May, 2011 | Become a Firefighter HQ

Another 5 Tips to Become a Firefighter

May 26, 2011 By Firefighter Leave a Comment

Hey gang. Here’s another 5 tips to help you become a firefighter. Take note of these and you could increase your chances to landing a career in the fire service.

1. Take responsibility

No one likes someone on their team who lacks personal responsibility. You must hold yourself to high standards and not blame others for your mistakes. You need to learn from mistakes and not repeat a second time. When you are on the job simple mistakes can cost lives. You need to remember, to become a firefighter others are depending on you to do your job. You need to be able to follow directions as instructed , if you don’t like to follow orders from higher up, the fire service may not be for you.

2. Understand the interview

Congratulations, you’ve passed the written exam and selected for an interview. Make sure to prepare for your interview. A candidate can have a stellar resume and still not get offered the position because they failed to connect with the hiring board. The interview is your chance to standout from the pool. The best way to prepare is understand what type of questions they may be asking. The board is trying to find out who you are as a person. Types of questions vary and not all boards will ask the same question. Most start off as telling about yourself and why you want to become a firefighter. They can then follow with situational questions regarding morals, legal issues, ethics, and interpersonal conflicts. The hiring board does not want to hear canned responses. They want to hear answers that are well thought, confident, and truthful. As this is a very important topic, we will have more posts in the future.

3. Visit your local fire station

Visiting your local fire station will give you an idea of what its like to become a firefighter. You should strive to make a good first impression when you walk through the door. Make sure to dress appropriately and ready to ask the right questions. Leaving a bad first impression with local staff can be relayed back to the fire chief or hiring board and ruin your chances. Some good questions to ask would be:

Is there a probation period?

What desired qualifications is the department looking for?

What makes a good candidate?

What did you do to get hired?

What’s important to the hiring board and fire chief?

Listen closely to their answers and make sure to ask additional questions based on their answers. This will let them know that you understand and provide positive feedback.

4. Hang out with the right crowd

You’ve heard the saying, “Birds of the same feather, flock together”. All fire departments work diligently to earn the trust and respect of the local public. The fire department does not want to jeopardize their reputation because you felt like getting drunk and causing a fight at the local bar or hear that your hanging out with a bunch friends who like to smoke pot on the weekends, even though you didn’t smoke it. The fire department does not need controversy. Make sure to choose your friends wisely. Enough said.

5. Be the person the fire department wants in their family

Don’t be the black sheep. You are going to be spending your career working 24-48 hour shifts with your fire service family and brothers. The fire department wants someone that is trusted, respectful, and responsible. We are all unique and we need to express and highlight POSITIVE traits and skills. There is no room for black sheep and NEGATIVITY in the family.

Firefighter Recruitment

May 25, 2011 By Firefighter Leave a Comment

Most fire departments have firefighter recruitment programs. The programs vary widely from state to state across the US. You should check the local fire departments for basic requirements. Some of the basic firefighter recruitment requirements include:

Basic entrance requirements

18 or 21 years old. Some areas will accept 17 yrs. and some areas will have an age limit. In New York City the maximum age is 29.5 years unless you have military exemption.

Have high school diploma or GED. Of course getting more advanced education is better. This cannot be stressed enough. Most people want to get by with the minimum. An advanced education will help you stand out from other prospects. You need to remember that many fire departments require some sort of continuing education. Some states require monthly continuing education to maintain your EMT/Paramedic certification or license. Getting in the habit of keeping up-to-date is important and having a strong educational foundation will help you stand out from the rest.

Hold a valid vehicle drivers license with clean driving record. This is another no-brainer. At times you will be expected to drive a truck or engine. How could you expect to get hired if the fire chief can’t trust you to drive a $300,000 apparatus?

Be a US Citizen or legal resident. Do I really need to explain this one?

Be a non-smoker in good physical condition and pass physical fitness tests. You will be wearing full bunker gear and expected to climb ladders, carry hose under high pressure, operate heavy equipment, and crawl in small spaces. Full bunker gear includes a helmet, boots, trousers, turnout coat, air tank and other tools. Bunker gear can weigh up to 50 lbs. You also need to put the bunker gear on quickly with most departments requiring 2 minutes or less to suit up. Physical tests can include stair climbing, ladder raise and extensions, forcible entry, search and rescue, and equipment carry.

Pass written examination. Most departments have a pass/fail with minimum passing significantly higher than 70% passing grade. You should take as many practice and real tests as possible. Remember that some cities can have applicant testing pools as high as 2000-3000 candidates. Scoring well above 70% will help you stand out and get to the interview.

Have current EMT/Paramedic certification or Paramedic License. A majority of the response calls are EMS related. You also should have updated CPR certification. Many fire departments want candidates that are cross trained with EMT/Paramedic certification or Paramedic License. In some fire departments this is mandatory and a candidate won’t be given a chance to interview.

Firefighter 1 Certification. This will give you an idea of what is expected of a firefighter while on the job. NFPA 1001 is a fire code based on knowledge and skills requirements for the firefighter 1 and 2 designation. See the post titled “Firefighter 1 Certification and Academy” for more information.

Pass Background Check. The fire department wants to hire someone with a clean record. Fire departments work hard to earn the trust of the community. Any type of scandal or controversy can ruin a fire departments reputation and take years to re-build the trust of the community. It is much easier to maintain a clean image. Fire departments don’t like to take that kind of risk and don’t need to because of the large candidate pool.

Bonus – A few more items in firefighter recruitment.

Volunteer. Participation in a volunteer program other than a volunteer fire department. There are many candidates that have experience with a volunteer fire department. Showing participation and leadership in other programs helps you to stand out from the rest. Some good organizations include American Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Feed the Children, and many others.

Specialized Training. Obtaining EMS Certificates (Basic Trauma Life Support, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support) or training certificates from the State Fire Marshall (Auto Extrication, Swift Water Rescue, Confined Space Operations)

Bilingual Ability. If you know any type of secondary language make sure to include on your resume. Many fire departments take this into account during the hiring process. Spanish fluency in southern California,New Mexico, Arziona, or Texas would be extremely helpful. Not only Spanish is useful, make sure to let the fire department know of any language fluency you have.

Filed Under: Firefighter Recruitment, Uncategorized Tagged With: Firefighter 1

Firefighter 1 Certification and Academy

May 24, 2011 By Firefighter Leave a Comment

Firefighter 1 certification is one of the most basic classes to help a prospective candidate obtain a firefighter certificate or part of a 2-yr. fire science degree. Many firefighter candidates wonder what type of classes to take. The reality is, there is no single path to landing the prized firefighter position. What you need to remember is that you need to have a basic plan, be efficient with your time, and find ways to stand out from the competition. Obtaining Firefighter 1 certification is one of the bare minimum classes you should complete. Getting Firefighter 2 certification and a 2-yr. degree in fire science would be even better. Remember for every one spot there are hundreds of other applicants looking to join the firefighter brotherhood.

A little history of NFPA and NFPA 1001 – Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international non-profit organization founded in 1896 with the goal of reducing fire risk and other hazards. They have developed over 300 widely adopted fire codes. NFPA 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications is one of 300 fire codes. You should be familiar with NFPA 1001 in the early stage of your career. The code is fairly short at 28 pages and defines the basic requirements for Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certification. The codes are updated periodically with the most recent NFPA 1001 update in 2008. This post will focus on basic Firefighter 1 requirements. We will have a future post on Firefighter 2 requirements.

At Level 1, you should know all general knowledge and skill requirements in 5.1, all job performance requirements (JPRs) in 5.2 – 5.5, and all other requirements in Chap. 5. In addition Chapters 4, 5 and Sec. 6.6 of NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents.

Chapter 5 of NFPA 1001 (2013) is dedicated to Firefighter 1 requirements and is a whopping 4 pages long. Not much reading and in general the fire codes are very boring to read. The following are highlights of Chapter 5 and its 5 sub-sections.

A few definitions in NFPA 1001 to keep in mind.

1) Firefighter 1 – is a person at the first level of progression demonstrating knowledge and skills to function as an integral member of a firefighting team under direct supervision in hazardous conditions.

2) Requisite Knowledge – Fundamental knowledge one must have in order to perform a specific task. (Operating procedures, etiquette)

3) Requisite Skills – The essential skills one must have in order to perform a specific task. (Tying a knot, climbing a ladder)

5.1 General

Covers general qualifications, understanding the fire department organization,standard operating procedures, knot type and usage, hoisting methods, ability to don protective clothing within one minute, hoist tools and equipment and using ropes.

5.2 Fire Dept. Communications

Covers initiating response, receiving phone calls, fire department communications equipment and use according to job performance requirements (JPR).

5.3 Fireground Operations

Covers performance activities to ensure life safety, emergency traffic, and evacuation signals. This includes the use of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), forced entry, exiting hazardous areas, ground ladders, passenger vehicle fires, extinguish fires in exterior Class A materials, search and rescue, attacking interior structure fires, horizontal and vertical ventilation, overhaul fire scene with personal protective equipment, property conservation with salvage equipment, connecting fire department pumper to a water supply, emergency scene illumination, shut-down of building utilities, and fire combat as a team member.

5.4 Rescue Operations

This section has no requirement for Firefighter 1. This is another one of those weird items that you can run into with NFPA fire codes. They have a section reserved for this, yet no requirement. Section 5.4 is reserved in Firefighter 2. Maybe we need to join a technical committee to understand their reasoning and logic.

5.5 Prevention, Preparedness, and Maintenance.

Covers duties that reduce the loss of life and property due to fire response readiness according to the JPR’s. This includes cleaning and checking ladders, ventilation equipment, ropes, SCBA, and hand tools.

Remember that NFPA Codes are difficult to read and NFPA 1001 is no exception. This was a general outline of Chap. 5, Firefighter 1. If you need any help interpreting this code, feel free to drop a comment and we’ll do our best to help.

Filed Under: Firefighter 1, NFPA 1001 Firefighter Professional Qualifications Tagged With: Firefighter 1, NFPA

5 Tips to Become a Firefighter

May 23, 2011 By Firefighter Leave a Comment

Interviewing countless personnel in the fire service, there are recurring themes to become a firefighter. Take note of these and you could increase your chances to landing a career in the fire service.

1. Understand the duties and responsibilites

Becoming a firefighter is not only putting water on fire. Job duties of an entry-level firefighter are quite extensive. Job shifts vary by department and normally run 24 hours or 48 hours with 2-3 day rest in between. Firefighters are responsible for maintenance of apparatus and equipment, preparing meals, cleaning living quarters, keeping in shape, fire inspections, fire drills, and other duties. Although there is downtime, on duty firefighters must be ready to respond to an emergency at any time. Emergencies are not planned which will cause interruption to sleep, meals, and restroom breaks.

2. Graduate from high school or obtain GED

Obtaining your high school diploma or GED certificate are minimum requirements for nearly all public firefighter positions. Although prospects can be hired with a very minimum education level, prospects with strong educational backgrounds are normally more attractive. Firefighters need to write incident reports and could be used to testify in a court proceeding. Poor writing skills can reflect the integrity and credibility of the writer.

3. Enroll in an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course

Most fire departments require basic EMT certification. In addition it will give you a taste what it’s like to attend patients during medical call, accidents, and fire emergency. If you have trouble with the sight of blood or administering CPR the fire service may not be your true calling. An even more attractive impression would be to obtain a certified or licensed Paramedic. Future posts on EMT and EMS/Paramedics will be featured.

4. Enroll in a Firefighter Academy

Many fire departments require a satisfactory completion of Firefighter Academy 1 prior to taking an entry level exam. Attending a fire academy will give the prospect a broader scope and detail including fire commission rules and regulations, fire science, fire apparatus, fire inspections, fire safety, hose operation, fire extinguishers, pre-incident planning, building construction, and many other topics. If you want to become a firefighter enrolling in a firefighter academy should be seriously considered. Future posts on Firefighter Academies will be featured.

5. Obtain Firefighter Written Exam Training Material

The written exam is a process to reduce the applicant pool so that they may advance to the physical test. The written exams look to ensure that the applicants have satisfactory competency levels. Subjects can include reading, math, science, and English, Map reading and following instructions could also be tested. Normally the tests are graded as pass or fail with minimum being much greater than 70%. Some recommended books include “Smoke Your Firefighter Written Exam” by Paul S. Lepore, ”Firefighter Exam Preparation Book” by Norman Hall and Arcos “Master the Firefighter Exam”. The books gives the reader basic understanding of test preparation. Some information may not apply to your area or region. When purchasing any books make sure to check with the fire department you are testing in. Ask them if there are any specific books that they recommend

In future posts we will have more tips that will help you become a firefighter. Hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Filed Under: Become a Firefighter, Firefighter Books Tagged With: Become a Firefighter, Firefighter Academy

Become a Firefighter HQ

May 22, 2011 By Firefighter 1 Comment

Welcome …..

The goal of Become a Firefighter HQ is to become the premier authority in providing information and resources to become a firefighter. If your a jr. explorer, straight out of high school, or looking to make a career change Become a Firefighter HQ is intended for you. The site will include general requirements, interviews, education, physical fitness, training, basic fire science, hiring process, paramedic/ems requirements, fire protection systems, salary, and anything related to the fire service to help you land a job as a firefighter.

Let me be upfront with the harsh realities

The road to becoming a firefighter is very competitive and not easy to accomplish. For every one job opening there are hundreds of applicants. The key is perseverance, consistency, hard work, professionalism, and a little bit of luck. Along with passing the basic requirements there are many other different factors that can lead you to get a position. There is no single path to lead you to landing a career as a firefighter. Research indicates it can take 3 to 7 years to become a paid firefighter. Some can do it in less time and for some will take longer. Most prospects believe the most important aspect is to be the most qualified. The reality is the fire department wants someone qualified that can fit into the firefighter family and brotherhood. In short if the fire chief and hiring board doesn’t like you, they won’t hire you. The prospect pool is large enough for them to be picky. If you have a bad attitude, lack common courtesy, responsibility, and don’t like to follow directions; a firefighter career is not for you.

The most efficient way to be a stand-out firefighter prospect is to understand the job duties and responsibilities

It’s not just putting water on fire. Learning job duties and responsibilities can be attained by taking fire science courses at the community college or online. Valuable experience can also be obtained by becoming a volunteer or reserve firefighter. Most paid fire departments have minimum passing scores for written and physical testing with the remaining part dependent on the interview. The firefighter career path is unique. There are no guarantees that can ensure a prospect will obtain a position. A prospect can be 100% qualified and still not be offered a position, while a less than 100% qualified prospect could be offered a position. Most people outside of the fire service don’t understand this concept, while it makes perfect sense for those inside the fire service. You need to be the person that everyone wants to have in their family.

How Become a Firefighter HQ evolved

This site evolved from experiences learned working in the fire protection/loss prevention industry and interviewing firefighters, fire marshals, fire chiefs, fire captains, battalion officers, and emt/paramedics working in the fire service. For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a consultant in the loss prevention and fire protection industry, with with numerous clients to help them reduce their risk from fire and other property loss including a multitude of industries and occupancies ranging from hotels, apartments, data centers, manufacturing, distribution warehouses, food and grain processing, metal working, paper processing, plastics, flammable liquids, gas and oil, and automotive paint shops. I am proficient in NFPA Fire Codes, Insurance Data Sheets, and certified as an NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).

Filed Under: Beating odds to become a firefighter, Become a Firefighter Tagged With: Become a Firefighter, interview, requirements