online fire academy vs classroom?

[urbanbar23]

I am currently attending an EMT-B course and will be done in december.
I am located in the DFW area.

My question is:

Do most departments look at where and how you got your cert?

Financially and schedule-wise the online fire academy at ntfa or trainingdivision seem best for me but i want to have the best chance at getting a job. I read that Collin College fire academy has a 95% hire rate. This makes me question doing the online academy and not going to Collin Colleges academy. I am currently at Collin Colleges EMT B program.

Any comments on this would be great!

[BennyT373]

I would recommend getting the hands on training. Of all my training and education you learn the concepts and ideas of basic firefighting, but you never quite grasp it until you get your boots in the ash. Online education is good (as I finished my B.S.degree online through CSU). This provides backbone and support to your TRAINING. In my courses I got a great deal of knowledge with my concentration in Fire Science. All the book smarts can't supplement for getting out there in the mess of things. Plus, hands on it always more fun!

I'm currently in process of testing for several departments all along the east coast. I would recommend to get your EMT-B, and just begin applying for departments. Most larger cities are require a minimum of EMT-B, with no FF experience. As they are gonna train you to fight fire the way they want regardless of your training, but don't want the expense of training persons in EMT. Get your EMT, and get on a VFD somewhere, or find depts/academies offering FF1/FF2 and any HazMat. Getting your paper certs only gets you so far, you got to get a feel for it all

[FireFarrier]

I am currently attending an EMT-B course and will be done in december.
I am located in the DFW area.

My question is:

Do most departments look at where and how you got your cert?

Financially and schedule-wise the online fire academy at ntfa or trainingdivision seem best for me but i want to have the best chance at getting a job. I read that Collin College fire academy has a 95% hire rate. This makes me question doing the online academy and not going to Collin Colleges academy. I am currently at Collin Colleges EMT B program.

Any comments on this would be great!

I work full time and am married with a mortgage and all that and I can tell you that Collin Colleges night program is great. I am currently enrolled and loving it. I also looked at the online program as a fallback plan, but in the end I got into Collin County on my first try and I couldn't be happier.

I am admittedly a rookie with very little fire service experience (6 months volunteer, 7 weeks into academy), but I would say this. Go to Collin College if you can, you'll have your foot in the door by having completed your EMT-B there. Plus, with the economy the way it is, why give someone a reason to turn you away? There are 25 instructors that I will have throughout the evening academy. All but three of those are Lieutenents, Captains, Battalion Chiefs, or Chiefs. The guys you get to meet and interact with are amazing, and the Colleges reputation is great as well.

Also, I know a guy who went online and didn't apply himself as much as he could have, and he's nobody I would want to be on the fireground with. If you do go online, try and volunteer somewhere in order to get yourself better hands on experience.

[fire49]

Would say no,as in we do not care where you get certified

The state of tx plays a game with the Crets

They just require so many hours of certain classroom time and pass the state test with 70% and the practical and you are certified


Then once you get hired the real academy starts

Just my opinion

[fire49]

95% hire rate??

[urbanbar23]

Yes 95% it is posted on their website! I dont know how they get that number because people still have to pass a civil service if going that route.

Yea my plan if I choose to do the online school was to try to volunteer at a department for more hand on experience. Both of my EMT instructors say that "we can teach you and teach you and teach you but you wont really understand all of it until you experience it. This job is all about experience." This is why I havent ruled out online all together, well this and the fact that I can still have a job and support myself during the academy.



Thanks for the comments. Keep em comin!

[mindstate]

So its best to go to school for a emt-basic and volunteer at a local Fd, rather than going to a academy??

[fire49]

If you are talking about Texas you need the Certs!!!!



No matter what academy you attend, unless it is run by the city that hired you, like Dallas, you are taught almost the same thing, because state of Texas has minimum teaching areas and hours


Like I say the real academy starts once you get hired

[fire49]

I would want to know an academy pass rate on the state test for first go around on it !!!!


But when you only have to hit 70% , should be a high per centage

[sredish]

let me throw a wrench in it. forget about the fire academy and go forward with EMT-P. You'll get hired quicker with your emtp cert and no fire than you will with an emtb and a fire cert. get your emtp, start testing and you'll get a job and then they'll put you through their fire.

[fire49]

Agree to a point , some cities will hire you with out the ff cert and put you through the academy


Other point is the firefighter cert is easier and shorter time to get

[Breech31]

Financially and schedule-wise the online fire academy at ntfa or trainingdivision seem best for me but i want to have the best chance at getting a job. I read that Collin College fire academy has a 95% hire rate. This makes me question doing the online academy and not going to Collin Colleges academy. I am currently at Collin Colleges EMT B program.

Any comments on this would be great!

Id stay away from an online academy. you can't beat that 'actual, hands on' experience. Try haveing questions answered in a timely manner with an online class?

[Wolverine3982]

Im pretty sure either way youre getting the "hands on" experience. Even Training Division puts you through a two week 24/7 academy or something of the sort. I cant imagine anybody "certifying" you with out so many hours of hands on experience. I do agree with the medic route, but that is more time, more money and a greater strain on your family life. Get your state/national cert whichever way works best for you and your personal life.

By the way, I got my state cert last June, in addition to my EMT-B. Im already working full time as a firefighter/emt.