Nonetheless, congratulations to me!  I am now proud to call myself an employed EMT.

One thing I’d like to note is that Bay Medic Ambulance does not have a contract with 911 which means that we do not get called to the scenes of emergencies.  We specialize in transporting the sick and injured in a safe and efficient (though sure not cheap – no ambulance company is inexpensive) manner.  For me this raises an interesting personal conflict which I believe is actually rare among ambulance jockeys.

As an EMT we want to put our skills to use.  We want to be challenged, and we want to see action.  Delivering an elderly medical patient from one facility to another is not action – it is taxi service.  On the other hand, action means that somebody is suffering.  It means getting excited at the prospect of another’s pain and misfortune; two things which don’t excite me.  Nonetheless, as an EMT, I want to be involved in that.

To be clear (and I believe this is shared among the majority of EMT’s), it’s not that I want bad things to happen to people, but if they’re going to happen anyway, I want to be there.  …to help of course.

My point in this is that I don’t expect action with Bay Medic, but I am thrilled to have the job and I am very, very curious to find out if I will actually see some excitement or if I am merely destined to learn the county hospitals better than I ever could have imagined.  We’ll see…..

]]> http://journeytofirefighter.com/emt-training-begins/feed/ 5 http://journeytofirefighter.com/into-the-fire/ http://journeytofirefighter.com/into-the-fire/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:50:51 +0000 Josh http://journeytofirefighter.com/?p=21 Firefighters I’ve found don’t look at their jobs the way most people do.  That especially seems to apply to those trying to get into the fire service.  Becoming a firefighter becomes a singular, tunnel-visioned mission from which you either arrive with success (a job) or (pardon the pun), go down in flames.

Just recently I met a 24 year old guy who in the last 5 years has applied to over 150 fire departments, has had about 75 interviews, made it to the chiefs interview with two of those departments and was hired by none.  Like me, he’s got a degree in Fire Technology from Los Medanos College and has his EMT certification.  Unlike me he’s already been through the fire academy, has worked as an ER-Tech, and he’s been on far more ride-alongs and station visits than I have.

He sells memberships at a gym in Brentwood which is where I met him.  He seems to have resigned himself, at this young age to selling gym memberships and anything else where he can make a buck, but he made it clear to me that he’s given up on firefighting.  Nobody will hire him.

He’s young and that may have to do with it.  Fire Departments are often looking for slightly older and more mature candidates, but he didn’t seem immature to me.  I even noticed how many times I had used curse words when it became apparent that he wasn’t using any at all!  He’s a white guy, very well built and about 6 feet tall.  He sure seemed to me to be a guy who knew what the road to firefighting was all about; knew it all too well even, and unfortunately he’s one of the “fallen”.

1.    Why do you want to be a firefighter?
My grandmother never got stuck in a tree, and my cat was never in a car crash requiring rescue with the jaws of life. The reasons I want to be a firefighter are such: After 10 years of dissatisfaction, and feelings of being unfulfilled in the various corporate, computer slave jobs I’ve held, I finally broke myself free from the idea that a degree in business doesn’t mean I have to work in a traditional “business”. I left my career in corporate recruiting in pursuit of an occupation that I felt would leave me feeling great about myself and what I was doing for others at the end of every day. I wanted a career where I would interact more frequently with the public, and provide services that don’t leave me feeling like a paper-pusher merely doing his job. For me, this is Firefighting.

2.    What do you consider your strongest attribute? What do you consider to be your weakest?
I believe my moral character is my strongest attribute. I take pride in being somebody who is dependable, reliable, and does what they say they’re going to do. I am honest and forthright, and I take responsibility for my actions. I know when I’m wrong and I admit it. I believe that’s something easier said than done.
A weakness I have struggled with for many years is organization. I tend to be the “messy room” kind of guy. It’s not something I’m proud of or enjoy and I’ve been working hard and training myself to put anything I use (or wear) away as soon as I’m finished with it. In the past this has been the source of many a frustration. I’ve lost things, been late to appointments, etc… In the past two years I’ve made tremendous progress in overcoming this weakness, and I look forward to conquering it completely.

3.    What is the advantage of working in teams? Why is teamwork so important in the fire service?
There are some obvious and not-so-obvious advantages to working in teams. First, there’s the old adage that “two heads are better than one”, and I believe that to be true. Make it three, or four heads and you’re doing that much better. Problem solving as a team usually happens faster and more effectively when people are working together. In firefighting this benefit is paramount as time is of the essence. A well developed team tends to think and act as one and the result can be stunning. Each member knows their responsibilities and watches out for their teammates as well.
In firefighting there are obviously hard times too. It’s in these times when some of the not-so-obvious advantages become apparent. People who are members of a team, or organized group of close-knit people will recover from traumatic or emotionally difficult situations faster than will somebody who has no or little support.

4.    Give an example of a time in which you were faced with an emergency situation. Explain the circumstances and your actions.
About 9 years ago I was a waiter at an Elephant Bar restaurant in Concord, and I remember during a lunch shift a group of older couples were at one of my tables. At one point as I was passing the table, I noticed everybody there was staring with concern at one of the women seated at the table. She appeared to be choking so I asked if that was what was happening. They said she was and asked if I could help. I remember being shocked that nobody had done anything yet. They just stared at her concerned. I hadn’t been formally trained any kind of emergency care, but I’d seen the Heimlich maneuver done before and had practiced the motion with my roommate. I asked the lady to stand up, got behind her, and performed one thrust. That was all it took. The food flew out and everything went right back to normal.
When it comes to emergency situations, I always remember what my father taught me as a child when we’d go to the beach. In reference to the undertow, he told me not to panic. That if in an emergency I simply stayed calm, I would always be alright.

5.    What are some important traits a firefighter must possess? What is the most important trait a firefighter must possess? Why?
There are many important traits a firefighter must possess, some of which include courage, kindness, honesty, integrity, pride and a strong work ethic. One trait that I believe is of paramount importance is dedication. If you are dedicated to what you do, you’ll never stop learning, improving, and caring. Dedication goes hand in hand with loyalty, pride and a person’s values. If you’re not dedicated to what you’re doing, quit while you’re ahead. I see firefighting as a career requiring dedication to all it’s aspects.

6.     How will you deal with the stresses and strains of being a firefighter?
I have always considered myself to be a strong and level-headed individual. I also have a very strong support system of family and friends. In addition to that, I’m not going into firefighting blind. I understand the dangers involved both to me, and my fellow firefighters, and I understand these dangers are both physical and emotional. There is no perfect way to deal with the stresses I’m likely to encounters, but I won’t be alone and I’ll take them one at a time without internalizing the pain or struggle.

7.    What are the public’s expectations of firefighters in the community aside from dealing with emergency situations?
Firefighters have a variety of roles in their community. As role models for so many kids, firefighters are expected to be warm and friendly, yet also strong and decisive. Though at times they have to move fast and give commanding orders, they’re also expected to be understanding to the powerful emotional struggles the people they’re helping will likely be going through.
Firefighters are also expected to be educators for their community. This is something that I particularly look forward to having the chance to do. Whether it be for an elementary school or a retirement community, I am excited at the prospect of community education.

8.    As a firefighter it is important that you establish and maintain effective working relationships. Describe how you would handle diverse personalities or differences in opinion with other members of your team.
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but personality differences have never been a problem for me. I usually get along quite well with my coworkers, classmates and those around me, but in the cases where there are personality clashes or differences of opinion, I put those disparities aside and focus on the things we can agree on, even if that is only the job we’re both doing. Usually there is a focus bigger than our individual opinions. I would focus on this, but I wouldn’t ignore our personal disagreements. I would acknowledge them and essentially “agree to disagree”. I would respect this other person’s feelings and beliefs and ask that he/she respect mine. I’ve usually found in these rare cases, that with time, we’ll find we have more in common than we initially thought anyway.

9.    What are your hobbies? How do you plan to spend your time off?
A few of my passions which I would (and do) spend much of my time on, are fitness, food, and writing. I’ve always been into working out and fitness and one of the most rewarding aspects of that hobby is the healthy appetite it creates. This works out well as food is another passion of mine. I enjoy cooking (especially for friends or family), and I enjoy eating what I cook even more.
I’m also a member of a Toastmasters club which I originally joined as a creative outlet, but found it to be an extraordinary way to improve my public speaking ability, while making some great new friends and of course, it has fed the creative part of me. I haven’t written much, but Toastmasters has given me a reason (and audience) for which to write short stories, both true and fictional.  (And now for this blog!)
I also enjoy sports, taking trips, dinners with friends, movies, and family.

10.    What would you do if you had a conflict with another firefighter?
I’d like to think that if I had a conflict with another firefighter, we’d be able to talk it out on our own and come to a mutual solution. If this was an impossibility, I’d take it to the attention of my immediate superior and ask for his or her assistance. That is of course, if I didn’t think I’d have a chance at winning in an arm-wrestle.

There’s no going back, but we all look back.  Sometimes wondering how we ended up where we are, and other times simply in wonder.  I’m hoping that this blog will provide me the latter.

I’ve been through college three times.  The first was Rockland Community College which I attended immediately after graduating from Suffern High School, both located in my hometown of Suffern, New York.   At RCC I earned an Associates degree in Business & Public Administration.  From there I went immediately on to my second college experience where I attended the University of Arizona in Tucson for 3 very exciting years.  After a year of living in the Stadium dorm, I moved in to my fraternity house, Alpha Tau Omega and held many positions there including House Manager.

Eventually, I graduated with my Bachelors of Science Degree in Retail & Consumer Studies, a major I’ve regretted ever since.  I have no interest in retail.  Looking back I wonder why I didn’t just get a business degree as both majors were virtually the same.

After the UofA, I moved to California where I have been for 10 years.  I’ve held quite the grab bag of jobs in that time, ultimately landing in an unsatisfying career as a corporate recruiter.  Eventually I left recruiting and tried starting a few businesses of my own – something I learned is much easier said than succeeded in.

Finally I reached a point immediately after the stock market crash in October 2008 where I found myself unemployed, frustrated and disenchanted with my life and career.  I turned to the one place where I knew I could find direction, wisdom and enlightenment – the internet.  In truth, I didn’t actually expect to find any of those things, but I was desperate and as it turned out, I did find something.

What I found was an article in Live Science highlighting a survey revealing America’s most satisfying jobs (here are the detailed survey results).  It turns out that the second most satisfying job in America is Firefighter.  I couldn’t believe I had never even thought about or considered being a firefighter.  I immediately started researching and reading about the job, and then began looking into what it would take to become one.  Two weeks later, my mind was made up and I was working on making it happen.

I decided to do anything I could that would put me any bit closer to being qualified.  The first thing I did, was I got  certified in CPR and AED use.  This I did through my local adult school in a single Saturday afternoon.  I learned later that the CPR/AED certification you’ll want is from the American Heart Association.  I happen to be lucky that my course was AHA  certification.

Next, I signed up to take the Candidate Physical Abilities Test or the CPAT as it is know.  I’m actually sorry I did this so soon, as it is expensive ($200) and is only accepted by hiring departments within 6-12 months of passing.  I passed it (with 2:44 to spare) in October which means I’ll almost certainly have to pay to take it again at some point/s.

At this point, I’ll tell you about the third time I went to college.  I decided to go back to school at Los Medanos College and get a degree in Fire Technology.  Coincidentally, I will be taking my last final toward that degree tomorrow morning.

In conclusion of my first post, I am thrilled to have begun this journey of which I have already spent countless hours on (and which I plan to tell you about in more detail in future writings), and I’m proud to share this adventure with you.  I hope this blog will become a guide and resource for others who want to become a firefighter, here in California or anywhere else in the world.  I know that in the short time I’ve been on this pursuit I have learned a lot and I hope I can pass it on through this website.

I wish I started this sooner.