FireLink

Common questions for military people who are interested in getting hired to a fire department or ems is, how to go about it, i.e applications, timelines, academy etc. If there are any people outside the military that can better answer those questions, please feel free to comment.

When I was in the Navy, we studied the Fundamentals of Firefighting 3rd ed. and then tested out for IFSAC certification. When I got out, I inquired about my certifications transferring over, and they said I could challenge the state test. If you wait too long to challenge the test, then you would more than likely have to take firefighting I and II from scratch. Med Tech certifications only carry over if you are nationally regestered/boarded. Same goes for EMT certifications. Combat Life Saver courses don't count or convert into EMT certification unless you took the NREMT test. I know it sucks, but really look at what converts into a civillian job before you get out. Put that tuition assistance to use, more importantly use your GI Bill and get a degree!

I definitely understand the frustrations associated with this and I concur with emtjad about making your TA or GI bill work for you. After being a Navy Corpman for 16 years, I knew I had the knowledge to cross to at least EMT-I, if not EMT-P. I contacted the state of Texas Dept of Health and argued with them for 2 years with no avail. My thought process was.....let me challenge the EMT-I written and practical exam. If I pass, then I obviously have the knowledge and there is one more EMT in inventory...if I fail, you get my testing fee and nothing is lost. Seemed like a win-win situation...but they didn't agree. To make a long story short - I using TA to pay for the Paramedic program and a local college and will test out for EMT-I this summer and EMT-P next spring. On a side note, my avg is 102 throughout the class and I plan on faxing those transcripts to Austin to prove my point! I just don't understand why they won't let someone challenge the exams. Still seems like a win-win situation.

I am currently in the navy and will be getting out in Jun 09. i'm currently in Crash and Salvage on my boat and have been in crash for about 2 years now. i was wondering if there was some way to find out if my schools i have been through would benefit me in any way once i got out for possibly a Crash and Salvage team at an airport or anything of that nature really. All i know is i will have done crash and salvage for 3 years before i get out and i want to keep doing it but if my schools dont count for anything then i will have to start all over. so i just wanted to know if there was some way if i could find out if they do count for anything once i get out. any information would help out alot thanks.

IM A MILITARY AND CIVILIAN AIRPORT FF.  THUS FAR EVERYONE I HAVE TALKED TO ABOUT JOBS,  THOSE MILTARY FF'S TRAINED AT GOODFELLOW ARE BEING SUCKED UP BY AIRPORTS WHEN THEY APPLY.  IVE HEARD THAT SOME SAY THAT NO SCHOOL COMES CLOSE TO THE TRAINING THE MILITARY GETS FROM GOODFELLOW.  THATS JUST THE WORD FROM PEOPLE IN MY LITTLE WORLD!!!  CITY WISE I HAVE A FEW FRIENDS I WENT INTO THE SERVICE WITH AND THEY NOW WORK FOR THE CITY OF HARRISBURG, PA AND A FEW IN FREDRICK, MD AND ALL OF THOSE EVEN WITH FF I & II AND AIRPORT THEY STILL HAD TO ATTEND THAT CITY/MUNICAPILITY ACADEMY.  AGREE / DISAGREE I DONT KNOW IM TORN BETWEEN BOTH.

http://www.firelink.com/benefits/2137-10-steps-to-becoming-a-firefighter---for-military-service-members

Here ya go,,,, Maybe this will help somebody.

For those of you in the military would like become DoD or contract firefighters upon your ETS, I would highly recommend getting up with your military public education office, especially if you're able to get onto an Air Force base and get up with their PEO as they do the DoD CDC program, which is where you need to be to do this contract or DoD type firefighting. Also, if you have a representative there, you can take your Pro Board or IFSAC certs and have letters of reciprocity drawn up with copies of your certs and send those into AFCESA and they will give you DoD certs. Go to the www.DoDFFcert.com webpage and you can find out how to do that there. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions in regards to getting your foot in the door, the contract world is very vast and there are some very sweet spots to work in this world, I worked in the Bahamas for 5 yrs....but shhhh that's my secret. Good luck! I hope some of this helps you.

By the way, for those of you who don't like some of us contractors, all of my advanced courses were taken at Goodfellow, and that is the best training I've ever had, I'm an Army brat and I also served, so think what you will, but don't judge until you've walked a mile in our shoes as well. I've been in yours. Thanks,

Chief V

If you want you can check USAJOBS also and search by series (series # is 0081), this will give you a listing of all fed fire jobs nationwide and in some case overseas, and all of your certs transfer if either IFSAC or NPQS.