Hey guys! I am beginning my fire science classes in January and cannot decide between a Fire Science certificate and an Associate's degree. Given that I already have a Bachelor's of Science in Occupational Health and Safety and 8 years in EMS, would I become more marketable for firefighter careers with my FF1 and 2, HazMat Ops and EMT (certificate option) or should I invest in an AA Fire Science degree? I am also preparing for paramedic school too.
Tags:
Depends on what the goal is and what a dept is looking for. Usually I say go with the education aspect, but in this case, I can agree with just obtaining fire certs as opposed to an AS degree. The certs are really the nitty gritty of the job and much of what is covered in a fire science associates (fire wise) is covered in the certs. The rest of a degree is the subsequent classes that you have already achieved with a Bachelor's degree.
From a dept standpoint, the only issue would be is if a dept requires an associates in fire science, but the majority don't. There are depts that do give extra points etc for those with a bachelor's degree. So I would go the certification route as opposed to another degree when a bachelors is more involved already. The only recommendation would be is to go for a paramedic cert if you don't already have one.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief. Powered by