Any firefighters out there?

[TimberHunter]

Have a desire to get into firefighting but want to see if you guys wouldn’t mind sharing your experiences (good/bad/indifferent)? Would you do it again? What would you do different?

My idea right now is to try to become a volunteer (been hitting some road blocks as it seems there aren’t many volunteer programs) and test the water before I consider giving up what other say is the golden goose job I currently have


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[QuickTrigger7]

Shoot me a message.

 

[Wellsdw]

20 years this September.
Good job. Definitely changed, no where nearly as competitive as it was to find work. But still love it. My advice go to as big a dept as you can. That way if needed you can go other routes besides just riding a truck. (Training, prevention, special ops, etc.). the job can be hard on the body and mind so I’d consider That as well.Most don’t when you are 20

 

[TimberHunter]

20 years this September.
Good job. Definitely changed, no where nearly as competitive as it was to find work. But still love it. My advice go to as big a dept as you can. That way if needed you can go other routes besides just riding a truck. (Training, prevention, special ops, etc.). the job can be hard on the body and mind so I’d consider That as well.Most don’t when you are 20

Appreciate the info… I’m getting close to 30 and I am slightly concerned about the trauma aspect of the job. In a perfect world I’d try to volunteer on wild fires but that isn’t much of an option from what I can tell


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[OrangeMan73]

I'd go wildland vs structural everyday of the week. And the field is wide open right now for advancements and training.

 

[TaperPin]

The testing for new recruits at desirable departments is not a cake walk. I know a couple of very fit guys who are super sharp and liked for their work ethics that recently washed off the academy list before even setting foot at the academy. Something about something they said in the in-person interviews rubbed the captain and selection committee the wrong way. A lot of guys have come out of the military with experience, have years of wildland experience, have picked up EMT training, are super sharp, super tough and competing for the same jobs you are. If you’re really good no problem - just don’t ever admit in an interview you’re sitting on the fence.

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

I’m a firefighter with a large city dept. I can’t imagine doing anything else, but it’s not all roses that’s for sure. I work on a truck that runs 15-18 calls a day on average, and the busy nights can really take a toll. The trauma aspect hasn’t really negatively impacted me, but I know guys who it has.
My biggest gripe is that in most of the left run major cities, firefighters and cops aren’t treated as a priority in the city anymore by those in charge. We are looked at almost like the catch all problem solvers for anything that happens, and our leadership does anything they can to compensate us as little as they can. It’s pretty sad. Some depts definitely have better contracts then others, I’d definitely look into getting on one that gets raises, promotion opportunities etc.
having said that, for a lot of us, it’s what we are meant to do, and I’m grateful for what the job has given my family. It’d just sure be nice to be paid market value! But I make a reasonable living and have much more time for family time and hunting vs a “normal” job.

 

[TimberHunter]

I'd go wildland vs structural everyday of the week. And the field is wide open right now for advancements and training.

Thanks for the suggestion.. wildland would be my top choice but I did not think there was much opportunities for a volunteer style guy to keep his current job and try wildland firefighting? Not sure I’m ready to give up my career until I know 100% firefighting is what I want to do as a career


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[TimberHunter]

I’m a firefighter with a large city dept. I can’t imagine doing anything else, but it’s not all roses that’s for sure. I work on a truck that runs 15-18 calls a day on average, and the busy nights can really take a toll. The trauma aspect hasn’t really negatively impacted me, but I know guys who it has.
My biggest gripe is that in most of the left run major cities, firefighters and cops aren’t treated as a priority in the city anymore by those in charge. We are looked at almost like the catch all problem solvers for anything that happens, and our leadership does anything they can to compensate us as little as they can. It’s pretty sad. Some depts definitely have better contracts then others, I’d definitely look into getting on one that gets raises, promotion opportunities etc.
having said that, for a lot of us, it’s what we are meant to do, and I’m grateful for what the job has given my family. It’d just sure be nice to be paid market value! But I make a reasonable living and have much more time for family time and hunting vs a “normal” job.

Referencing the “it’s what we were meant to do” really resonates with me. Gives me chills just thinking about potentially finding what I’m meant to do. Thanks for the info!


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[Lawnboi]

Where are you located? And are you willing to relocate?

 

[TimberHunter]

Where are you located? And are you willing to relocate?

Southern UT. If I knew 100% I wanted to be a full time FF, I’d be willing to relocate. But I’d really like to try volunteering for a while to see if it’s truly my calling like I think it is. Hard to give up a solid, flexible career for something I strongly think I want to do


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[100%DIYazCOUES]

Referencing the “it’s what we were meant to do” really resonates with me. Gives me chills just thinking about potentially finding what I’m meant to do. Thanks for the info!


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If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message. The idea of volunteering somewhere to see what it’s like is good advice

 

[TaperPin]

Thanks for the suggestion.. wildland would be my top choice but I did not think there was much opportunities for a volunteer style guy to keep his current job and try wildland firefighting?

Even if you were a full time seasonal anyone of those guys are getting rich. A lot of good guys with military preference and experience will out complete you for the good jobs. Just a volunteer wildland gig isn’t worth much - an 18 year old on a real crew will have 10x the experience in the first summer.

Unless you have a forestry, range management or similar 4 year degree the rate of advancement on the federal side is quite slow. Just to move from a really cool seasonal job on a shot crew or even smoke jumpers to a full time position is a struggle for the guys that are good at it with military preference. In some ways this is a very competitive period for a number of reasons. For someone who wants to advance the worst thing you can do is get on an average FS district crew that gets very little overtime and has an FMO without any pull in the system. Working for someone who can make a phone call and get you special treatment on career moves is worth a lot more than people realize. If you want to be a smoke jumper, look for FMO’s who are gung ho ex smoke jumpers.

 

[tony]

South Utah man that's some beautiful land
St. George is paid
Anyway retired here. Big city WV small for anywhere else. No EMS, yeah brothers you heard that right! Did first response though.

My take :
Age how old are you? Many places have a cut off say 36 to 40s
EMS - I am a paramedic still, if you can find a dept. that doesn't run EMS jump on it. EMS turns the fire dept into dog years. I work just enough casual for my county EMS to remember why I hated it. Plus I can wash my truck for free.
Can you move? You may have to to get a job. Pay is subjective to the area.
Shifts usually a 24 hour shift starting a 7 to 8AM and it is a true family of dysfunctionals. You will laugh till you piss yourself, cry, want to murder your work mates, etc.
Can your home life sustain you being gone around 10 days a month.
Can you cook? Learn how now.
Look up to the senior man or woman. They run the station and your respective rig.
Ask questions but limit your questioning, you are new.
Easy to get offended? Man the FD is built on ball busting, dudes will cut you to pieces and if they find your weakness, they will eat you alive. These same men will be there at 3AM in 10 foot of snow or a flood if you ever need anything!

Now Cancer. This real.
Its getting worse for firefighters, its not wood and paper that's burning anymore. Hell the protective gear (bunker, turnout gear) is now being found to contain cancer causing materials in it.

Vollies - oh boy that's a whole different world. It is an excellent way to to get a taste of things. I was a vollie for many years.

Firefighting jobs - Using Ohio as an example, as I am from Ohio. If you walk in as a Paramedic and have what is call a 240 card. You can get hired in most small depts. WV where 95% of the depts are volunteer does not operate the same. You get hired and then trained. Same thing for most big city depts. They will train you.
Best of luck in your decisions

 

[Hnthrdr]

Work for a larger department in the Rocky Mountain west. I would love to answer any and all questions. Been at it for 6 years now came from an army background. Hit me up, there are quite a few fireman’s on the old Rokslide it seems. I would disagree with some and 1000% go structural, since most structural departments have wildland teams you can volunteer to join and when a structural guy does wildland, it is beaucoup OT and the pay is significantly more

 

[Bigred323]

I was a volunteer FF for 4-5 years and have had my medic license since 09.

I’ll work a few shifts a few times a year here and there just to keep up my license requirements, but I work full time in a new career (vet med). You either hate it or love it. The guys that hate it, leave pretty quickly and the guys that stay in between stick around but can make the job pretty undesirable (especially if you get partnered up with them).

If you’re solid, a hard worker and can put up with a bunch of bs, it’s an awesome job. I miss it all the time. For the most part, my buddies now are all still guys I worked EMS with. You get on with some good guys and the bond you build is like no other.

I will say though, one of the down sides to these careers (EMS/fire/PD) is the hardships it places on families. From the long hours away from home and wife/kids, missed holidays, injures on the job, and although many deny it, infidelity is a huge issue in these fields as well. Need a good head on your shoulders and a supportive family.

Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[UpSideDown]

Do a few ride-alongs at a local career department. Volunteering will not show you what a career position is like, at least not without a ton of time on. I volunteered for 9 years and had a phenomenal leg up and could have gone almost anywhere if I had gone to paramedic school, but I couldn't get a job anywhere because I wasn't a paramedic. I was an EMT, went to some very unique schools like crash-rescue, did a lot of specialized stuff - but it felt like a joke that my experience didn't matter unless I had the "P card", and that there were 30,000 applicants applying to every opening at the local departments. I changed careers into engineering.

Now we've moved to a small town with what seems like an outstanding volunteer dept and I'm probably going to join.

There are two things I miss about firefighting:
- A no-question feeling of purpose
- The team
There's no replicating those things in non-stress environments. Nothing makes those two things so clear as all the stress, trauma and difficulty of a career with real meaning.

Spend some time with both the municipal and wildland dudes. Those are two different worlds!

 

[justin davis]

I’ve been a firefighter for 20 years. I work for a small department up in the mountains. It’s nice place to be. Thankfully we are small and not a large city department we don’t have the crazy woke politics and hiring restraints that some of the big city departments have. Some of those city’s it seems they try to not hire white males because white males are bad haha

. But now days departments seem to be struggling to find people to work. So i think it’s easier to get hired on than it was 15-20 years ago. It was insanely competitive at the larger city’s.

I enjoy the schedule. At our department we work 48/96 shift. Nice schedule for hunting!!

In the summers we are busier and often deploy on wildland fires. It’s been great to see a lot of cool places I would have never been because of that. But can also get old being away from the family for weeks.

We do the ems too so 90% of our calls seems like medicals. Some departments don’t do medical transports some. But I really enjoy helping people in need and don’t mind the transports. You will also see some brutal stuff and it will either harder you or it will break you. It’s hard on the body. And the middle of the night wakes ups take a tole on you.

But Overall an awesome job in my opinion

 

[Braaap]

I worked for a large department in Texas for 5 years and now a medium size department in a western state for the last 7 years. You definitely want to go structural and go for the largest department you can. I absolutely love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else. One of the best things about the job is the people you work with. Most of them came to firefighting after having a different career previously and not finding it enjoyable and fulfilling. We have ex teachers, cops, lawyers, Navy seals, green berets, rangers, Olympic athletes, many college athletes, professional athletes, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, phd’s, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, and more. You get to work with amazing people of different skill sets and backgrounds.

It’s a fun job and I think the schedule and lifestyle is great. My wife really likes it but there are some that struggle with it.

You will get a good look at a volunteer or combination department by volunteering. This won’t necessarily be representative of the job at a large city department so keep that in mind.

I’m happy to share more about how to get hired if you’re interested, send me a PM.

 

[Sled]

If you get an EMT and a red card you can usually detail with a wildland crew for a couple weeks at a time as medical coverage. The pay is good and you're basically working when you want to.