Being in a small VFD and the economy being what it is in Florida and other places I have observed that we are getting more members who are joining just to keep their certifications current because in Florida, your certification lapses if you are not part of a VFD or get hired within 3 years.

I am asking because I was asked by a buddy who teaches at our fire academy about bringing on a student of his who wants to serve while waiting for the hiring situation to get better

Joining a VFD while waiting for paid jobs to come up seems like a drain on the VFD's because of the cost associated with putting on a person for a couple of years only to loose them to a paid FD seems like a waste of money (but thats how i and others i know got started) so i'm ok with it as long as its clear that you need to be active and not just a name on the roster.

Currently i'm guiding two young folks who want carrears in the fire service. I urge them to select the path that is best for them but I also stress that the days of just being certified as a FF and an EMT is not good enough because that puts you in a group of thousands with the same certifications. I encourage them to obtain other state certifications that will help you stand out in a crowd and consider going to college and majoring in public or fire administration (while the economy is down) and when you go for your oral interview have a nice accurate one page resume and be yourself and if you dont know an answer to a question, say so. When asked, emphasize your commitment to your profession by telling that you have been recieving carrear advice from with a veteran firefighter (because i'm not the only one doing it) and that they have been encouraging you to take related classess on your own time and dime in order to become a better trained firefighter

I got a kid hired last year and when he called to thank me I told him nope, you did it on your own, i just told you the best way to get it done and if you need to talk or have a problem, give me a call

Are any of you doing the same thing for you youngesters in your area and do you have any suggestions that i can pass on that might help the next generation? i get them into doing dry runs of the PAT but it scares me that there are so many young folks rolling out of the academy(s) down here and end up flipping hamburgers and stocking wal marts with no prospects in immidiate sight