Tweet
Firefighter/Medic
If you're taking a firefighter/paramedic interview understand we are looking for firefighters first! You can hurt your chances if you don't let them know your first love is to be a firefighter. Too many paramedic candidates push their desire for the medic end of the job. Who's sitting on the board? Mostly Fire officers.
Understand that the burn out period for a paramedic is five years. Then, many medics try to get on fire departments. This has caused problems in the fire service because the paramedics come from a position of doing things on their own in the field. They have problems with the chain of command system on the fire job. Not wanting any more of these problem children, departments try to determine in the oral if the candidate has the heart of a firefighter first.
A way to approach this is to convey your first love is to be a firefighter, but because 80% of the job offerings are for fire/medic it was a career path that offered the best change to become a firefighter.
Absolutely nothing counts 'til you have the badge. Nothing!
"Captain Bob"
Understand that the burn out period for a paramedic is five years. Then, many medics try to get on fire departments. This has caused problems in the fire service because the paramedics come from a position of doing things on their own in the field. They have problems with the chain of command system on the fire job. Not wanting any more of these problem children, departments try to determine in the oral if the candidate has the heart of a firefighter first.
A way to approach this is to convey your first love is to be a firefighter, but because 80% of the job offerings are for fire/medic it was a career path that offered the best change to become a firefighter.
Absolutely nothing counts 'til you have the badge. Nothing!
"Captain Bob"
Comment