Hello, I am currently an EMT student in college and my local fire department is hiring. I really want to work at this fire department but i have a tough decision to make. I have already filled out an application and I take my civil service test for the fire department in about a week but I just started EMT school too. If i get the job at the fire department they will put me through their own EMT classes so the big question is should I quit EMT school and go through the classes in rookie school at the fire department or just finish my current college EMT classes and look for employment once i am certified? Thanks
Fire department Employment
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DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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get hired by the FD, and then finish college. or get hired by the FD and let them pay for you to attend EMT school.
Even if you only get 2 years of undergrad done, once you get the FD job, you will have an income. you can work on your degree as your career progresses.
get the job, go to rookie school, completed rookie school, and then go back to emt school.
Even if you only get 2 years of undergrad done, once you get the FD job, you will have an income. you can work on your degree as your career progresses.
get the job, go to rookie school, completed rookie school, and then go back to emt school.
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How certain are you that you'll get this fire job? Typically, FDs aren't the easiest jobs to get.
Is it a very large department? How many are they taking (and how many usually apply)?
If you do get hired, how long is it from time of test to potential start date (processing time). I put myself completely through paramedic school after taking my civil service exam and was able to finish prior to my start date.
Is it a very large department? How many are they taking (and how many usually apply)?
If you do get hired, how long is it from time of test to potential start date (processing time). I put myself completely through paramedic school after taking my civil service exam and was able to finish prior to my start date.
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Thanks DrParasite.
@PoeticInJustice: Im not very certain that I will get the position because of the high number of applicants but am willing to give everything I've got for a chance at being hired. It is however a very large department with multiple stations located in different cities within my county. I'm not sure how many are being hired but have been forewarned that usually over 100 or more people apply for the job when they may only be hiring for one position.
What is the civil service test like?
Thanks
@PoeticInJustice: Im not very certain that I will get the position because of the high number of applicants but am willing to give everything I've got for a chance at being hired. It is however a very large department with multiple stations located in different cities within my county. I'm not sure how many are being hired but have been forewarned that usually over 100 or more people apply for the job when they may only be hiring for one position.
What is the civil service test like?
Thanks
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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civil service test is usually a written exam, followed by a practical exam, followed by who knows what else. it is usually a loooong process.
I ran into a RN who worked as a career Firefighter. he took the civil service exam to be a FF while in RN school. he jumped through all the hoops he needed, and was offered the job. he took his nursing boards on friday, and the following monday was in recruit school for the FD.
I ran into a RN who worked as a career Firefighter. he took the civil service exam to be a FF while in RN school. he jumped through all the hoops he needed, and was offered the job. he took his nursing boards on friday, and the following monday was in recruit school for the FD.
I got a study guide for the civil service test from the fire department and have been studying like crazy! Hopefully i will get a high score. I was told that the higher the score the higher the chance of being hired but after the service test comes the Physical Agility Test. Thats whats going to kick my butt!
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If it were me, I'd stick with your EMT (and what ever other classes you're going to take) and just be prepared to drop out of your EMT in the event of a job offer. Fire jobs are very competitive and can be very difficult to land. If you get your EMT now and you don't get picked up, you can start looking for other jobs to get experience and make yourself more marketable.
My civil service exam was essentially a general aptitude test, very simple and straight-forward: basic math, reading comprehension, spatial orientation, following directions, logical ordering, etc. While the questions were based around fire situations, there was no need for knowledge of firefighting.
My civil service exam was essentially a general aptitude test, very simple and straight-forward: basic math, reading comprehension, spatial orientation, following directions, logical ordering, etc. While the questions were based around fire situations, there was no need for knowledge of firefighting.
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Best. Advice. Ever. :rofl:
To expound on that a little more, for most CS hiring processes, you take the written CSE. You are then ranked based on your score. They then work their way down the list chronologically, calling people in for the next steps. As one person gets rejected, they move to the next person (they may do groups instead of individuals, but the rank on the list still holds true). So it goes without saying that if you score higher than everyone else, you'll be processed first, and more likely to be hired.
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http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=28615
Many other threads on this as well, that's just the first that popped up for me.
That's fine. Not everyone in Fire is a medic. It just looks better and you're more likely to get hired with that cert.