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Permalink Reply by Firesqwasher357 on August 5, 2009 at 7:56am

I started as a reserve firefighter (basically a volunteer that can fill in shifts) for the department that I have worked at now for three and a half years. I was lucky because they tested for two full time positions a few months after I came on. I was second on the list and had to wait about 6-7 months after testing to be hired. All together about a year and a half. However, I was a volunteer at another department for almost 10 years. How did I keep myself motivated? I just kept my passion for the job, did everything I could do, and took any classes I could. I also tested at another department twice, making it to the third stage (out of four) of the hiring process without making it to the hiring list. If this is truly your calling, keep your chin up and keep pushing forward. You'll make it, just don't give up.

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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on August 5, 2009 at 9:51am

I got hired on the spot, only cause I knew there was an opening at the station where I wanted to work. I work for the county fire district though not a big city. I have went through a neighboring city's hiring process, it prolly took about 4-5 months to get through. First is your civil service exam, 2nd is the agility test, 3rd is an oral interview with the DC and several officers, then last you did a final interview with the chief. Best advice I can give is to just maintain professionalim through out the whole process. Yes sir, no sir, etc, show up for your orals in nice slacks with button down and a tie, have a good attitude, and just keep your fingers crossed. When my process was all said and done I was 1st stanby for the 6 they picked to hire, sometimes the process is so long that people will go out and get another job and turn down the job if they get picked but unfortunately that didn't happen in my case. Just always keep your head up and never get discouraged.

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Permalink Reply by FETC on August 5, 2009 at 11:21am

You can't quantify the various answers you are going to get on this one.

Depends on alot of things. In my state we all take an entrance exam at the fire academy. Usually 400 people apply and sit for the exam, then take the CPAT exam. You have to be on this hiring entance exam list to be hired in any town or city for our state.

How long....depends on the cycle, in the late 80's, early 90's you were lucky if the entire state hired maybe 1-2 people TOTAL. So you can imagine the "wait" was a long time. Later though as the Vietnam Vets were cycling out of the fire service with 30+ years experience, there were mass retirements in many departments in that era and there may have been upwards to 50-100 openings in the state.

Many guys who started taking the exams in those years will say how easy it was to get hired. I took the entrance exam 5 years. I will also add that when I entered the fire service, you had to ave everyclass, degree, and EMT-I or P to be at the top of the list, no a days we are hiring kids off the street with nothing and sending them to school for everything that used to be a pre-req.

Bottom line is you apply, take whatever process they have and if you are the best candidate for that job in that cycle, congratulations. Otherwise, don't caught up on who got hired faster than who...

Can't compare different departments or other state's processes... Keep your head up

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Permalink Reply by Dustin J. Millis on August 6, 2009 at 12:09am

Thanks for the responses guys

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