Firefighting

I just recently decided to pursue firefighting as a career and will be stating next month at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon. I did two years of civil engineering and didn't enjoy it a bit. I had always wanted to be a firefighter, but chose to do civil engineering because of the great job opportunities out there and the great $$$. The program I am going to be entering is through Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. The program doesn't start until March so I will be doing EMT courses for fall and winter terms until the program starts. What I was wondering was what kind of higher education is there in firefighting after the associates and what can I do to be more sought after as a employee. I really want to hear from firefighters all over on their knowledge of the fire science field and any recommendations they have. Thanks a ton.

 

Go to paramedic school.

I went to fire school and emt school (florida) in 2009, and haven't been hired yet. I have been really close (made it to final 3 people for a job....but no dice) and so far it has been because I wasn't a medic.

I just finished medic school and am starting to look for jobs again (hard to during medic school)

Being a medic makes you much more hire-able because there are very few people that are willing to go to medic school because its pain in the ass. A good way to look at it is that here in FL last year 40,000 people tested for their EMT-B, and 2000 tested for their medic....

Volly somewhere, its good on a resume and gives you some experience.

Keep going to school, it makes you look like a more serious candidate to potential hiring departments.

The economy sucks right now, so it will be hard to get hired anyways.(and the first thing any govt cuts is fire/ems/police...right??) Just keeping going to school and DONT GIVE UP!!