25? I wish I was 25! I am 31 and started when I was 29. Don't worry to much about age. Worry about learning and staying in shape.

Thanks Tigmar that means a lot!

I too am 31! I have read here on firecareers a few times that the average age of hire is around 28. So you are right in there.
Do your best even though nobody is looking.
Tim

25??? I am 32 and just got hired with a department, and half my class is over the age of 28. We have one guy who is 39!!! Twenty five is really young in this job, don't worry about it at all. Just think of the life experience you have over someone who is 21 or 22?? 3 years is a long time to grow and learn. And trust me, us "older" guys, are whipping the h e double hockey sticks out of the younger guys in my academy.
What did you do today to become a professional firefighter?

Superranger, I just got hired and I'm 36. I think being older certaintly has its advantages. Use them to your benefit. Good Luck. PM me if you have any questions. Jim

I also just got hired, and I'm 33. You have plenty of time...just use it wisely. Sounds like you're on the right track.

-Zoomer

WOW! Looks like I beat everbody. I just got hired 6 months ago at the age of 43 and I'm in better physical and mental shape then I've ever been. There are things that come with age that you can't get anywhere. And 43 is young!

So don't look over your shoulder for me, I'm the one that's way out in front ;p

There are alot of thirty somethings and in Luvs case 40 something. I am wondering what is some of your workout routines are. For me I do the Rock hard challenge workout from Muscle and Fitness. It has alot of Cardio and some lifting. I also swim two to three times a week. Oh and don't forget chasing me 7 and 2 year olds around the park and house.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this....
www.crossfit.com

It has a lot of benefits. A few of my co-workers have adopted it. As well as a few Seattle and Florida firefighters/police that I have read about. It really does mirror a firefighters performance demands.It is a lot to read but you will reap the benefits. It definitely gives you "functional" strength, flexibility, and endurance. I was pretty into the M&F stuff. This is not a fad kind of thing. Pretty basic stuff but I gaurantee it'll work you like no other. You can do the workouts by having equipment/gym/or make up your own. As you can tell, I highly recommend it. More importantly, it's free to all. I can't believe more people aren't doing this sort of thing. Good luck on your pursuit.

Do you just make up your own workout using those excercises or is there a set program?

Actually, you can follow the daily workouts given or adjust and make it work on your own. The foundation of the workout is adaptation and creativity. I often put together various exercises from different workouts to accomodate what I am doing that day. Or just to change it up and challenge myself. However, they do design the workouts to benefit and expand on the previous days regimen. They do incorporate large muscle group movements and most of the time it is a *taxing* fullbody workout. What surprises me the most is how much cardio benefit you get from the daily workouts. But, like it says this can be your sole workout or as an addition to whatever else your doing. For me it's running, mountain biking , hiking, etc. with this added on. There is a ton of stuff I can explain but not enough space on this board. Give it a try for a couple of weeks and you'll notice your weak spots and strong points immediately. Again, the key of the site is to be well rounded and in top physical shape for ANY discipline. The design is intended to level out your fitness so that you can do anything well, i.e, sports, sprints, distance running, weightlifting, firefighting, etc and have the strength, flexibility, and stamina to do all well. But, most importantly, the physical ability to stay healthy and strong. Anyway, enough of my preaching. To sum it up, it has made a big impact on my physical fitness, and I think it is a great workout for people trying to get in shape, stay in shape,and improve their fitness.Or for those just wanting to try something different. It's a nice change from the standard sets and reps and usual workouts we are all used to. Sorry to babble, hope it helped in some fashion.
There is a FAQ and also a comments section which has a lot of info on the daily workouts.
Good Luck