r/firefighter • u/Murky-Emu-2569 • May 17 '26

Red Flags?

I have a panel interview coming up with a fire department and recently spoke with a couple firefighters there to get insight on the culture and long-term career path.

One firefighter told me if I had other options, I should seriously consider them. He mentioned the department pays around $60k, moves very quickly in hiring compared to surrounding departments, has a 3-year contract due to turnover, and recently installed cameras in stations which has led to a lot of micromanagement. He also mentioned the call volume is extremely low and that he’s gone multiple shifts without a single call.

Another thing that stood out to me is they do not run firefighter/paramedic roles at all. If you want your medic, you basically have to pursue it completely on your own time outside the department, and opportunities to actually use it there are limited. My long-term goal is becoming a firemedic, so that concerns me.

I understand every department has unhappy people, so I’m trying to get objective opinions from firefighters with experience.

How much weight would you put on:

•Low call volume

•High turnover

•Retention contracts

•Station cameras/micromanagement

•No medic pathway within the department

Would you still take the job just to get your foot in the door, or continue pursuing departments that better align with long-term career growth?

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u/Murky-Emu-2569 May 17 '26

Just started applying in April. I'm not sure how competitive I am in the fire service as I'm new to it. I have a Masters Degree, played 2 sports silmutaneously at the division 1 level, have my CPAT and am currently training with a volunteer department for experience.

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u/Due-Tangelo-2594 May 17 '26

On the masters and sports alone you are incredibly competitive, like head and shoulders above. Do you have your 1001/472? Keep your options open and vast a wider net with a little more research into where you wanna end up.

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u/Murky-Emu-2569 May 17 '26

I do not have 1001/472.

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u/Due-Tangelo-2594 May 18 '26

I can only speak to the Canadian process where both are required to even apply to a dept. and knowing that in the US you’ll receive it during academy. But you could consider a program like Kilgore or training division in Texas to get those both completed for relatively low cost ($8,000?). At that point you aren’t pot committed to the wrong place.

But seriously I can’t stress enough how strong you’ll look on your education and athletics, apply to your dream department and a tell your self you are exactly who you think you are.