Driving Record, please help...Flagged?

[PyroPat]

I am new here, and any help offered would be appreciated. A little background on myself.

I am a 20 year FF/EMT currently in paramedic school living in central florida. Just today one of my top departments told me I was flagged from the application process because of my driving record....Now this I could understand: If I had any points on my license. But the fact was, I DON'T have any points on my license. Yes, I did get a speeding ticket last year (i was doing 20 over, I'll explain in a second,) but I did go to driving school, and had the points erased. I've NEVER had a ticket other than that. It is the only ticket on my record....How could one ticket be holding me back? Im an aspiring medic, I have expierence, I was in the top 10 on the physical agility test....As of right now, I'm not going to even make it to the interview..To say the least, I'm at a loss, and pretty bummed out. I was told by the Training chief that I did not make it past risk managment. Their new risk management team I guess is cracking down on hirees with a bad driving record: A good thing, of course I'm sure everyone agrees.

No offense to some of you, but I've searched, and read some of the things that some of you have done and STILL have gotten hired. How does that happen? People are getting hired with 5, 6, sometimes up to 8 points, and I, with not one gets flagged? I'm going to be talking to the training chief in person tomorrow about this situation, and hopefully try to rectify it.


As far as my speeding ticket: It was 2 oclock in the morning, i was heading home from daytona beach on I-4. There was construction on I-4 (people that live in Central FL I'm sure can understand this haha) so there was a detour through one of the smaller towns. To make a long story short, the last speed limit I saw on one of these roads said 55, I was doing 60, next thing I know I'm getting pulled over for doing 60 in a 40mph zone. How bad is it? what can i do? I've known from the getgo: PROTECT YOUR DRIVING RECORD. it has been preached by every firefighter I know. Again, a real bummer. Any help is appreciated, Thanks guys

Chris

[JayDudley]

Flagged

Let me understand this... You were just flagged or flagged and disqualified. If you were just flagged it means that you had a ticket and they want to know about it. I think there needs to be more info.

Respectfully,
Jay Dudley, Retired
Background Investigator

[PyroPat]

maybe I am using the wrong terminology? He told me " we can not do an application/interview process with you at this time, your application was flagged by our risk managament"....Does this mean I'm gone? He said he would talk to/set up an appointment with risk managment to see what he could do for me...It is just so frustrating. I mean the department called me to put in an application ( they call the people who did well on the agility test), I went down to the stations, introduced myself to the firefighters and the chiefs, and everything was going great, it just doesn't seem to add up.


Chris

[Outlet05]

I dont know what to tell you about the ticket, but what I can tell you is don't be to bummed about it. So you got burned this time around, put it past you and move on. Your still very young, its only one department, its not like there won't be other opprotunities to test elsewhere. Keep testing, stay out of trouble, and continue working towards the goal, you'll do fine. The best things in life are the things you work the hardest to get.

[PyroPat]

I dont know what to tell you about the ticket, but what I can tell you is don't be to bummed about it. So you got burned this time around, put it past you and move on. Your still very young, its only one department, its not like there won't be other opprotunities to test elsewhere. Keep testing, stay out of trouble, and continue working towards the goal, you'll do fine. The best things in life are the things you work the hardest to get.

I appreciate the feedback, and the encouraging words. You make some good points. I'm just new to all of this, and this is the first time I've had to deal with rejection from one of my top choice departments. It really is a bummer though. Hopefully I will get this all resolved tomorrow though, but I'm not counting on that. Hopefully someone else on here can give me alittle more help on this situation? Thanks again


Chris

[PyroPat]

come on please guys? I really would like some insight from the vets, and the background investigators here....captbob possibly? Thanks in advance,


Chris

[b52turkish]

Pyro,

I am by no means a Vet but I do know this: Every department is different. I know a semi-large city that hired a former State Trooper who was fired from his job and did some prison time because of a hit and run, I know of a dept that hired a guy who had 5 speeding tickets in the last 2 years. Then there are depts like the one you applied to. Keep your options open, apply to other cities, you never know.

[JayDudley]

Hang in there

Pyro... Hang in there. It doesn't sound like it's the end quite yet. Let it work itself out. You said they'd look into it and wait an see what's going to happen. The ticket is not a bad thing and if it doesn't work out this time it willrun it's course. Stay clear of any more tickets and trust me when I say this. As a vet (over 32 years) of the fire service....You WILL do fine. It just takes time.
Respectfully,
Jay Dudley, Retired
Background Investigator

[PyroPat]

dudley, and b52: Thanks for the kind words and the help, i really appreciate it. I guess it just ****es me off, seeing guys with wayyyy worse driving records than I will hopefully EVER have, getting jobs. Training chief called me at 9AM this morning ( I had left him a message after hours yesterday stating I wanted to talk to him further about this matter, as I have certified driving records to prove my case) and told me he would call me later this afternoon. He told me he would pull my file and "identify the reasons it did not get recieved by him". This statement really makes me think: Could this have been a F*** up on HR's account? judging by the way he was talking, sounds like he possibly didn't even get my application in the first place, why would this be?

I thought I was doing all the right things: Working in the field already, aspiring medic in medic school, had letters of reccomendations from the orlando fire department, and instructors at my college. Never would have thought ONE speeding ticket (which I did everything I could to get rid of) would come back to haunt me...

chris

[polecat]

come on please guys? I really would like some insight from the vets, and the background investigators here....captbob possibly? Thanks in advance,


Chris

Knowing the dire consequences of a speeding ticket, and how it could adversely effect your chances for advancement,is something you need to remind yourself everytime you get behind the wheel. Although you have a decent driving record,recieving a ticket for excessive speed in a residential neighborhood,at 2:am,in the midst of a recruitment,will certainly be deemed irresponsible and immature. If you truly want to work for this particular dept. I suggest you stop making lame excuses,finish your schooling,and be damn sure when the next application process rolls around,your drivers abstract will be squeeky clean. Good luck! Polecat-25YRS. 'IN HEAT'.

[PyroPat]

hey guys, I just thought I'd let you know that I have interview with the department today at 5:00!!!!


On tuesday, I tracked the training officer down around 2PM. I went down to station headquarters and the chief of the department, and a deputy chief was there. I knew I had better make a good impression because I would be seeing them again if I got an interview. I introduced myself, gave good handshakes, looked them both square in the eye and told them my situation. Told them I'm an aspiring medic with a good driving record blah blah blah. They told me one speeding ticket shouldn't have really affected me at all and were quite dumbfounded. They said they would talk to the training officer about it...I come back about an hour later ( they told me a place he might be so I went to go try and talk to the training officer, but he wasnt there) and the Chief of the department told me I had just missed him, and he was going down to HR to resolve my problem and he would be giving me a call! I was so excited!! 2 hrs later, he called me to set up an interview for today!

The training chief told me my application was in the wrong pile or something along those lines. I don't know if its BS or not. Is there a chance he is just giving me an interview because I bugged him? I figured if he didnt really want to give me an interview, he wouldn't have, and wouldn't have spent so much time trying to re solve this for me. Do you think the chiefs will remember how i conducted myself and saw how i aggresive i was at pursuing the problem? will this hurt me or make me look better? Sorry about so many questions, just really happy! thanks!


Chris

[JayDudley]

Good Luck

Chris.....Good luck and like I've said..Hang in there. Let us know how you did when it's all over.
Jay

Yea bro I-4 sucks. What FD are you going for? Orlando FD? I got a speeding ticket on 417 when I was 18 and I'm 20 now, I'm kinda hoping I dont have the same problem! Good luck, see you around.

[PyroPat]

FLA1786, damn bro, you got a ticket on 417?! how fast were you goin!? haha, ive NEVER gotten pulled over on 417, and ive lived in seminole county for 11 years! haha...but naw man, this wasnt for orlando...but you can bet your ***, i will be there soon best fire department around in my opinion...i work for rural/metro right now, and we transport for them and orange county fire, and its amazing watching how good these guys work on medical calls, and fires especially (orlando that is haha, what can i say, im anti county, thats how us future city guys are hahaha). just an all around awesome department....and those big sutphen engines and towers....WOW


chris