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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on November 27, 2011 at 9:24am

I was a DC2 myself and served for 5 years....only difference is I knew exactly that I wanted to pursue the fire side of things. I enjoyed my time in the Navy and glad I served, but also don't miss it either. However, I did look back earlier this year and realized had I stayed in I would have 18 years in and quite possibly be a chief, or senior chief and 2 years from retiring.

 

So, the question is what do you want to do? You say you've been in 5 years, so your sea/shore rotation should be up soon (is it 5/2 or 5/3 now?) So you should have some time away from ship life soon.

 

For me, I've been on my dept going on 8 years and 3 with a previous dept and I absolutely love it. However, I also realized that the chances of getting out of the service and on a dept is very slim, you need education. It looks as though another obstacle you face is stating how you want to work for San Antonio (hometown I guess?). The problem being is if you limit your choices, your drastically limit your chances, so another question you need to ask is do you want to be a FF or do you want to be a FF for X dept? No matter what dept you want to work for, the process is long and can take years to actually get hired. You have written tests, physicals, interviews, etc just to make a list and many weeks to months between each step.

 

So as I mentioned, education is key. Since you are still serving, have you worked on any college credits, done PACE, etc? If not, get hot, start looking at college level courses and don't look for FF degree specific classes, credits do transfer and will significantly ease the burden in the future. So take math, communications, history, whatever courses are offered. If looking to go to a shore rotation, you will have much more and easier time to knock out courses, especially if stationed with a Navy Campus on base.

 

Another thing to look into and do are CLEP and DANTES tests. These should be available at a Navy Campus and have set times you can take them. These are tests that you can challenge a college course and if you pass the test, get the credits recommended. The difference is with such tests, all credits may not transfer, but they can so why not knock out several tests instead of spending time and money on a course?

 

Another thing to consider is looking at schools for when you would get out. Look to take a placement test because some degree programs could have a wait list. Look for schools offering fire programs and also look into getting a paramedic certification. You should have no problem using your GI Bill and take advantage of that. Also the more college courses you take while serving the less you would have to do for a degree. Besides, with the long job processes for any fire dept, you can still test for depts while going to school.

 

So weigh the pros and cons to make a decision to stay in or get out. Do NOT limit yourself to one specific fire dept. Get as much college education you can now while uncle sam is paying and look beyond into a higher education degree. Get your paramedic. Education, paramedic certification, military experience and points equals much better chances of getting hired. Good Luck. 

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on November 27, 2011 at 12:51pm

Kimo, Not sure what the job market is in Texas, but there is not a guarantee for folks wanting to get hired by a fire department that they will be successful. You already have five years in... Not having the background that John has, I would listen very carefully what he shared with you Kimo. You have to understand that lots of people are trying to get a badge, and they have experience and training to back it up, typically years of time expended to prepare themselves for the job, and they still don't get hired. 

If you really want to risk a sure thing for a maybe, keep in mind that you need to get a six-month fire academy under your belt, take EMT, which is one college semester, and hopefully get experience volunteering with a fire department or working for an ambulance company. Paramedics have a better chance of getting hired because departments don't have to pay for their training.

So how bad do you want this job? For everyone, it's an uphill battle with sweet rewards at the end but again, you are rolling dice from a sure thing to a big maybe.

CBz

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Permalink Reply by Kimo Wiseman on November 27, 2011 at 6:11pm

awesome! Thanks for the good advice. you know in the back of my mind i knew i shouldn't limit myself to one dept. but i just want to get hired there because it is in fact my hometown and thats what i put my sights on. if i do decide to get out and pursue this path i would take your advice and try other fire depts. 

 

So right now i am at my shore duty and i am taking advantage of college right now, all of my supervisors had always told me that knowledge is power and to take advantage of the navy while the opportunity is there. So i took their advice and i am not taking some courses. i am getting my general education out of the way right now. i tried taking some fire classes but since i am in japan they dont offer those kind of classes.

 

i really appreciate this advice it just gets me thinking if i have the time for all of that. i know that this is a competitive job and there is alot of people that want this just as bad as i do.  i know that whatever i put my mind to i know that i can achieve that goal but i am not sure how long it is going to take. i just have to think about my wife and son and see what is best for them. i like the fact that by the time i am 38 i can retire and start another career but not sure its going to be easy.  so my question is, is there a age difference to join the fire department would i be able to get into anything when im that old?

 

 

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on November 27, 2011 at 6:29pm

so my question is, is there a age difference to join the fire department would i be able to get into anything when im that old?

 

 

First off, it is good that you are taking advantage of college courses while serving. Getting the generals out of the way is a huge step and if you are able to get either an associates or bachelors in general education, that is still huge. Also, just an FYI, do NOT use GI Bill while actively serving, but I think servicemembers are cautioned against that anyway.

 

Another thing you can look to do is get in good with some HMs and learn the EMT and paramedic side of things. This will further help you if you want to pursue a FF career because emergency medicine is a big factor with paramedic being a big factor in getting hired. Basically don't rely solely on vet points, nor your military experience, because for the most part, that doesn't matter.

 

As for the age question, it IS possible to get hired, it does depend upon the dept though. For some dept's there is an age limit as to who is able to apply, but sometimes the age limit is waived for years of military service. For instance I believe FDNY has a max age of 35, but if I still wanted to apply (at 36) I still could because my 5 years service time is subtracted.

 

Age aside though, one still has to be able to do the job and even at an older age, you will be subjected to the same duties as those younger. Although, there are depts that are also less busy so it depends on what you feel like come that time in your life too. But, yes, it IS absolutely possible to start in the late 30's. I do know of people on my current dept who have started in their late 30s and still on the job and even a couple who started in their 40s. So if you seek to retire from the military and still pursue a FF career, it is possible.

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