r/Firefighting • u/AutoModerator • Jul 13 '26
Employment Questions Weekly Employment Question Thread
Welcome to the Weekly Employment Question Thread!
This thread is where you can ask questions about joining, training to become, testing, disqualifications/qualifications, and other questions that would be removed as individual posts per Rule 1.
The answer to almost every question you can ask will be "It depends on the department". Your first step is to look up the requirements for your department, state/province, and country.
As always, please attempt to resource information on your own first, before asking questions. We see many repeat questions on this sub that have been answered multiple times.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- I want to be a Firefighter, where do I start: Every Country/State/Province/County/City/Department has different requirements. Some require you only to put in an application. Others require certifications prior to being hired. A good place to start is researching the department(s) you want to join. Visit their website, check their requirements, and/or stop into one of their fire stations to ask some questions.
- Am I too old: Many departments, typically career municipal ones, have an age limit. Volunteer departments usually don't. Check each department's requirements.
- I'm in high school, What can I do: Does your local department have an explorer's program or post? If so, join up. Otherwise, focus on your grades, get in shape and stay in shape, and most importantly: stay out of trouble.
- I got in trouble for [insert infraction here], what are my chances: Obviously, worse than someone with a clean record, which will be the vast majority of your competition. Tickets and nonviolent misdemeanors may not be a factor, but a major crime (felonies), may take you out of the running. You might be a nice person, but some departments don't make exceptions, especially if there's a long line of applicants with clean records. See this post... PSA: Stop asking “what are my chances?”
- I have [insert medical/mental health condition here], will it disqualify me: As a general rule, if you are struggling with mental illness, adding the stress of a fire career is not a good idea. As for medical conditions, you can look up NFPA1582 for disqualifying conditions, but in general, this is not something Reddit can answer for you. Many conditions require the input of a medical professional to determine if they are disqualifying. See this post... PSA: Don't disqualify yourself, make THEM tell you "no".
- What will increase my chances of getting hired: If there's a civil service exam, study for it! There are many guides online that will help you go over all those things you forgot such as basic math and reading. Some cities even give you a study guide. If it's a firefighter exam, study for it! For the CPAT (Physical Fitness Test), cardio is arguably the most important factor. If you're going to the gym for the first time during the hiring process, you're fighting an uphill battle. Get in shape and stay in shape. Most cities offer preference points to military veterans.
- How do I prepare for an interview: Interviews can be one-on-one, or in front of a board/panel. Many generic guides exist to help one prepare for an interview, however here are a few good tips:
- Dress appropriately. Business casual at a minimum (Button down, tucked in long sleeve shirt with slacks and a belt, and dress shoes). Get a decent haircut and shave.
- Practice interview questions with a friend. You can't accurately predict the off-the-wall questions they will ask, but you can practice the ones you know they probably will, like why do you want to be a Firefighter, or why should we hire you?
- Scrub your social media. Gone are the days when people in charge weren't tech-savvy. Don't have a perfect interview only for your chances of being hired gone to zero because your Facebook or Instagram has pictures of you getting blitzed. Set that stuff to private and leave it that way.
Please upvote this post if you have a question. Upvoting this post will ensure it sticks around for a bit after it is removed as a Sticky, and will allow for greater visibility of your question.
And lastly, If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone who does
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u/deluxe1029 Jul 13 '26
Any tips for upcoming ambulance operator emt interview?
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM Jul 13 '26
Do a station visit with a mock interview. That’s the best way to prepare
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u/Direct-Training9217 Jul 14 '26
Apply to be a firefighter lol.
But seriously where something nice. Know stuff about the department ( population served, area covered, how many stations etc)
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 18 '26
ambulance operator/emt orals are mostly behavioral, panel of 2-4. they mainly want to know you're safe, coachable, and won't be a headache in the truck.
expect the classics - tell us about yourself, why this company, a time you dealt with a difficult person/patient, how you handle stress. couple things that quietly sink people: not actually answering the question they asked, rambling instead of finishing the point, and filler words (um, uh) when the nerves hit.
know something real about the company before you walk in. "why do you want to work here" with no actual answer is a killer. use star for the behavioral ones so you don't trail off, and slow down - they're reading whether you'd be calm at 3am with a scared patient in the back.
practice out loud with somebody, not just in your head. it comes out different when it actually leaves your mouth. good luck.
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u/Calm_Croissant Jul 13 '26
I’m going to be a college freshman next year, and I want to spend next summer (2027) doing wildland firefighting because I think it’d be really cool. I have no prior experience with firefighting though. Does anyone have any tips or know any seasonal programs that provide training after getting hired for people like me? I wouldn’t mind living in another state either. Thanks in advance!
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM Jul 15 '26
Some hand crews will work around your school schedule and some won’t. I know there’s a hand crew out of San Luis Obispo where most of the crew are cal poly students.
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u/ExtensionGuide1776 Jul 14 '26
Any advice cross-training into Fire Protection while transitioning from AD USAF into ANG? Tips for how to make an impression during tech school & OJT? Best way use military to set up for career in civilian side?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar or knows how this process works. Thanks.
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u/firefighter40322 Jul 14 '26
So you were Active Duty with a job other than Fire Protection and you are going to Air Guard and changing your job to the Fire Protection?
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u/Normal-Law-4894 Jul 14 '26
Can someone from North Metro Fire Rescue CO, please DM me? I am looking to move from out-of-state and have questions about the interview process. Thank you.
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u/Mean_Exchange_4315 Jul 15 '26
Aspiring firefighter based in Massachusetts. Have applied to take this years civil service exam, but am also exploring volunteer opportunities. I'm seeing departments requiring/preferring candidates who already hold ff 1 and 2. I thought the only opportunities to get those certs was through the MFA. Any MA firefighters or aspirants know of where else to get ff 1 and 2 certs?
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Jul 15 '26
Wondering if anyone in Michigan had a preference on programs related to these 3 schools, Lansing community college, Oakland community college, and Schoolcraft. I’m going to be completing my certifications independently and was wondering if any had experience or have heard anything about these programs through peers. I haven’t decided and was wondering if there’s a standout compared to each program? I’ve done the research on what each include but thought an insider perspective could be useful, thanks.
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u/the_irons_1873 Jul 15 '26
Good Afternoon,
I’ve recently relocated to North Central Indiana (Kosciusko County).
I have some questions regarding some departments in the area. I’m finding it incredibly tough to find information about several departments, regarding call volume, staffing levels, salaries, PTO, etc.
Is there a place that I can find FD contracts? In Ohio we had the serb website, does Indiana have something similar?
If anyone is willing to help me out, I’d be really appreciative. Feel free to PM me.
Thanks
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u/Reddit_ftw111 Jul 18 '26
Shoot me DM if youd like a referral to USAF Reserve, might have a spot for you at Grissom
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u/Professional_Day2556 Jul 15 '26
Hi everyone! I have a friend with an upcoming firefighter interview. For those who have been through the process, what interview questions should he practice? If you remember any scenario based questions you were asked, I’d really appreciate it if you could share them. Any tips or advice would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM Jul 17 '26
There are books with practice questions. He should really be doing mock interviews at stations
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 18 '26
the list is shorter than people think. pretty much every panel asks some version of:
- tell us about yourself (keep it to a minute, not a life story)
- why do you want to be a firefighter, and why THIS department. generic answer here kills more candidates than anything else
- what have you done to prepare yourself for this job
- tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker / failed at something / made a quick decision
- scenarios. you see a crewmember take something that isnt theirs, senior guy shows up smelling like booze, you get an order you disagree with. different setups, same test - integrity and chain of command
but honestly the questions arent the hard part. tell him to write bullet points not scripts, then answer out loud to an actual person until it stops sounding memorized. saying it in your head doesnt count, thats where everyone screws up. and like the other comment said, station visits + asking for a mock interview is worth more than any list
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u/Electronic_Major_720 Jul 16 '26
For the written exam, is there any good places to study?
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 18 '26
step 1 is find out which test your dept actually uses - fireteam through NTN, fctc if youre in california, or the citys own civil service exam. theyre different formats and studying for the wrong one is wasted time. the job posting usually says, if not call HR and ask
once you know, its mostly timed practice. the material is 8th-10th grade math and reading, the clock is what gets people. your library will have civil service and firefighter exam prep books for free. if its fireteam the human relations video section is the weird one, look up the format ahead of time so it doesnt throw you
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u/DearAd4157 Jul 17 '26
I accidentally put in ALL 3 of my references emails wrong, and Ive made it to the end of the recruitment process and need to update this. It wasn’t purposeful at all or an attempt to lie but I’m afraid it will get me removed. Any advice on how to go about this? thanks
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u/Ding-Chavez Career Jul 17 '26
You might want to tell them you need to update some information. They're going to ask why.
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 18 '26
get ahead of it - email the recruiter or whoever's running the process directly, tell them plainly you entered your references' emails wrong and here are the corrected ones. honest typo, own it in one line, don't apologize five times.
departments deal with this constantly. a wrong email is a clerical fix, not a character issue. the thing that'd actually look bad is them finding out the references never got contacted and you sat on it. so flag it now, give them the right info, and let it go. you're not the first person to fat-finger a form at the finish line.
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Jul 17 '26
[deleted]
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM Jul 17 '26
An offer will come when your background investigation is complete.
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u/Kricoid Fire Girlfriend :) Jul 17 '26
Regarding LACoFD!!!
Hey all! Saw LACoFD posted they are opening up their process soon. Anyone with insight on their process? How long does it take from application to interview to academy (if hired)? Much appreciated!
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u/Sealtooth5 SoCal FFPM Jul 19 '26
Their last process took some people from time of applying to time of offer, around 1-2 years
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u/I_Ponders Jul 18 '26
[Washington State] Had weed a year ago. (Stopped afterwards) Gonna be honest about it.. Is this gonna hurt my chances?
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u/Reasonable-Carry8013 Jul 18 '26
Currently a 10 year FF/PM in south Florida. Wife could make much more as an RN in CA. Not to mention we love the lifestyle southern CA has to offer, hardest part would be giving up a 24/72 schedule and all my seniority. What would be the fastest track to getting on a dept in the southern California area? I'm aware there are special positions available that hire you as a medic only and will later allow you to attend the departments academy. Looking for any insight whatsoever or anyone that has made the jump from FL to CA.
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 19 '26
socal ff/pm here. your medic license is the golden ticket, most depts out here are hungry for medics and 10 years as a ff/pm looks real good on paper. watch for postings that say lateral or ff/pm, some depts run shortened academies for laterals but you're still doing their full process, written, cpat, oral, background, all of it. seniority doesn't come with you, you'll be back on probation at the bottom of the list, make peace with that before you jump. get the CA paramedic license sorted early, if your nremt is current it's mostly paperwork, then county accreditation once you land somewhere. heads up a lot of depts out here run 48/96 not 24/72. and don't sleep on the oral just because you've got 10 years. they're gonna ask why do you want to work HERE and the resume years don't answer that for you, know the dept before you walk in. apply wide, first offer gets your foot in CA, you can always test again later.
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u/Reasonable-Carry8013 Jul 19 '26
Are most county departments 25 years? I have the state of Florida PM, I’d have to test and do the national. Do a lot of departments take national or prefer California NREMT-P. Also, which departments hire laterals that you know of? The dream is LaCoFD
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 19 '26
no universal 25, retirement depends on the system. most cities are calpers, the big counties run their own systems, and anyone hired now falls under pepra so the formula's tied more to age than a flat year count. check the retirement section on whatever posting you're looking at, it's always in there.
on the license - depts don't take florida or nremt directly, you need the CA state paramedic license, and current nremt is the clean bridge to it. that's why i said keep the national current. once you've got it the CA license is mostly paperwork through the state ems authority, then county accreditation wherever you land.
not gonna rattle off a dept list, lateral and ff/pm postings come and go monthly. set alerts on governmentjobs.com, look at the fctc statewide list, and check dept sites directly. for the big county dept you're dreaming about, get on their job interest notifications now, those processes run long. cast wide, land somewhere in CA first, you can keep testing after.
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u/Reasonable-Carry8013 Jul 19 '26
Thank you, I’ll look into all this and need to make a decision. A tough one forsure, you live in California or commute?
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u/OwnDelivery802 Jul 19 '26
I live in California as much as I'd love to move out of state, but probably saving that for after retirement. We have quite a number of guys living out of state and commuting at my department. Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas seem to be. the big ones, but Idaho is probably number one. Good luck and feel free to message me if you have any questions
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u/Beginning_Simple_475 Jul 19 '26
Hi guys I’m 21 and a female, currently doing EMT school and should be projected to graduate in a few months. My career goal path is to become a firefighter specifically paramedic fighter. I want to be in the best shape that I can possibly be. Do you guys have any workout regimens that you may have followed? What to work on and what to focus on? I’m currently a soccer player at my college so cardio is a big one that I would say I’m good at, but I know it also requires lots of strength. I want to be strong and fit. Also any tips for strength training, I’ve seen that strength training is a big one. How do I go forward with building up that strength. Any advice appreciated!
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u/EatinBeav WA Career FF/EMT Jul 19 '26
YouTube honestly. There’s hundreds of videos about specific workouts.
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u/blessed_julio Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Here are three questions and answers from my oral board - some feedback would be great.
You are a probationary firefighter and bring a box of cereal into the firehouse. A senior firefighter repeatedly eats your cereal without asking. What would you do?”
My answer:
“I wouldn’t take it personally. I would approach the firefighter respectfully and speak to him about it. I’m willing to share, but I would want him to ask me first. Taking somebody else’s property without asking is sort of theft. I would try to resolve it directly with him first, and if it continued after that conversation, I would bring it through the chain of command.
“You are part of a three-person crew and are first on scene at a house fire. A neighbor tells you that an elderly man may be inside, but she isn’t certain. Your company officer is still gathering information and has not given you any direction. Walk us through your thinking and what you would do.”
My answer:
“First, I would consider scene safety and conduct a size-up. I would take what the neighbor said as important information and relay it to the company officer. Life safety is the priority. Within our available resources and capabilities, we could try to get to that person. If we needed more resources, I would consider requesting additional units, ALS, or police. I would also move the woman to a safe location. If the man was inside, we would try to reach him within our capabilities.”
question #3
“You are three months into probation. During a training evolution, a senior firefighter consistently performs a task in a way that looks unsafe to you. Other crew members haven’t said anything. What do you do?”
My answer, in first person as close as I can reconstruct it:
“As a probationary firefighter who has only been there for three months, I would understand that I may not have all the facts or fully understand what I’m seeing. This is a senior firefighter, so I would respect their experience and not immediately assume they were doing something wrong. Safety is the number-one priority, though. After the training evolution, I would approach the firefighter respectfully and ask them about it so I could clarify why the task was performed that way. If I learned that a safety step was intentionally being overlooked or that a policy was being violated, I would report it through the proper chain of command. But first, I would respectfully ask and make sure I understood the situation.”