Greetings Brothers & Sisters,

I'm new here and am asking for some advice from members of the community who may have been in my shoes. I'm currently working as a Fire Captain for a prominent Southern California Fire Department and my wife and I are VERY seriously considering relocating to the mid-west. Northern Ohio, to be exact. My wife has a very large family there and we are sick of raising our child in the crowded abyss that is Southern California.

I have a few questions for anyone out there that may know. Here goes :) Would the qualifications I currently hold in California be transferrable to the state of Ohio (Company Officer, FF1 and FF2). I know my Paramedic license would require a cross-cert of some sort, but how in-depth? Do some departments in Ohio do laterals for Captains or FF/PM's?

Trust me, I realize I may have to be starting over as a boot. It hurts, but I've done it before. I'm 33 years old and still in good shape (thank you, Crossfit), so that shouldn't be an issue.

Has anyone out there done anything like this? What advice would you give to a city-slicker like me making a MAJOR life change by moving so far away from "home"?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Stay safe, friends.

An Anonymous Fire Captain