Employment Advice

[FiredogMark]

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[fire49]

Drug use a little heavy and you could call it recent

Medical should be no problem


Was the anti and sleep med prescribed??? If so no problem

[FiredogMark]

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[CaptOldTimer]

My sleeping medication and anti-depresants were pre-scribed by a physician. Do you think it hinders your chances with a department to apply.... get rejected and try again? I'm just thinking if I should give it more time before I apply to more departments?

Thanks, for the help.

If there was one job and the candidates were you and another male who had a clean record of nothing in the closet or history, guess who would get the job.

[fire49]

Advice is to

Check with each department because some have different criteria for drug use

Like some will not take you at all

Or it has to be so many years in the past

Or some will except some types in the past and not other drug use
AT all

[CaptBob]

Use of drugs:
Pot: 200 times last use 2008
Adderall: 25 times last use 2008
Shrooms: 1 time last use 2005


These alone could keep you from being hired. If there was a psych evaluation there would be some serious questions. Some agencies have a minimum of 5 years clear of drugs. Some agencies will DQ you with just one use of shrooms.

[BoxAlarm187]

Use of drugs:
Pot: 200 times last use 2008
Adderall: 25 times last use 2008
Shrooms: 1 time last use 2005

This stands out like a red flag, and would certainly keep you from getting hired with many (most?) departments.

[STFDQuint3]

Go out and apply. Go through the processes. People on the internet seem to always be riding their high horses. Just because guys on FH.com forums say you can't get hired doesn't mean you can't. They aren't doing the hiring. If I listened to everything said on these forums, I would've never applied to any departments.

They say "this guy has a clear record, you don't guess who they will hire?" I don't think that is true 100% of the time. You can have the cleanest record in the book but have the personality of someone you would not want in the firehouse (think brush truck 18 shirts, 150 flashing lights on their POV, so many "put the wet stuff on the red stuff" stickers on their rear window they can't see out of it). Versus, a down to earth normal guy that may have done some less favorable things in their past.

When I first came here I thought departments only hired boy scouts. After I got out and started testing doing some ride alongs and just talking to guys; I found out that's not the case. I have met many boy scout types and I have also met many just normal people; and normal people do less favorable things from time to time.

So I am also just a guy on some forums so don't take what I say as the holy word either. Just my .02. Apply apply apply. Do good in your current volunteer position and make a good name for yourself.

[TNFF319]

You will get hired. Normal people that work hard and stay legal get the shaft. I watch it happen ever application process. This job ain't what it use to be.

[Jonnee]

You have a btter chance being hired on a trash truck than the FD! No department of most sizes will hire folks that have a history or background as yours.

If they did it would be very, very rare.

[luckymckay]

If I were you, I would read some literature on the lie detector test, psych eval, medical exam, and testing process as a whole. That will get you started in the right direction. Next, I would think long and hard about what exactly you reveal on your application. Keep in mind, blatently lying will do you no good due to the extensive background investigation, psych eval, polygraph, and medical exam they will be doing. However, think it through before spilling your entire life story. Provide only what is requested, no more. Many Dept's will view anti-depressants as a serious warning sign. As for pot, 200 times is on the high side. Many Dept's have a cutoff as to how many times you can use a particular drug before being disqualified. Again, do your homework and make the best decision that you feel will help your chances of getting hired! I am not advocating that you lie about anything, but rather thinking about what you should reveal freely. As for the shrooms, you should be fine as long as you stress that you have learned from your mistakes and realize how stupid it was to do those things. Hope this helps. You have some serious hurdles to overcome, but you can do it. There's guys on the job that have done worse than you and made it. Just research, research, research! Good luck

[bigruckuss]

Departments will have no idea that you are on anti-depressants. When you go for your medical evaluation, the doctor simply tells the department that you are or aren't' fit for duty. HIPPA works in your favor here.

[Jonnee]

Departments will have no idea that you are on anti-depressants. When you go for your medical evaluation, the doctor simply tells the department that you are or aren't' fit for duty. HIPPA works in your favor here.

Wrong. When you sign up and take the test and should you move ahead to a medical physical, HIPPA has no effect in this.

You should put out down everything you are on or have been. Blood work will tell the tale and then if you said no I didn't the blood results prevail, they might not move you on for hiring. Fess up and hide nothing.

[peterbound]

Seems like an easy fix. Take a medication holiday during the hiring process and clean your system out. Go through the physical and get back on your meds. Personally, i don't think someone taking anti depressants should be a deal breaker.

Or, you could just self medicate like most of the cats here and take up drinking.

[bigruckuss]

Wrong. When you sign up and take the test and should you move ahead to a medical physical, HIPPA has no effect in this.

Even so...the physician simply informs the hiring entity of fit for duty or not fit for duty.