*****The Official Medics/EMTs/Firefighters..Pt II******

[Yeti06]

Sounds like things are coming along nicely for most of you guys. Good stuff.

I know a lot of you have your hearts set on working for a specific department, but some of the best advice I can give you is to cast a wide net. Apply to as many departments as you can. You don't want to end up devoting several years of your time just waiting for one department to hire you. If you get hired somewhere else, take the job, you can always leave and go to your dream department if they offer you a job down the road.

^this.

[Kiknskreem]

Well I passed the NREMT on the second attempt. Nice to have that weight off my shoulders.

Did you have to retake the written or practical?

[JamesMUSCLE]

Did you have to retake the written or practical?

Written

Sounds like things are coming along nicely for most of you guys. Good stuff.

I know a lot of you have your hearts set on working for a specific department, but some of the best advice I can give you is to cast a wide net. Apply to as many departments as you can. You don't want to end up devoting several years of your time just waiting for one department to hire you. If you get hired somewhere else, take the job, you can always leave and go to your dream department if they offer you a job down the road.

I have my eye set on a particular department. There are 6 local departments hiring this year and I am applying to every one of them. So yeah, I will take a job with any of them.

[FOSteven]

Anyone here certified YFPI? I certified today and it would be nice to get some input on how your departments have implemented intervention programs as I'm hoping to potentially get the ball rolling with my department sometime this year.

[JamesMUSCLE]

Has anyone successfully talked to someone at the NREMT? I got my test results on the 9th and so far the only thing I got from the NREMT is a latter saying "congrats on getting your certfication, etc etc etc"

2 weeks later and still no certificate in the mail. I've tried calling the NREMT every day this week and it goes one of two ways: "Sorry our office is closed" even though its well before 5 pm eastern time or I will be on hold for 20+ minutes.

I just want my damn certificate so I can apply to jobs lol.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Anyone here certified YFPI? I certified today and it would be nice to get some input on how your departments have implemented intervention programs as I'm hoping to potentially get the ball rolling with my department sometime this year.

No personal experience outside of regular public education visits to elementary schools. I don't have any specific certs, it's just something that we are all expected to participate in. I like it. The kids always love it and it's good PR for us to be out and about amongst the public.

We have a branch of our department dedicated to public education, so they handle a lot of the more in depth stuff.

Has anyone successfully talked to someone at the NREMT? I got my test results on the 9th and so far the only thing I got from the NREMT is a latter saying "congrats on getting your certfication, etc etc etc"

2 weeks later and still no certificate in the mail. I've tried calling the NREMT every day this week and it goes one of two ways: "Sorry our office is closed" even though its well before 5 pm eastern time or I will be on hold for 20+ minutes.

I just want my damn certificate so I can apply to jobs lol.

Just log into the NREMT website and you can view/print a copy of your certification.

[JamesMUSCLE]

No personal experience outside of regular public education visits to elementary schools. I don't have any specific certs, it's just something that we are all expected to participate in. I like it. The kids always love it and it's good PR for us to be out and about amongst the public.

We have a branch of our department dedicated to public education, so they handle a lot of the more in depth stuff.





Just log into the NREMT website and you can view/print a copy of your certification.

Where on the website is it?

edit: nvm I found it

[Tipys]

Sounds like things are coming along nicely for most of you guys. Good stuff.

I know a lot of you have your hearts set on working for a specific department, but some of the best advice I can give you is to cast a wide net. Apply to as many departments as you can. You don't want to end up devoting several years of your time just waiting for one department to hire you. If you get hired somewhere else, take the job, you can always leave and go to your dream department if they offer you a job down the road.

This!
Plus I will add. We all have a dream department we want to work for based on an outside perspective.

All I wanted was a big city department for the longest time. Got hired at a small growing 2 station department. Currently not planning on going anywhere. I have an awesome chief and crew!

[JamesMUSCLE]

Thoughts on joining the Air National Guard as a firefighter?

[FOSteven]

Thoughts on joining the Air National Guard as a firefighter?

I've get a year left on my Army Guard contract and I'm thinking about switching branches and doing the same thing

[JamesMUSCLE]

I've get a year left on my Army Guard contract and I'm thinking about switching branches and doing the same thing

I've been looking into it a little bit. From what I've gathered it seems it's easier to be guaranteed a fire protection job vs going active duty in the Air Force.

Also just got my app into Boise Fire and signed up to take the exam. Time to study.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Thoughts on joining the Air National Guard as a firefighter?

Being a firefighter in any branch of the military is always going to be a vastly different experience than working for an urban department. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely two very different experiences (in most cases). I think the pay is usually pretty solid, but the calls you will run are usually going to be different.

Call volume is often pretty low to begin with. It'll likely be a whole lot of "smells and bells", as they say...mostly fire alarms and stuff like that, end up being nothing. There are a lot fewer working fires on military bases. Buildings are all up to code and adequately sprinklered. People on base are WAY more responsible than the general public, so there are fewer fires caused by people being careless.

People on base are also going to be younger and in better overall health than those in the outside world, so there are fewer EMS calls to run, and fewer critically ill people to treat.

It's not a bad gig by any means, but it's not necessarily an accurate representation of what the fire service is like in most cities/suburbs.

[JamesMUSCLE]

Being a firefighter in any branch of the military is always going to be a vastly different experience than working for an urban department. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely two very different experiences (in most cases). I think the pay is usually pretty solid, but the calls you will run are usually going to be different.

Call volume is often pretty low to begin with. It'll likely be a whole lot of "smells and bells", as they say...mostly fire alarms and stuff like that, end up being nothing. There are a lot fewer working fires on military bases. Buildings are all up to code and adequately sprinklered. People on base are WAY more responsible than the general public, so there are fewer fires caused by people being careless.

People on base are also going to be younger and in better overall health than those in the outside world, so there are fewer EMS calls to run, and fewer critically ill people to treat.

It's not a bad gig by any means, but it's not necessarily an accurate representation of what the fire service is like in most cities/suburbs.

Yeah that's what I've read. But seems like a decent way to get some experience and get certs (You graduate tech school with FF1, FF2, hazmat ops, airport firefighter, etc). The academy at Goodfellow AFB is supposed to be one of the best in the country.

That and military experience definitely looks good on your resume.

[JamesMUSCLE]

Well signing up to test with a department out of state. Spokane Fire is accepting apps till May.

[daiawa]

Being a firefighter in any branch of the military is always going to be a vastly different experience than working for an urban department. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely two very different experiences (in most cases). I think the pay is usually pretty solid, but the calls you will run are usually going to be different.

Call volume is often pretty low to begin with. It'll likely be a whole lot of "smells and bells", as they say...mostly fire alarms and stuff like that, end up being nothing. There are a lot fewer working fires on military bases. Buildings are all up to code and adequately sprinklered. People on base are WAY more responsible than the general public, so there are fewer fires caused by people being careless.

People on base are also going to be younger and in better overall health than those in the outside world, so there are fewer EMS calls to run, and fewer critically ill people to treat.

It's not a bad gig by any means, but it's not necessarily an accurate representation of what the fire service is like in most cities/suburbs.

This x1000 I feel so bad for our local base department. They literally do NOTHING, they don't even get called for the majority of EMS calls on base, which are handled by us (county service). They were finally added to our mutual fire aid agreement, but since its federal it usually takes extra time to get them added to a call and they miss everything. What sucks is that guys are well trained and hungry for experience.

[Mercworx]

Well signing up to test with a department out of state. Spokane Fire is accepting apps till May.

Good luck I just applied out of state to Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Not going to be able to make it out to San Antonio but it's still my dream department.

[JamesMUSCLE]

This x1000 I feel so bad for our local base department. They literally do NOTHING, they don't even get called for the majority of EMS calls on base, which are handled by us (county service). They were finally added to our mutual fire aid agreement, but since its federal it usually takes extra time to get them added to a call and they miss everything. What sucks is that guys are well trained and hungry for experience.

The saying is "The best trained, least experienced"

[FOSteven]

The way I see it I've already got five years knocked out with the Army Guard, either I get out of the military altogether or I switch over to Air as a Firefighter for a few years and see if it's something I could do 15 more with. It's a weekend a month, and if I deploy with a Fire Protection unit it wouldn't be the end of the world. Plus from what I've heard and maybe someone here can confirm, the DOD Fire 1/2/HM Ops certifications never lapse.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

This x1000 I feel so bad for our local base department. They literally do NOTHING, they don't even get called for the majority of EMS calls on base, which are handled by us (county service). They were finally added to our mutual fire aid agreement, but since its federal it usually takes extra time to get them added to a call and they miss everything. What sucks is that guys are well trained and hungry for experience.

I feel kinda bad for some of the federal guys that I've met. Most have seemed like really good dudes who want to do some good, but they don't get much opportunity to do so. Definitely got the sense that a few of the guys were burned out from the lack of action. It's a pretty cushy gig though, so it's not as bad as it may seem. Great schedule, nice rigs, plenty of time to take classes or work on personal development...just not an ideal way to get experience. Some of us just want to run calls all day.

[CalebRM]

Still see several familiar names in here. I still have my EMT, got it refreshed recently so it made me think of this thread.

Didn't make the fire department ever after 3 years, but I don't think it was meant to be, always killed the physical tests, interviews, had multiple family members as high ranking FFs etc, but the poly ****ed me, I have a rough past lol.. No felonies or anything but still. Living that cel life now, but have a great career now after college.

Was so aggravating when I would see multiple times females barely being able to drag the dummy, or complete the stair stepper then still becoming a fire fighter.. EVEN after them making the physical test about as easy as possible to anyone can pass it. That's the one thing I enjoyed about smaller town fire depts, is the physicals were actually fu*king tough, and that's how it should be. So if you're in the process and see this don't lose hope, if you want it bad enough it will happen.

Respect to those of you that have made it on since I was last in this thread. Like 3 years ago or something.



If you're not already, listen to 2Rude, he has a lot of great advice for if you are wanting to become a fire fighter.

[JamesMUSCLE]

For those who went through academy for a paid department already, how much do you get paid for academy?

Also they posted the passing score for the NTN test for the local departments. It's 75%. But they also are talking about a cut off score.

So dunno if the 75% will mean anything. Probably will have to be a better score than that I would imagine.

From NTN:

Written Testing will close March 31st, 2017

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE A VALID NTN TEST ON RECORD FOR THE CALDWELL, MERIDIAN, KUNA, NAMPA OR STAR FIRE DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO RE-TEST

Minimum passing score for the written examination is 75% (Please do not contact the department directly. All inquiries regarding overall score tabulation should be forwarded to National Testing Network Support at 866-563-3882.)
Veteran’s points shall be added pursuant to Idaho code 65-504, to an eligible candidates passing score.

Veterans must declare and provide proof of eligibility (DD-214 or current military ID) before points will be added.

Cutoff score to determine the number of candidates moving forward will be based on the number of available academy positions.

FIRE DEPARTMENT SELECTION PROCESS
- Trainees that successfully complete the mid-exam and testing will be invited to apply for the department(s) they desire to work for.

- Vacancy Trainees that successfully complete the final exam and testing process will be contacted by the interested department(s) they have applied to and will receive full time employment offers. Trainees may receive multiple job offers and must select a department the same day.

- Contingency Trainees that successfully complete the final exam and testing process will be eligible to move into a Vacancy Trainee position that has opened due to a Vacancy Trainee being dismissed from the academy. Contingency Trainees that do not receive an offer of employment at the conclusion of the Joint Academy will be placed on a hiring eligibility list and may be called to fill positions by any of the participating agencies that are vacated between academies.

Not sure I like how they're doing this lol.

You have to successfully complete academy before you can apply to the department you want.

Of the 5 departments that are apart of this, there are currently 4 vacancies. And only one of those is for Fire/EMT. Other 3 are Fire/medic. That's a pretty small academy.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Still see several familiar names in here. I still have my EMT, got it refreshed recently so it made me think of this thread.

Didn't make the fire department ever after 3 years, but I don't think it was meant to be, always killed the physical tests, interviews, had multiple family members as high ranking FFs etc, but the poly ****ed me, I have a rough past lol.. No felonies or anything but still. Living that cel life now, but have a great career now after college.

Was so aggravating when I would see multiple times females barely being able to drag the dummy, or complete the stair stepper then still becoming a fire fighter.. EVEN after them making the physical test about as easy as possible to anyone can pass it. That's the one thing I enjoyed about smaller town fire depts, is the physicals were actually fu*king tough, and that's how it should be. So if you're in the process and see this don't lose hope, if you want it bad enough it will happen.

Respect to those of you that have made it on since I was last in this thread. Like 3 years ago or something.



If you're not already, listen to 2Rude, he has a lot of great advice for if you are wanting to become a fire fighter.

Hey man, glad to see you're still around! It's been awhile.

That sucks that the fire department didn't pan out for you, but it sounds like things ended up working out just fine. It was a really smart move to have a backup plan and not put all your eggs into one basket. Glad that all came together for you.

The physical testing standards is always going to be a hot button issue, but I long ago accepted that it will never change, so I'm at peace with it now. The fire service today is veeeerrry different than it once was, and I understand why departments have made those changes. If they'd like to stay off the front page news or out of the court room, those changes had to be made.

Good luck in your new career dude!

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

For those who went through academy for a paid department already, how much do you get paid for academy?

Also they posted the passing score for the NTN test for the local departments. It's 75%. But they also are talking about a cut off score.

So dunno if the 75% will mean anything. Probably will have to be a better score than that I would imagine.

From NTN:



Not sure I like how they're doing this lol.

You have to successfully complete academy before you can apply to the department you want.

Of the 5 departments that are apart of this, there are currently 4 vacancies. And only one of those is for Fire/EMT. Other 3 are Fire/medic. That's a pretty small academy.

We were paid our full time base salary during the academy, the same salary that we'd be receiving once we graduated.

Obviously there was no overtime or incentive pay in there though, so we were earning a little bit less than our equals in the field.

[JamesMUSCLE]

We were paid our full time base salary during the academy, the same salary that we'd be receiving once we graduated.

Obviously there was no overtime or incentive pay in there though, so we were earning a little bit less than our equals in the field.

That's what I've read for a lot of places. This academy is $12.50/hour. You don't make starting salary till you get said job offer

Not sure how Boise does their academy pay though.

[JamesMUSCLE]

Also what books do you guys recommend for studying?

So far I'm getting:

Smoke Your Written Exam by Paul Lepore
McGraw-Hill Firefighter Exams
Barron's Firefighter Exams

[meatjesus]

What's up guys? Huge fire drought in our first due. It's been close to 3 months. We have been getting a bunch of great traumas which makes it a little better. Still learning a ton.

Caleb. It took me 4.5 years. Don't give up. Your department may or may not have applied for hiring or other grants. For some of these grants to be awarded the Dept must hire a certain amount of minorities and females.

Jamesmuscle. We were at 20.19 per hour with a 40hr/week academy. No OT

[CalebRM]

Hey man, glad to see you're still around! It's been awhile.

That sucks that the fire department didn't pan out for you, but it sounds like things ended up working out just fine. It was a really smart move to have a backup plan and not put all your eggs into one basket. Glad that all came together for you.

The physical testing standards is always going to be a hot button issue, but I long ago accepted that it will never change, so I'm at peace with it now. The fire service today is veeeerrry different than it once was, and I understand why departments have made those changes. If they'd like to stay off the front page news or out of the court room, those changes had to be made.

Good luck in your new career dude!

Yeah I understand that now.


Thanks brother! Good luck to you as well.

What's up guys? Huge fire drought in our first due. It's been close to 3 months. We have been getting a bunch of great traumas which makes it a little better. Still learning a ton.

Caleb. It took me 4.5 years. Don't give up. Your department may or may not have applied for hiring or other grants. For some of these grants to be awarded the Dept must hire a certain amount of minorities and females.

Jamesmuscle. We were at 20.19 per hour with a 40hr/week academy. No OT

That's true.. Even though it's messed up as with many things in this world lol.

The career field I'm in now deals a little with fire protection/prevention among other things, I do training etc.. plus I'm making quite a bit more than I would. So it's still rewarding and I enjoy it. As long as you enjoy what you're doing.

Glad to see you're still out there killing it!

[Yeti06]

Well its finally official, Signed the paperwork and got sworn in by the mayor last week. I start the academy in April.

Academy is 10 weeks then 4 weeks in house. with 19.88/hr and night differential. then bumped up to over 21/hr +night. then raises until 3 years for full rate.

Also what books do you guys recommend for studying?

So far I'm getting:

Smoke Your Written Exam by Paul Lepore
McGraw-Hill Firefighter Exams
Barron's Firefighter Exams

our training officer gave us the book for the academy a month early and told us to read the whole thing.

[FOSteven]

Well its finally official, Signed the paperwork and got sworn in by the mayor last week. I start the academy in April.

Academy is 10 weeks then 4 weeks in house. with 19.88/hr and night differential. then bumped up to over 21/hr +night. then raises until 3 years for full rate.

Congrats. At 6'6" 245lbs I'll bet they're gonna have some fun with you

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

That's what I've read for a lot of places. This academy is $12.50/hour. You don't make starting salary till you get said job offer

Not sure how Boise does their academy pay though.

Damn, that's brutal. I'm surprised that more departments don't do that though. Jobs are so competitive that there probably wouldn't be any shortage of applicants, and they could save a good chunk of money.

What's up guys? Huge fire drought in our first due. It's been close to 3 months. We have been getting a bunch of great traumas which makes it a little better. Still learning a ton.

Caleb. It took me 4.5 years. Don't give up. Your department may or may not have applied for hiring or other grants. For some of these grants to be awarded the Dept must hire a certain amount of minorities and females.

Jamesmuscle. We were at 20.19 per hour with a 40hr/week academy. No OT

It'll come back around, it always does!

We had a period of like 6 months where we didn't run any significant fires (or ended up as RIT or something), then outta nowhere caught big jobs for 3 straight shifts.

Well its finally official, Signed the paperwork and got sworn in by the mayor last week. I start the academy in April.

Academy is 10 weeks then 4 weeks in house. with 19.88/hr and night differential. then bumped up to over 21/hr +night. then raises until 3 years for full rate.

our training officer gave us the book for the academy a month early and told us to read the whole thing.

Congrats dude, good luck in the academy.

Mirin' your academy's length, my sht was 24 weeks!