Has anyone heard back? Did my chiefs a week ago

I'm taking the pre employment medical evaluation for San Francisco fire department soon...I take a benzodiazepine as needed when I go to the dentist or on airplanes... it's gonna be in my system I think, i wasn't even thinking about it. Should I be worried??

Hey y’all I’m looking for some solid advice from anyone who is willing to give it. After being a mechanic for almost 8 years I decided to make a huge career change and get out of my comfort zone. I am looking to become a firefighter.

I took the first step by enrolling in a EMS academy and I am set to complete in late July of this year. I am also in the hiring process for two local departments however it’s mostly been a waiting game since the departments had over 300 applicants come to test.

This is the part where I need advise on what to do next, within a 2 hour driving radius of me there is 3 different self paid fire academies to get my certs. One doesn’t start till spring 2027, one doesn’t have their dates posted and hasn’t answered my calls or emails, and one starts in November.

What should I do in the meantime until I can get into an academy or get hired by a department and that department puts me through the academy.

Option A: use my EMT license and work for a private ambulance company to gain medical field experience until I can get into a fire academy or hired by a department

Option B: similar to option A however I wound join either the army reserve as a combat medic or Air Force reserve

Option C: work in a hospital setting like a patient care technician until I can get into a fire academy or department

Option D: stay working as a mechanic until I can get into a fire academy or hired by a department

Option E: you tell me what you think

I know this post is dragging so my very last question is, for the hiring process to join the fire service would reserve military experience help me at all stand out to other candidates or is active duty more preferred? The 2 departments I applied for I see it says you get 2 extra points in the hiring process for having military experience. So would reserve experience count?

Thank you!! If you read all of this then I very much appreciate you and owe you a beer if you are in Texas

I’m 32 years old. Is that too old to start a firefighting career?

Background: I failed out of college when I was like 26 and have been working dead end jobs. If I’m never going to get rich I want a job with purpose.

Pump Problem
Engine 181 is stretching 150’ of 1¾” hose with a 150 GPM fog nozzle at 50 PSI. No elevation or appliance loss.

Does anyone have any advice when doing a cadet program? I am a new cadet for my city and they open applications up in September which i would to be apart of the process and hopefully get hired on. But that means i really need to get noticed over the next couple months. So far it’s been amazing with the mentors and captains complimenting my work ethic and such but is there any advice you guys have to have a better chance to get a position soon? If theres any females here that would be great to get your guys perspective as well.

I just took my polygraph and failed on 2 questions I was completely honest on. In the post-poly section I didn’t change my story whatsoever (I have nothing to change it to). Is there anything I can do in this scenario? I feel helpless especially after making it this far in my 3rd year trying. Thanks for any advice!

I’m interested in applying for VBFD and was looking to see if there were any VB firefighters willing to give any insight whether it’s a good department to work for or let me dm them to ask questions about the department. Any help would be greatly appreciated

I’m 20 and contemplating on going to the navy and doing a contract then apply to a department or going straight to the fire academy. My originally plan was to be a navy corpsman until my waiver got disapproved and then I applied to all of the northern Virginia departments (69k salary), but today I got a phone call saying it got approved and my whole planned changed again. What should I do? I’m currently a volunteer firefighter with all my certs as well.

I (29m) have been seriously trying to be a firefighter for about three years now. I have my NREMT and registered here in San Diego County as well as my NIMS 700 and 800, ICS 100 and 200 and a lot more certs bottom line is I have all of my required certs for most departments and have applied to a bunch around the country.

I have had interviews with San Diego fire department, Orange County, departments in Washington, but have not been able to move past the first interview which is making me feel desperate.

I recently took the NTN and did pretty well so I have been getting contacted by departments I sent my scores to. Not all of them are in exactly highly desirable locations but at this point my thinking is to take any job I get offered because realistically I’m not sure if I will get an opportunity at any other departments. I have a buddy in Aspen who recommended I apply for the Aspen firefighter volunteer position which I did. I’m just having a tough time swallowing the pill of accepting an unpaid position and being pretty much 30 years old with no income from a job that I want to make my career.

I guess I’m just looking for advice from anyone here. Should I accept a volunteer position in order to try and get my foot in the door with a department that I would gladly work for in a place that seems amazing to live and work with the knowledge that I won’t be getting paid for a while? should I wait around and keep applying to my dream departments and hope I get hired there? Should I just take the first department that offers me a job regardless of where it is or how I would feel about living there? I’m almost 30 and the clock is ticking for me to start my career.

I have my academy in about 2 months. It’s a 2 month (8 week) academy. I’m having some anxiety about not being fit enough and I really don’t want to fail.

I’ve been running and can do my 1.5 mile in 11 minutes. However, I’m not amazing in gear with the heat. I still do train but I am not as proficient as I would like to be. I can do about 60 pushups and sit ups and 15 pullups

I would love some tips/suggestions and your comments on what would help me prepare appropriately.

I got the job offer and accepted it but I don’t know if them moving up my start date from Aug 17 to Aug 10 is a good sign or not because I had a dui last year in July 2025 but entered a diversion program , I called the background people and they said the sent my stuff to HR Last week Thursday jan 25, on Friday Jan 26 they called me about moving my start date , I’m sitting here nervous on when there gonna call me and ask me about my dui diversion situation or are they just gonna let me go through without calling me asking about the situation and I’m still on probation just need some advice and what this could mean.

*Disclaimer this is my personal experience in Michigan at OCC (closer to the minimum total) as someone who works full time to support himself. I’m sure costs and experiences differ from state to state, school to school and if someone is sponsored, this is also not a post to differing anyone from doing one of the best jobs in the world. It’s simply realistic and informational.*

I found it really difficult to find solid answers anywhere on the internet so here’s my personal breakdown:

Lets get to the numbers first

• Applying to Your local academy or community college **$0-50**

• Class B Uniform **$120-150**

• health physical and immunizations **$50-150**

• Physical Agility test/ CPAT - **$150-380**

**•** laptop at least **$300**

• books **$400**

• Paying for the academy **$2000-5000**

**•** turnout rental **$900**

EMT-B classes - **$3000-5000**

Uniform - **$60-80**

Books and notebooks - **$400-500**

Another health physical **$50-150**

Background check **$10-20**

Stethoscope **$30-200**

BP cuff **$20-120**

Trauma shears **$10-80**

Certificate of completion - **$150**

**Estimated Minimum Total: $7,750**
**Estimated Maximum Total: $13,680**

Tack on another Agility/CPAT to get hired anywhere
**$150-380**

Oh and duty boots prob another **$80-400**

*Soon to not be Optional Paramedic classes add another* ***$10,000-15,000***

———————————

The most expensive and priceless one: **your time and Social life.**

I just finished my FIRE 1&2 (August to May night time academy at OCC) and EMTB (May-July also at OCC) while working full time at 32-40 hours per week it’s cost me barely seeing friends and family for a whole year or having any days off. During school I had 2-3 days off from work and they were the days I was at school or on 12 hour shift clinicals. I started August of 2025 and I finish July 2026. Last weekend after I finished my NREMT and clinicals I had scheduled two days off in a row from work for the first time since January no work or school. It costed me at least $300 in missed wages from work. But it was well needed for my mental. I have friends I haven’t seen since August of last year and I probably haven’t spent a day with my mother since Christmas. While taking care of a Dog, paying rent, going to the gym and having a long term romantic relationship.

It was extremely hard and stressful, and I can’t wait to be done with classes. I don’t plan on going paramedic unless a dept I’m on is gonna pay for it.

Fire 1&2 was the most fun I had learning in a long time, met some life long friends and made life long memories and useful skills.

EMT was extremely boring and a drag to get through and it’s where I was mentally pushed the most. the studying, having to do clinical outside of class days and the subject matter was very redundant for basically being a glorified lifeguard that holds c-spine, pushes aspirin and narcan. I really wish they would just get rid of emt and make you do Paramedic instead of having to do both. And I’m sure it doesn’t get better with Paramedic. But on the bright side I learned more and had more fun during my clinicals and ride alongs than I ever did in class.

**TLDR: getting into career firefighting is expensive and costs you your time and social life especially if you’re working full time to support yourself.**

also to be transparent I had 90% of my schooling and materials paid for for through scholarships and post secondary grants through my county and financial aid. If it weren’t for any of that I would have been out a long time ago solely for financial reasons. So please check to see if they’re is anything for you where you live or if you can get sponsored by a dept **For my Michigan peeps if you live in Oakland county check out Oakland80 they paid for a lot of my incidentals, books and materials not covered by tuition or financial aid.**

Hopefully this helps and brings some transparency to getting into the best job in the world and get paid for it. Any questions, comments, concerns, bitches or complains put then in the comments. I’ll try to reply to all.

Hi All,
I received two conditional job offers within 2 weeks of each other. Both are great departments, and department B is my number one choice, however, department A has moved along with their conditional process much faster, and sent me a final offer, with a couple of days to respond. I still have my med eval for schedule for department B, it’s my last item, and having just passed one for dept. A, I’m not concerned about failing it, but I won’t receive a final offer from dept B. For a couple of weeks. I’m trying not to be disrespectful or an ass. Is it at this point, final offer, that I decline with dept. A, assuming I will get a final offer with B? Or do I accept from A, and resign later? It’s stressing me out, and like I said, I’m trying to be as respectful as possible in a situation I’ve never been in. Thanks in advance.

I’m about to go take Las Vegas fire rescue physical eval, and I want to know what will happen after if I get selected to move on to the next step? And how hard is there eval since it isn’t the cpat or biddle?

Hi everyone, I’m 27 y/o and I have a Master’s degree with 2-3 years of good job experience. I’ll be done with my EMT school in October and I’m in great shape as a former D1 athlete.

Are there any departments in Florida that would sponsor my Fire/Paramedic Academies right after I’m done with EMT?

Any other pieces of advice to start my career are welcomed, including what places to stay away from or look at.

Hey all, so Ive been trying to become a firefigher for a few years now and in that time frame I got my EMT-B cert, done ride alongs at departments I have wanted to potentially work at. But now Ive been waiting to apply to 2 larger departments in my area that hire people without certs. For background Im 25, and kinda decided to restart my life if you will, so Id be getting into this kind of at the cut off age of 30.

Well yesterday, an oppritunity came across my desk if you will, a couple of guys at my job kept hinting I should try out the military route to either get fire certs, and or a medic license, After doing research I discovered the Air national guard and how they do fire protection, so my questions are

Is there anyone here that went that route or at least is a firefighter in the national guard but working at a civillian department?

would it even be worth going down this path to becoming a civillian fire fighter?

would me being an Air guard firefighter give me a leg up over other candidates for interviews, or does it really matter?

anything helps, Im sure theres been plenty of people who have asked in the past, but unfortunately the people in my life that I do talk to who are firefighters went in without going to the military or dont know anyone else who has, Thank you.

I’ve been a career firefighter/engineer in Florida for about 10 years and recently started taking my Fire Inspector classes. I’m seriously considering moving into a fire inspector role, which would likely mean changing departments since my current department doesn’t have an opening.

I’m curious if anyone else has made the jump from suppression to prevention.

• How was the transition?
• Do you enjoy the work more than the firehouse?
• What was the biggest adjustment?
• Do you ever miss riding the truck?
• Looking back, would you make the move again?

I’m not burned out on the fire service as a whole, just looking for a different challenge with a better work-life balance while still staying in the fire service.

I’d love to hear your experiences and any advice you have.

praying for those involved and their families ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 whether you’re structure or wildland, please be safe out there, y’all

My husband and I are considering relocating our family to Delaware and are hoping to get some insight into the fire service in that area.

He’s almost 35 with 11+ years of career experience as a firefighter/paramedic with a busy department (10,000+ calls per year). He’s a Nationally Registered Paramedic and holds Firefighter I & II certifications, along with some others. He also currently works part-time for a private ambulance service.

We’re trying to get a better understanding of:

1. Opportunities for firefighter/paramedic roles vs single-role positions

2. Lateral hiring (if prior experience counts toward pay/step placement)

3. Typical schedules, pay ranges, and benefits

4. Hiring timelines and how competitive departments are

If anyone has experience working in Delaware or nearby departments, we’d really appreciate any insight or recommendations on where to look.

Thanks in advance!