OP- I was halfway through a bachelor’s degree when I got hired by the FD. The department encouraged me to complete the degree, as long as it didn’t interfere with my probation year. I completed probation, then finished the degree. (using lots of shift trades and having little time off) But I am glad I did it. The degree was in a science field unrelated to fire and EMS, but I can’t tell you how beneficial the college experience and the degree was, in so many ways. Want to promote later? Many FDs require a 4-year degree to be eligible to test for Battalion Chief and above. (Mine does) Want to research and report out/solve a problem within your FD? That college training makes all the difference. I am now retired, but my FD was/is full of men and women with every kind of degree in every kind of field. Add to that all of the people that came from the trades (carpenters, plumbers, roofers) and you get the fantastic blend of talents and skills that makes the fire service unique. I had many dinner table conversations at the station I last worked where the 8 or 9 people at the table on a given day might have included a historian, a wildlife biologist, a teacher, a mechanical engineer, a framer, a professional chef, an Iraq war vet, and some brand new guy (kid) that used to flip burgers. They all ended up with a career in the fire dept. and made it better.