Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Hiring Basics

[46Young]

The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department is opening the application process to non-medics until March 15th. This doesn't happen often - the process is usually closed for most of the year, sometimes longer.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/recruitment/

 

[danno34]

Fairfax

How do you like Fairfax and when do you think they'll be hiring Medics again? What's the cost of living there compared to Long Island? Is the salary decent? You can PM me if that'll be better. Thanks! Long time since we worked 46Eddie!

 

[46Young]

How do you like Fairfax and when do you think they'll be hiring Medics again? What's the cost of living there compared to Long Island? Is the salary decent? You can PM me if that'll be better. Thanks! Long time since we worked 46Eddie!

Getting on with Fairfax is like hitting the Lotto. They're continuously hiring medics, so apply as soon as you have your NR-P. Basics have to wait for sporadic openings.

Cost of living in Fairfax is rougly equivalent to LI, depending on where you live. With our schedule (10 days a month), you can commute from 30-45 mins away and have a much lower cost of living. I live about 50 mins from my station, and my first house cost $292k, 3200 SF Colonial with a 1700 SF basement, .33 acres.

I'll PM you so we can catch up.

 

[46Young]

I'm sure you know that we have four others from North Shore working here besides myself. Only one guy left in 2007 for Charleston County EMS. I worked with him there for a few months until Fairfax called me.

 

[DrParasite]

you know, I might just apply to Fairfax. I guess if i get hired, I will end up going to paramedic school. at least then it will be a worthwhile investment in my future

 

[danno34]

46Y.....I got your PM except I can't answer since I'm still a newbie. I think I need one more post. Anyway, yea we both got hired on the same day in 03 at NS. I'm sure you can figure it now! I went to NYM Medic program last year. Just trying to venture off down south. Have some things lined up. I'll post again and then PM you back. Hopefully it lets me!

 

[danno34]

I also just rec my National Registry Paramedic. Seems everyone outside of NY requires it.

 

[46Young]

I think you need ten posts before you can PM. I think I have a good idea who you are. If you still work at NS, my cousin still works per diem in dispatch. Get my number from her if you want. Or find Dennis V. if he still works there per diem. We talk occasionally.

Anyway, medics with NR-P can apply with Fairfax at any time. You have to go to their site and do it on-line. You'll do one trip for the entrance exam, one for the CPAT, and three days together for the psych, the medical, and the poly. That's all you need to do to complete the hiring process.

 

[46Young]

you know, I might just apply to Fairfax. I guess if i get hired, I will end up going to paramedic school. at least then it will be a worthwhile investment in my future

Fairfax is only a few hours from Northern Jersey, and they'll put you through medic school a year or two in if you request it.

 

[DrParasite]

if they do 24s, i can even do the commute from NJ. cool

Anyway, medics with NR-P can apply with Fairfax at any time. You have to go to their site and do it on-line. You'll do one trip for the entrance exam, one for the CPAT, and three days together for the psych, the medical, and the poly. That's all you need to do to complete the hiring process.

you know, I did fairfax City's and found their physical exam to be easy. ditto loudon county's. I do with that they could do the psych, medical and poly in 1 one day. driving down 4 hours for an hour or 2 test always seemed like such a waste of a day to me.

 

[danno34]

Fairfax

How are the raises there? You've been there for a while now are you also a FF? Sorry I'm trying to build up my post number. This is ridiculous! Working at Wyckoff Hts tonight on the Queens side, I got all night! LOL (per diem gig)

 

[46Young]

How are the raises there? You've been there for a while now are you also a FF? Sorry I'm trying to build up my post number. This is ridiculous! Working at Wyckoff Hts tonight on the Queens side, I got all night! LOL (per diem gig)

You should have my number through the PM.

Raises are good, step based, but it takes a long time to top out. We're all cross-trained as firefighters. FF/medics are trained at the firefighter salary, about $50k/yr, and then are bumped north of $70k after clearing the ALS internship. My current base, with five years on and one promotion is around $84k/yr. I've broke $100k each of the last four years, $130k the last two, if that gives you any idea. The FLSA laws and our 56 hour work schedule (a variation of a 24/48) makes it easy to break $100k without trying too hard.

 

[RUABadfish002]

Fairfax is a great department, but the schedule was a big turn off for me.

 

[Christopher]

You should have my number through the PM.

Raises are good, step based, but it takes a long time to top out. We're all cross-trained as firefighters. FF/medics are trained at the firefighter salary, about $50k/yr, and then are bumped north of $70k after clearing the ALS internship. My current base, with five years on and one promotion is around $84k/yr. I've broke $100k each of the last four years, $130k the last two, if that gives you any idea. The FLSA laws and our 56 hour work schedule (a variation of a 24/48) makes it easy to break $100k without trying too hard.

If you guys weren't all hazards I'd join, it ain't software, but it ain't a pay cut either. Few of the guys from my service area joined up about two years ago and are loving it.

 

[NYMedic828]

If you guys weren't all hazards I'd join, it ain't software, but it ain't a pay cut either. Few of the guys from my service area joined up about two years ago and are loving it.

Hazards?

 

[Christopher]

Hazards?

Forced Fire and EMS.

 

[NYMedic828]

Forced Fire and EMS.

Ah gotcha.

I wouldn't want to have to work EMS either :rofl:

 

[Thricenotrice]

Anyway, medics with NR-P can apply with Fairfax at any time. You have to go to their site and do it on-line. You'll do one trip for the entrance exam, one for the CPAT, and three days together for the psych, the medical, and the poly. That's all you need to do to complete the hiring process.

There's no interview phase? Captains or chiefs?

 

[46Young]

There's no interview phase? Captains or chiefs?

Curiously, no. I guess they figure that the psych and poly are good enough.

 

[46Young]

Ah gotcha.

I wouldn't want to have to work EMS either :rofl:

I've seen more than a few single role EMS places where the techs don't want to be forced to do EMS. It doesn't matter if you're getting $8/hr or $35/hr, getting up two to three times a night, for an hour + each time gets old, real old after a while.

That crap can affect your health and your relationships. I worked with a guy who was diagnosed with clinical depression, had significant marital problems, and took an extended period of leave because of the constant call volume and sleep deprivation. It sucks when you've been away from home for 24 hours, run calls for most of the night, and get home with nothing left in the tank. The kids want to play, your spouse needs you to get things done, and you've got nothing left to give. It's all the more psychologically damaging when you realize that most of these patients that rob you of sleep call for such minor issues, that are nowhere close to worthy of emergent tx/txp. C/C's like "I haven't pooped for four days" (0230), "I've had a fever for two hours" (0400), or my favorite - "I have no real complaint, I just took the wrong bus, I'm out of cash, and I just need a ride home (0100) - I needed to make up something to tell the dispatcher" will wear you out over time.

It's things like this that make people not want to do EMS txp in a combined organization. You're out of the station for long periods of time, while the engine is back in 15 minutes. The reasons that you're out are typically nowhere close to a real emergency. Even the most apathetic hardcore fire slayers will step up their game when they're assisting the ambulance crew for someone that's actually dying or severely injured. It's just that the culture is no one wants to have their time wasted by ignorant people calling for taxi rides. I hate eating cold steak three hours past dinner time because a 25 y/o called me for flu-like Sx, or an All-State-itis 5 mph MVA and they want to be transported.

The joke is that besides the money, I became a medic to do more for the patient, and also to get away from all the BLS calls. Where I come from (for non New-Yorkers), BLS handle most injuries, MVA's, sick jobs, abd pain, EDP's, medical alarms, single Sz, intox, etc. The joke is that my system used to be tiered BLS/ALS. That changed about a year after I got hired. Now, every career ambulance is ALS. It's back to running toe pain and hurt feelings. This has killed my enthusiasm for EMS. I'm tempted to look for per-diem ALS work back in NY just so that I can remember what it was like to be a medic and actually see real patients/use my protocols.