St. Charles County

[jeepTJstl]

Hi all.. I am a new here, but I have been lurking and reading for the past 4 months on the website. I have to say it is a Great! Website, packed with all kinds of information. I just moved here from Tennessee not too long ago, and I am getting ready to graduate high school. Once graduating high school it is time to get out and start working towards a career. I have wanted to be a firefighter ever since the day last summer when my mother and I helped the victims in a fatal car wreck that occurred in our front yard until emergency services got to the scene. Ever since that day I have wanted to be a firefighter.
This may not be in the correct forum, but figured things varied state to state, and would post it local. I know ya’ll get this all the time, but I would be greatly appreciative of some advice. I am located in St. Charles County in the Wentzville Fire Protection District. I am interested in volunteering while in college, and once out of college pursuing a career as a firefighter. To become a volunteer do you need any certifications or if they bring you on with the department will they certify you in their fire academy? Are their any online or other courses I can take while not affiliated with a department? Any other advice or guidance for helping me get started would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[FirefighterBULL]

I am on Nixa Fire Protection District FD ( http://nixafire.org/ ) and if i was you bro i would go on and get my Firefighter I & II, EMT, Hazmat you will need this to become a fulltime firefighter ( in most departments you will need this) And any other classes you can pickup. There is a site called MU ( http://www.mufrti.org/ ) There you can pickup alot of great classes. If your plans is firefighting get the most training you can get.

I hope this helps bro!! let me know if i can asst you in the right direction

[jeepTJstl]

I apreciate it. Yes, I have been to the mufrti website, but I have one question. In order to get your firefighter I and II and Hazards do you have to be associated with a fire department?
Another note, I have been thinking of going into the service since about christmas break. It just depends on which scohols accept me. I was talking to a guy in the Air Force the other day, and I was doing some research and it said they had a fire protection apprentice job as your job in the service. Will the training they give you be able to benifit me once out of the service, or does all the certificates you get while in the Air Force stay with you, and is accepted by the states as correct certificates?

[FHandz15]

Jeep,

I live in St. Charles City and work in STL County as a medic / FF.

Get your EMT in the year after high school, check with Wentzville, O'fallon or I would guess the St. Charles County Fire Academy (I assume there is one) about upcoming FF I and II classes. EMT is usually a must to get hired, also it is the step to paramedic which is required by 75% of the area depts for career. You shoudn't have too much trouble finding EMT and FF I classes in the metro area, and Wentzville is a combo dept. right? I hear good things about them, you should go to a station and talk with the FF's about the right path as well, and get your face known.

http://www.wentzvillefire.org/


Good luck

[Chief9900]

The best thing you can do is check with St. Charles County Ambulance District and get registered in their EMT-B program. The other thing you need to do is go to Wentzville and fill out an application to become a volunteer firefighter. Once accepted, they will either sposor you in the St. Charles County Fire Academy or they will put on their own certified firefighter I & II program through the state. Unless you are sponsored by a fire department in St. Charles County, you will not get inot it. You might check with O'Fallon Fire District also, just to make sure which district covers where you live. As far as your other certificates, they should apply or they will apply as long as they are IFSAC.

[jeepTJstl]

Thanks guys. I talked to a guy in the jeep club I am with tonight and he is a paramedic and he said the best thing you could do was go ahead and get your EMT liscense like ya'll suggested. I am going to do some research on it and find a course for it, and start working on it once out of highschool. It's somewhat strange. I live less than a mile from an O'Fallon station, but I am considered in the Wentzville district. I guess I am right on the district border. I've done got the volunteer application and just need to get it turned back in.
Thanks again for all the help.

[jeepTJstl]

Also, Does anyone by any chance off the top of their head know of any community colleges decently close to St. Louis that has the fire tech program and will teach/train for your Fire Fighter I and II.. I know East Central College in Union does, just wondering if any other place was.
I seen on the application for St. Charles Community College that they had a fire tech program, wasn't sure if you could get certificates from this program or not?
thanks

[flash211]

jefferson college has firefighter tech program. the one st.charles community college won't get you fire 1 & 2. also st. charles county has emt and are trying to start a paramedic program this fall. just go and check it out i went through their emt program and it was a good program.

[jeepTJstl]

Yes, I noticed St. Charles community college were just pre course and did not award certificates for completion. I have been reading on St charles county website about the program and a buddy out of the jeep club told me about it. Going to call and find out more info this week.

[flash211]

sorry nevermind