I’m thinking of getting my medic and working as a contractor especially with the forest service. I also want to get wildland fire experience. Should I get my wildland experience first and then my medic or get my medic first then get wildland fire experience? I’m currently an Emt working 911.
Career routes
- Thread starter Jaykub44
- Start date
Ensihoitaja
Forum Captain
- 376
- 128
- 43
Realistically, it's 2 separate career paths. Federal wildland jobs are pretty much done hiring for this year. They all post on USA Jobs starting in the fall. Having your EMT is a plus for hiring, but it'll be a secondary part of the job at best. Generally you start with a seasonal job.
With the exception of the Park Service, the feds don't really hire medics as medics. Line medics for the most part come from contractors or cooperators, not from within the agencies. Line medics also don't generally do any fire work.
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about medic school. You could potentially work wildland in the summer and work as a medic on the offseason, but you'd have to find a service that's okay with that or find a new job every 6 months.
For background, I worked for a state agency and the Forest Service while I was in college. I went to medic school after finishing my degree. I currently for for an agency that has a cooperator agreement, so I typically go out as a line medic a few times a year.
With the exception of the Park Service, the feds don't really hire medics as medics. Line medics for the most part come from contractors or cooperators, not from within the agencies. Line medics also don't generally do any fire work.
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about medic school. You could potentially work wildland in the summer and work as a medic on the offseason, but you'd have to find a service that's okay with that or find a new job every 6 months.
For background, I worked for a state agency and the Forest Service while I was in college. I went to medic school after finishing my degree. I currently for for an agency that has a cooperator agreement, so I typically go out as a line medic a few times a year.