Passports!!!

[LukeKillough]

Hey all, if you don't have your passport already, here's a helpful tip.

Call your local congressman and let them know you are going to Iraq as a contract firefighter, and tell them the date you have to have your passport. They will ask for your travel date, and you can inform them of that, but make sure you tell them that if you don't fax your passport to your employer at least 3 weeks prior, you will not be going anywhere.

I applied for my passport on Feb. 28th, had it expedited, called the national passport agency 6 times, missed a trip to see my best friend in Canada (mind you that was on May 30th!!!), called the passport agency the 7th time and spoke with a supervisor, he advised me to call my congressman or governor, I called the governors office, they called me back that day and told me to contact my local congressman (and they gave me the # for my local rep), I called my local congressman and my passport came 2 days later.

I don't know how much all the stuff I did prior helped, but calling my congressman sure didn't hurt. My passport was more than 6 weeks late, and it cost me a trip to Canada (and $400 on the plane ticket), and delayed my departure date until July 9th.

So, call your congressman! It won't hurt one bit. They are very friendly, and can call down to Houston (or wherever your passport is sitting), and get them to pull it out of the pile and take care of it for you.

Good luck, Luke

[FireFly61875]

good tip luke. do you know how long it takes usually to get on though? im taking my challenge for my certs this september and i hope to be in a refresher emt course soon too. i plan on heading out (if everything works out for me on time) in about 6 months from now.

[LukeKillough]

Well, from everything I've read, It can be as short as a couple of months. First you need to get all your certs, then you need to apply. Next is the phone interview, then turning in all 3 packets and getting your shots and everything you need taken care of. If you've got all the requirements, and they want you, it can take as little as 2 months, and it goes by fast. I HIGHLY recommend getting your passport now if you don't already have it.

Good luck,

Luke

[Firerider69er]

GOOD LUCK getting through on the phone!!!!! For your passport!! had one but it needed to get renew because I will be in country when it expires. But calling your local congressman is a good idea. But for WSI your physical CANNOT BE MORE THAN 60 days OLD!!!!! Just be careful and have your doctor know that WSI HAS TO HAVE that physical 3 weeks PRIOR to getting to Houston. Test results and all that stuff take time, can be fast and sometimes it can be slow. But it doesn't matter WHEN you leave, your new company....whoever you sign on with wants that passport ASAP. Good luck to all going in the next few months!! I'm leaving on Sept 11th!!! See ya at the beach!!!LOL Jim D. Kennedy Space Center Fire/Rescue

[FireFly61875]

cool. ill go and call about my passport tomorrow. as for the rest of the stuff, im guessing that WSI will tell me what they want and when they want it. if anyone knows of other contracts please email me the companies and the locations they have open, pay scale would be nice too. thank you...

[Firedawg1983]

my congressman wouldn't help me but I got my passport in about 5 hours thats from the application time to actually recieving it

[LukeKillough]

How did you do that? Woulda saved me a about 4 months!...lol...well, good for you!

[Firedawg1983]

well I made a fake itinerary leaving in like 2 days off of expedia and I took my job offer letter from WSI. I scheduled an appointment at the federal building at the passport agency and went up there waited for about 2 hours and then gave them my application and told me to be back in three hours!! haha I was pretty lucky

[FIRESKEITH]

well I made a fake itinerary leaving in like 2 days off of expedia and I took my job offer letter from WSI. I scheduled an appointment at the federal building at the passport agency and went up there waited for about 2 hours and then gave them my application and told me to be back in three hours!! haha I was pretty lucky

I can't believe you just posted that on a public forum!!! FAKE itinerary and federal passport agency and WSI all in the same paragraph!!!
Dude why don't you teach people how to print money next!!! LOL you walk a fine line homie.
Firedawg, WSI reads these threads!! I hope Sam doesn't. Uncle Sam that is!
Firedawg in a federal jail are you allow conjugal visits? OR wait you are allowed, but the moans are from the guys!!!!
LOL (knodding my head side to side with a smile)

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

well I made a fake itinerary leaving in like 2 days off of expedia and I took my job offer letter from WSI. I scheduled an appointment at the federal building at the passport agency and went up there waited for about 2 hours and then gave them my application and told me to be back in three hours!! haha I was pretty lucky

You are a real credit to the fire service. What a trustworthy soul. just the kind of person that I would want going into someone's home when they are not there.

You weren't lucky. You were deceitful and a liar. You are scum of the earth for representing yourself as a fire fighter and then taking advantage of the system with false information.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

In April 2006, I applied at the local Post Office and paid for expedited service. I had my passport in my hands in 9 days with no congressman, no telephone calls and no false information.

[FireFly61875]

how much was that? i heard $120 to get it in two weeks. if so ill do it that way. was that your first passport or did you have to get a new one? i have to get my first one, i dont know if it will take longer or not.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

First passport. $152.00.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html

[FIRESKEITH]

First passport. $152.00.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html

George, awesome the way you picked up the flag and guided the others in accurate and LEGAL parameters of getting a passport.
Great job and great leadership.
Firedawg, George is giving a great example. Follow his lead.

[CaptainGonzo]

Originally Posted by Firepup1983
well I made a fake itinerary leaving in like 2 days off of expedia and I took my job offer letter from WSI. I scheduled an appointment at the federal building at the passport agency and went up there waited for about 2 hours and then gave them my application and told me to be back in three hours!! haha I was pretty lucky

That really gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.... :rolleyes:

[dfdems]

You are a real credit to the fire service. What a trustworthy soul. just the kind of person that I would want going into someone's home when they are not there.

You weren't lucky. You were deceitful and a liar. You are scum of the earth for representing yourself as a fire fighter and then taking advantage of the system with false information.

I agree, funny thing is a lot of WSI head shizznizzels read this site to see what is posted, good and bad. Good career move..

[WSIFire]

Why does everyone act like WSI reading this crap is supposed to be so scarey? If you don't IDENTIFY YOURSELF there's nothing they can do about it.

Having said that, I'll add my two cents. Firedawg you're a piece of crap.

I paid the expidited (sp?) fee and got mine in just under 2 weeks.

I wouldn't call your congressman unless you have problems like-- uhh...whatever that guy's name was who had problems--did. Calling them just to get it faster is a waste of their time, and its a hassle the folks handling passports don't need having some self-important congressman interfering in crap he has no business in. If you know you're going to go, apply for your passport now with the expidited service and you'll have it when you need it. Don't wait until you get the job offer. If you have the frigging certs and a pulse you'll get hired.

[FireFly61875]

Why does everyone act like WSI reading this crap is supposed to be so scarey? If you don't IDENTIFY YOURSELF there's nothing they can do about it.

Having said that, I'll add my two cents. Firedawg you're a piece of crap.

I paid the expidited (sp?) fee and got mine in just under 2 weeks.

I wouldn't call your congressman unless you have problems like-- uhh...whatever that guy's name was who had problems--did. Calling them just to get it faster is a waste of their time, and its a hassle the folks handling passports don't need having some self-important congressman interfering in crap he has no business in. If you know you're going to go, apply for your passport now with the expidited service and you'll have it when you need it. Don't wait until you get the job offer. If you have the frigging certs and a pulse you'll get hired.

im going to do just that but how long would i be looking at from time of sending in my resume to deployment date? i need to get my certs in order before i send the resume in .. i hope ill be able to send it in this november (15th).

[mgkrebs]

firefly,

knowing when you want to go over, i would apply for your passport as soon as possible. that way you won't have any problems down the road. i was in the same doat as you are now. as soon as my wife and i agreed to this whole thing, i applied for my passport. not sure but i think that was april.

[mgkrebs]

im going to do just that but how long would i be looking at from time of sending in my resume to deployment date? i need to get my certs in order before i send the resume in .. i hope ill be able to send it in this november (15th).


about 2 months give or take. for some reason mine went much faster

[FireFly61875]

i hope it will go much faster that the two months. yeah im gonna apply for my passport this week. ill pay extra to get it faster. i was hopeing on getting the job at the end of november or first couple week of december.

[mgkrebs]

fire,

just looked back at my files. i applied 6-14 and my houston date is 8-6. most of the time is waiting and how much time it takes to do the medical physical.