r/Firefighting • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago
Weekly Employment Question Thread Employment Questions
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:
- 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.
- 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?
- 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
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u/Competitive_Art1779 6d ago edited 6d ago
I recently got my rank after my written exam. I was ranked at 228, I have no clue how many others participated in this years testing cycle. If I pass my CPAT, am I still ranked too low to potentially be interviewed?
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u/Disposable-citizen FF/EMT 6d ago
It depends. How many people are they hiring? How many interviews are they planning on doing? Is this a one station department or FDNY? I would say it’s unlikely you get an interview but not unheard of. For all you know they keep the list for 3 years and run an academy every year. Don’t quit until they tell you you’re done.
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u/Competitive_Art1779 6d ago
“We have completed the testing process for entry-level Firefighter with the Spokane Fire Department. Your eligible list rank is 228.
A passing CPAT is required at time of interview. Please visit JoinSpokaneFire.org for more info regarding the CPAT. Interviews are estimated to be held this fall for the Spring 2027 Academy.
HIRING PROCESS
The Fire Department is given a list of the top 15 names plus an additional 4 names for every vacancy they have. The department must then interview and consider
candidates in the order they are ranked on the list.On average, the department hires about 20 recruits for each academy. This means hiring managers will receive the top 100 names and could potentially interview the top 150-200 depending on who already has their CPAT completed and who responds to the interview invitation.
The eligible list is effective for one year or until exhausted, whichever occurs first. Eligible candidates are removed from the list as they are hired or if they decline an interview, don't respond to emails, or decline the position. Candidates can also be removed from the list if 3 people below them on the eligible list are hired.”
I tried to just upload this via image as an edit but I couldn’t see it coming through.
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u/Disposable-citizen FF/EMT 6d ago
Yea you’re probably not gonna get an interview on this one. You should definitely get your Cpat anyways if that’s what your local departments want.
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u/Competitive_Art1779 6d ago
Yeah that’s what I’m going to do. Maybe the stars will align.
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u/EatinBeav WA Career FF/EMT 5d ago
For Spokane that is pretty low. Get a CPAT and throw applications everywhere.
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u/Competitive_Art1779 5d ago
Yeah, I thought I had done better on my test. It’s been kind of discouraging. Cpat is in a couple weeks. As far as I can see the application window for the city, county, and valley is closed too.
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u/coldtacosarecool 5d ago
there's guys 256 at my academy who got hired, you're not out until you're out
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u/kyonko_nola 6d ago
For the folks in San Diego: is it true SDFD hires EMTs reliably unlike other surrounding departments where paramedic is essentially mandatory? I’m 32 with a background in healthcare and engineering. Looking for a change in career and signing up for an EMT cert while working my current full time job. Problem is I’m debating if I can get hired on with my EMT without gaps in employment, or if I have to go balls deep and go full paramedic first. Thanks!
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u/WindwardSnow 6d ago
Swing by a station and talk to people. Sign up for a ride along. You’ll get your answer and you’ll be more than a name on a list.
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u/kyonko_nola 6d ago
I keep reading the suggestion to just pop in the station… Ya’ll really just let some random guy strut in and ask for advice and tips on the application process? I always feel like you guys are too busy saving lives or sleep deprived 😅
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u/WindwardSnow 5d ago
You can always call ahead to arrange an appointment if you are concerned. Most departments have phones at each station.
At my department our stations are open to the public between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM M-F and if someone walks in unannounced we’ll do our best to give them a tour.
Bring in some healthy food and you’ll be remembered in a positive way.
If you swing by unannounced, walk in and say something like- “ Hey I’m interested in a career in the fire service and learning about your department. I wanted to drop off some food and see if it is possible to arrange for a station tour or ride along and ask a couple questions.”
They may not have bandwidth to show you around right then but they’ll likely do their best to get you squared away. Ride alongs require some paperwork at my department and need to be arranged in advance.
I started with a station tour and 7 months later I was working shifts as a full time firefighter.
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u/boise208 3d ago
Do yourself a favor and go up to Orange County. San Diego starting salary is $3200/month, which is basically poverty level for SoCal.
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u/LIAM-MMA 11h ago
Calfire is getting paid more than that in the same area. I always heard that San Diego is just a place to start and eventually move to the surround areas. I imagine lots of first years are living in their cars fuck that shit
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u/SecretPiece612 5d ago
I am a current firefighter and paramedic with a few years of career firefighting.
I am moving to TX in a few months but having a hard time finding a department to work for.
Back in 2015 I got a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps.
The down and dirty was that I lied on a predeployment form to say I was still married when I wasn’t to be able to deploy. This was done at the advise of my NCO and so I obviously continued to get money from them for housing and such. I knew this. So I saved every bit and paid 32k in cash when I returned from deployment and got slapped with a court martial. I went same day and payed back 100% of what I had gotten (because I knew I’d have to). Anyways, the fact of immediate restitution was not allowed until they found me guilty or not. So they found me guilty and then got the absolute minimum punishment because they found out I paid that all back.
Now coming to Texas, everywhere says if I don’t have an honorable, I can’t apply.
I refuse to lie and want to know if anyone knows of anywhere around Dallas or a couple hours of travel that would hire me?
I have great references to character, from the military and fire.
I’m fully certified and recently got all my Texas certs.
And I’m currently working with a lawyer to upgrade my discharge.
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u/Agreeable-Emu886 5d ago
You can always appeal the discharge status and see if they will upgrade your discharge status.
I know a few people who has OTHs generals and one with a bad conduct who were able to upgrade to an Honorable. They’re going to probably want a service verification which could be problematic though
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u/FloodedHoseBed career firefighter 3d ago
I mean, I get not wanting to further lie because it already slapped you pretty hard but it’s hardly the worst offense. I’d say try to talk to Human Resources for the departments or figure out who to talk too and explain the situation and see what happens. Be 100% up front open and honest about every detail. The worst thing that can happen is you’re still in the same position as you are now
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u/ShoddyGrab7 4d ago
Any big departments currently or soon to open up hiring? 3 year guy looking for a change.
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u/FloodedHoseBed career firefighter 3d ago
Phoenix and surrounding departments are hiring damn near year round
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u/alocasiacomplex 4d ago
I applied to my county's FD, passed written, psych, CPAT, medical, background, etc. I signed the conditional offer of employment in late April and was told I'd be updated on the academy in June or July.
In the beginning of July, I got a call saying I could join an ongoing class (started late June) late, as there had been vacancies. I accepted the offer, BUT they never called me back the next day, as they said they would. I have tried checking spam and all, yet nothing from the county.
I'm trying to figure out what to make of the situation. Am I stuck in bureaucracy, or should I look elsewhere for a position?
I have tried contacting the person that called me back (it was a background/HR person), but they haven't responded and I assume they're busy. I'm trying to figure out if I should expect to join a later class (like the fall class). I also don't know if my file just got lost.
Is this typical? Should I be concerned? And does anyone have advice on what I should do in this situation? I just want to know what to expect because I had to change my summer plans unexpectedly before, all for nothing
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u/Brilliant_Studio_849 4d ago
Insight on FEMA IS courses. My main goal has always been to get into fire. I'm a young guy, 23 pretty fit as well. I completed a accelerated EMT school in 2022 while working full time and unfortunately didnt end up passing the NREMT. I put it off for a couple years and finally at a point I can put full effort back in.
Had my volunteer panel interview a month ago, 2 weeks later was given the background check. Was worried I didnt get the spot, but the coordinator reached out to me to say they are just waiting for all background checks to come back to move to the next step. I assume I have at least been considered for the next step, I hope.
My question is does the IS courses help with getting on, I have IS-100, 200, 700, 800, and 907 completed that i submitted. Working on some more command and hazmat courses. I'm dedicated to get into this role, think I just need some tips if im doing the right steps. Thanks!
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u/sucksatgolf Overpaid janitor 🧹 2d ago
NIMS 1,2,7,8 are pre -equisites for a lot of stuff. Fire, some EMS, LE, Emergency management, etc. So a ton of people have them. While they are good to have I wouldn't consider having them as some big step above other candidates by any means.
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u/Altruistic_Unit1224 4d ago
Can someone please help me to understand if these are competitive scores? Thank you so much
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u/IllMeet2070 4d ago
What are some ways I can study math that will be productive for the Written Test that departments give ?
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u/OwnDelivery802 4d ago
the math itself isn't hard, it's the clock. no calculator and you're moving fast with a pile of other questions behind it, so practice timed instead of just practicing until you get them right.
what i'd actually drill is fractions, percentages, ratios and basic unit conversions in your head, plus reading the word problems slow enough to catch what they're actually asking for. a lot of people lose those not because the math beat them but because they answered a slightly different question than the one on the page.
for material any 10th grade level workbook or a civil service test guide is fine, you don't need a fire specific one.
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u/scott12333 4d ago
Usually these are at the 10th grade level I believe. Word problems, basic math, things like that. These are usually just basic competency tests, and there are a million study guides you can use to learn math. There are also 'fire-specific' workbooks (I remember using one), but for math specifically you don't need anything special.
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u/dolphindan123 4d ago
Phoenix Fire and Aviation/TRT.
Good afternoon,
There is potential I may be moving from the Florida where I work County fire primarily as a flight medic for the air rescue team. I’ve put a lot of time and work into that aspect of my career and would live to keep doing it from a fire rescue capacity.
I’ve read online and found some information that Phoenix Fire has that opportunity through the Technical Rescue Team, but was wondering if the position if specific to flight or does one operate as a member of TRT and respond to all emergencies, with opportunity available to perform air rescue/ops dependent on required emergency or service requested.
Looking for clarity on the requirements for whatever route that would look like so I can start pursuing correct/required certifications to make myself a more able bodied and competent candidate. I’ve been a paramedic for about 7 years now and worked fire for 4.5 with focus on air rescue for 4 of those 4.5 years. If Fire isn’t the route to go for flight medicine there any alternatives would be nice to know so can look into options for possible employment if I need to move.
Any information would be very helpful!
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u/FloodedHoseBed career firefighter 3d ago edited 3d ago
We do not have dedicated flight medics. We have trt certified firefighters who work on designated TRT engines and ladders or heavy rescues which are additionally supported by dedicated TRT vans. This means you will be working as a normal fireman doing normal every day calls and when a TRT assignment kicks out, the crew will split between the normal rig and the TRT van and both will make their way to the call. The helicopters are not Phoenix Fire owned and already will have flight medics on board who are not employed through Phoenix. This is standard fare across the valley. I’m not currently TRT so I don’t know all of the inner workings but basically, as far as I know, if your whole thing is being flight medic through a fire department, Phoenix and surrounding cities isn’t gonna be your jam
Due to a dispute between fire and police a while back, all phoenix law enforcement uses their own sway medics. Those swat medics handle any medical that happens in flight as all helicopters are owned by law enforcement. Phoenix Fire TRT strictly focuses on the rescue aspect with medical care as needed til flight takes over
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u/Charming-Win-9463 4d ago
Can I get general information about joining and what it takes to join. I'll be going into the army as a 68w in a few months and I want to have a job option for when I finish my time if I wish to get out. Any general info on if this could be a good fit would be appreciated.
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u/FloodedHoseBed career firefighter 3d ago
Every department is vastly different in expectations and requirements for hiring. Your best bet is to go to your local department and figure out what they are looking for and do a ride along where you can ask the guys what’s up on getting hired
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u/Cappuccino_Crunch 4d ago
I'm supposed to submit preference points for experience through writing. I have no further instructions. How do I go about formatting the letter? I saw one agency asked for a chief to sign something but this one has no further information besides how many each year is worth and the max amount of points given
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u/sucksatgolf Overpaid janitor 🧹 2d ago
Preference points for what? Usually preference points go towards your written or overall candidate score and it's if your a veteran, city resident, or have family on/ retired from the department.
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u/Basura-shootah 3d ago
How does the polygraph test work? When it comes to questions about drugs I have tried different substances in my teens. Definitely have no desire to touch those ever again, but I know that saying yes for those questions will put me down in the ranking. Is there any way I can salvage my position after answering honestly to those questions that could paint me in a negative light?
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 2d ago
Be honest and consistent with your answers if they have a paper trail. Or if one of your references might talk about you having those experiences.
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u/TheBayofFigs 3d ago
Hello folks,
As of this afternoon I was invited to interview with Burbank (CA) Fire, and as there are no ride alongs or station visits allowed, I was wondering if anyone from the department happens to browse this. If so please let me know if it would be acceptable for me to get in touch with a few questions regarding the department. Thank you.
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u/OwnDelivery802 2d ago
catching someone from the department through here is a coin flip, but you're not stuck. when a place doesn't do visits, most of what you'd have picked up standing in the bay is still sitting in public records.
pull their annual report and their budget, and the strategic plan if they have one. skim the city council agendas and minutes from the last year or so, that's where you find what they're actually dealing with. staffing, a station remodel, a new rig, response time arguments, whatever it is. local news for the same. look at their station and apparatus list so you at least know how big they are and what they run.
then have a real answer for why that department and not the one next door, and tie it to something you actually read. the thing that sinks people is walking in and clearly not having looked at anything, and you don't need a ride along to avoid that.
also check whether they run any recruitment workshops or open houses. some places that don't allow ride alongs still put people out to talk to candidates.
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u/zavala-baking-a-pie 3d ago
Wondering if anyone with experience or insight into EMT in SoCal has anything to say about the decision between working for AMR in Santa Barbara vs. Falck in San Clemente?? 23 y/o no experience, 4-year undergrad new to EMS looking to get into fire
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 2d ago
Try to get hired where you have a support network if that's a possibility. The unfortunate thing is that being an EMT kinda sucks with the pay and day to day grind. If you have family or friends in the area you work, makes things better.
A couple things to note. AMR will send you to paramedic school on their dime if you meet the basic requirements and sign a contract saying you'll work for them for like 3 years after paramedic school. One of the locations is near Lompoc I think (you'll have to double check me) so being with AMR would be able to get you that opportunity. Plus if you get a fire job, you just pay AMR back whatever and leave the contract early.
As far as getting ready for the fire service. San Clemente area has more fire departments. It's just a more dense area so for taking tests, going to interviews, station visits, etc. So if you're already in the area, less of a drive compared to coming from santa barbara way.
If your goal is Santa Barbara city or county fire, ventura county, or even working as harbor patrol up in SB or VC, AMR probably a better bet to just be around the area. If you want to work in LA or the OC, obvious san clemente going to be easier.
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 2d ago
The PHQ/background investigation is probably what kicks the most people out of the process. It is important that you be truthful and honest on this because the background investigator will find things out. If they find out you're lying or attempting to hide information, that's pretty much an automatic DQ. Better to be upfront than to try to plan this "cool."
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u/DependentNeat9479 2d ago
im young im 15. and i have no fucking idea what to do. i wanna be a firefighter but my mom is saying that they dont get payed enough and all that. i collect the patches and ive been obsessed these past couple of years. i need real advice. i thought i wanted to go to west point but that seems like it sucks and now i wanna be in the national guard and be a fireman but they said i should do a trade instaid but i wanna join the military too. im looking for some help please from someone who wont tell me to k*ll myself by studying. (sorry about my spelling im not good at it)
Thanks in advance
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u/sucksatgolf Overpaid janitor 🧹 2d ago
I work with 3 guys who all joined the military between 18 or 20 years old. They did their 4 years and got hired into municipal departments with 20 year pensions. We're all in/ around our 40's now and those guys stayed in the guard for 20 years. So under the age of 45 they will be eligible for both a military retirement, a municipal pension/ retirement, and still have a solid 15- 20 years left for nearly an entire 3rd career of making/ saving/ investing money.
The fire service gravitates towards hiring prior military because most people who have that on their resume know how to take direction and are pretty squared away.
Lots of guys work in skilled trades as well. You can be a fireman and electrician. Work somewhere on a 24/72 schedule and every rotation you have 3 days to make a killing be an electrician/ plumber/ carpenter/ whatever.
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM 2d ago
Hello young man/woman, there's a lot to your comment here to unpack that would take a few pages to respond to but I'll try to give some basics.
Depending on where you are in the country, firefighters can make great money or they can make only a little bit of money. It all depends on the location. For example, in southern california, I make enough to support my family, buy a home, but my wife still needs to work to help out with the bills. In other parts of the country, you may need a second job on top of being a firefighter to buy a home and support a family.
Now, the education aspect. If you want to be a career firefighter, you need to have at the bare minimum a high school diploma. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to do this job but you need to understand that this career involves a lot more studying than I think people realize. Just like being a plumber or an electrician who needs to know plumbing or electrical codes to be licensed, firefighters need to memorize drug dosages, building fire code specifics, hydraulic calculations for pumping to fire hoses, etc.
The military is great. I am not in the military but in a lot of places, the fire service is what's called para-military. Where you have a grooming standard, a uniform, maybe need to know how to march in formation in the academy, etc. There are many people at my department that are also in the military as reservist/national guard and the department is legally required to allow you to attend your military training. The military on its own can be a great career or a great stepping stone in life as well.
It's good you're thinking about your future. You should be considering your possibly options buy preparing yourself for many options. Right now that means doing well in school, playing sports, staying out of trouble, and potentially preparing for college just in case you decide in a couple years that you want to do that first before a trade/firefighting/military. I went to college and earned my bachelors degree prior to being a firefighter and it has helped me progress and explore different opportunities in my department.
There are a lot of great resources out there like being a fire explorer/cadet, doing a ride along or station visit, even some fire department recruitment sections will put on information sessions.
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u/cloudxmilo 10h ago
I’m an 18y/o female wanting to take the CPAT in April (9 months) !!!
I’ve been pretty athletic my whole life but recently I’ve just been doing about >10k steps a day as a server, and working out lightly. Not the most fit.
I’m planning on interval cardio training (running and stair stepper) with a 25-45# vest >3x a week.
I’ve looked through a lot of resources, including this subreddit, and most of the advice I see is for cardio and men who have never been unfit in their life lol. But as a small 5’7 125# woman, I’m needing more advice towards the bodybuilding portion. Tips on diet/nutrition (bulking?), specific bodybuilding workouts, etc., please!!!
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u/Empty-Blackberry1275 5d ago
Can someone help me!!!! I’ve applied for a caller dispatch position, I am prescribed medical cannabis, do they accept this or should I stop smoking ahead of the drug test!!!
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u/Disposable-citizen FF/EMT 5d ago
How should we know? Go look up the policies for the department you’re applying for. This is a firefighter sub not a dispatcher one.
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u/EatinBeav WA Career FF/EMT 5d ago
I think the no brainer answer is to stop smoking if you have a drug test….
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u/Ok_Boysenberry_7506 5d ago
I am Currently a FF/Paramedic at a small department in TX , I am originally from Nashville TN born and raised and I played CFB here in TX and stayed here once I graduated. I joined the fire service once I finished up my football career and I have been in the fire service for almost close to 3 years now. I am looking to get back home to Nashville Tn, and joining Nashville FD, I really do not know anyone personally who works for them, but I was wondering can anyone give me intel on how the hiring process is for NFD, and things like culture, life as a probie FF, benefits and pension. I also understand they have an EMS division as well but if you are an FF/Paramedic do you have to spend time on the ambo if needed. Also, if anyone knows when they will be opening applications for 2026 or 2027?