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What is the best way to secure a job at a fire department?
How do I make my application stand out so that I can interview with the board to express my passion and commitment to this work?
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Ryan’s Answer
Hello Josiah. This may not be the answer you were hoping for, but I would say the best approach is to be yourself. It's a common misconception that 'the fire service is the fire service'. While all the fundamentals are the same, each individual fire department has a unique culture.
If I tell you the secret is education, go get your degree, there's a 50/50 chance that's bad advice. To some departments degrees are very valuable, showing you have the ability to accomplish long term goals, complete assignments, read and write at an intermediate level, etc. Other fire departments may hold your degree against you because they celebrate firefighting being a traditionally blue collar, get dirty, work with your hands job that doesn't need some intellectual book smart nerd on their team. So, don't go join the army, get a masters degree, get a bunch of tattoos, or take up hunting just because you think it will help you land a firefighting job.
That said, there are a few things that are universally desired such as a clean driving record, clean criminal record, and community involvement. Nobody will look at your resume and see that you volunteer at the homeless shelter and go, "we don't want a guy like that working for us!"
But to stand out, my advice is just to be memorable. The fire department gets dozens or hundreds of applications from young people with crew cuts, a high school diploma, a FFI/EMT cert from the local college, and a favorite crossfit gym. While good thigns to have, those are boring to us. Have some kind of personality. Be interesting. Be really really good, or at least knowledgable, about something your passionate about even if it has nothing to do with firefighting. You're a FAA licensed private pilot? Awesome. You made the US olympic team for downhill skiiing? Whoa. You were the runner up at the Washington State Amatuer Robotics competition? Cool. Tell me more.
Just be true to yourself, be interesting, be honest and trustworthy, and highlight your interest in serving and eventually you will land at the right fire department. It may not be the first one or ten you apply to, you may have to apply a lot of places or the same place(s) multiple times, but eventually you'll find the right place.
If I tell you the secret is education, go get your degree, there's a 50/50 chance that's bad advice. To some departments degrees are very valuable, showing you have the ability to accomplish long term goals, complete assignments, read and write at an intermediate level, etc. Other fire departments may hold your degree against you because they celebrate firefighting being a traditionally blue collar, get dirty, work with your hands job that doesn't need some intellectual book smart nerd on their team. So, don't go join the army, get a masters degree, get a bunch of tattoos, or take up hunting just because you think it will help you land a firefighting job.
That said, there are a few things that are universally desired such as a clean driving record, clean criminal record, and community involvement. Nobody will look at your resume and see that you volunteer at the homeless shelter and go, "we don't want a guy like that working for us!"
But to stand out, my advice is just to be memorable. The fire department gets dozens or hundreds of applications from young people with crew cuts, a high school diploma, a FFI/EMT cert from the local college, and a favorite crossfit gym. While good thigns to have, those are boring to us. Have some kind of personality. Be interesting. Be really really good, or at least knowledgable, about something your passionate about even if it has nothing to do with firefighting. You're a FAA licensed private pilot? Awesome. You made the US olympic team for downhill skiiing? Whoa. You were the runner up at the Washington State Amatuer Robotics competition? Cool. Tell me more.
Just be true to yourself, be interesting, be honest and trustworthy, and highlight your interest in serving and eventually you will land at the right fire department. It may not be the first one or ten you apply to, you may have to apply a lot of places or the same place(s) multiple times, but eventually you'll find the right place.