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Let me add a couple of things from a the perspective of someone who is intimately involved with the hiring and promotional process of the fire department.
I can assure you that upon gradudation you will be absolutely looked upon differently than your competition who does not have a degree.
The reality is that the economy is dreadful and we are not hiring. This is due in part to the fact that guys are not retiring because of the uncertainty in the economy and also because the budgets are so bad. As you know, many of us are cutting engines or trucks.
Here is an article that I wrote regarding education. I hope it helps you work through your decison.
The Importance of Education
On the surface it may seem that education is not important for a firefighter.
This is very far from the truth for several reasons. First of all, firefighters have
evolved from “put the wet stuff on the red stuff,” to being in charge of major
incidents involving hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction, or
determining paramedic level care on a gravely ill or injured patient. What do
all of these incidents have in common? Each discipline requires knowledge
of physics and chemistry, of course!
Secondly, firefighters are required to write a report (which is also a legal
document) that summarizes every emergency response. These reports are
a direct reflection of the report writer. If a report is filled with grammatical
and punctuation errors, the credibility of the writer is brought into question.
Firefighters are often asked to testify in a court of law as to what occurred. A
firefighter who authors a report riddled with errors will certainly lose credibility
with the audience.
Firefighters negotiate their salaries with the city, county or board. The more
educated the firefighters are in the political process, the better they will fare
at the bargaining table. This ultimately translates into better wages, benefits
and working conditions.
Is a Bachelor’s degree required prior to getting hired? The answer is no, or
at least not in most places. Most departments require a high school diploma
or a GED certificate. Why is there such a wide range of education levels for
entry-level firefighters? It’s really quite simple. The person making the hiring
decisions sets the tone as to the importance of education. If the fire chief
values education, you can bet he or she will expect the entry-level firefighters
to have a degree (or at least be actively working toward one) prior to getting
hired. If, on the other hand, he or she is more mechanically inclined, education
may not be a priority. These organizational priorities change as the fire chief
retires, and the new fire chief will set his or her own priorities.
I began taking my fire science courses shortly after having graduated from
high school. I entered the fire science program at the local junior college, taking the
six fire science and EMT prerequisite classes for the basic fire academy I
completed the courses in two semesters and one summer session, then enterered ration
the fire academy. Upon graduation from the fire academy and armed with 30
units of fire science courses, I started picking away at my Associate of Science
degree in fire science. I was fortunate enough to be hired at 20 years old by
the Los Angeles City Fire Department as a single function paramedic. Eighteen
months later, I was hired by Long Beach as a firefighter.
I had great intentions of completing my Associate’s degree and ultimately
my Bachelor’s degree. A promotion to firefighter/paramedic and ultimately to
Captain, starting a business, becoming a husband, father and author has put
my educational plans on hold. In short, the rigors of dealing with everyday
life as a firefighter and the shifting schedule made it difficult to continue my
education. Is this an excuse? No way. I firmly believe that anything can be
accomplished once you set your mind to it.
Is it possible to get your education after getting hired on a fire department?
By all means, yes. At age 39, I went back to school. I earned my Bachelor’s
degree while working as a Battalion Chief. I then earned my Masters degree while working as a Division Chief. If I can do this while working fulltime, and being a husband and father, so can you.
In today’s day and age, the advent of the Internet makes it possible for
a student to complete a course regardless of the time or location. There are
numerous colleges which now offer fire science courses online. These are
the perfect solution for a working person with a family who struggles to get
into a structured class. The student does not have to worry about getting off
work early, fighting traffic, paying for parking, or finding a babysitter for the
kids. Online courses accommodate all schedules, since it does not matter
what time of the day or night a student “logs in” to participate in the discussion
centers. In my opinion, there is now no excuse for a person applying to fire
departments not to have his or her education.
In many areas of the country an Associate’s degree is the standard. If a
candidate does not have one, the evaluator’s eyebrows are raised to question
why he or she has not taken the time to earn one. In a few communities it is
even required before taking the entry-level exam.
Many new firefighters often have more advanced degrees. Although this
depends on a myriad of different circumstances, it seems there is certainly a
strong trend in this direction. Where do these more highly educated candidates come from? Are these the same fire science students found in the average fire science courses? No, commonly they are people who obtained a degree to enter the professional workforce as a teacher, computer specialist, stockbroker, or some other
profession, but decided they were dissatisfied in their profession. In short,
they decided on a career change.
As a general rule these candidates are older than the typical applicant.
This is substantiated by the fact that they spent four years in school earning
their degree, followed immediately by several years in the workforce before
deciding they missed their calling. These candidates have learned the value
of hard work and determination. Unfortunately, their career choice was not
satisfying for them. Oftentimes they have learned that money is not the most
important thing after all. They have discovered that although firefighters do
not make a great deal of money (enough to be comfortable), a firefighter’s job
satisfaction rating is very high.
Once these candidates “round out” their education with fire science
courses and a fire academy, a department quickly snaps them up. These
candidates fit the profile perfectly of the older candidate who loves his or
her job and excels in the fire service. Fire departments across the country
have keyed into these candidates and hire them at their first opportunity.
A candidate who has worked in another profession usually makes a strong
firefighter, as he or she knows what it’s like to work in a job in which there
is minimal job satisfaction. Being a firefighter is a far cry from being trapped
behind a desk in a cubicle.
A firefighter with experience as a drafter, computer technician or some other
technical field brings a great new dimension to the fire service. Where once
firefighters struggled with computers or prefire plans, the modern firefighter
is able to create a computer generated mock up of a building. These plans
include locations of hazardous materials, storage of company records as
well as locations of fire department standpipe and sprinkler connections. The
value that these drawings bring to an incident commander huddled around
the command post is immeasurable. All of this because the fire chief elected
to hire a firefighter with some computer experience.
24
Preparation
Most firefighter candidates should aspire to complete at least an Associate’s
degree. Standard prerequisites such as math, English and writing are naturally
required. Although it varies from college to college, the required courses usually
include Introduction to Fire Science, Physics and Chemistry for Firefighters,
Firefighter Safety, Fire Prevention, Building Construction, Fire Sprinkler
Extinguishing Systems, Physical Fitness for Firefighters and Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT).
Introduction to Fire Science teaches the student the basics of how the fire
service works. It covers the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck,
a captain and a chief. The course usually involves a class project in which
the student is required to knock on the door of a fire station and research a
firefighter’s job description, regular duties and responsibilities throughout the
course of his or her shift, the pay and benefit schedule.
Upon completion of the project, the student knows exactly what a firefighter
does in the course of his or her shift and how he or she is compensated. This
course is the basic framework that will give a student the confidence to walk
into a fire station anywhere around the country and understand the basic
terminology and operations that all fire departments follow.
Physics and Chemistry (sometimes called “fire chemistry”) breaks
down the chemical processes of how a fire starts, and most importantly,
how it can be extinguished. The course covers the different classifications
of fire and the basics of fire behavior. It covers the law of heat transfer
and clearly delineates how a fire spreads throughout a structure or a
forest. The more a firefighter understands the way a fire spreads, the
better he or she will be able to combat and ultimately extinguish it. The
course teaches the student to interpret and understand the labels present
on all fire extinguishers.
Physics and Chemistry also provides a basic foundation for dealing with
hazardous materials. Since there are so many toxic chemicals present in smoke
(the byproduct of combustion), it is essential that a firefighter understands how
it affects him or her. Firefighters are usually the initial response agency for
hazardous materials incidents. This means that a firefighter must be trained
to recognize the dangers and what needs to be done to minimize the adverse
effects on the citizens of a community, their property and the environment.
Firefighter safety is a critical part of our profession. Statistics show that there
is a strong probability that during the course of a career, a firefighter is going to miss
time from his or her work due to a job-related injury. Being a firefighter is undisputedly
one of the most hazardous occupations in the country. The Firefighter Safety course will teach students the importance of wearing safety equipment. It will examine firefighter death and injury investigations and seek to identify how each incident could have ended positively, instead of in tragedy.
Fire Prevention is also an important part of a firefighter’s assignment. After
all, most mission statements have a reference to preventing fires before they
occur. A firefighter must be able to walk into a place of business and identify
things that are in violation of the Uniform Fire Code. Our intent is not to write
citations, but rather to get the business owner to rectify the potential fire
causing violation. As a firefighter our salaries are paid by thriving businesses
in the community. Our objective is to make the businesses “fire safe” so they
can continue to employ the citizens of our community and contribute to the tax
base. The Fire Prevention course will teach the aspiring firefighter the basics
of the fire code as well as many of the most common violations encountered
by firefighters. In addition, it teaches the student how and why firefighters
have the authority to enter a business, make recommendations and ultimately
mandate that a business comply with the established fire codes.
Building Construction is one of the most important classes a firefighter
candidate will take. It is critical that a firefighter understand the basics of
how buildings are put together, as many are killed or injured when buildings
unexpectedly fall when subjected to fire. Students should be able to name all
of the structural members used in the construction of a house or apartment
building, as well as how large warehouses are constructed.
Paul Lepore
Division Chief
I can assure you that upon gradudation you will be absolutely looked upon differently than your competition who does not have a degree.
The reality is that the economy is dreadful and we are not hiring. This is due in part to the fact that guys are not retiring because of the uncertainty in the economy and also because the budgets are so bad. As you know, many of us are cutting engines or trucks.
Here is an article that I wrote regarding education. I hope it helps you work through your decison.
The Importance of Education
On the surface it may seem that education is not important for a firefighter.
This is very far from the truth for several reasons. First of all, firefighters have
evolved from “put the wet stuff on the red stuff,” to being in charge of major
incidents involving hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction, or
determining paramedic level care on a gravely ill or injured patient. What do
all of these incidents have in common? Each discipline requires knowledge
of physics and chemistry, of course!
Secondly, firefighters are required to write a report (which is also a legal
document) that summarizes every emergency response. These reports are
a direct reflection of the report writer. If a report is filled with grammatical
and punctuation errors, the credibility of the writer is brought into question.
Firefighters are often asked to testify in a court of law as to what occurred. A
firefighter who authors a report riddled with errors will certainly lose credibility
with the audience.
Firefighters negotiate their salaries with the city, county or board. The more
educated the firefighters are in the political process, the better they will fare
at the bargaining table. This ultimately translates into better wages, benefits
and working conditions.
Is a Bachelor’s degree required prior to getting hired? The answer is no, or
at least not in most places. Most departments require a high school diploma
or a GED certificate. Why is there such a wide range of education levels for
entry-level firefighters? It’s really quite simple. The person making the hiring
decisions sets the tone as to the importance of education. If the fire chief
values education, you can bet he or she will expect the entry-level firefighters
to have a degree (or at least be actively working toward one) prior to getting
hired. If, on the other hand, he or she is more mechanically inclined, education
may not be a priority. These organizational priorities change as the fire chief
retires, and the new fire chief will set his or her own priorities.
I began taking my fire science courses shortly after having graduated from
high school. I entered the fire science program at the local junior college, taking the
six fire science and EMT prerequisite classes for the basic fire academy I
completed the courses in two semesters and one summer session, then enterered ration
the fire academy. Upon graduation from the fire academy and armed with 30
units of fire science courses, I started picking away at my Associate of Science
degree in fire science. I was fortunate enough to be hired at 20 years old by
the Los Angeles City Fire Department as a single function paramedic. Eighteen
months later, I was hired by Long Beach as a firefighter.
I had great intentions of completing my Associate’s degree and ultimately
my Bachelor’s degree. A promotion to firefighter/paramedic and ultimately to
Captain, starting a business, becoming a husband, father and author has put
my educational plans on hold. In short, the rigors of dealing with everyday
life as a firefighter and the shifting schedule made it difficult to continue my
education. Is this an excuse? No way. I firmly believe that anything can be
accomplished once you set your mind to it.
Is it possible to get your education after getting hired on a fire department?
By all means, yes. At age 39, I went back to school. I earned my Bachelor’s
degree while working as a Battalion Chief. I then earned my Masters degree while working as a Division Chief. If I can do this while working fulltime, and being a husband and father, so can you.
In today’s day and age, the advent of the Internet makes it possible for
a student to complete a course regardless of the time or location. There are
numerous colleges which now offer fire science courses online. These are
the perfect solution for a working person with a family who struggles to get
into a structured class. The student does not have to worry about getting off
work early, fighting traffic, paying for parking, or finding a babysitter for the
kids. Online courses accommodate all schedules, since it does not matter
what time of the day or night a student “logs in” to participate in the discussion
centers. In my opinion, there is now no excuse for a person applying to fire
departments not to have his or her education.
In many areas of the country an Associate’s degree is the standard. If a
candidate does not have one, the evaluator’s eyebrows are raised to question
why he or she has not taken the time to earn one. In a few communities it is
even required before taking the entry-level exam.
Many new firefighters often have more advanced degrees. Although this
depends on a myriad of different circumstances, it seems there is certainly a
strong trend in this direction. Where do these more highly educated candidates come from? Are these the same fire science students found in the average fire science courses? No, commonly they are people who obtained a degree to enter the professional workforce as a teacher, computer specialist, stockbroker, or some other
profession, but decided they were dissatisfied in their profession. In short,
they decided on a career change.
As a general rule these candidates are older than the typical applicant.
This is substantiated by the fact that they spent four years in school earning
their degree, followed immediately by several years in the workforce before
deciding they missed their calling. These candidates have learned the value
of hard work and determination. Unfortunately, their career choice was not
satisfying for them. Oftentimes they have learned that money is not the most
important thing after all. They have discovered that although firefighters do
not make a great deal of money (enough to be comfortable), a firefighter’s job
satisfaction rating is very high.
Once these candidates “round out” their education with fire science
courses and a fire academy, a department quickly snaps them up. These
candidates fit the profile perfectly of the older candidate who loves his or
her job and excels in the fire service. Fire departments across the country
have keyed into these candidates and hire them at their first opportunity.
A candidate who has worked in another profession usually makes a strong
firefighter, as he or she knows what it’s like to work in a job in which there
is minimal job satisfaction. Being a firefighter is a far cry from being trapped
behind a desk in a cubicle.
A firefighter with experience as a drafter, computer technician or some other
technical field brings a great new dimension to the fire service. Where once
firefighters struggled with computers or prefire plans, the modern firefighter
is able to create a computer generated mock up of a building. These plans
include locations of hazardous materials, storage of company records as
well as locations of fire department standpipe and sprinkler connections. The
value that these drawings bring to an incident commander huddled around
the command post is immeasurable. All of this because the fire chief elected
to hire a firefighter with some computer experience.
24
Preparation
Most firefighter candidates should aspire to complete at least an Associate’s
degree. Standard prerequisites such as math, English and writing are naturally
required. Although it varies from college to college, the required courses usually
include Introduction to Fire Science, Physics and Chemistry for Firefighters,
Firefighter Safety, Fire Prevention, Building Construction, Fire Sprinkler
Extinguishing Systems, Physical Fitness for Firefighters and Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT).
Introduction to Fire Science teaches the student the basics of how the fire
service works. It covers the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck,
a captain and a chief. The course usually involves a class project in which
the student is required to knock on the door of a fire station and research a
firefighter’s job description, regular duties and responsibilities throughout the
course of his or her shift, the pay and benefit schedule.
Upon completion of the project, the student knows exactly what a firefighter
does in the course of his or her shift and how he or she is compensated. This
course is the basic framework that will give a student the confidence to walk
into a fire station anywhere around the country and understand the basic
terminology and operations that all fire departments follow.
Physics and Chemistry (sometimes called “fire chemistry”) breaks
down the chemical processes of how a fire starts, and most importantly,
how it can be extinguished. The course covers the different classifications
of fire and the basics of fire behavior. It covers the law of heat transfer
and clearly delineates how a fire spreads throughout a structure or a
forest. The more a firefighter understands the way a fire spreads, the
better he or she will be able to combat and ultimately extinguish it. The
course teaches the student to interpret and understand the labels present
on all fire extinguishers.
Physics and Chemistry also provides a basic foundation for dealing with
hazardous materials. Since there are so many toxic chemicals present in smoke
(the byproduct of combustion), it is essential that a firefighter understands how
it affects him or her. Firefighters are usually the initial response agency for
hazardous materials incidents. This means that a firefighter must be trained
to recognize the dangers and what needs to be done to minimize the adverse
effects on the citizens of a community, their property and the environment.
Firefighter safety is a critical part of our profession. Statistics show that there
is a strong probability that during the course of a career, a firefighter is going to miss
time from his or her work due to a job-related injury. Being a firefighter is undisputedly
one of the most hazardous occupations in the country. The Firefighter Safety course will teach students the importance of wearing safety equipment. It will examine firefighter death and injury investigations and seek to identify how each incident could have ended positively, instead of in tragedy.
Fire Prevention is also an important part of a firefighter’s assignment. After
all, most mission statements have a reference to preventing fires before they
occur. A firefighter must be able to walk into a place of business and identify
things that are in violation of the Uniform Fire Code. Our intent is not to write
citations, but rather to get the business owner to rectify the potential fire
causing violation. As a firefighter our salaries are paid by thriving businesses
in the community. Our objective is to make the businesses “fire safe” so they
can continue to employ the citizens of our community and contribute to the tax
base. The Fire Prevention course will teach the aspiring firefighter the basics
of the fire code as well as many of the most common violations encountered
by firefighters. In addition, it teaches the student how and why firefighters
have the authority to enter a business, make recommendations and ultimately
mandate that a business comply with the established fire codes.
Building Construction is one of the most important classes a firefighter
candidate will take. It is critical that a firefighter understand the basics of
how buildings are put together, as many are killed or injured when buildings
unexpectedly fall when subjected to fire. Students should be able to name all
of the structural members used in the construction of a house or apartment
building, as well as how large warehouses are constructed.
Paul Lepore
Division Chief
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