help - driving record

[fire5emt]

Hello all,

I've been following this forum for quite some time. I have a difficult situation, and I'm looking for a little advice.

First, I've been volunteering at the local fire department for about 3 years. That is what got me really interested in becoming a career firefighter, so much that it seems i couldnt possibly be happy doing anything else. I completed Firefighter I as well as many other county fire academy classes, I got my national EMT-Basic, and I'm almost done an associates degree in Fire Science. My only problem is that just before I turned 21, I was pulled over and booked for an underage DUI, which is a law in new jersey that suspends your license for 30 days and gives you 15 days community service for having a BAC of anything over .01. I didn't think having a beer at dinner with my family before going out was going to cause me so much trouble. In any case, I've never had points on my license, only 2 small non-point tickets before this, and the prospect of this charge hampering my dream is killing me. Anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks!

[AKflightmedic]

As for how the charge may affect your career chances, I will let the others asnwer as I know from past readings they will give you some great advice.

In addition, this topic has been covered before so a search might yield some more advice.

What I would lilke to address is your attitude. While you sound like your head is on right and you have obtained more goals than others of same age with the same dreams, you have total disregard for the LAW. A rule is a rule. First, you drank underage, second, you got caught. Do not try justifying it by saying " a beer with my family, blah blah blah". Who you drank it with does not negate the fact that you broke a law. After drinking this beer illegally, you then made a very unhealthy choice to go driving. Buzzed or not, drinking and driving is illegal. Was this just a random stop? The officer had to have some reason to iinvestigate you further. I would like to know why you were pulled over in the first place and why he proceded to check you for DUI.

Now as a potential employer, I would have to look at you and ask myself, "Why should I hire this young man, when it is obvious he makes poor choices that affect his life first and others second?" How can you be expected to make good choices on the job when you can not even do that now before it is really going to hurt someone?

You can try and downplay it, put a spin on it or say to me...I suppose you have never done it before. That will be the wrong course of action, I warn you now. For starters, I already have a job...Second, I am more responsible than that.

Take some free advice...this is for you and any other newbie wanting a job. EVERYTHING you do is scrutinized...EVERYTHING.
Whenever you plan on going out with the fellas or the guy next to you is revving his engine, or some ******* cuts you off in traffic and you want to react...THINK ABOUT IT FIRST...Will my actions possibly cause a situation to arise where I can not get my dream job?? Too few young people today think 2 steps past their current one and then all we hear is the whining and moaning that follows. Trust us, we have been around, we give solid advice.

[BCLepore]

AKflightmedic gives very sound advice. You will be questioned quite about it during the process. Some departments may consider you too risky to have driving their fire department apparatus, while others may see it as a mistake.

There is nothing you can do about it now. One of the questions that will be asked quite a bit to your friends and employers during a background investigation will center around how much you drink. If this is an isolated example you can recover from it. If, on the other hand, it was simply a matter of time before you got caught you will have difficulty recovering from it.

Having additional marks on your driving record will be magnified because of this infraction. The best thing you can do from here forward is to KEEP A CLEAN RECORD. You want to show the department that this was an isolated event, rather than the sign of a larger problem.

We have all made mistakes. I am no exception. You cannot change the past, however, you can control your future.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[fire5emt]

thanks

thank you both for responding... to answer flightmedic's question, it was not a random stop, I was on my way to a friend's house and did not notice an unmarked dip, the police officer noticed me hit the dip pretty hard (at the posted speed limit) and pulled me over and had me step out right away, he asked me if I had anything to drink and I was completely honest. I passed all the field sobriety tests and blew under the legal limit. Since I was under 21 however, i was charged. I did 90 hours of community service at the local fire academy, took two mandated intoxicated driver classes, and now have made a commitment even after turning 21 to never get behind the wheel after drinking anything, buzzed or not. I plan on keeping my record squeeky clean from here on out, I've cut back on casual drinking and more and more it looks like quitting completely is the only answer. I am 100% clean in all aspects of life, never experiment with any drugs, etc... I realize that it isn't you guys that I have to sell myself to, but I am hoping you understand that I'm not an arrogant person, I fully admit that i made a bad mistake that night, I know it was against the law, I guess I'm just looking for hope in the wrong places.