I am up in Northern California at the Las Positas college workshop on how to become a firefighter. What a great event put on by BC’s Helmick and Atlas. The cost was $12 to the students and included lunch. I even got to hang out with my old pal Craig Freema. What a fun day. It reminds me of why I got into the fie biz to begin with……… Read the rest
My Articles
Filling out firefighter applications
I recently
spent four days with several other chief officers pouring through over 1,000 entry
level firefighter applications with a team of chief officers. Overall the
applications were very disappointing. The standout ones were awesome, but in
general the quality was pretty lackluster. Here are some of the things that we
as a group would like to pass along to aspiring firefighters.
Let’s start
with the basics. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. Often times a department will provide specific
instructions. This may … Read the rest
Paramedics working as EMT’s
I recently met with an aspiring firefighter who had taken the step to become a paramedic. He was an academy graduate and still could not get hired. He became a paramedic with the thought that it would help him get hired. Good plan, right?
Kind of……
Where his plan failed is that after completing paramedic school, he returned to his EMT job at the local ambulance company. Huge mistake! Here’s why…….
He is most likely going to be taking lateral … Read the rest
Perception
As I scanned the parking lot, I was disturbed to see a private ambulance parked perpendicular in THREE spots.
Age and Becoming a Firefighter
Everyone has an opinion of age when it comes to hiring new firefighters. Some people feel that a younger candidate has a better chance of getting hired because; after all, the fire departments are looking to hire a candidate for the next 30 years.
If a fire department hires a 21 or 22 year old, the department can train the recruit before he or she has a chance to develop “bad” habits. Furthermore, since the agency wants to get the … Read the rest
I finally finished!!!!!
Today I finished my last presentation fo rmy last class for my Master’s degree. What makes this so special for me is that 7 years ago I was 9 classes short of an AS degree. When I promoted to BC, the Fire Chief made me promise that I would go back to school and earn my Bachelor’s degree. It took me 4 years to get it. Once I finished I wanted to continue. Two years later (today) I completed my … Read the rest
New Year
Hello all,
As we come into the new year, I would encourage you to sit down and write out your goals. Researchers have found that those who take the time to put their goals down on paper have a much higher chance of reaching them.
For me, I will be finished with my Masters degree in a week. This is the culmination of a two year goal. I will be glad to be finished with it. My other goals are … Read the rest
Follow directions!
I was recently involved in screening fire department applications and I was amazed to see that 40% of the candidates did not follow the simple directions to include copies of their certifications. Subsequently all of these applications were disqualified from the process.
Also, keep in mind that the people behind the counter at HR are very influential in the hiring process. Be sure to be nice to them!
Lastly, do not staple your resume onto your application in lieu of … Read the rest
Getting Hired in a Tough Economy
Getting hired in today’s economy is extremely difficult. Many departments are still trying to figure out what their budgets are going to be. The federal and state governments are still a moving target, which means that the cities and counties are still uncertain as to their financial status.
Here is the way the budget works in California. When a product is sold the vendor charges sales tax. Depending on the city, this ranges from 8.5% to 10.5%. This money is … Read the rest