advice on working AS FIRE FIGHTER overseas

[booboosoul]

Hi i am 41 and was in the local authority fire service in UK for 18 years but AFTER THE STRIKE THE JOB HAS CHANGED PLUS FAMILY LIFE NEEDS, I HAVE LEFT AND WENT BACK TO BUILDING WORK BUT MY AIM IS TO GET INTO INDUSTRIAL FIRE FIGHTING JOBS OVERSEAS. COULD ANYONE HELP WITH ADVICE WHERE TO START OR LOOK BEING FROM THE UK , I HAVE READ OTHER THREADS AND LISTS OF COMPANIES BUT MOST SEEM TO BE IN THE USA. IS THAT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR ME CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE

[cprems]

Hi i am 41 and was in the local authority fire service in UK for 18 years but AFTER THE STRIKE THE JOB HAS CHANGED PLUS FAMILY LIFE NEEDS, I HAVE LEFT AND WENT BACK TO BUILDING WORK BUT MY AIM IS TO GET INTO INDUSTRIAL FIRE FIGHTING JOBS OVERSEAS. COULD ANYONE HELP WITH ADVICE WHERE TO START OR LOOK BEING FROM THE UK , I HAVE READ OTHER THREADS AND LISTS OF COMPANIES BUT MOST SEEM TO BE IN THE USA. IS THAT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR ME CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE

Are any of your certifications transferable to IFSAC or Pro-board. I had this same problem when I came to the USA some 15 years ago. I am a paramedic/Firefighter and none of my certs for paramedic could be transferred. I had to go back to school (it was easy for me, as I had the experience) and get certified as a U.S. Paramedic. My fire certs were taken in Texas (IFSAC State) and I went through school and got mine.

Maybe call the Governing body in the U.K. and ask if your certifications can be transferred to either IFSAC or Pro-Board. I hope someone else on here with more experience in this area will chime in and be able to point you in the right direction.

Hope this helps,

Ian

FF/Emt-P

[Texasoilman44]

I am from the US and currently working in Malaysia as a Fire Chief of an Industrial Fire Company (seconded into another company from my parent company).

A good place for you to kick the bushes would be companies in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. A guy that was working for a company here quit and went to the Middle East due to the demand for experienced Industrial Firefighters to train their personnel.

What I will tell you though, is that cultural and customs is extremely hard to overcome if you are an outsider. You will probably get alot of resistance from locals and never fully be trusted or respected.