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Thread: firefighter question

  1. #1
    cxr133
    My 16 year old nephew has decided he wants to be a fireman when he finishes high school. He is a senior now and will be 171/2 at graduation.
    Someone told him he cant apply until hes 18, is this true?
    What steps should he be taking now to get ready?
    hes a big boy .. about 6'1" and 240ish pounds.
    TIA

  2. #2
    Third Alarm
    He will need to get all of the pre-req classes (fire science classes) out of the way at a local J.C. and then even go on to a four year school in order to get a B.A.
    The old days are over when you could get a job with a high school education. All of the guys we hire now have all of these credentials pluse sometimes they even have Para-Medic school behind them.
    Compitition has driven this industry to these new levels but we still do the same job(put the wet stuff on the red stuff).
    He should start now a become a Explorer with a department that has a program. He will learn from being in the click.
    Any questions just ask.
    Also stay out of trouble including speeding tickets. The back ground investigation is very tuff. If he has ever gotten in trouble he may want to think of something else now and not waste his time.
    Jeff

  3. #3
    XtrmWakeborder
    My 16 year old nephew has decided he wants to be a fireman when he finishes high school. He is a senior now and will be 171/2 at graduation.
    Someone told him he cant apply until hes 18, is this true?
    What steps should he be taking now to get ready?
    hes a big boy .. about 6'1" and 240ish pounds.
    TIA
    Doesn't he have to take the fire science classes at a JC?

  4. #4
    Throttle
    where does he live?
    an explorer program would be the best for him right now, he could get a small taste of what lies ahead in a career as a firefighter.
    competition for jobs is just that "very competitive". Departments have been growing and also have seen loads of retirements that continue to open new positions.
    I work for an agency that has held two academy's every year for at least the last 3 years or so... each class has brought about 30 rookies our way, some with other job experieince and some with none. Having this many new guys each year is huge... I remember trying to get hired years ago (decade or two) when departments were not able to hire 10 guys over a year or two.
    again, where does he live?

  5. #5
    cc322
    You dont have to do anything, You will need to place high enough on the written test (A) band and you will get hired. Classes dont hurt but it's not required at least by LA County. My brother in law is proof, he had no experience no classes and I had all of it he placed high on the written and got hired at age 39, I on the other hand gave up. Got hired buy the Sheriffs dept but thats a whole other story.

  6. #6
    Throttle
    You dont have to do anything, You will need to place high enough on the written test (A) band and you will get hired. Classes dont hurt but it's not required at least by LA County. My brother in law is proof, he had no experience no classes and I had all of it he placed high on the written and got hired at age 39, I on the other hand gave up. Got hired buy the Sheriffs dept but thats a whole other story.
    not doing anything is ok, but to get ahead and gain any advantage would be best. get involved, learn the process, and work hard...
    pass the written test,
    pass an interview panel,
    pass a pysical agility,
    pass another interview panel,
    pass a background check
    pass an academy or two...
    pass probabtion...
    fail any of the above and game over, move on... does not come easy

  7. #7
    cc322
    not doing anything is ok, but to get ahead and gain any advantage would be best. get involved, learn the process, and work hard...
    pass the written test,
    pass an interview panel,
    pass a pysical agility,
    pass another interview panel,
    pass a background check
    pass an academy or two...
    pass probabtion...
    fail any of the above and game over, move on... does not come easy
    I agree. Some of the citys like Santa Ana want you to be be bilingual as well and be a medic, the more you do for yourself the better, It is a very competitive field.

  8. #8
    bruddah
    jc classes to get an aa in fire science
    4 yr college to get a ba is nice
    firefighter 1 academy preferred
    volunteer or reserve firefighter experience prefferred
    paramedic school preferred by most agencies that dont due open type testing like the big departments (la county, orange county, la city, etc.)
    the more classes and experience he can get the easier it will be for him to place over other candidates .

  9. #9
    cxr133
    Thanks for the responses. great information that i will pass along.
    background check will currently not be a problem, he has not gotten into any trouble. but he is also not planning on getting his license until after hes 17.
    he lives in the San Fernando Valley.
    ill tell him to head to the local fire department and see what he can do to volunteer. i checked the explorer website and they are not taking applications. i will also tell him to take the fire science classess in his local junior college.

  10. #10
    Sotally Tober
    Have him take an EMT class first and then Paramedic school would really help. I havent been in So Cal. for 15+ years now so I do not know how it is there now. But around here the medics get hired a lot faster with a tenth the competition. It seems every department wants medics.
    Good Luck

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