Becoming A Fulltime Firefighter

[simfirdept]

Hello Everyone! I just signed up for this today. I'm a 24 year old volunteer firefighter from Simcoe Ontario who is trying to pursue a firefighting career fulltime. Our Station is paid volunteer and we are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. What I was wondering is how difficult is it or was it for you guys to pursue your career? I have applied to 3 cities in Ontario so far and have had anywhere from 400-1600 people applying for 10-20 positions. Is it this competitve elswhere in Canada and the U.S.? Also does anyone really know what these cities are looking for i'm starting to lose hope. I heard it can take anywhere from 3-10 years to get on fulltime. Why I wanna know what these cities are really looking for is I do fine on the aptitude and fitness testing but get no further. I have my first aid, dz license, firefighting experience, 20/15 vision as well as other fire courses but no phone call for the next step. Lots of cities hire people with little or no experience at all. What I can hope for though is I talked to a fellow fulltime firefighter and he said within the next couple years the hiring process is gonna see changes and if you have firefighting experience it will benefit you and you should land the job. It has been a costly adventure so far but i'm hoping that someday soon I will land my dream job of being a full time firefighter.

[CaptBob]

You wrote:

I heard it can take anywhere from 3-10 years to get on fulltime. Why I wanna know what these cities are really looking for is I do fine on the aptitude and fitness testing but get no further.

The secret is in the oral board; passing high enough to get a shot at that badge. You said it yourself above. You're passing everything up to the oral board, right? Check out a previous posting here : http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/sho...threadid=51959

Lucky Joe?

Like you have seen and wrote, we help candidates get hired all the time with little or no experience.

Introducing Joe:

Joe got one of our flyers when he picked up an application for the San Francisco Fire Department test. He had seen the ad for the test in the newspaper. Although he was not a kid, he thought he would give it a shot. No background, formal education or experience related to the fire service.

It didn’t take long after Joe contacted us to figure out that he was not the brightest light on the tree.

We suggested a book he could get to help him prepare for the written. Every time he called me he also called my firefighter son Rob. On one call he left a message asking, if I buy this book, does it have the answers for the San Francisco test in it? There were many, many calls. We answered all.

Of the 4100 that took the San Francisco written, guess who was one of the 1700 who passed? Joe passed the SFFD written.
The oral was next. My son Rob dreaded doing the coaching session. It normally takes about an hour for a coaching session. It was a looooong session.

Guess who was one of the 609 who passed the San Francisco Oral? Yep, Joe.

Next was the physical agility. Joe was in great shape. He wanted to know how to prepare. I told him to go to the Physical Agility section of the FREE “101 Inside Secrets to Get a Badge on our web site. Joe left a message the next day, Captain Bob I can’t find that book you told me about on preparing for the physical. Another call to Joe that it’s FREE on the web site.

Joe doesn’t know about you. He doesn’t know about your degrees, certificates, education, and experience.

Even though Joe is not the sharpest knife in the drawer he did something you probably aren’t. He said, “Captain Bob just tell me what I need to do.” And, he listened! He listened to what he needed to do. Joe followed the simple formula: Get our program. Work it. Use a tape recorder to practice. Get coaching. Badge!

Guess who graduated from the 108th fire academy in San Francisco? That’s right Joe. He walked right in off the street and took away your badge.

I told this to a medic testing for 4 years in the Denver area last week and he said, “Captain Bob that’s not funny.” I know it isn’t. But Joe is now wearing the badge that many aspire to wear.

In Canada, check out our associate: http://www.new-recruit.com

Oppps, it just keeps getting better and better. Stop the presses. This just in. Sunday, August 17, 2003 2:48 PM, Film at eleven:

Captain Bob,

I would like to thank you and your son for putting out a wonderful product that actually helps! I received the audio/video package from a friend who used it to get hired by the City of Tacoma, in Washington. I had no clue what I was doing wrong in my interview skills until, I listened to the audio tapes. Wow! That did it! I followed your advice, streamlined my info to draw from and I found myself being invited to Chief Interviews. Well, the third time was the charm because, after my 3rd Chiefs' I was offered a position with the City of Redmond, near Seattle! This is my dream department and using your tips I made that dream a reality! I will send all my friends who are striving for a fire job your way. Thank you!

Grinnin' Ear to Ear,
Nate

Reply: How do you think I feel when I get these e-mails? My heart is full, warm and full of emotions . . . everytime!

Nah, it can't work for you too, right? I keep hearing there are no jobs out there because of the hiring freezes and the bad ecomony. Oh, yea? Our candidates just keep nailing those badges. It proves more than ever that you have to place high enough on oral board to get a shot at those badges when they become available. The ball is in your court. How are you going to field it?

"Nothing counts 'til you have the badge . . . Nothing!" Just ask Nate who's Grinnin' from Ear to Ear

Fire "Captain Bob"
Author of the new book Becoming A Firefighter--The Complete Guide to Your Badge!

https://www.eatstress.com

888-238-3959

[simfirdept]

full time

Hello there Capt Bob. What my problem is I'm not getting to the interview part and cannot figure out why. I think I have a fair share of training and knowledge of the fire service.

[CaptBob]

Where?

You wrote:

I do fine on the aptitude and fitness testing but get no further

Does this mean you just aren't scoring high enough on the aptitude or fitness? Is the aptitude weighted?

Fire "Captain Bob"
Author of the new book Becoming A Firefighter--The Complete Guide to Your Badge!

https://www.eatstress.com

888-238-3959

[simfirdept]

Test Results

I have done 2 fitness tests so far for my vo2 max they were 45.3 ml/kg/min and 50.8 ml/kg/min. For the one test they had a clinical result mark out of 40 and mine was 27/40 and the firefighting job specific tasks were marked on a pass or fail I passed them all.
1. Victim drag 24.41 sec
2. Claustrophobia test 371 sec
3. Hose carry/climb 134.3 sec
4. Ladder lift 35.6 sec
5. Sled drag 7.4 sec
6. Rope drag/pull 41.78
7. Acrophobia test was marked as pass or fail and I passed
8. Tread water test was marked pass or fail and I passed

On the aptitude Assessment I scred a 71 out of 100.

On the other fitness test for firefighting job specific tests they were marked with a superior acceptable or borderline

Ladder ascent and descent I scored acceptable
Confined Space Search I scored acceptable
Ladder Retrieval I scored acceptable
Victim Rescue I scored superior
Simulated Hose Advance I scored superior
Stair ascent and descent carrying hose I scored superior
Rope pull/hose hoist I scored acceptable

I think I scored pretty good with all my test results. For the Vo2 max they are saying that the standard range for males is 45-52+.
Thanks again for all your help and guidance Capt. Bob

[CaptBob]

Where are you stuck?

You wrote:

On the aptitude Assessment I scred a 71 out of 100.

For the one test they had a clinical result mark out of 40 and mine was 27/40 and the . . .For the Vo2 max they are saying that the standard range for males is 45-52+.

It appears that these are some of the areas that are keeping you from going forward. What are you doing to improve?


Where Are You Stuck?

Why "Nothing counts 'til you have the badge . . . Nothing!"

Certainly there are other things in life that are far more important than a badge. Family, health, friends and happiness.

The reason I use this slogan is because I often hear candidates who don't have a badge us these excuses. I have education, experience, training, been a volunteer, bunked, and have a burning desire to get this job. Got degrees, certificates, have every merit badge you could think of, yada, yada, yada. None of this is going to matter if you don't get a badge. You will still be the bridesmaid.

Take this simple test to check how you're doing getting a badge.
· Are you subscribed to a service that notifies you when a department is testing? Check out Firehouse.com
· Are you taking every test you can?
· Are you passing the written?
· Are you passing the physical ability?
· Are you preparing for your oral interviews (100% of the score)?
· Are you passing the oral?
· Are you getting conditional job offers?
· Are you passing the psychological interview?
· Are you passing the medical?
· Are you passing the background?

If you can't answer yes to all these questions, you will never see a badge! Wherever you answer no, you cannot go onto the next step to gain a badge. Where are you stuck?

I get calls from candidates all the time telling me about all their wonderful credentials. They have been testing 3, 5 or 7 years, have been number 30 on this list, 22 on that list, volunteer firefighter, AA in Fire Technology, some medics and every certificate and merit badge you could imagine. I have to stop them before they get into warp speed with all their stuff. I do this with one simple statement: Do you have a badge? They go off again with more of their great stuff. I bring them back with: But, you do not have a badge? You are the bridesmaid. Never the bride.

Many write e-mails like this: I know I have what it takes to make it as a full-timer.

My reply: Yeah, they all say that. You know that. But you have to convince the oral board panel that you really do. That's where we come in.

You would not be calling if there wasn’t a problem? Right? Finally they answer, right. If you cannot be humble and ask for help, how can you convince them on the oral board you can be humble enough after you get hired? Once we are both on the same page, we can start working on where you are stuck and find a solution that will you that elusive badge.

I receive e-mails like this one:

I am discouraged. I was in a recent psych/background process with a large department and a friend of mine got his conditional offer today and I did not. I am a new medic with six months experience, I have an AA, 14 units shy of a bachelors in management, I was in the Marine Corps, I am 34 years old and I felt like my interview with the psychologist went well and I am unaware of any major background problems. What gives? My friend is 22, no college and brand new medic himself. I just don't understand...Steve

A candidate like this called us last year. Skeptical, he went ahead and got our Entry Level Program and did the private coaching. He called yesterday that he had been offered the job of his dreams. He told me when he took the oral for this department there was a battalion chief on his panel that kept his head down writing most of the time.

When he gave his Nugget signature story answer to one question, the batt chief looked up, put his pen down and focused on his personalized answer (a real good sign). He said he knew then he had the job. Dan went to his psych armed with our special report on how to pass. He said it wasn't difficult avoiding the land mines during his psych because he knew where they were (this was probably the problem area with the discouraged candidate above). Dan got his badge. He had rushed out after the ultimate call to take flowers to his bride to be. He started the academy two weeks later.

Fire "Captain Bob"
Author of the new book Becoming A Firefighter--The Complete Guide to Your Badge!

https://www.eatstress.com

888-238-3959