anyone here a firefighter?

[3.14]

I am becoming more and more interested in becoming a firefighter and was curious if anyone here was one. If so, any advice and what do I need to do prior to applying? Classes? Certifications? Any help would be appreciated. (I am currently a HS teacher...interesting career transition, I know...but I am only 22).

[Firefightin_tC]

I am becoming more and more interested in becoming a firefighter and was curious if anyone here was one. If so, any advice and what do I need to do prior to applying? Classes? Certifications? Any help would be appreciated. (I am currently a HS teacher...interesting career transition, I know...but I am only 22).

I'm a firefighter/EMT with Clayton County for about three years now.

Best advice I can give is be patient, I don't know about Macon-Bibb County Fire but it took me six months to get on with Clayton County.

On top of that, get in shape because training will bust your balls to Sunday and back again.

But once you're online...you're golden. Most department will certify you for whatever you need, EMT/Paramedic/Haz-Mat, etc, etc.

[redrumracer]

also join a volunteer fire department. i used to be a volunteer firefighter and they can send you training and get you at least familiar with how to do things. plus you get to meet a lot of great people. being in shape is also a good word of advice.

[ORGANIZATIONXIII]

my buddy CB is a firefighter in Clayton Co..

if you wanna talk to him, I'll forward you his info..

[BiH1320]

I wanna be a cop!
How do I become one?
What should I do? Where to make a move? Im confused. Someone help me out.

[ruah_23]

I am becoming more and more interested in becoming a firefighter and was curious if anyone here was one. If so, any advice and what do I need to do prior to applying? Classes? Certifications? Any help would be appreciated. (I am currently a HS teacher...interesting career transition, I know...but I am only 22).


1.Make sure your background is clean.Clean means no DUI,Drugs,excessive speeding ticket,criminal history ect ect.
2.Choose which department you are interested to work at.Look it up at the county website.Once you are interested with their benefits and pension,visit the station.Talk to them get to know more abt the dept.
3.Most paid dept right now requires you to be an EMT-I.SOme dept will provide the schooling,but you will have more chances to be accepted if you already have ur certification especially if you are competing with abt 700++ applicants.
4.Start workng out.It's not as easy as it looks on tv or movie.It's an easy job 80% of the time but once the 20% comes,you have to be prepared to be doing the most extensive job.


Hope this help.

[BuBBa DRiFT]

Ive been interested in being a firefighter as well, not for the image, but to be of assistance to people who really need it. Unlike a cop, no one gets mad when a firefighter comes to help.

[keevo54]

I know they are hiring in Decauter(sp?) and you would most likely be hired because several guys are retiring.

[Firefightin_tC]

my buddy CB is a firefighter in Clayton Co..

if you wanna talk to him, I'll forward you his info..

Don't you mean...JB, Anthony? I know you moved to SA and everything but jeez...:no:

[Firefightin_tC]

Ive been interested in being a firefighter as well, not for the image, but to be of assistance to people who really need it. Unlike a cop, no one gets mad when a firefighter comes to help.

Yeah, they -still- get mad at us because they realize we aren't a taxi to the hospital.

-or-

We didn't get there fast enough.

No matter what route you take FD/PD, there's alot of bullshit in the community we have to shovel.

[3.14]

ok, so i need to try and get certified prior to looking for a job? also what certifications should i try and get first? thanks for the help thus far. please keep it coming.

[3.14]

1.Make sure your background is clean.Clean means no DUI,Drugs,excessive speeding ticket,criminal history ect ect.
2.Choose which department you are interested to work at.Look it up at the county website.Once you are interested with their benefits and pension,visit the station.Talk to them get to know more abt the dept.
3.Most paid dept right now requires you to be an EMT-I.SOme dept will provide the schooling,but you will have more chances to be accepted if you already have ur certification especially if you are competing with abt 700++ applicants.
4.Start workng out.It's not as easy as it looks on tv or movie.It's an easy job 80% of the time but once the 20% comes,you have to be prepared to be doing the most extensive job.


Hope this help.


1. i have no background issues and haven't ever done a drug, so this won't be a problem.
2.i don't really have a preference of where i want to work. atlanta area would be nice but that is not too important to me, just want a job doing this.
3. so is the emt cert the most important? anything else i should look into before applying places?
4. i am working out currently. while i am sure it isn't easy, this is not a huge concern of mine.

any other advice? i guess i am just not sure where and how to start this process.

[Firefightin_tC]

1. i have no background issues and haven't ever done a drug, so this won't be a problem.
2.i don't really have a preference of where i want to work. atlanta area would be nice but that is not too important to me, just want a job doing this.
3. so is the emt cert the most important? anything else i should look into before applying places?
4. i am working out currently. while i am sure it isn't easy, this is not a huge concern of mine.

any other advice? i guess i am just not sure where and how to start this process.

1. With no background issues makes you a better candiate for hire because they won't expect anything criminal out of you. So that's a -very- good thing, good job on keeping your nose clean.

2. You may want to have an idea of where you want to work because alot of factors play into it. Call Volume, Pay Rate, Equipment, etc. etc. etc. MAinly the bigger counties, in terms of population, have a bigger department and therefore a better chance of employment because they have spaces to fill. But if there is no preference may I suggest: Atlanta, Clayton, Gwinnett, or Dekalb.

3. Most places (Clayton, Henry, Gwinnett, Dekalb), you will become EMT-I certified to continue employment but all of these places, will -train- you to be a EMT-I, so they will take care of it for you...you just have to past the test. Then again, if you wish to go ahead and take a EMT course and pass before you get hired on anywhere, it makes you -alot- more buyable. Then again...why pay for training, when you can get it for free.

4. Staying a shape is the best thing you can do. This is a phyiscally demanding job and, personally, if I don't think that you can handle the job, I don't want you to fight fire next to me. Everyone in your company has a duty to make sure that everyone goes home at the end of the shift and you staying in a shape is the best thing you can do because one day, God-willing, you'll need to drag a brother out of the fire...and if you go down you want to know the guy next to you can do the same thing.

[3.14]

cool, so how hard will it be to get on somewhere? like how long will it take if you had to guess? also is there anything else i can do to make myself more attractive to be hired? i have even contemplated enlisting just to get firefighting experience out of it. i'd rather not but i will if need be.

also, do i need to go to an academy first or have fire-I or anything or is all that provided?

thanks so much for the help thus far.

[Firefightin_tC]

cool, so how hard will it be to get on somewhere? like how long will it take if you had to guess? also is there anything else i can do to make myself more attractive to be hired? i have even contemplated enlisting just to get firefighting experience out of it. i'd rather not but i will if need be.

also, do i need to go to an academy first or have fire-I or anything or is all that provided?

thanks so much for the help thus far.

I can only give you the expirence that I went through at Clayton County FD, where I'm currently employed.

But have patience, it's a long hiring process only because they are going to take only the best out of the pool of applicants. The fact that you have civil servant status with being a teacher helps alot too. Depending on how bad a certian county needs people you're looking on average about 4-6 month hiring procress.

1. Basic Skills Test
2. Orientation
3. Combat Challenge
4. Wonderlic/ Ethics Test
5. Psych. Test
6. Drug Test
7. Polygraph Test
8. First Interview
9. Second Interview

But that's just what I went through when I got hired on...

[3.14]

awesome. do you have any suggestions on where to find job openings? i mean, i have gone to a ton of county websites and some were helpful and others not.

and had you already gone to the academy prior to applying or have fire I or anything?

[quickdodge®]

Mike Pieson......What's up, man! Lolol. How you been? Later, QD.

[Firefightin_tC]

awesome. do you have any suggestions on where to find job openings? i mean, i have gone to a ton of county websites and some were helpful and others not.

and had you already gone to the academy prior to applying or have fire I or anything?

Your best bet is going to be the county websites, they are going to have the best chance for openings for the Fire Department because most Fire Departments will only take you to the county website from there.

Prior to applying I didn't have -any- fire expirence. I went through a 18-week class, which varies from county to county, after my hire date. Not to mention this was -paid- training. So, you can literally come off the street and they'll train you to get you ready.

[3.14]

Mike Pieson......What's up, man! Lolol. How you been? Later, QD.
mr. QD, i have been well. and you? i hear you are living the life now with that truck of yours. did your medical situation get resolved? i put in a few good words for you to the Big Man. maybe i will get a chance to catch up with you someday at some event. didn't i meet you at the first tunerfest? that was forever ago.

[Firefightin_tC]

Any progress?

[3.14]

i've put in some applications but i haven't heard anything yet.

[Sushi]

I wanna be a cop!
How do I become one?
What should I do? Where to make a move? Im confused. Someone help me out.

http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/cgi-bin/gwincty/egov/ep/gcbrowse.do?channelId=-536881955&channelPage=/ep/channel/default.jsp&pageTypeId=536880236