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Trying to figure out the best courses to have under my belt

Posted on 11/29/2011
by Joseph Tietz
Member since 11/29/2011

Hey Craig,
Hows everything going? hope all is well! Im wrking on my resume and
building something to make myself stand out and im trying to figure out the
best courses to have under my belt. I have completed fire fighter 1 of
course and im almost done with EMT certification Ive heard of other classes
but what do most stations looking to hire really want to see? Especially
government facilities I've heard they tend to pay better an give better
health benfits?

Thanks,
Joey
NJ Volunteer fire fighter
Tinton falls


Posted on 11/29/2011
by craig
Member since 12/31/1969

Hello Joey.  How goes things in Tinton Falls?  Is the fire dept. memorial finished?  we had a great time stopping and meeting all the firefighters that day and look forward to one day returning and viewing the 9/11 memorial.

 

Look as for your question; you are on the right path.  Having your EMT and Firefighter 1 cert are the first steps towards your success in becoming a career firefighter.  In terms of what classes or certs I would recommend that you continue your education at the community college working towards a two degree in fire science.

 

If you are interested in which classes to take first or in order or state certs I would recommend that you look at "Haz Mat FRO" First Responder Operational classes to get a good foundation for Haz Mat response.  After that I would recommend that you look into classes for command.  Like an ICS class this will help you understand and break down the organizational structure of the fire scene and chain of command.

 

Oh don't forget to get your CPAT done.  Many departments require that you have your CPAT to apply.  Good luck Joey, hope this helps take care, Craig



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