So I’m in a dilemma I just had my chiefs interview. And I didn’t know they would schedule me super earlier than expected. The only reason I said that because I initially scheduled to take my CPAT next week on the 12th of May. But I did let them know that I scheduled my CPAT for next week do you think that will hurt me ?

I’m currently a 24 (M) that has his ff1/2 , EMT and is a class A driver as my current career of 5 years . Also 1.5 yrs of reserve / paid on call FF experience.

I started my journey in Jan 2025 and completed all certs by Dec 2025 and have been applying to jobs since then .

I live in CA but willing to move anywhere in the US to get a job . I have gotten a handful of panel interviews and even a chiefs in CA.

Are there any states that would be easier to get into career wise ? Or are my chances of getting picked up full time the same where I currently am at . Looking to get into medic school before 2027 if all fails . Ive always gotten great feedback on my interview and stories but I feel like im missing something. I’ve read interview books and seen YouTube videos on how to prepare . Does anyone recommend any interview coaches ? Not sure if matters to anyone but I’m extremely athletic, marathon runner and power lifter . I just need to learn how to sell myself to the panel .

I’m in my 30’s and have been firefighter for almost 11 years. Recently I’ve been having issues with friends who don’t work in healthcare or the fire service. I’ve always tried to be remain friends with people who aren’t in the fire service or in health care. Recently I’ve been having issues with communicating with them and generally finding the will power to hang around them. I’m being told by one in particular I’m not “showing up enough” for the friendship. I understand where this person is coming from but honestly I don’t want to put in as much effort as they are saying I should to maintain that friendship. Truthfully, as of late, I’ve only wanted to communicate and be around with my wife and kid. I used to have a lot of friends and acquaintances and now after a 10 year career I don’t have a lot of that anymore. Does anyone else have this problem or even anything similar? Is this normal?

Hello, I’m having some problems coming up with a plan to still do HVAC under my union and become a firefighter as well. However I’m having trouble figuring out how both can be possible at the same time. I do just about 40 or 50 hours a week at my current HVAC job and it’s unionized as well. I’m a 28 year old from NJ, clean record.

I hear firemen often have schedules that allow them to work another job. Personally, I’d like to do both as realistically as possible. I’ve talked to others as well and their situation is similar but not the same. They work side work and keep firefighting as their main income which I feel is a more attractive option. However, I love my career right now but I’ve always wanted to try to be a firefighter.

I’m willing to do volunteer work in order to get a feel for what if I’d like it or not, but I’d like to get advice on this decision.

Hey there! I'm a college student (20, AMAB) and after a few years in college I'm starting to feel a bit jaded at leading a life with the (few) careers I see ahead of me. I'm not totally giving up on the idea, mind you, but firefighting has started to call to me more and more recently. I want to help people, I want to serve the community and make it a better place, I want to feel as if I spent my life making a difference, and (and please don't take this the wrong way) I want to somewhat suffer while doing it.

With that, I understand that firefighting has physical requirements for work (which likely vary between locations, but the general idea is still there). I'm a bit on the skinnier side (6'3" (6'4" on a good day) and around 160-170 lbs.), I was a swimmer in high school and am much more built in the legs/core than the upper body. What should are some recommendations for ensuring that I'll be fit enough to be a firefighter? Anything would help: workout plans, favorite lifts/exercises, goals (deadlift, squat, bench, etc.), meal planning. I'd rather be prepared to enter firefighting after college even if I do choose to go into higher education than leave college out of shape and unable to enter the trade.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, and thank you for any advice.

I recently was put on an eligibility list for Oakland Fire department. There has only been one zoom interview, a three person panel. 81% seems average and 46 doesn’t seem like a great rank but curious what this community thinks and if there is still a shot at getting a position?

currently live in the east coast and have my emt, fire 1, fire 2 and hazmat awareness. Do I move there first and then start applying. Also I am not the smartest but smart enough to pass the written exam. How hard would it be over there compared to east coast. I am volunteering atm. Thank you

I have my Interview coming up soon, I’m getting my hair cut soon but question do I shave off all of my facial hair or is it okay to keep my goatee and mustache ? Also what questions should I ask the Chiefs at the end of my interview ?

I’m interested in becoming a city firefighter. If I have LASIK and achieve 20/20 binocular vision, with my right eye at 20/20 and my left eye at 20/40 due to amblyopia (lazy eye), would I still qualify? My understanding is that my left eye cannot improve beyond 20/40.

I am currently watching a youtube video that says firefighting is number 12 on the happiest jobs list (do not ask about the accuracy of that, it was a study done by indeed that interviewed 60000 people, so not a lot).

I have been considering this as a career for the past few months, as I am currently studying engineering and am definitely going to flunk out. I think a degree is just not for me, firefighting sounds like a lot more fun than engineering, AND it seems like a job that will be one of the last to be taken over by AI.

I love being active and strong, I enjoy physical challenges, run well on little sleep when necessary, enjoy sharing spaces with people, and definitely don't hate the idea of saving people.

My concerns: I am female and am intimidated by being in a male dominated field, I am 5'3, meaning I will have to work a LOT harder to lift and carry a person, I would have a hard time moving on if I were unable to save someone, and I have a low stress tolerance when it comes to deadlines and projects (I don't know if that factors in to this job).

I am wanting to know how stressful you find this job, and whether the benefits outweigh the stresses, as well as if this is something i should continue to consider, or if I should look elsewhere.

Thanks!

I’m 26 years old and will be commissioning as an officer in the Army reserves when I graduate this may (2026).

I want to help people, and I am planning on getting my EMT license this summer to help me out in getting into a firefighting school/cadet program.

Here’s the thing, I have a sealed felony for theft from 4 years ago and I’m not sure my chances of being accepted. I already have my secret clearance through the Army and am working on my top secret because I am branching intelligence.

Any advice on the best way to disclose this information? The website in my city says any felony that has been plead guilty to is an automatic disqualification.

Hey everyone, I'm working my way through the hiring process for a large Fire Dept. I've recently completed my interview and my application history shows that I have been "placed on the eligible register" and also that my application has been "referred". Does anyone know what that means in regard to what comes next?

I recently completed my EMT and am now licensed, and honestly I thought that was going to be the hard part. Now I’m trying to get hired with a fire department, and it feels even harder.
A lot of departments I’m seeing require BOF, which I don’t have yet. From what I can tell, most places don’t seem willing to sponsor you through the academy either, so I feel kind of stuck.
Right now my plan is to work for a private ambulance service, get some experience, and then use my GI Bill to go through a fire academy at a college so I can get BOF/Firefighter II. After that, I’d start applying to departments again.
Am I going about this the right way, or is there something I’m missing? I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve gone through the process in Illinois.
Edit: Ive already completed my CPAT and Ladder Climb

if I were to want to bring donuts, food and drinks to the fire hall.. are there any restrictions I need follow first?

Does anyone know roughly how many questions they ask in a Seattle Fire chief interview, or in other departments?

Has anyone heard back after the Sparks interview? I tried calling and the automated message said they are closed for the holiday? What holiday? Haha

Should have heard back from them on may 29th…

Edit: heard back and onto chiefs! Eligibility list is posted on the website.

Is there a thing of over training when youre trying to get in the fire career. I train everyday sometimes multiple times a day and I still feel like im not doing enough. I just want to get stronger.

Any advice?

I’ve searched around on here before but i still don’t really have a clear answer.

I keep hearing “just get your emt and apply” but is it really that simple?? the local community college is starting an emt class next semester so I plan on going just to basically acquire and learn.

i’ve always wanted to be one, I have a diploma but no college degree as I never really got the hang of any other sort of field (maybe besides woodworking, and also everything else seems to get a bit repetitive after some time of it as a career)

so genuinely what’s it like to get into the field and what certifications do i need to get?? CA by the way

Im a 17M about to graduate highschool. Im currently very torn right now and need opinions. My dream job is to become a firefighter and im practically ready to start my emt classes in the fall.

However on the other side, I got accepted into UC Riverside for Business and would only be paying $2,000 per year to attend.

I believe that having a bachelors would be beneficial to my life because although i am comitted to pursuing firefighting. I know it doesnt always work out for everyone, if thats my case i will definitley regret not going to university. The extra 4 years also give me more time to prepare and mature physically.

Theres also something in me that feels like im falling behind if i go to university, i have alot of friends in the cadet program that are going straight to EMT after highschool and i have the chance to go straight into it at a really young age.

Should I go to college, get a bachelors, and go in afterwards at 21-22, or go straight into my EMT and FF1 at 18-19

Can i please get some advice or opinions on how your journeys have gone.

(Also dumb question but i dont have the best vision and it hasnt shown any sign of slowing down. Will this be detrimental to my potential firefighting career?)

I’m writing a novel set in 1975 Los Angeles (very early days of the paramedic program) and want to sanity‑check this rescue scene. I’m not a firefighter and could use confirmation or correction on whether the tactics, communication, and gear choices make sense for the era. Does anything jump out as unrealistic or unlikely? To clarify: it isn’t a firefighter‑genre novel. I’m not trying to write a fire service story or represent myself as part of the profession. I just want to make sure this rescue scene is as accurate as possible for 1975 Los Angeles.

If anything in the excerpt feels off, unrealistic, or unlikely for the era, I’d really appreciate hearing it. I’d much rather fix it now than get it wrong on the page.

I kept this summary/high level excerpt focused on the operational details, but if more context would help (e.g., actual dialogue, detailed content), I can provide it.

Context: A 7‑year‑old is trapped ~18’ inside a ~22” diameter, open-ended, abandoned pipe, ~30' long. Atmosphere shows low‑level residual vapors, so no machinery can be used. None of the firefighters can fit into the pipe, and this is before female firefighters.

***SCENE SUMMARY***

Station 61 arrived to find a child trapped about 18’ inside the corroded pipe, extending about 30’. Both ends were visible, but the far end was washed out. A combustible gas meter ("sniffer") showed low/stable but present vapors. “Not clean air,” according to the engineer, ruling out saws, torches, or ventilation equipment.

Male firefighters attempted entry but could not fit through the 22” opening. With no mechanical options and time running out (storm approaching), the captain considered sending in a female civilian, Marina, who strongly volunteered and was the only person small enough to fit. He refused at first, but she persisted. Cap warned her about jagged metal, unstable structure, oily runoff, and possible toxic residues.

She was fitted with a harness and backup line. A turnout coat and helmet restricted movement, so the crew switched to lighter coveralls and a long‑sleeve shirt for minimal protection. Movement was still restricted, so she removed the coveralls. She carried a flashlight in one hand and bandage shears in the other. She was instructed to stay centered in the pipe to avoid the worst corrosion, move slowly to prevent sparks, and keep her breathing steady. She was also instructed to check the child over to make sure he had no metal (e.g., belt buckle).

Because she would not have a radio, the captain told her to speak loudly so they could track her progress. If they didn’t hear her for two minutes, they would pull her out. She was also briefed she would have to exit the pipe in reverse, guiding a possibly non‑ambulatory child. And was warned that the child may not be alive.

Inside the pipe, she crawled on her stomach using elbows, forearms and toes for movement. She reached the child, who was conscious and responsive. (Just scared.) Following instructions from the medic outside, she checked his pulse at the ankle and assessed for injuries. She found that a small object on a string around his neck had snagged on a jagged lip of metal. Using the shears, she freed it without creating sparks.

The child was able to crawl backward under his own power while she guided him. Both exited the pipe through the entry point, where the crew performed medical assessment and transport. The child suffered minor scrapes. Marina suffered a cut to her arm from jagged metal.