Congratulations on graduating from the academy, hopefully it was a State Fire Marshal's Office Accredited Regional Academy. Probably the best link to find state certified classes (I'm assuming you live in California, just not sure what part of the State) is the State Fire Marshal's class schedule: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/ClassSchedule.asp

However, before you get too deep into certification classes, I would encourage you to ponder the following:

1. All these certificates won't get you hired. Virtually all of the ones you mentioned you have are not typically required by departments as entry-level requirements, to take their exam. Some maybe highly desirable, but with only a few departments as most don't really look at certificates.

2. What gets you hired is your ability to successfully pass (and smoke) all of the components of the hiring process, most notably the oral interview, since that typically makes up 100% or at least 50% of your overall ranking. Instead of focusing on certificates, I would encourage you to focus on becoming a better speaker, presenter, conversationalist, etc., since that is what you're doing in the oral interview.

3. Before you start going heads-first into all of these certification classes, I would encourage you (if you haven't done so already) to focus on the basics - a two-year degree in fire science/technology. Before you even take the certification classes (which are typically advanced or intermediate level training), if you haven't had the basics (the two-year degree classes), how do you expect to even understand or comprehend those certification classes? It's like running before you can walk.

Just some thoughts from someone who has been in your shoes, hope they help. I used to try to have the best resume when I was testing, trying to get every certificate known to man-kind. Unfortunately, it didn't dawn on me until I was already hired that if I had focused more on my oral board skills and more importantly, being able to demonstrate to a department that I was "the best fit" for their organization (which doesn't mean the most educated or trained individual with the thickest resume) and would be low maintenance and play nicely with others, I may have been hired sooner.

Steve Prziborowski
Battalion Chief
www.chabotfire.com

Stay in peak physical shape, like the academy.....know how to pass a written exam.....and get the HELP of somebody who is going to teach you how to SELL IT in an oral exam.....Capt Bob, BC LePore, BC prziborowski (I hope that is correct)...Use them and do your best.....Whoever you go to..>LISTEN to what they say

btw....enable your PMs ...and what academy did you go to?
This message was edited by bigdaddyfire on 9-3-07 @ 9:14 PM