Buy Chief Lepore's book.

Take Fire Science Classes, get some EMT experience somewhere, attend a Basic Fire Academy, and much more....


You are at the very beginning of just the training portion of the game. Good Luck!!!!

I couldn't see what I wanted to do after.

Luke:

My sweetie was standing over my shoulder and wanted you to think about the above. She works at a college and is very sharp when it comes to counseling students.

In order to avoid saying "It wasn't what I expected" after you either quit the fire academy, or quit after a period of time as a firefighter, she recommends that you FULLY check out the job of a firefighter BEFORE you go any further. Keep your expectations in check.

Now, having let my sweetie have her say, (am I a wise man or what?) :p .....

I like the idea that you did graduate from college. You set a goal and you worked to earn it. That is impressive! You have my attention. But also realize that you are nothing special as there are many others who have non-fire related degrees who are applying for fire jobs. An ecomonics degree is not required for the position of firefighter. Keep that in mind. Guys and gals without degrees do get hired as firefighters. How did they do that? They learned how to take an interview!
In an interview, it is up to you to hold the attention of the interview panel members or to loose the attention of the panel members. FM/PM1 gave you excellent advice. Heed it.
Interviewing skills back up your education and experience for if you don't know how to take an interview, your education and experience mean almost zilch.

Best wishes

Best wishes
This message was edited by tomdeltazulu on 7-24-05 @ 4:23 PM

Thanks for the advice, I have talked extensively with a friend who is a firefighter as well as several other people and they have explained everything they have gone through. I've done some research with other careers before this and they all drove me nuts. I'm not the kind of person that can sit behind a desk. Not that all other jobs are desk jobs, but my research about firefighting says it's the best job for me. And thank you, college was a challenge and graduating was awesome. The education part will help a lot. As for the physical side, I did not mention in my previous post that all four of my years at college I played on the UCSD Men's soccer team. So staying in top physical and mental shape is something I've always done and loved doing, and I want a job that will allow me to continue doing those things. So I'm off to the bookstore tomorrow, if you guys have any other advice, plz post it, it is greatly appreciated.
This message was edited by ldrussel on 7-25-05 @ 7:03 PM

Here is some additional information from a brochure I have on my website geared at someone becoming a firefighter, hope it helps.

Ck SO, YOU WANT TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER?

5 guidelines to assist you getting a job as a firefighter

By Steve Prziborowski, Fire Technology Coordinator ?
Chabot College; Hayward, CA

Becoming a firefighter is not an easy task. It takes a great deal of perseverance, patience, persistence, dedication and good old fashioned hard work to become a firefighter. Nothing in life comes easy; especially when you want to have one of the best careers a person could ever dream to have.

How long will it take to become a firefighter? That question cannot easily be answered because it really comes down to ?what you give is what you get.? Not every person that starts out to become a firefighter ends up becoming a firefighter. For that matter, not every person that ever goes to medical school becomes a doctor; not every person that ever goes to law school ever becomes a lawyer.

I cannot guarantee that you will ever reach your dream of becoming a firefighter. What I can guarantee you is that if you never give up on obtaining your dream of becoming a firefighter, then your odds of succeeding greatly increase. On the average, I would say it takes anywhere from three (3) to seven (7) years to become a full-time paid firefighter. Some do it less time, some do it in more time, and some never get the chance to do it at all. I have known people to take 10 to 15 years to become a firefighter. I have known people to give up after a year of trying to become a firefighter.

What?s the moral of the story? If you give up, you give up your dream. If you continue pursuing your dream and continue doing whatever it takes to achieve that dream, continuously working on improving your weaknesses, keeping up your strengths, and preparing yourself to be the best candidate that you can be, then you stand the chance of actually achieving that dream!

Beginning the process:

Once you have determined that it is your dream to become a firefighter, then it is time to put your money where your mouth is and start preparing yourself on a full-time basis. It is a full-time job just getting the job!

Here are some basic steps to assist you in becoming a firefighter:

1. Enroll as a student at Chabot College (or any college offering a Fire related two-year degree). This can be done in person at admissions and records, or on the main college website at www.chabotcollege.edu

2. Begin taking classes to work towards your Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree in Fire Technology. My suggested course of action for you is as follows:

First semester:
? Health 61
? Physical Education 2 ? IFS (Introduction to fire science conditioning)
? Fire 50, 52 and 53
? Any general education units towards your degree (for specific general education units, talk to a counselor)
? Start building up volunteer experience (anything you volunteer your time for is highly looked upon by fire departments, and it doesn?t necessarily have to be fire or EMS related).

Second semester:
? Health 81 and 83 (EMT training course)
? Fire 51, 54 and 56
? Any general education units towards your degree (for specific general education units, talk to a counselor)

Third semester:
? Fire 90A, 90B, 90C (Firefighter 1 Academy)
? Fire 91A (Wildland firefighting)
? Fire 91B (Haz Mat first responder)
? Fire 91C (I-200; basic ICS)
? Start looking for a job as an EMT with an ambulance company to gain experience and to help you prepare for paramedic school

Fourth semester:
? Fire 55
? Fire 95 and 96 (Fire Department work experience, which you can enroll in for up to 4 semesters, gaining valuable experience for your resume as a student firefighter)
? Any general education units towards your degree (for specific general education units, talk to a counselor)
? Start looking at getting into a paramedic program

NOTE: The above classes can change from college to college, and the order in which you take them may change depending on class availability and prerequisites.
3. Start taking as many firefighter entrance examinations as you qualify for. Every city that has a fire department usually has their own testing process that occurs once every two to four years. For example, if you want to work for the Oakland Fire Department, then you will have to participate in their firefighter examination process.

Some of the requirements to be able to file an application at various fire departments can include:


- Minimum age: 18 or 21 years old
- Valid California Driver?s license
- Current EMT certificate
- Current Paramedic license
- Firefighter 1 academy completion certificate
- Firefighter 1 State certification
- Current CPR certification

Some departments require one or more of the above qualifications. It is feasible that you may qualify to take a firefighter entrance exam even before you start taking classes at Chabot College. Is it realistic to get hired as a firefighter without any training or education? No, while it is not realistic, it is not impossible. However, remember that having the above qualifications only allow you to participate in the hiring process; they do not guarantee your success.

Other qualifications some fire departments list as ?highly desirable? include:

- Bilingual ability in any language
- Volunteer or paid firefighter experience
- Fire Technology courses completed from a community college (such as Chabot).
- Additional training certifications such as:
? Rescue Systems 1 and 2
? Confined Space Operations
? Swift Water Rescue Awareness and Operations
? Hazardous Materials Technician / Specialist

It is up to you to score highly in all phases of the hiring process which can include (but are not limited to) the following events:

- Application filing (submitting your completed application and resume by the filing deadline)
- Application Screening (to ensure candidates meet the minimum qualifications and to sometimes select only the most qualified candidates)
- Written Examination (usually a 100 question multiple choice test of various subject areas such as math, English, problem solving ability, mechanical aptitude, `read`ing comprehension, ability to follow directions, etc.)
- Physical Ability Test (consisting of various events to ensure you meet the minimum physical performance requirements)
- Oral Interview (usually making up 100% of your overall ranking on the hiring list. Used to evaluate such areas as oral communications, ethics, problem solving ability, decision making skills, maturity, and ability to get along well with others)
- Chief?s Interview (a second level interview for those candidates selected to continue in the process. Usually with the fire chief or some other high-ranking chief officers. This interview is usually designed to get to know you better and find out more regarding your suitability to work for that department).
- Background Investigation (designed to do a full investigation on areas such as your educational history, work experience history, credit history, driving record, personal characteristics and attributes, etc.)
- Psychological Examination (designed to determine your suitability as a firefighter based on psychological questions)
- Medical Examination (designed to determine your fitness for duty through the means of a full body examination and medical screening).
- Recruit Academy (if you?re lucky enough to successfully pass all of the above phases, then you are usually eligible to receive a job offer and appointment to a recruit academy lasting anywhere from 8 weeks to 20 weeks. This recruit academy sponsored by the hiring department will provide you with firefighting knowledge, skills, and abilities from A to Z)
- Probation Period (successfully completing the academy allows you to start working as a probationary firefighter. Probation periods last anywhere from one year to three years. This period is designed to determine if you are suitable for permanent employment).

Go to our website section on ?Firefighter Hiring Process Components? for more specific information about the above phases of the hiring process (including resources to assist you with each of the phases): www.chabotfire.com/Process.htm

How do I find out which fire departments are accepting applications and what are the requirements to become a firefighter with that department?

- Subscribe to firefighter examination notification services such as www.firecareers.com or www.firerecruit.com ? both services are worth every penny of their price. They save you the time and effort of calling each fire department and asking when they are next hiring. Both of these services provide websites with notifications of when departments nationwide are accepting applications.

- Contact individual fire departments and their respective city (or county) personnel (or human resource) offices. To find out how to contact them you can either do a search on the internet or look in the blue pages of the phone book (which are the government pages). Typically the personnel department (or human resource department) for a jurisdiction handles the testing process for positions within the fire department. Ask them when they will next be testing for the position of firefighter, what their qualifications are to become a firefighter, do they accept interest cards (if so, can you leave your name with them so you can be notified of their next exam?), and any other relevant questions you may come up with.

4. Begin preparing NOW for your background investigation. This means the following:

a. Maintaining a clean credit and financial history. Take the time to obtain a credit report on yourself from one of the major companies. Doing this will allow you to see (in advance) what your credit history looks like, prior to the background investigator seeing it. If you have outstanding debt, start composing a plan to eliminate that debt. Close any credit cards you are not utilizing. Pay your bills on time!

b. Maintaining a clean driving record. Many candidates have been eliminated during the background investigation for excessive accidents (regardless of who was at fault), and excessive traffic related citations (speeding tickets, moving violations, etc.).

c. Maintaining a clean law enforcement record. What this means is don?t get arrested, drive while you are under the influence of alcohol, take any illegal drugs, or do something otherwise stupid you?re going to regret for the rest of your life. Think twice before getting into a fight or driving home after having some alcoholic drinks. Performing (and getting caught) any of the above items can virtually eliminate your chances of getting hired as a firefighter.

d. Maintaining an up to date list of relatives and friends. During a background investigation, you are going to be asked to provide names, addresses and phone numbers of your relatives and close friends so that they can be contacted to vouch for your character and background information you have documented.

e. Maintaining an up to date list of your employment history. Typically, you are going to be asked to provide information from each employer you have worked for over that past 10 years. Some departments require you to provide information from EVERY job you have ever held! Some of the information to obtain now includes name, address and phone number of employer, exact dates employed, exact title(s) you held, exact salaries you were paid, duties and responsibilities, and name of your supervisor.

f. Maintaining an up to date list of your educational history. Typically you are going to be asked to provide information from every educational institution you have attended (after and including high school). Information requested can include name and address of the school, number of units completed, degrees obtained, etc.

5. Other relevant information to assist you in becoming a firefighter:

a. Think twice about getting that visible tattoo or getting your body pierced in visible areas. Some fire departments have rules that prohibit visible tattoos or body piercings.

b. If you presently smoke, attempt to quit. Many fire departments require you to sign a document stating you have not smoked for the past year, and that you will not smoke at any point while you are employed by their department.

c. Buy yourself one nice outfit to wear to the oral interviews. This includes a nice suit (pants and coat), dress shirt, tie, polished dress shoes, dark socks, etc. Basically a conservative look. Keep the jewelry to a minimum. For females, a nice pant suit or dress that makes you look professional (not something you would wear out on a date or to a cocktail party). Besides firefighter oral interviews, you can use that suit for weddings, funerals, and other important events. Invest in your wardrobe and it will pay dividends.

d. Keep yourself appropriately groomed. Many fire departments have rules prohibiting facial hair (except for a moustache). While some of you might enjoy wearing that goatee or beard, realize you?ll have to shave it once you get hired. Get used to not having it now. Wearing a goatee, beard, or even long hair to an interview or during any phase of the hiring process, can severely reduce your chances for getting hired with that department.

NOTE: You might be wondering why I included the above information regarding grooming and personal attributes. While it is a true a fire department is not legally allowed to discriminate based on appearance (among other things), realize that perception is reality. That means that you can be the best paramedic in the world, but if you have tattoos and body piercings all over your body, you?re potentially going to be perceived negatively. I?m not saying that?s right or wrong; I?m just saying it is human nature and reality. Avoid the whole situation entirely and just be conservative in your approach. Remember that it is important to stick out in the hiring process; and that means in a positive way, not a negative way! Stick out in a positive way such as having a unique background of experience or other qualifications to bring to the table such as being bilingual or having your paramedic license.

e. Start educating yourself on the job of a firefighter and the operations of a fire department so that when you are talking to firefighters, visiting fire stations, and participating in the various events of the hiring process (such as the oral interview), you can talk in an educated way and actually sound like you know what you?re talking about. Knowing the difference between an Engine and a Truck is important PRIOR to the oral interview. One way to learn as much as you can about the job of a firefighter and how the operations of fire departments can be similar yet different, start visiting websites of fire departments. For a list of fire department websites throughout California and the United States, go to our website links page at www.chabotfire.com/Links.htm

Remember that nothing worth having in life is going to come to you easily. It is up to you to remain positive, remain focused, and remain motivated to continue doing what it takes to become a firefighter. There are going to be many frustrating and disappointing moments while testing to become a firefighter; the key point is that you recognize your weaknesses, be open to constructive criticism, and continue to pursue that dream of becoming a firefighter. Once you give up, you give up and let someone else take your spot riding on that fire engine you dreamed of riding on!

For further information about the Chabot College Fire Technology Program or to find valuable information to assist you in your pursuit of becoming a firefighter, visit our website at www.chabotfire.com

You can also contact the Fire Technology Coordinator at Chabot College through the following mediums:

Steve Prziborowski
Fire Technology Coordinator
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94545
(510) 723-6851 ? Office / voice mail
(408) 205-9006 ? Cellular phone (Best method)
sprziborowski@chabotcollege.edu

Steve Prziborowski, Captain
www.chabotfire.com