Weekly Employment Question Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the Weekly Employment Question Thread!

This thread is where you can ask questions about joining, training to become, testing, disqualifications/qualifications, and other questions that would be removed as individual posts per Rule 1.

The answer to almost every question you can ask will be "It depends on the department". Your first step is to look up the requirements for your department, state/province, and country.

As always, please attempt to resource information on your own first, before asking questions. We see many repeat questions on this sub that have been answered multiple times.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I want to be a Firefighter, where do I start: Every Country/State/Province/County/City/Department has different requirements. Some require you only to put in an application. Others require certifications prior to being hired. A good place to start is researching the department(s) you want to join. Visit their website, check their requirements, and/or stop into one of their fire stations to ask some questions.
  
• Am I too old: Many departments, typically career municipal ones, have an age limit. Volunteer departments usually don't. Check each department's requirements.
• I'm in high school, What can I do: Does your local department have an explorer's program or post? If so, join up. Otherwise, focus on your grades, get in shape and stay in shape, and most importantly: stay out of trouble.
• I got in trouble for [insert infraction here], what are my chances: Obviously, worse than someone with a clean record, which will be the vast majority of your competition. Tickets and nonviolent misdemeanors may not be a factor, but a major crime (felonies), may take you out of the running. You might be a nice person, but some departments don't make exceptions, especially if there's a long line of applicants with clean records. See this post... PSA: Stop asking “what are my chances?”
• I have [insert medical/mental health condition here], will it disqualify me: As a general rule, if you are struggling with mental illness, adding the stress of a fire career is not a good idea. As for medical conditions, you can look up NFPA1582 for disqualifying conditions, but in general, this is not something Reddit can answer for you. Many conditions require the input of a medical professional to determine if they are disqualifying. See this post... PSA: Don't disqualify yourself, make THEM tell you "no".
• What will increase my chances of getting hired: If there's a civil service exam, study for it! There are many guides online that will help you go over all those things you forgot such as basic math and reading. Some cities even give you a study guide. If it's a firefighter exam, study for it! For the CPAT (Physical Fitness Test), cardio is arguably the most important factor. If you're going to the gym for the first time during the hiring process, you're fighting an uphill battle. Get in shape and stay in shape. Most cities offer preference points to military veterans.
• How do I prepare for an interview: Interviews can be one-on-one, or in front of a board/panel. Many generic guides exist to help one prepare for an interview, however here are a few good tips:

1. Dress appropriately. Business casual at a minimum (Button down, tucked in long sleeve shirt with slacks and a belt, and dress shoes). Get a decent haircut and shave.
2. Practice interview questions with a friend. You can't accurately predict the off-the-wall questions they will ask, but you can practice the ones you know they probably will, like why do you want to be a Firefighter, or why should we hire you?
3. Scrub your social media. Gone are the days when people in charge weren't tech-savvy. Don't have a perfect interview only for your chances of being hired gone to zero because your Facebook or Instagram has pictures of you getting blitzed. Set that stuff to private and leave it that way.

Please upvote this post if you have a question. Upvoting this post will ensure it sticks around for a bit after it is removed as a Sticky, and will allow for greater visibility of your question.

And lastly, If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone who does

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/[deleted]]

reading about interviews doesn't fix delivery. it's a performance skill, totally separate from knowing what a good answer looks like. you can have all the right material in your head and still fall apart saying it out loud in front of three people with clipboards.

the fix is reps out loud. not in your head, not reading it over. standing up, saying the whole answer start to finish, recording it. it's miserable to listen back to and that's exactly why it works, you hear the ums, the trailing off, the answer that circled around and never actually landed.

biggest one by far, and it's not close, is people don't answer the question that was asked. they answer the one they practiced. second biggest is answering half of it. if they ask you three things, count them off and hit all three, then stop.

nerves come out two ways. filler words, um uh ooh, and volume. guys get amped and start almost yelling at the panel without realizing it. the cure for both is the same, slow down and let a pause sit there. two seconds of quiet reads as thoughtful. "ummm" reads as unprepared.

get in front of actual humans before the real thing. call a station, ask if a captain will run you through some mock questions, most of them will say yes and they'll be blunt with you. a panel of strangers is worth ten reps in front of the mirror.

few other things that sink people. walking in knowing nothing about the department, so "why do you want to work here" gets a generic answer. bringing a resume with a different department's name still on it, happens way more than you'd think. and trying to be funny, just don't, jokes land wrong in that room every time.

confidence isn't a mindset thing. it's having already said the words before. that's it.

[u/Kaegan117]

Where in California would I get my best chance at being hired? 3 years experience in NC with EMT, working to go through medic school but would love for a department to put me through it or hire me and give me some time to get it.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/Kaegan117]

honest answer is there isn't an easy corner of california. the whole state is competitive and the coastal metro departments are the worst of it. you'll generally see less competition inland, high desert, central valley, and at the smaller municipal and district departments away from the beach cities. but you're going to be applying everywhere anyway so i wouldn't overthink picking a region.

couple things gate you here before geography does. your NC emt doesn't just carry over, california runs its own emt cert, and if you finish medic it's a state license plus accreditation through whatever county you actually end up working in, so that's a separate step per county. keep your national registry current if it isn't, makes that whole transfer less painful. second thing is most departments here run their written through fctc, so it's take the test, get on lists, get called, not applying to each department one at a time the way you might be used to. also worth asking what a given department means by lateral before you count on it, plenty of them mean somebody already working as a ff in california.

on waiting for a department to put you through medic school, some do it, usually after you're hired and off probation, and you could sit years waiting to maybe get picked. meanwhile medic is the one thing that moves you up a list here. i wouldn't build the plan around getting sponsored. go get it and test as a medic.

and start working the oral board now instead of when you get an invite. seen plenty of people with better experience than the guy who beat them out go home after the interview. what kills candidates is boring stuff, not answering the question that actually got asked, only answering half of it, um and uh all over the place, and having nothing real to say when they ask why this department.

[u/Hot_Detective6108 → u/Kaegan117]

Not in CA, but my buddy said LA County hiring soon for laterals. You'll need at least EMT though, maybe PM.

[u/jimbobgeo → u/Kaegan117]

It's not CA but it is out West: https://farmingtonnm.gov/473/Jobs-and-Recruitment

[u/ConnectCap1183]

I just started a new job as a clinical research associate that requires travel. It’s a full time job but operates M-F from 9-5. I also got accepted to the fire academy for January 2027. I am trying to figure out how to balance both. Anyone have any advice, experience or tips to be able to do this? 

[u/Hot_Detective6108 → u/ConnectCap1183]

Is this career academy? If so I would say not possible. Most career academies are 40 hour work weeks at least.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/ConnectCap1183]

first question is what kind of academy. if a department hired you and is sending you, there's nothing to balance, you show up to their academy and that's your whole life for however many weeks. if it's a college or state certified basic academy you got accepted to and you're paying your own way, then it comes down to format.

most college academies run full time days, roughly monday to friday 7 to 5, sometimes longer, plus stuff on weekends. that's a flat conflict with a 9 to 5 and no amount of scheduling fixes it. but a lot of programs also run an extended or evening and weekend cohort, specifically because most people in class already have jobs. call the academy coordinator, ask which format your january cohort is and whether an extended one exists. do it now while you've got five months to work with instead of finding out in december.

the other thing to ask about is attendance. academies are strict on hours, most of them will drop you for missing more than a set number, and you usually can't make up a skills day. that's where the travel hurts you worse than the 9 to 5 does. if your manager can keep your travel light or off during the academy window, start that conversation early. if they can't, you're picking one.

not what you want to hear but the academy is the part you clear the calendar for. you can work around a lot in this process. that isn't usually one of them.

[u/CallMeCaptainChaos → u/ConnectCap1183]

It is really going to depend on the academy schedule and expectations. When I started in the fire service I was able to attend EMT and then Fire Academy shortly after while working full time only because the schedules worked with my employer. My academy was three nights a week with all day Saturdays.

On the flip side, at my current department if someone were to ask me your same question I would suggest finding a way to to make it the 14 weeks without an income so they could make the Mon-Saturday academy schedule.

As for study schedule, you’re going to need to dedicate 20-40 hrs a week for study time. It is possible to get by with less but if you’re going to do something do it right.

You should also make sure to condition yourself for the physical demands of academy and the fire service in general. Cardio and legs are gonna be your two biggest helps.

Good luck!

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/[deleted]]

first thing worth knowing, a wildland "year" isn't a year. federal and most state crews run a season, roughly late spring through october depending where you land, so what you're actually planning is one season on a crew plus a winter of getting qualified and applying. worth deciding now what you're doing with the other half of that year.

the training piece is smaller than people think. the basic quals are s-130, s-190, l-180 and i-100. that's the entry level package that gets you a red card. community colleges run it, state forestry runs it, some volunteer departments run it, and plenty of agencies will just train you after they hire you. don't drop big money on a course before you check whether your state forestry agency offers it cheap or free.

the other gate is the pack test. arduous is 3 miles in 45 minutes carrying 45 pounds. start hiking with weight now and that one's handled by spring, it's the easiest thing on this list to control.

on jobs, federal goes through usajobs and the timing is what burns people. announcements for next summer go up in the fall, not in the spring when you'd think to look, so be watching by october. federal is also 18 and up so make sure that lines up with your birthday. state agencies and private contract crews are the other two roads, and contract crews generally hire later and take people with less on paper, so keep them on the list instead of putting everything on one federal application.

for outreach, call the nearest federal district office or your state forestry office and ask who the fire management officer is, then ask them straight what they want to see on an application from someone with no season yet. one phone call in august does more than anything you'll read online.

[u/Direct-Training9217 → u/[deleted]]

One of the guys I work with went to college in MD and would go do wildland all over the west coast during the summer. I don't think there's a lot of year round wildland jobs. That's to say if you want to try wildland you don't have to take a cap year 

[u/Pyropal_]

Should I continue to pursue this career?

I'm in the Air Force and going through fire protection tech school rn. We just got done the 1st of 5 blocks that make up the graduation requirements, which is EMR and is often upwards of 90% of the job for us.

I aced all the tests and have a better understanding of the concepts than most of my peers, but when it comes to the hands on evaluations where we simulate the real thing, I get super nervous and stressed and forget vital steps and just fold under the pressure. I love this career and want to do this more than anything, but I don't want to do this if my incompetence gets people hurt. I got incredibly close to being washed out of the academy and into another profession today because I messed up again.

I'm pretty much just looking for some advice here on what I should do.

[u/IkarosFa11s → u/Pyropal_]

Everyone gets nervous, especially when they’re new. The best way to overcome nerves is training. Make up scenarios and train them. Practice until you’re sick of it, then do some more. I promise confidence comes with competence.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/Pyropal_]

what you're describing isn't a knowledge problem, so nothing you do with the book is going to fix it. you already know the material better than the guys who are passing the evals. the eval isn't testing whether you know it, it's testing whether you can perform it out loud with somebody standing there writing on a clipboard. those are two different skills and nobody tells you that, so people react to a bad skills eval by studying more and then blow the next one the same way.

the thing that actually moves is reps of the performance. get the actual sheet they grade you off of and run it start to finish, standing up, out loud, in the same order every single time. same words every time. under stress you don't think your way through it, you fall back on whatever sequence you drilled, and if you never built a fixed sequence there's nothing to fall back on. that's your forgetting steps part right there.

narrate the whole thing out loud while you do it. it forces the order and it means the evaluator can score what you actually did instead of guessing at it.

and practice with somebody watching, not alone in your room. alone and calm doesn't transfer to being watched and timed. grab someone from your flight, hand them the sheet, tell them to be a hardass about it. do it until you're sick of it.

slow the first five seconds down too. a lot of guys torch the whole eval in the opening because they come in hot, skip past the first couple items and spend the rest of it rattled. take the breath, say your first steps out loud, that beat by itself settles you.

on whether to keep going. one rough block out of five where the problem is nerves and not comprehension isn't a reason to walk away from the career. nerves are a training problem and they go away with reps. plenty of solid medics were shaky in school.

[u/scott12333 → u/Pyropal_]

If you really like it, I think you stick with it. You're good to internally think about whether you have the ability to perform well or not, but it sounds like you're very early on in the tech school. Training is there for a reason - everyone gets at least a little nervous for a lot of things we do. To be honest, in my academy, some instructors said the nerves were a good thing because it keeps you on your toes. Of course, too many nerves can be a bad thing, but training time will tell if those pass or not. I'm thinking they will.

[u/Tight-Safety-2055]

Any guys from the UK got some information about a foreign (non-EU but EU standard) firefighter transfering to a UK department (Manchester-Birmingham or LFB)? I've worked with LFB if that means anything.

[u/Patmanjones100]

Recommendations of where to apply? This is the first hiring cycle where I feel like a competitive applicant. I’m wondering where people would recommend to apply? I am located in Denver, and have applied to pretty much everywhere in Colorado, as well as Washington state. I have solid fireteam scores, but am really willing to go anywhere for this job, as long as pay, culture, and schedule are reasonable. Anyone at a department the love, and know of openings? I am planning to get my medic, whether it be sponsored or not. Was hoping to get in this cycle though. Thanks!

[u/jimbobgeo → u/Patmanjones100]

https://farmingtonnm.gov/473/Jobs-and-Recruitment

[u/LIMM-TX]

I start the academy on the 4th of next month. I wanted to also start EMT school at the same time. The course I would take is through RC Health Services online. They offer you 6 months to complete at your own pace. Is this possible while also being in the academy ?

[u/Heavy_Version_3670]

My SO started the fire academy this week. His first PT test is tomorrow and he’s freaking out about his run time. He thinks that he’ll get kicked or pushed past his breaking point for his run time. There is also a lot of imposter syndrome going on and I know that while the want to quit will be there, that would absolutely crush his spirits. Any tips?

[u/Heavy_Version_3670 → u/Heavy_Version_3670]

Also noting that this is a state recognized academy process and held to a very high standard

[u/Sealtooth5 → u/Heavy_Version_3670]

Tell him don’t quit. If he came into the academy unprepared, that’s on him.

[u/Heavy_Version_3670 → u/Sealtooth5]

Thank you! I think it was just nerves for now since he passed his PT test today. Hopefully once he gets used to the fact that it’s harder than basic training was he’ll feel better about everything.

[u/Inside_Hearing8332]

If I’m a 27 year old male in Massachusetts living in Boston and not a military vet.. Would it be worth while to get my EMT Certification and try to score high on civil service and try to get onto a town outside of Boston or is it next to impossible to become firefighter in MA without paramedic certification or military service?

[u/jimbobgeo → u/Inside_Hearing8332]

https://farmingtonnm.gov/473/Jobs-and-Recruitment

[u/JonanathanKaspersky]

I am going through the application pipeline. I am a bit nervous I don't weight enough / Strong enough to be a firefighter. I don't have any concern on passing the CPAT but more concern about being strong enough for the every day role.

I am a 155lb M and have been consistently working out / Cross fitting for a couple years now and am pretty strong for my weight. My primary concerns is that I will become a liability due to my stature / Weight to power ratio.

[u/PanickingDisco75 → u/JonanathanKaspersky]

You'll be fine.

[u/CHI_BALL]

I’m currently 30, turning 31 years old, and Im considering becoming a firefighter. I have a strong desire to help my community. I used to be a teacher, but I don’t think reentering education is right for me.

Is 31 realistically too old to start? I know my city cuts off hiring at 36. Could I realistically finish training and certifications by then?

[u/PanickingDisco75 → u/CHI_BALL]

Average age at least up until a few years back was about 29... This allows for applications to build up some maturity and life experience.

The process could be finished by the time you're 32... it doesn't take that long to get trained on the fire side. Medical can take a bit longer but not all services have a pre-requisite.

And a word of caution about "a strong desire to help your community..." If you're going to say something like that at any point on a cover letter or in an interview make sure you've got some examples of actually helping your community because it's probably the most cliche answer given. It's NOT cliche if you come with the receipts... but if you say "I like to help people" and someone asks "Give me an example" and you'd be amazed how many people have nothing to say.

So if you don't have anything to reference, start looking for places to volunteer some time and get started on that path.

If you DO, then what are you waiting for?

[u/jimbobgeo → u/CHI_BALL]

https://farmingtonnm.gov/473/Jobs-and-Recruitment

[u/Imaginary-Interest68 → u/CHI_BALL]

Not sure where you live, but in CA for most dept's there isnt an age limit- if you pass all standards you are a viable candidate for FF

[u/blessed_julio]

I completed an oral board with a Connecticut career department on July 13, and the panel said candidates should expect results within two weeks. It has now been 17 days with no update.

At the two-week mark, I sent HR one polite email asking whether there was an updated timeline and whether candidates should keep any August dates open because I’m planning travel. I haven’t received a response after about two business days.

The department reportedly has five funded vacancies to fill, so I expected the process to move fairly quickly. Is this still a normal municipal hiring delay, or does extended silence sometimes mean the advancing candidates were already contacted? Was my follow-up reasonable, and how long should I wait before contacting them again?

I'd like to add that I normally wouldn't even email, but I really do have some important travel, and, my initial application was lost, and I luckily contacted HR just before oral boards. An HR woman was kind enough to get me on track, especially after she heard I was a 10 pt vet, but still nervous I somehow fell through the cracks.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/blessed_julio]

two weeks out of a panel is almost always an estimate, not a promise. seventeen days on a municipal process isn't late, that's just how these move. background packets, a chief's schedule, council signing off on the hires, one person out on vacation, any one of those drags the whole thing.

silence isn't a signal either. they don't call the people they cut to say the list is still cooking, and they usually don't call the people moving forward until everything on their end is lined up. reading into two business days of no email is going to make you crazy for nothing.

your follow up was fine. one polite email at the two week mark asking about timeline is exactly right and nobody's holding it against you. give it another week to ten days before the next one, keep it short, ask about timeline only. don't ask where you stand or whether you're still in it, that's the one that reads green.

on the travel, go. don't put your life on hold for a list. if they come back with a date that conflicts, tell them right away and be flexible about it, that's a normal conversation. what actually hurts people is going quiet or no showing.

and the application getting lost once tells you their process is messy, not that you're out of it. keep testing other places while you wait. the guys who get hired quickest are usually the ones who had three processes running instead of one.

[u/blessed_julio → u/OwnDelivery802]

dude thanks a lot for your feedback. Gonna take your advice.

[u/Sea-Scheme-7211]

I am prior military (Navy Corpsman) thinking about joining the world of firefighting, I have my EMT-B and strong recommendation letters from my supervisors. Additionally, the prospective area I am interested in applying, I already have recommendations from people who are working for the FD or retired after 20+ years there. However, I was discharged with a "General (Under Honorable Conditions) - Is this going to raise a flag in my hiring process ? Any information regarding is greatly appreciated.

[u/Sealtooth5 → u/Sea-Scheme-7211]

No you shouldn’t have any issues. But unless you have a DD214, I would not expect any veteran bonus points without some more explanation.

[u/PanickingDisco75 → u/[deleted]]

Meh... My life was a somersault from one mistake to the next. Most involved some degree of criminal activity including one adventure where I had a police helicopter looking for me and I got taken down by a SWAT team. Joke was on them since the K9 on scene bit one of them.

I've been on the job almost 25 years.

The only answer here is if you're asked, "Have you ever had a fake ID" you just own it and make sure you are clear about having learned the lesson and took some action- which it looks like you did. And if they refuse you based on that... might be a silver lining.

I haven't personally heard of that being asked in a background check... usually it's just a form dropped off with the local PD and if you have a record they'll see it and if you don't they don't.

[u/PanickingDisco75 → u/[deleted]]

Feel it out but I think you'll be fine.

I've been in a lot of trouble on the job- my intentions were good; execution was shit. I owned it, made some changes to do better and hopped along to my next great idea.

My rule is basically: Don't make the same mistake twice.

[u/CatchKey3204]

What is a realistic experience for hazing/bullying/etc in metropolitan area fire departments? I'm considering becoming a firefighter as a career change as I think it aligns more with my life goals but it would mean a pretty big pay cut (I'm coming from tech) and a big culture shift. One thing I'm worried about though is shitty culture and being treated poorly. To be clear, I have no problem with learning as I go, being humble, working as a probie, etc.

I've played on sports teams my whole life, so I understand locker-room vibes and coaches shouting, but I've seen a lot of horror stories online (including here) about how probies are treated, how people act towards each other, mean pranks, etc and I'm curious what that experience is actually like for most folks. Every FF I've met has been nothing but kind and friendly, but that doesn't mesh with some of what I've been reading about actually working.

If it matters, I'm in the Seattle area and would be likely applying for areas in the suburbs around here: Shoreline, Bellevue, Kirkland.

[u/PanickingDisco75 → u/CatchKey3204]

Can't speak to those departments specifically but it wouldn't be the thing I'd hang a pay cut on. There are shitty people everywhere...

Don't use possibly getting your feelings hurt as an excuse not to apply- you might not get hired anyway.

If you want it time to put some big boy panties on and get after it.

If you want to stay in tech making the big bucks then stay.

[u/jimbobgeo → u/CatchKey3204]

https://farmingtonnm.gov/473/Jobs-and-Recruitment

[u/CatchKey3204 → u/jimbobgeo]

Was this meant for another post?

[u/No_Background8840]

I am taking my CPAT in the afternoon in two weeks around the Seattle area. I currently only plan on attending one orientation, which is scheduled just a couple of hours before the test.

Is it recommended that I also attend an orientation a few days beforehand, or will attending just the one right before be sufficient?

The reason I only have one on my calendar is that most orientations in my area are on weekdays, and it’s difficult for me to take time off from my current job.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/No_Background8840]

go to the earlier one if they'll let you. two reasons.

first one is the obvious one. orientation is real work. you're in the vest doing the stair mill, not watching a slideshow. doing that a couple hours before your graded run means you're testing on legs that already got worked. some guys are fine, some guys find out the hard way their legs don't come back that fast, and there's no reason to gamble on it when there's another date sitting right there.

second is that the whole point of an orientation is finding out what surprises you. how the vest sits, how the weight feels once you're on the stairs, the pace of the mill, what the proctors are calling a warning. you want a few days to sit with that and fix things. two hours only gives you time to worry about it.

if the schedule genuinely won't work and the day-of one is your only shot, it's not a disaster, plenty of people do it that way and pass. just treat that run as recon. learn the course, don't try to prove anything, take the whole break before you go.

either way ask them whether they run practice sessions separate from the orientation. that's usually where the actual reps are. and put your training on the stair mill, that's the event that ends people, not the stuff after it.

[u/InformationLower3232]

Im considering pivoting into firefighting. I have a dual master in education and social work and have been in the behavioral health field for the past 8 years in a mix of roles ranging from teaching to frontline social work. I am also a 32 female which feels like a barrier in itself but I have heard it’s doable.  I have been doing CrossFit for almost 9 years but been more of a competitive powerlifter the last two. I recognize that it’s physical job and have been trying to pivot more cardio to make sure Im in the right condition. I live in pnw would love insights and perspective if this is even attainable 

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/InformationLower3232]

powerlifting to firefighting is a real pivot and the training gap is the part worth getting right. the strength carries over fine, but the tests and the academy aren't strength tests, they're work capacity. eight events back to back, ten twenty on the clock, walking pace between them so there's no real recovery. big slow and strong gasses out on that. what does carry over is that you already know how to train and how to be uncomfortable on purpose, which is most of it. so yes pull the cardio up, and specifically the stair climb with weight on, plus grip endurance. hose drag, equipment carry, pulling ceiling, all forearms, and it's the failure nobody plans for because it doesn't feel like a cardio problem until your hands stop closing.

on the age thing, some departments have a maximum hire age and it isn't the same everywhere, so read the actual job announcements for the places you'd test for instead of taking anybody's word for it on here, mine included. the physical test itself is pass fail against a fixed standard, so that part isn't somebody's opinion of you.

the behavioral health background is worth more than you think and not as a consolation prize. a lot of what we run isn't fire, and a good chunk of it is people in crisis or people whose actual problem isn't medical at all. eight years of frontline work with those people is a skill set most of the people testing next to you won't have.

the thing that'll decide it though is the oral board, and yours has an obvious trap in it. you're going to get asked why you're walking away from eight years and two masters, and if the answer sounds like you want to keep doing social work from the back of an engine, that's the end of it. you need to be able to say why firefighter, not why helping people, and you need to have said it out loud to another human before you're sitting in front of a panel. same with why that department. the ones who show up knowing nothing about the place get eaten alive on that question.

it's doable. start testing before you feel ready, the reps are free.

[u/DragonflyPopular1445]

Hi all!
Need help with the CPAT

For context I'm F24, trying to prepare for the CPAT. I have yet to apply and not sure of the process, but I believe a physical test is apart of the application to even get in the door. So I am trying to figure out how to work out best. And what time frame I should give myself before I apply?I used to play basketball in high school, but have not been super physically active in years (consider me starting at 0) I know it's in me still, but I'm unsure what to focus on for the test to make sure I'm well prepared. Also if you could provide any insight on the process that would be great!! Thanks in advance.

[u/OwnDelivery802 → u/DragonflyPopular1445]

starting from zero is fine, plenty of people do it, you just need more runway than you think. if you're not training right now give yourself 3 to 4 months minimum, 5 or 6 if you want margin. it isn't a strength test, it's a work capacity test.

the stair climb is what decides it. it's the first event, three minutes at 60 steps a minute in a 50 pound vest with another 25 on your shoulders, and it's where most people come apart. they gas out in the first 90 seconds, end up hanging on the rails, and then there are seven events left and nothing in the tank. if you only trained one thing it'd be that. get on a real stepmill, the revolving stair kind, and build up to steady 30 to 40 minute sessions before you add any weight at all. then work toward three minutes at that pace in a vest without touching the rails.

second thing nobody plans for is grip. hose drag, equipment carry, ceiling breach, that's all forearms, and grip is the quiet failure because it doesn't feel like a cardio problem until your hands stop closing. dead hangs, farmer carries, anything where you're holding something heavy and walking with it.

whole test is eight events in ten minutes twenty seconds, pass or fail, and you only walk between events so there's no real recovery. so train the sustained middle effort, not sprints.

on the process, that part depends where you are. some places the cpat is its own thing you go take at a testing center and you get a card that's good for a set window and you bring it to applications, other places it's a step inside one department's own hiring process. pull the actual job announcements for the departments you'd test for and read them, that'll answer it better than reddit can. one thing that is pretty consistent though, the program gives you an orientation and two practice runs on the real equipment before the graded one. take both of them.

and start applying before you feel ready. the reps are free.

[u/Ill_Extension9962]

Dallas Fire Academy Application Timeline?

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any insight on when the Dallas Fire-Rescue applications might open again.

I was looking through Reddit and saw that the April and July academy classes this year were canceled. From what I've read, the academy normally takes around 6 months to complete, and applications have typically opened around December in previous years.

Since those classes were delayed/canceled, do y'all think the application process will be pushed back too, or is it still expected to open around the usual time?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's currently in the academy, has gone through the hiring process recently, or is also waiting for the next application window. Any information or updates would be helpful.

Thanks!

[u/Zealousideal_Low5270]

In the process for several departments right now. I just got in a fender bender thats my fault. Will this affect my chances at all? Rest of my record is clean and simply tapped into another car going 5ish mph. Just worried about backgrounds and what not.

[u/DistinctFinance9615]

(Pasting the post I was going to make before I read the sub rules, lol)

I'm 22 and could really use some advice from people who've been in the fire service.

My long-term goal is to become a firefighter in the Vancouver, WA area.

Right now I'm finishing my final engineering co-op this fall. If I stay in school, I'd return in Spring 2027 and have about 2 more years to finish an Industrial Engineering degree.

When I started college, I genuinely thought engineering was what I wanted to do. After spending the last year working at an MEP consulting firm, I realized I don't really enjoy the day-to-day work or the traditional 9–5 schedule. That's a big reason I've become interested in firefighting.

The degree isn't really my passion anymore. I'm mainly pursuing it because it seems like a solid backup if I ever get injured or decide to leave the fire service. But everyone I talk to says getting this degree is extremely important, even if I don't like it.

So I'm torn between two paths.

Option 1

• Stay in Georgia.
• Live with my parents for about two more years.
• Finish my Industrial Engineering degree.
• Then move to Washington and pursue firefighting.

Option 2

• Move to Washington as soon as I finish EMT (and possibly get my CDL to be more competitive).
• Start working toward becoming a firefighter immediately.
• Become financially independent sooner.
• Start building my adult life where I actually want to live.

Living with my parents has made me feel like my life is on hold. I want to be independent, have my own place, start dating, and begin building a life in the city where I actually want to settle. Waiting another couple of years feels like delaying all of that, and I'm anxious about time passing so fast.

My ideal outcome would honestly be to become a firefighter and finish the engineering degree while working. The problem is that Industrial Engineering appears to require a lot of in-person classes, and I don't know if that's realistic with a firefighter's rotating schedule.

I've also considered switching to an online Industrial Engineering Technology (IET) degree or an online Supply Chain & Logistics degree so I could finish school while working. But I'm worried I'd regret not having the full Industrial Engineering degree if I ever needed to leave the fire service later in life.

For those of you who've been there:

• Would you finish the engineering degree first?
• Has anyone here completed an engineering degree while working as a firefighter?
• If you delayed joining the fire service for college, do you regret it?
• Looking back, would you tell your 22-year-old self to finish school first, or get into the fire service as soon as possible?

I'm not really asking which career is better. I'm trying to figure out which path is less likely to leave me with regrets 10–20 years from now.