Firefighters and Public Safety

[FshTaco99]

There's one paid, actual fire oriented at least, in Delaware. Otherwise, the only ones being paid for their time are the EMT's.

 

[firemansxterra]

Union FF/EMT-B in Roanoke, VA here going on 4 years, actually stuck in a year long EMT-I class they are making me take. Around here they are making any new hire bridge over from an EMT-B (which you obtain in the academy) to an EMT-I within three years of getting hired. It sucks, even though the industry has changed to probably 60 - 70 percent EMS calls, I just got into the fire service after my grandfather was in and saw how much he loved it, and well I did the whole college thing and even worked a "real job" for a while, and took a huge pay cut to get into the fire service, but it's the best job in the world!

As far as the East Coast goes, it's getting harder and harder to get hired out here for some reason, when I went through the hiring process there were 747 applications turned in from all over and only 33 hired.

 

[jh504]

Everyone is right about the East Coast, it is extremly competitive around here. If you want a full time job around here you have to put in a lot of hours of sacrifice to stand out from the 100s of other guys jockeying for your spot. That is unless you are a minority. Then it doesnt matter what you do or if you are less qualified than most of the other applicants, you have a job no questions asked. I have seen Raleigh FD get burned by having the minority mindset. They hired a good bit of minorities a few years back just to fill a race card, and they got burned when a lot of them quit. I am all for minorities in the fire service, but not at the cost of quality. If a man is the best candidate then hire him regardless of race, but don't skip over good applicants just to fill a race slot.

 

[kellymoe]

Dont get me wrong, it's highly competitive out West, just very few volunteer departments. My department, LAFD, is going through a large retirement boom which is creating many openings. We are hiring at least 250 a year for the next few years.

 

[Mtriple]

The Midwest is no exception either. Minnesota has something like 45 career departments in the whole state. That makes for some steep competition. I've been a FF/EMT for 11 years now working part time for a Department in the suburbs of Minneapolis. I test every now and then when I see something open up that I like. Currently I'm number 2 on the list for a full time position and the list is good for another year. I'm hoping for some retirements at the end of this year!

My full time job is working as a Police/Fire Dispatcher at MSP International.

Nice to see a good size contingent of FF's here.

 

[calamaridog]

Corrections Officers are trained in basic firefighting in CA. I assume most states do this.

I really don't like playing firefighter, but we have quarterly fire training and Survivair training. I'm a senior training officer and I usually end up planning and executing the training. We hate it but we take it seriously.

I prefer to leave that stuff to you real firefighting types.

 

[firemansxterra]

Everyone is right about the East Coast, it is extremly competitive around here. If you want a full time job around here you have to put in a lot of hours of sacrifice to stand out from the 100s of other guys jockeying for your spot. That is unless you are a minority. Then it doesnt matter what you do or if you are less qualified than most of the other applicants, you have a job no questions asked. I have seen Raleigh FD get burned by having the minority mindset. They hired a good bit of minorities a few years back just to fill a race card, and they got burned when a lot of them quit. I am all for minorities in the fire service, but not at the cost of quality. If a man is the best candidate then hire him regardless of race, but don't skip over good applicants just to fill a race slot.

I hate this too, the city here just went through a recent hiring process and they actually told the interview board/team that for every minority they hire they get to hire one white guy...I'm all about equal opportunity, but the local here has been burned time and time again by doing this and then the minorities turn around and quite and then we are back to square one, running short and trying to fill overtime. And the running short deal is dangerous as you know, it takes man power to keep the operations safe when a big one lights off. I say give the job to the man that deserves it and will actually do the job.

 

[LXRACR]

San Jose...

San Jose, CA Firefighter / Paramedic for 15 years. Worked for Medevac paramedic ambulance service prior to that for some years.

 

[colter]

I was a Volunteer firefighter/ EMT near murphy NC for about a year. In Raleigh now, about to go back to school to be a paramedic.

 

[jh504]

I was a Volunteer firefighter/ EMT near murphy NC for about a year. In Raleigh now, about to go back to school to be a paramedic.

Welcome to the board. I guess you will be going to Wake Tech for your medic? I got my basic at Wake Tech and it was a great class. They have a good EMS department up there. Its good to see another triangle dweller on the board!

 

[Dave Bennett]

I guess you could say I work in Public Safety

 

[jh504]

I guess you could say I work in Public Safety

I would definitely say you qualify.

 

[Fireman78]

I hate this too, the city here just went through a recent hiring process and they actually told the interview board/team that for every minority they hire they get to hire one white guy...I'm all about equal opportunity, but the local here has been burned time and time again by doing this and then the minorities turn around and quite and then we are back to square one, running short and trying to fill overtime. And the running short deal is dangerous as you know, it takes man power to keep the operations safe when a big one lights off. I say give the job to the man that deserves it and will actually do the job.

This was exactly the reasonI ended up leaving California and moving to New Mexico. Here in Albuquerque, I was the minority! HA!

 

[Dave Bennett]

I say give the job to the man that deserves it and will actually do the job.

Amen, hire the guy who is best qualified and will actually WORK.

Race etc. should not determine anything, I think that system is discriminatory.

.02

 

[nruller]

In my 8th year with Toronto Fire... Decent sized department, all full-time, 82 stations with 3300 firefighters. EMS is completely separate here...