STL to GA relocation ?

[cvame2202]

I am considering relocating to FL, NC, SC, VA, of GA. I currently live in the St. Louis metro area and have been employed for 18 years as a paid Firefighter/EMT. I am hoping for info on pay, benefits, morale and potential future hirings. I am also intersted in public schools, cost of real estate, climate and crime. I have spent hours researching FD and city/state websites and some of the cities or metro areas that seem appealing are Charlotte, Savannah, Raliegh, Durham, Virginia City, and Richmond. I am interested in many Florida areas but it seems impossible to get hired with out their state certifications. Any and all info would be appreciated. If we move based on your info I'll buy you a beer or 10. Thanks

[hherndon]

Try Glynn County Fire Department. Our county seat is Brunswick, Ga. located on the Ga. coast south of Savannah. We run fire and EMS. We are a combination department with 130 career and approximately 60 volunteer. Our coverage includes 426 square miles including St. Simons Island, and Sea Island, with 8 stations. Normally, anyone with an EMT or Paramedic certification is accepted immediately. Firefighter/EMT pay begins close to $28,000.

[gomez3247]

If you move to Georgia, the metro area (Atlanta), pay wise, will be your best bet. Some of the better depts. are Gwinnett Co., and Cobb Co., both have some extensive hireing processes, but great departments. If your not into a morale problem stay the hell away from Dekalb Co., pays decent, but if your a medic you will live and die on the ambulance. if can get your current fire certs and EMT certs transferred to georgia you should only have to go through a fast-track class then go online (2weeks). City of Atlanta pays decent too but you can never get anyone in training/investigations/hireing process folks to call you back, and they all have the strange ability to have their own ideas on what you need to have and to accomplish to get hired...........very very frustrating. Henry Co. is a good and upcoming dept. they too will put you through a fast track class (2weeks) then go online if you have current NPQ FFI, and are at least an EMT, provided you pass C-PAT, psych, physical, interview, as with all the above depts. as well. Hope i didnt confuse you.

[hazmatt]

Cobb and Gwinnett are are good departments in Ga. with good schools and nice environment. You should also do some research on some of the smaller municipal depts. Check out Alpharetta Ga. 20 m. N. of Atlanta. Pay starts at about 35k + benifits and it is a very clean city with great schools.

Another one to look at is Sandy Springs, Ga. which is a newly incorperated city that is just forming its dept. Probably will have competitive pay and has really nice suburbs. It borders Atlanta city limits.

Let me know if you need the low down on any Ga. depts.

---Matt

[cvame2202]

Thanks Guys, I will do some research on these departments. I have looked at a couple of these and they seem like big districts. I may travel to Georgia in Sept. to check a few places out. If any place looks like they'll be hiring in the next year please pass them along. Thanks again!