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What to do after high school?
First off i want to say that my name is Larson Leaty, im 17, and someday im going to be a firefighter. Currently im a senior in high school but i also attend Sno-Isle skills center and do the Fire Service Technology class. Im a second year, so i pretty much just help with drills and educate the new kids in the program.
How im going to approach my goal of becoming a firefighter after high school is starting to become very stressful. What it's come down to really is either attending a community college and getting my 2 year degree in fire science (hopefully getting EMT certified along the way) and then transferring to a university to get my paramedics certification. OR going through this program called GRIT which is free (as long as i fulfill the 15 month commitment) and i get a handful of certifications (Firefighter I, EMT, wildland FF red card, in house engineer driver program) and general experience. The getchell program takes a lot of time though, for the first seven weeks you are required to be at getchell fire department Monday-Friday from 8am to 8pm. And when this is done you are expected to be at the station 8 days a month for 15 months as part of a crew on standby. I don't get a 2 year degree through getchell, but i do get 45 credits that are transfered to Everett Community College (a local community college), and i would need 90 to graduate with a 2 year degree.
Any information or opinions are helpful. It's been very stressful on me to decide which way i want to go with this.
thanks,
larson leaty
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rachel on
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I am a freshman in High School this year and was doing some thinking myself. I could go to the local Community college and get the FF and EMT training. When I become a cadet my VFD will pay a portion of the tution for my certification-if I stay with the department. I have decided to join the Military to get my certification. I can get all of the traing/certification with the bonus of being a "vetran"-which will help me get a career in the "public" world. I plan on joining the Navy-though the Coast Gaurd and Air Force also have good programs. Good luck wherever you go!!
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Permalink Reply by Larson Leaty on
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Yeah i've done a lot of looking into as far as the air force is concerned. They have an amazing fire program, but it's very hard to get in to right now. Through the navy dont you have to become a DC?
Thanks, you too!
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Yeah-DC man- but the EMS training comes in the same package-not seperate like the AF.
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Ahhh thats a pretty good deal. And you get some other skills as well right? I heard welding/underwater welding and what-not.
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Oh yeah! Plus you get to live on a ship!!! You can even be boss of a crew!!
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Permalink Reply by Brian Richards on
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Im a freshman in college right now, got my fire I and II in High school and served with a POC department for 2 years in HS as well. Firefighting id definatley what i want to do but i am now 6 1/2 hours from my dept in college and not doing anything Fire related except telling my dorm mates interested in firefighting what its like. Dude if you have an opportunity to stay heavy in firefighting and to do that intense program you memtioned id do that, sounds like youll get a ton of certs and expirience. Good luck to you brother.
-Brian
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