Career Change -- fireman

[lxorl]

Tweetany firemen here??

you like it?

im sick of sitting at a desk all day and thinking of making a change. I sorta have a connection who should be able to help me land a job once I complete training.

I would probably need to quit my current job, take a small loan to pay the bills and then take classes full time, to get it all done ASAP.

I could still do web design in my free time, and would hopefully take the opportunity to promote my freelance design.

any thoughts??

[diggi]

Tweeti have a few buds that are firemen and they love it.. its a hard work.. not paid enough..as much as they deserve.. but i'd go for it.

[TestRip7]

TweetI went through the whole fire school and training and all. It was fun to start out but after awhile the low pay and funny hours made me crazy. I did it while I was in school and still had spare time between the two get another job just to have more money. Most fireman unless they work for a big city have seperate jobs outside of the dept. Many are small contractors with their builders liscense that do that type of work or landscapers to keep up with bills.
LMK if you got any questions about the training or fire school.

[kite]

TweetGo for it if it's what you want to do, but like everyone pointed out the money sucks. I have a few friends that are firefighters and they love the job hate the pay.

[lxorl]

Tweetthey make about equal to what I make now.. and i dont see any big raises in my near future.

i have a few buds that are firemen and they love it.. its a hard work.. not paid enough..as much as they deserve.. but i'd go for it.

[Stackt]

Tweetwas thinking of becoming a chip'n'dale too .... it seems like a fun job but heard does not pay enough ! but u do get the respect women love men in fireman uniforms I read somewhere in MensHealth or something like that .

[daved150]

Tweeta very honorable job, that's for sure. good-luck bro

[supernova1021]

TweetBro, I work a schedule a LOT like a fireman and I absolutely love it. You are off more than you are actually working and with all that time off you can definitely have another job. Add the two salaries together and the potential is there to make some pretty decent money.

And as dave above stated....very honorable career. They definitely get the respect.

[T-Man007]

TweetI got a buddy who went through it and so far it's been a nighmare for him. It may be different where you are but here you have to do all the schooling, of course. Then, you have to take specific tests. Then, you are approved or denied. This is what happened to him: He kicked ass at everything. Then came the oral board. There was a guy on the oral board who knew him and for intergity purposes had to step down so they had to call some guy in at the last moment and that guy was pissed about it. He was a totaly dick to my bro during the questioning and he was the only one of the three who failed him. But, unless it's unanamous, you get a 'no'. So, now, he has to study for all the tests again and go through all the same shit (except the classes) all over again because this dude was a prick. So, he has to study in all of his spare time to pass the written, he's already passed the physical part and then he has a new oral board. Also, they only do this once a year so if you fail any part of the testing you have to wait a whole damn year to do it again. Like I said, that's how they do it here. I just want you to know what to expect if it's the same there because that would really suck to not have a job for a whole year or have to get some temp job that you hate just until you can test again. IMO.

[mick-G]

TweetWell, this is my opinion, lol! You have to do something that you like, as well as making a halfway decent living, with some kind of concrete wage progression, or it is not worth it. Yes, you are single now, and that is good, but think about down the road 5, 6, 10yrs from now. Is this something you think will be agreeable if you sometime in the future meet a good woman and perhaps plan to get married, or even further down the road..have a family? It may sound like an exciting career, but i would trend to think it will be short lived as a long term career. You can always change careers, but why waste your time on something that will not make for a good stable job that is agreeable to a good family life with good hrs or a decent living.

[daved150]

Tweet

Well, this is my opinion, lol! You have to do something that you like, as well as making a halfway decent living, with some kind of concrete wage progression, or it is not worth it. Yes, you are single now, and that is good, but think about down the road 5, 6, 10yrs from now. Is this something you think will be agreeable if you sometime in the future meet a good woman and perhaps plan to get married, or even further down the road..have a family? It may sound like an exciting career, but i would trend to think it will be short lived as a long term career. You can always change careers, but why waste your time on something that will not make for a good stable job that is agreeable to a good family life with good hrs or a decent living.

i dont know about that....alot of guy's retire from the firedpt. mick. i know guy's in their upper 30's, young 40's who have retired, have a pension, and still recieve health bennies. now, a couple of them sell cars in fla. and are doing great between both income's. i have a nieghbor here that has been with the local firedept. for 18yrs. married with three kids....they seem pretty happy (he has about 3/4 acre of land on the lake!!). i would agree it's not for everyone...you wouldnt see me doing it, but i think it can be a great career, depending on the district's pay/bennifit plan.

[mick-G]

TweetI always heard they work odd hrs, pay is not that good etc, which it doesn't sound like in his area it does. I don't know..maybe i could be wrong, but alot of older ppl could survive on not too much pay and be able to save etc..but nowdays its a totally dif story. This is just my opinon, but i wouldn't want my future wife waiting up at night worryed about me and if im going to be alive the next day. Sounds to me like Ixorl is smarter than that and can do more with his life.

[badasz32]

Tweetthey work 24 hours on, and then 48 off, in IL. One of the electrician I work with is a homewood fire fighter. his contrat is for $74k a year. they are allowed 12 days vacation, and 14 Kerry days(sp) he works a total of 124 days a year for 74K. He also work construction on his days off. When on a 24 hour shift they start at 7am and are allowed to hit the beds by 8pm. Its a great profession but its not for everyone. My uncle is part of CFD and he loves it.
most people think that jobs like police of fire Fighter dont pay well but in reality they do. there is alway promotion and a schedual of raises. In my city police officers start at 48K.

It will be hard to get in to the fire department. They are very selective and its political. During testing 200-300 will apply and 1-2 will make it.

[supernova1021]

TweetI know LOTS of people who are retired from fire departments and draw VERY good pensions.

It's not like when you turn 50 you are going to be smashing doors down or dragging hoses..... By then you should have some rank and you let the new go-getters take care of the grunt work.

And where I am at, you go apply and test. If you pass the oral and physical tests and you are hired, the fire department sends you to a fire academy. There are no classes or anything that is involved before they make a decision to hire you. And the pay is pretty damn good at decent sized towns here in Arkansas. It all depends on what size department you are trying to hire on with.

As far as having a family and working the shifts they do.... it works for me and works great. Like I said above, you are home more than you are working. It takes a certain kind of person to do a job like that bro... NOT someone who is stressed because their wife is sitting around wondering if you are going to be alive the next day. Someone who actually has a pair of balls. Someone has to do the job.

[solidground]

Tweetwhere i live its all volunteer work for benefits etc..but i say go for it if you can still make a living, im sure it has its rewards outside of the pay