New Here

[TheHealingOne]

Hey all. I'm Jason, a recently Firefighter One by the State of Colorado. I'm new here and I'm really close, I hope and I feel, to getting onto my first Volunteer Fire Department! :)

I'm nineteen and Firefighting runs in the family. My Dad is a Honorary Retired Firefighter from PA, my cousin currently a Firefighter in PA, and I'm the newest Firefighter of the family. Don't worry, we got nurses, techs, and cops in our family too; make for interesting medical discussions when I get back to PA. ;)

This is what I currently have in training and certifications for the Fire Service:

-5 1/2 months as a cadet in an internship with a Fire Department

-Completed Fire Academy (4th highest grade, even beat my Squad Leader!)

-Firefighter One certification by the State of Colorado

-Haz-Mat Awareness certification by the State of Colorado

-Completed S-130/190 Wildland Firefighter (just have to Pact Test)

-Certification of Achievement (award from Fire Academy for hard-work)

-AED/CPR Certified (need to re-certify)


Well, I hope to be able to talk with other Firefighters, EMS workers, and Rescue workers here. And I'll give any advice to anyone just starting into the Fire Service in training or looking at it (it helps to get the view from someone who just been through it/going through it).

I hope to talk to you all soon!

-Jason

[dmleblanc]

Welcome to the Forums, Jason, nice to have you aboard. As far as what advice I can offer, see my postings on your "Firefighter Plates" thread. Hope you don't take it too personally, I'm just trying to help you out. A little more advice....We don't need to see your resume', this isn't a job interview. Most of the folks on here have been around the block a few times....They realize that a 19 year old with a briefcase full of certifications has seen more of the inside of a classroom than the inside of a firehouse. Spend some time riding backwards, walk a few miles in their bunker boots, and remember that God gave you one mouth and two ears for a reason....you should listen twice as much as you speak.

Please, Jason, don't be discouraged or upset by the responses to your "Plates" post (because I've noticed that most everyone who replied took issue with it). But you did come on sort of strong, for someone with so little experience. Take their advice and learn from it. The fire service is one of those jobs where you have to pay some dues before you can talk like that (and even then only sparingly).

[TheHealingOne]

I thank you, dmleblanc. I replied with a post stating how truely sorry I am.

I am a bit nervous tonight, since I have an "un-official" interview tomorrow with a Fire Department. It's be my third try and my instructors as well as I hope I can get on.

Any advice on clothing? They'll be doing training, so I'm thinking wearing shorts and a T-shirt, but nothing special. Would that do?


-Jason