Becoming a firefighter today is a remarkably challenging effort. Looking ahead, I sometimes feel it’s the impossible staring back at me. I am a 33 year old white male living in a suburb of San Francisco, California and the job market for an aspiring firefighter is not promising. Recently, San Francisco Fire Department began taking applications in an effort to hire new firefighters. They received well over 10,000 applications. Consider how many more applications they would have received had they accepted them online or by mail or fax. As it is the 10,000+ they got had to be retrieved and delivered by the applicant in person. Eventually, the SFFD reopened their application acceptance in an effort to get even more candidates.
The point of this is that we are not living in our fathers time and to become a firefighter these days is going to take desire, capability, education and more.
How long will it take? Will it even be possible? That is what this blog is about. I am doing all I can to make myself as appealing a candidate as possible. Hopefully, I can show others who are considering becoming firefighters what’s involved and what I’ve gone and am going through. With this, I hope you’ll be able to learn from my accomplishments and mistakes (I will post my failures as well as my successes here) and take a well planned and educated approach in your own journey to firefighter.
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Josh Sauberman is the author of the Journey To Firefighter blog and a current Los Medanos Fire Academy cadet. Originally from New York, he earned his B.S. degree at the University of Arizona,Tucson. Josh lives in the San Francisco suburb, Walnut Creek and works as an EMT. Josh worked in sales and recruiting for 10 years before turning his attention toward the career he plans to retire from - Firefighting.
Beautiful writing. Makes me proud.
Very interesting story!
Terribly honest and open. Well said.
You have a great opportunity ahead of you. Being in a postion to help people when they are physically sick and in distress is a blessing that most people don’t get. It makes a person feel his true humanity. It gives you, the caregiver, a chance to be the best a human can be! It’s rewards are un-measurable and enormous. Go forth and be the kindest and most supportive person you can be!
Your story is well-documented, detailed, emotionally engaging, honest, and Mom and I are rooting for you. As you write, the future is uncertain and you convey the real sense of this uncertainty as you go forward. It is an excellent sharing of an attempt and an adventure. You should possibly consider becoming some kind of writer, too. You do tell a good story!
Congratulations! That is fantastic news!
Josh, this is awesome!! I think you truly found your calling. I’m so happy for you.
)
As you said – “action” doesn’t mean you caused the pain and suffering. Getting excited about an accident or a situation where someone is in dire need of help is a natural reaction in healers, I think. We go onto emergency mode, get hyper focused, and the adrenaline starts rushing (this is the excitement) at the thought of using every bit of your knowledge and talent to help someone – or even save their life.
Just remember, if you or someone you know were seriously injured, I’m sure you’d want a whole lot of “excited”, trained people clambering to get to you
Don’t worry about the ambulatory taxi service. This is the time to develop your empathy skills and learn to maintain composure with the sick or injured. It may be more boring than you were anticipating, but maybe it will build patience. Plus, any experience is good experience in my book
You’re doing great Josh! Super happy you chose this route
Awesome! I’m so happy that you’ve found something to be passionate about. Makes me feel like I’ll find something one day too
. Thanks.
Dude!!!! This is excellent! This will be an awesome resource for aspiring firefighters and interested prospects alike. So glad you put this together.
great job, josh! Great interview!
Short-cutter? Wow. That’s rough. No sympathy for the poor student. Can’t wait to read the next entry…if you have time:)
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I am very happy for you Josh and proud of you! I agree with all those responses above. Proceed with an open heart and mind and you’ll find out so much more about yourself, people, and life.
Fantastic job on this website! I look forward to reading all about your journey. Thanks for sharing.
Better late than never and look how far you’ve gone in less than a year! Sometimes looking back helps us to see how far we’ve come. You’ve achieved (through hard work and perserverance) little milestones that are bringing you closer to your goal and that’s progress! Just think, aren’t you in a better place now than say if you were to get up tomorrow morning and go to your recruiter job? =)
Wow man, very detailed. You obviously have A LOT more time on your hands than I!
Damn man, that’s cold!
Nice man!! I like the quiz…I took it and missed 4, not too bad, I guess…keep up the good work and the dedication on your website!
Nicely done Josh… i just hope you’re right!
i thought salvage cover edges were to be “tucked” under, all in all that was a good quiz sauberman.
As a fellow Academy Cadet for LMC, This day was very hot, a lot was learned and gained. I am sad I missed your slip, And I bet your glad me and Hickey missed it.
Good practice quiz, you think grillo’s will be as easy?
Was it that easy!? It wasn’t suppossed to be. Either you studied up or I need to make the quizzes harder!
My boy pitchford did his studying.I found the quiz to cover most of the keypoints of the chapter. Good stuff josh.
Good quizzes, keep em up, I bet 2 questions on overhaul will be on today’s quiz and the other 23 will be on scba’s or something…..
Good luck with your new career. I have been with Dallas for 26 years. We have been doing interviews for new recruits over the last month and I have noticed an increase in the number of applicants that have 8-10 years invested in another career turning to the fire service. Not sure if police departments are experiencing the same thing. Train hard.
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*** FYI, just wanted to let you know that this question should be corrected… I got the right one correct but was almost thrown off. Eat should be Heat. Love the quizes man!
2. The fire tetrahedron requires the following items…
•heat, fuel, nitrogen and oxygen
•heat, oxygen and a chemical chain reaction
•fuel, oxygen, nitrogen, and fire
•eat, fuel, oxygen, fire and a chemical chain reaction
Thanks for the heads up! Fixing it right now, and I appreciate the comment. It’s good to know people are actually getting use out of these.
Thanks!
On another note This day was exceptionaly fun and involved a great deal of hard work on all the cadets but we accepted the challenge and showed great pride in what we do as Firefighters in the 092 academy. Not to mention what Mr fink said.
That’s the academy for you.
Excellent work sir. A great journey begins with a single footstep. Learn what sick people look and act like, sharpen your skills, you will be all the better for it. I wish you great success.
Hi! This is Vanessa, Edgar’s Wife. He was kind enough to show me your blog! I like it:)It lets me see from your point of view what you guys do everytime you guys meet. I give it up to you guys, it’s alot of hard work-but all of it will pay off in the end. Good luck and I will keep on reading!
Have fun.
Vanessa, I’m glad you’re reading. I’ll have to start posting pics of Edgar is some heroic action shots… like when he went into the porto-potty all by himself. He made out in one piece!
Christ Saubers! How do you write so much!!! This musta been before Bay Medic and you had a lot more time!
I am just starting the path to becoming a Firefighter. This at the ripe age of 39. I wish you the best in your journey, and thank you for the inspiration that your blog provides to an old guy like me.
Josh, have you seen the show “Prototype This” where they build a Robotic Firefighter Assistant? Cool stuff!
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/34375-prototype-this-robotic-firefighter-assistant-video.htm
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