How do I become a fire fighter?

How can one become a fire fighter?

• i want to be a chicago fire fighter but all i know is i was told you need to go to community college for two years is there any way i can become a firefighter quicker maybe a apprenticeship if thats even possible shed some light please

• Answer:

  Becoming a firefighter requires one thing: you need to convince the department that you will be an asset to them in the future. They want a hard worker with good moral character who is easy to get along with and professional. They also want you to have had some life experience before you're hired. A big city department like Chicago doesn't really care that much if you've been trained as a firefighter. Regardless of your background they are going to put you through their firefighter training to make sure you've been taught what you need to know and that you know how to do things the way they're done in Chicago. Understand that few firefighters are hired before their mid-20s. Guys do get on younger than that but the fire service is more interested in guys who've had some time to mature and figure life out. Here are some good ideas to improve your resume: -Go to school! Forget the fire science degree. Go to a 4-year school and get a degree in something like engineering or business. Very useful skills in the fire services and they're degrees that will be helpful if you decide to do something else with your life. -Volunteer. Maybe you could help out with a small volunteer fire department somewhere, but what I really mean is that you need to establish your good moral character. Finding ways to help other people out can show that you're a good person. -Find a decent trade. The fire service likes new firefighters who have a background in the trades. If you've done construction for example it not only shows a strong work ethic but it also provided you with a lot of insight into how buildings are built (knowledge that is important for a firefighter). -Become a paramedic. Lots of departments are very interested in hiring firefighter/paramedics and there aren't that many suitable candidates for those jobs. If you can meet the standards for being a firefighter and a paramedic at the same time it's not that hard to find work. We don't really have any true apprenticeships. Your probationary period is basically your apprenticeship. As a probie you really need to figure out what you're doing (and the first rule is to never sit down on a couch, no matter what). You might consider coming west and getting a job with the Forest Service for the summers. Good firefighting experience, decent money for a young kid, and a lot of hard work and fun. You could live and go to school in Chicago during the winters and come out to Montana, Nevada, Colorado, California, Arizona, Oregon, or wherever during the summer to work your job. Pretty good experience for somebody who wants to work for a city in the future and it will look good on your resume. You'll also have some very memorable experiences.