I just finished my First Responder class

[Bionic Dead]

I took the exam last Sat. passed without a problem.

Now to figure out which will work into night school better FF1 or EMT-B

From my experience, if you are trying to get onto a fire dept. they would rather have you medically trainned than FF1 trainned. If I were you, I would skip EMT-B and just do EMT-I. I am an EMT-B currently. It didnt do jack for me here in GA. Noone cares about an EMT-B here...only EMT-I. Just finished school for EMT-I and am test National Reg. next week. Guess it just depends on your state.

[Ceddie]

Bionic Dead, Best of luck with the test!

Going to talk to the local Deps and see what they are looking for, then I'll figure out which way to go.

thanks for the support and advice everyone!

[hikeeba]

My apologies for bumping an old thread, but I read it and wanted to add some things that may help Ceddie..


Congrats on passing your FR class, Ceddie. And good for you in wanting to continue down that road.

From my experience, if you are trying to get onto a fire dept. they would rather have you medically trainned than FF1 trainned. If I were you, I would skip EMT-B and just do EMT-I. I am an EMT-B currently. It didnt do jack for me here in GA. Noone cares about an EMT-B here...only EMT-I. Just finished school for EMT-I and am test National Reg. next week. Guess it just depends on your state.

Regarding what I bolded there, WI requires EMT classes to be taken in order; EMT-B is a pre-req for EMT-I, and so forth. One can't just jump in and take EMT-I or EMT-P unless they can pass the National Registry exams (written and practical) for the pre-req class.

Around here (SE WI) I have seen more guys that have pushed all the way through Paramedic get hired on career FDs than those who have not. BUT, a close buddy of mine who only had EMT-B got hired on one of the better-paying career FDs in the state - and at 42 years old to boot. While EMS training is certainly a plus for getting hired on a career FD, it isn't the only factor. Dont underestimate how maturity, trainability, and attitude can play into getting a gig.

Going to talk to the local Deps and see what they are looking for, then I'll figure out which wa y to go.
thanks for the support and advice everyone!

I don’t know where you are (complete your location in your profile), but if you can get onto a local volunteer or paid-on-call FD, do it. Not only will it look good on a resumé, but you’ll benefit tremendously from as much real-world experience as you can get. Be advised that FD life isn’t all car wrecks and apartment fires – there are a lot more tedious tasks and less glamorous aspects to doing the job.

Lastly, classes provide you with the basic knowledge and skills needed to deal with various situations, but not every call or situation is going to be ‘textbook.’ Your best tool will be your brain, and your ability to think outside the box and adapt to settings and situations. Running with a VFD or private ambulance service will greatly help cultivate this. Being able to think on your feet will help reinforce your confidence in your abilities. Use your imagination, but remember to stick within your scope of practice. Be aggressive in your care, but don’t be overbearing if you operate in a team environment (unless you find yourself surrounded with total incompetence). Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are (or should be) in this business to make a difference in the lives of others, and not to make yourself into the next Hollywood superhero. Stay sharp, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself in some sort of leadership role.

Good luck to you, Ceddie!

[Ceddie]

thanks for the support and input.

Since I finished my FR, I have begun instructing with the Red Cross and have done a little volunteering there. As luck would have it, I’m going to be meeting some of the senior staff at the local VFD to see where I can fit in at the station closest to me.
With a little luck and time, I’ll get some time to give a little back.