firefighters....

[Doof]

im looking to get into schedule b fire fighting with cdf and was just wondering what all you did to get into fightin fire and what classes you took in school if you did....
Thanks

[jimbo74]

what training do you have currently? have you taken any fire science classes? at minimum i htink you should at least take wildland. you supposedly dont need any training to get hired with cdf.... but then again, people with no training usually dont get hired. do you have your EMT? how is the status of your drivers license? how old are you?

[jimbo74]

might wnat to also look into firefighter 1 certification or at least fulfill the education portion of it through an accredited college or equivalent fire academy

[Doof]

im in my first semester at a JC where im taking intro to fire science and fire control and behavior which is basically chem. and i dont have any training yet, but that will come later. i looked at the wildland class and it has a few pre-reqs that i paln on getting taken care of next semester. i also plan on getting my emt cert next semester as well as cpr also...i believe that is only a day class. but the acad is also in the future, i hope to get that this summer or next fall semester


edit: and im 18

[BLACKDOG]

Silly58willy,

What community college are you going to?  Butte?  I went the JC route, got my EMT and my AA in Fire Technology from American River College in Sacramento.  If you aren't in a Fire Academy program, get in one.  The fire academy will give you 21 units of fire science credit, and you'll have the education portion done of your FF1 cert.  You'll get a lot of live experience that you won't otherwise.  I regret not going through that process, as after I graduated, I just had the degree, and no academy credits.  Also, to get hired on with CDF, they claim you don't need experience, but they really won't pick you up unless you do.  There is a 67 hour wildland course that they want you to take, and if you get that, you're golden   Go talk to your local CDF guys, and see what they recommend you do, that'll prolly be your biggest help. 

If you've got more questions, feel free to ask, or PM me.  I just got picked up by Reno Fire Dept this month, so I'm going though their academy right now. Several people had already taken a JC academy, and it has helped them immensely. 

[Doof]

one of my assignments for my intro to fire science is to go check out one of the local stations. and the station my group got a was a CDF, and i plan on stoppin by there in the next week or so and checkin it out to get things stright. my dad fought fire for CDF for close to 35 years and he was telling me about the nuggets and what not, but he said that i was a gold nugget, i forgot what entails to the nuggets but im golden...lol....and on tuesday, when i have class again i was going to stop in the office of the fire and what not and check that out some more...ive wanted to be a brush bunny for at least 14 years now, and im so stoked that its getting closer with my classes and college....

blackdog: what station are you at? im in tahoe a lot over the winter and stop in reno now and again with buddys to visit buddys, and if it looks like were gunna be in reno ill let you know and i can get some more info on this fire stuff....ive asked my dad but hes old and out of the loop with the education needed ow and what not

and yea im going to butte

[BLACKDOG]

one of my assignments for my intro to fire science is to go check out one of the local stations. and the station my group got a was a CDF, and i plan on stoppin by there in the next week or so and checkin it out to get things stright. my dad fought fire for CDF for close to 35 years and he was telling me about the nuggets and what not, but he said that i was a gold nugget, i forgot what entails to the nuggets but im golden...lol....and on tuesday, when i have class again i was going to stop in the office of the fire and what not and check that out some more...ive wanted to be a brush bunny for at least 14 years now, and im so stoked that its getting closer with my classes and college....

blackdog: what station are you at? im in tahoe a lot over the winter and stop in reno now and again with buddys to visit buddys, and if it looks like were gunna be in reno ill let you know and i can get some more info on this fire stuff....ive asked my dad but hes old and out of the loop with the education needed ow and what not

and yea im going to butte

I'm not at a station yet, I'm in their academy right now.  I'll let you know what station I get assigned to when I get out (Jan 4th)  Until then, talk to whoever you can.  Ask a lot of the younger guys, they'll have a better idea in many cases. 

If you plan on staying in CA, I'd shoot for:
firefighter 1 cert
Get some experience with wildland
EMT-B, and plan on getting your EMT-P.  A lot of places are getting to where they won't even look at you if youdon't have your paramedic license. 

Reno doesn't require anything medical wise to get into the dept, but they do require you to have your EMT by the end of your probationary period (easy to get, and they'll help you with it ) 

You can also look into getting on with other organizations, I know Redding, N Tahoe, Sierra, NDF, they all hire seasonals, and you may have better luck getting into them, who knows

[Doof]

yea seasonal would be better while im still in school anyways, and that owuld give me good experience before i go into it as a career..

[topar]

Here in Virginia they wont think about hiring you unless you have a few years as a volunteer firefighter first.  I was going to go this way but could not afford to wait to start getting paid.  So I went law enforcement instead.

[Doof]

sucks that you couldnt fightfire. are you gunne volunteer or just stay in law enforcement?

[BLACKDOG]

Here in Virginia they wont think about hiring you unless you have a few years as a volunteer firefighter first.  I was going to go this way but could not afford to wait to start getting paid.  So I went law enforcement instead.

There aren't nearly as many volunteer FDs here on the west coast.  They do exist, but they aren't as prevalent as the East.    I imagine the state forest departments have a big part of that.  Instead of small town having a vol. dept, CDF puts a station there, and mans it with a couple guys during the winter, and their seasonals during the summer. 

[abnormaltoy]

There aren't nearly as many volunteer FDs here on the west coast.  They do exist, but they aren't as prevalent as the East.    I imagine the state forest departments have a big part of that.  Instead of small town having a vol. dept, CDF puts a station there, and mans it with a couple guys during the winter, and their seasonals during the summer. 

A lot of the towns back east have roots going back to the colonial days. When every town had to police and protect itself.

[topar]

Staying in Law enforcement.  I don't have time to volunteer as a firefighter I do a lot of volunteering at my wife's school and don't have the time to do both.

[Doof]

well i guess its a win win situation then

[topar]

Just so you firefighters know the real story I will tell you first:  If you do well on the civil service test they give you a gun if you do poorly you get a water hose 

[BLACKDOG]

Just so you firefighters know the real story I will tell you first:  If you do well on the civil service test they give you a gun if you do poorly you get a water hose 

Yeah, we'll step aside and let you police officers do the real work.

[topar]

Hay thats my hero!  What I said earlier is a joke between me and my sons god father he is a full time fire fighter and we give each other a hard time.

[jimbo74]

bd, which is the cdf wildland class?

i have taken a wildland class called fire 86 or 91a according to our program. by the time i apply for cdf, i will be enrolled in the academy, and have all the other classes taken. i have actually already taken fire 86/91a

this is where i go www.chabotfire.com even if you arent going here, it is a good site to gain knowledge from, it is very helpful and informative. our program is a really good program, and i am not saying that just because i am in it. it is a good program

[Doof]

where is your school at?

[BLACKDOG]

bd, which is the cdf wildland class?

i have taken a wildland class called fire 86 or 91a according to our program. by the time i apply for cdf, i will be enrolled in the academy, and have all the other classes taken. i have actually already taken fire 86/91a

this is where i go www.chabotfire.com even if you arent going here, it is a good site to gain knowledge from, it is very helpful and informative. our program is a really good program, and i am not saying that just because i am in it. it is a good program

I'm not sure whatthe official designation is, its called the 67 hour wildland course or something like that.  Contact CDF, and they'll be able to tell you.

Hay thats my hero!  What I said earlier is a joke between me and my sons god father he is a full time fire fighter and we give each other a hard time.

I know, I'm just giving you   What else would FFs and cops have to do if they didn't make fun of each other?    work?

[Homefries]

First you should decide if you are going to be just structural or wildland.  Go and talk to your local fire dept. or Dept. of Forestry to get your plan of attack down on schooling so your not wasting your time and money.  Once you get on with an organization they usually will have classes that they send their employees to for continuing education.  Or atleast that's how we run it up here in Oregon.  Good luck to ya! 

[Homefries]

Oh ya, almost forgot, we have a pretty good relationship with all of our L.E. officers but we do make fun of the Meat Wagoneers, Ambulance Jockeys, the place where F/F dreams go to die.  Of course I am poken fun at our local Paramedics. 

[Doof]

I'm not sure whatthe official designation is, its called the 67 hour wildland course or something like that.  Contact CDF, and they'll be able to tell you.

yeah i was talking to my teacher the other day and he suggested that after i get my AA degree in fire science to put in for the fire academy. so i have a leg up on the cadets, also i want to take an EMT class next semester if thats possible so i know what im doing with that when i got through the academy. EMT is what most cadets flunk out on becase its so technical.

First you should decide if you are going to be just structural or wildland.  Go and talk to your local fire dept. or Dept. of Forestry to get your plan of attack down on schooling so your not wasting your time and money.  Once you get on with an organization they usually will have classes that they send their employees to for continuing education.  Or atleast that's how we run it up here in Oregon.  Good luck to ya! 

i want to do wildland....i printed off an application about a week and a half ago at school.im gunna have it all done so when Nov. 1st rolls around its in the mail to the station, or ill just drive it up and drop it off in person. that could make an impression rather then sending it by mail. im gunna fill the rest of it out and send it in to the Lasson/Modock district. ive been talking to my dad a lot about all this firefighting and just picking his brain about and since i have no experience that the LM would be a good place to learn since it is a little slower. so we will see what happens... ill keep you guys updated on what goes down with evertthing.

[BLACKDOG]

yeah i was talking to my teacher the other day and he suggested that after i get my AA degree in fire science to put in for the fire academy. so i have a leg up on the cadets, also i want to take an EMT class next semester if thats possible so i know what im doing with that when i got through the academy. EMT is what most cadets flunk out on becase its so technical.

Have you already started the courses?  I don't know how the program is run at Butte college, but I know at sierra and solano, and Truckee meadows here in Reno, the fire academy covers incorporates those courses for the AA into the academy, so if you got the degree first, then did the academy, you'd be repeating courses, and essentially wasting $$.  I'd go for the academy first, then whe you get done with that, you get the education part of your FF1 cert out of the way, and you've got something like 21 units of the AA out of the way as well. 

[Doof]

Have you already started the courses?  I don't know how the program is run at Butte college, but I know at sierra and solano, and Truckee meadows here in Reno, the fire academy covers incorporates those courses for the AA into the academy, so if you got the degree first, then did the academy, you'd be repeating courses, and essentially wasting $$.  I'd go for the academy first, then whe you get done with that, you get the education part of your FF1 cert out of the way, and you've got something like 21 units of the AA out of the way as well. 

they go over basically the same stuff. my class has been picking our teachers brain about it and he reccomends the AA first, just so when we go to the fire academy we have a leg up and dont have to study as hard, and can focus more on everything else. right now im in intro to fire science, and fire behavior and control (basically the chem part of hazmat, fire, and anything that can burn)...next semseter though i want wildland at least

[BLACKDOG]

they go over basically the same stuff. my class has been picking our teachers brain about it and he reccomends the AA first, just so when we go to the fire academy we have a leg up and dont have to study as hard, and can focus more on everything else. right now im in intro to fire science, and fire behavior and control (basically the chem part of hazmat, fire, and anything that can burn)...next semseter though i want wildland at least

i'd really consider looking into just doing the academy now. I got my AA in fire tech, and then when all was said and done, I had a nice degree, but no FF1 education credit to my name.  A lot of departments are requiring FF1 now adays, so the academy is a huge benefit.  I just looked a little while ago, and if I had gone to a CC academy after I got my degree, I woulda had to pay for 24 more units, and 18 of them were classes I had already taken.  (And of course, no transferring)

Just something to think about. 

[Doof]

ill talk to my teacher on tuesday about that and see what he says

thanks for looking out though   

[BLACKDOG]

ill talk to my teacher on tuesday about that and see what he says

thanks for looking out though   

No problem.  thats just my experience, so

[Doof]

what station in reno are you at?

[BLACKDOG]

what station in reno are you at?

I'm not in a station right now.  I'm still in the Recruit Academy for Reno.  We get done on Dec. 28th   I get a few days off after that, and then I go on shift.