looking at doing it full time for a city. Also I know Texas has one of the best training facilities in North America for industrial/military fires, that's where my company sends a handful of people every year.

[Kingweb50]

I'm not a paid firefighter but I am going to be doing firefighting in the Air Force... It's free schooling at a top notch fire academy... Have you ever thought of going that route?

If you are ever trying to get a job as a civilian firefighter good luck with that after doing it in the military. My friend was a firefighter in the military and he couldnt get hired on anywhere because of that because they want someone with no experience so they have not picked up any bad habbits and so they will do it however that dept does there work.

[LawMan018]

If you are ever trying to get a job as a civilian firefighter good luck with that after doing it in the military. My friend was a firefighter in the military and he couldnt get hired on anywhere because of that because they want someone with no experience so they have not picked up any bad habbits and so they will do it however that dept does there work.

Thanks for the advice... But it seems to me like that wouldn't happen too often, or the department he tried to work for was very anal... The military seems the last place to pick up bad habits in my opinion. Also, like someone said before me of the location of top notch school, this schooling is in Texas as well. Now I know I have no experience but it just seems weird that that would happen.

[beatango2008]

thanks for all the advice guys,
Heres what I wanted to do was work for the Baltimore City fire dept and then transfer over to a fire dept at Indianapolis.
But if what you guys say is true about the training and all I guess it would be better for me to go right to Indianapolis and train right?
do you think that would be a hard location to pick up a job as a firefighter?

[tommy0677]

Honestly if I were you I'd try doing a bit of job scouting in whatever city you really wanted to work for. Going in blind isn't a good idea. Pick up the phone and call the city's fire department and talk to a recruiting agent or officer. Some places do in-house training while others may ship you out to a different city or even state for specialized training. Don't be scared to pick up the phone and make a few calls.

Good luck to you and all the best.

Paid or Volunteer, it's the hardest job you'll ever love!

[green22]

Im a career fire fighter and I agree with the statement above about not what you know but who. Its not always the case though. Just check out cities and towns in your area. There are also many smaller sized towns 25,000 or so that are well paid too. So dont set your heart on big city depts only. Keep your eyes on the locale papers for hirings. Also you can go to the depts and get intrest cards too. Many in this area hire with no experience but at the same time if ya got a degree it may bump your starting pay up. Good luck.

[xythan_shadow]

You guys don't hear this much, but from the depths of my heart, I thank all our firefighters, policemen, military and our other public servants. You guys rock!

[ph34rsh4ck]

Im a firefighter, and an emt-basic, im bout 1 month away from taking my national registry exam for my paramedic as well, i did a year long fire academy which was awesome, and after it i took a 3 months emt basic course, passed the NR on first try (emt-basic is required i believe everywhere to become a firefighter these days, and has a 70% fail rate on the first try i believe for its NR exam) , and pretty much when ur trying to get a job with a department depending on the size of the department theyre usually filling about anywhere from 5-20 slots, and ul get anywhere from 100-500 ppl , again depending on the size of the department, testing to fill those few slots, which hence is why i decided to become a paramedic as well besides the fact that now that im done with school its pretty much ****ing badass. Everyone testing out their for departments and tryin to get on with a department is a Firefighter cert / EMT-basic, which is what is required to get a job, so if thats all you are then you dont have much to offer, NOW if your a PARAMEDIC as well, then your pretty much guarunteed a job wherever, paramedics are scarce these days and it really sets you apart seeing as how its usually a 2-2.5 year program, and no offense but alot of ppl out there who are wanting to be firefighters have the brawn but not the brain to hardly even complete an emt-basic course. So if your really wanting to get into firefighting i would take ur emt-basic course first, then hitup an academy and start working as an emt somewhere to get experience, cause anyone adn everyone in the field will tell you the job is 95% ems and 5% fire these days, so if u dont like EMS ur def not gonna enjoy bein a firefighter cause they go hand in hand. As for the physical part you can go to any department and find tons of fat outa shape slobs who are firefighters, if your in any kind of decent shape youll be alright. If you interested in the money part i believe houston firedepartment is starting their paramedics/FFs off at bout 38-40k a year, and they have a badass pension program, and their schedule is amazing, 24on 24off 24on 5 days off, and if i get the job i want as a paramedic when im done ill be workin 24/72, one day on 3 days off, makin 45k a year, so if that sounds up your ally, go for it.

[ph34rsh4ck]

And also most of the fire academys / emt courses youll take will be ran through a college, and yes you can get in with just a GED, you might have to take a placement exam but its nothing extreme. And no u dont need to know how to swim but honestly, if you dont know how to swim, learn...just so you dont have to say to someone "nah i cant go to the pool...i cant swim" honestly..hop on that

[beatango2008]

And also most of the fire academys / emt courses youll take will be ran through a college, and yes you can get in with just a GED, you might have to take a placement exam but its nothing extreme. And no u dont need to know how to swim but honestly, if you dont know how to swim, learn...just so you dont have to say to someone "nah i cant go to the pool...i cant swim" honestly..hop on that

thanks man your advice helped out alot,
I am deff going to go for it!
do you get paid training?