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I got addicted to surfing... best place to pursue a FireFighting career on a US Coast?
I got addicted to surfing... best place to pursue a FireFighting career on a US Coast?
I currently live in llinois and have one more year until I finish a bachelors degree in Business. I would like to pursue a career in firefighting but in a location close to an ocean. I haven’t really narrowed it down yet, but California, Florida, New Jersey, anywhere I can surf really. Are there any coastal states that are better than others to pursue a career in the fire service. I would start as a volunteer fire fighter to get my certifications and expereicne and then try to transition into a fulltime paid career. Any thought?
I currently live in llinois and have one more year until I finish a bachelors degree in Business. I would like to pursue a career in firefighting but in a location close to an ocean. I haven’t really narrowed it down yet, but California, Florida, New Jersey, anywhere I can surf really. Are there any coastal states that are better than others to pursue a career in the fire service. I would start as a volunteer fire fighter to get my certifications and expereicne and then try to transition into a fulltime paid career. Any thought?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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EASY!!!! Southern California....Cmon, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, LA, Orange County and San Diego...If you start at one and drive to the furthest its only like 5 hours. All those counties have great surfing year round. Id live/work somewhere in the middle of those and then venture close or far depending on where my "break" is.
Just stay outta my house! And especially the green room! LOL
Sorry a little surf lingo for da rest of yous!
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Permalink Reply by John Brown on
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Is it hard to be accepted as a volunteer firefighter if I just move to the area ( southern California). Are they more preferential to “locals”.
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Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
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I lived in SoCal for over fifty years. Good luck finding a VFD there within an hour or two from the coast. During rush hour traffic you can double that. TCSS
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If I live in illinois and volunteer here where I can get a job easier, get my firefighter I and II, emt and everything. Does that transfer to California if I want to get hired as a full time firefighter in Sandiego?
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If your comin to So CAl.....forget the volly stuff....we have like 3 in all so cal....go full time paid department..YES like San Diego!!!
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Permalink Reply by Nelson Thompson on
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San Diego is suffering from budget problems. They are hiring, just not that many. They are also losing people to LA County Fire who pay more. If you get online and do some research you can find every department website and get information. There really aren't any VFD in California or most western states for that matter.
Good Luck.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Scott on
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i would check out Va beach. there are lots of career and vol depts within 30min to an hour from the beach
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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anywhere I can surf really
I guess you never tried surfing Lake Michigan then have you?
Don't laugh, there are people who do....OK, laugh, you do have to be kinda goofy to do so. (Lake Michigan is just a tad cooler than the ocean.)
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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I would suggest a career as a teacher, it must be nice to have summers off.
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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For the next few years, forget about SDFD. They just had 50 positions eliminated. If you want to get hired by some of the other depts. in the area, you'll have to be a California EMT with a paramedic cert from the county. If you look at the hiring requirements, they almost always say FF1 desirable but not required. We hire paramedics and train them to be firefighters, not the other way around.
On the other hand, surfing here is a 365 day a year event. Except after a good rain when the water is pretty polluted. Usually doesn't keep the diehards out though.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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When I was in my early 20's, I figured out the advice that was shared with you by Kali. Nothing has changed. You need to come up with any advantage you can get to compete against the machine. There are only so many spots that come open and as Kali stated, there's only so many jobs.
With that said, the advice was the same for me 30 years ago. However, I became an experienced paramedic before eventually getting hired by a department. If I was a young person with dreams and goals of working as a firefighter in Southern California then here's what I would do...
Attend the Oxnard Fire Academy because they have a great track record for getting their candidates badges. Many go to LACOFD, some LAFD, and others elsewhere. You need to complete your degree however. For what it's worth, you don't stand as good of a chance of getting a job in my area unless you have a bachelors degree. It's a competitive world out there. The jobs out here are outstanding once you get hired. We seem to keep having disaster after disaster, which translates to an awful lot of overtime which is great for you if you are a young firefighter, trying to make a start.
I say, live the dream! Keep the goals alive. My only requirement and goal once hired was to be able to have a good cup of coffee and see the ocean. What appears to be my last fire station assignment has been a wonderful spot, overlooking the Santa Barbara Channel Islands and protecting miles and miles of pristine coastline. Just up the coast from my station is a place called Hollister Ranch. Look it up, it's the best surfing spot on the West coast.
Hollister Ranch, Bulito Beach
Firefighter John Brown is seen above living the dream...
"If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams and lives a life in which he has imagined, he will meet with a success uncommon among men." Thoreau
Good luck with your goals brother. Your dreams can and will be met, they were for me!
CBz
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