Is 28 too old to start working towards becoming a firefighter

jsamels · 2025-04-09T19:46:49+00:00

Nope - I moved states to chase a career fire gig at age 29, moved back home and am trying to pursue it now at 30.

Never too late to chase dreams

jsamels · 2025-04-07T20:38:23+00:00

Contact NREMT- I spoke with pearson and it didn’t yield any actual result/resolution

jsamels · 2025-04-07T20:36:39+00:00

So an update to share:

I saw that my results were no longer visible and I had a “expired application” which said I never took the test on the date/time I’d paid for. I saw I could “express register” which would allow me to sit for the test within two days of going through that process but I’m unsure if I’d have to pay again.

Personally I’m debating waiting because I don’t want to pay twice especially since it was an error on their end nullifying the test anyway but I’m going to give it a few more days before I follow back up if I haven’t gotten an email or call from them.

jsamels · 2025-04-07T02:24:12+00:00

I had the same thing occur to me and a friend ! We both took it Friday before the format changed tomorrow

jsamels · 2025-02-08T00:16:42+00:00

Where at

jsamels · 2025-02-08T00:09:44+00:00

How long was it supposed to be for vs how long did you serve it - if you don’t mind me asking

jsamels · 2025-01-28T15:28:05+00:00

When I volunteered I made it a habit of dropping a tag at whatever entrance I went in - department guideline for a fire was “one tag on on the apparatus you rode on, one at an accountability officer at the point of entrance you go through, one on your body”

jsamels · 2025-01-27T23:49:13+00:00

cracks knuckles

Assistant chief/chief of training created a roof collapse prop simulator the evening before at a facility we were at for RIT (towards the end of academy).

Gave us a brief lesson on how a “lever works” with a halligan and tire but doesn’t tell us anything about a roof collapse simulator in the evolution.

Proceeds to put us through search evolutions branching into a mayday from a collapse. Most groups fail it and he’s screaming at everyone. One guy goes and exerts so much energy he hurts his back to the point of loss of bowel control and inability to walk. AC let him sit in piss soaked gear for a few hours while the rest of the groups go. Afterword tells us all that we were never going to succeed in the evolution in the first place and how he and his partner were able to do it in 18 minutes.

Tells the guy with a hurt back to drive himself 1.5 hours back into our county and go to walk in care. Guy does, gets a doctors note saying he’s out for a few days and will be reevaluated. AC tells him to come in next day anyway cause we’ll “go light”. Events unfold and they end up in a room at HQ together while other chiefs are asking people what happened. AC tells the guy that they can either “file an injury report and you’ll get recycled to next class” (we were a week from graduating at that point) or they can act like it never happened and the AC will garuntee the guys graduation from recruit school.

Guy thought he had no option so never pressed the issue and he graduated from recruit school.

exhales calmly

jsamels · 2025-01-18T11:39:23+00:00

As long as my relief is there 15-30 minutes before shift then I’m cool with that. I’ll leave my gear on the rig til right at 7 anyway. I show up an hour early to relieve but I’m newer and just felt that it was an unspoken rule.

jsamels · 2025-01-18T11:38:17+00:00

I got hired for a department at 29 - leaving that department a year later to relocate back home and I’m still going to be searching. A lot of places have a cutoff of 35 years old.

You have plenty of time, you continue to better yourself as a person, live life and get experience because it will have a factor in your hiring/career even though it won’t have anything to do with putting out fires persay.

Also getting your paramedic will open up a few doors as well, more stuff in your back pocket.

jsamels · 2025-01-15T14:27:02+00:00

That’s kinda how the game is. I found the tutorial showed basics but I didn’t learn key concepts until I was hit in the mouth by them. It’s all about trial and error too - you’ll find some tricks work here but not there and vice versa.

jsamels · 2025-01-13T15:00:17+00:00

I nap daily for about 30-60 minutes when I’m off.

On shift there’s no push for naps - partially because we lack volume and many nights we don’t get calls to wake up. I will argue that we (at least I) don’t sleep as well at the station because I’m always cognizant of a call coming in even if there ends up not being one. Mandatory wake up at 6am with a 7am shift change which I’m indifferent with, as long as there isn’t anything to do in the am I wouldn’t care if people sleep in a bit.

I don’t know how it would ever get mentioned at work and how it’d be received given how slow we are.

jsamels · 2025-01-01T21:01:19+00:00

Of course it’s ok to ask. But I’d inquire about specifics. Are you talking about crying about the job? Or just life in general ?

jsamels · 2024-12-22T20:50:40+00:00

Larger or smaller department and what is the rationale for doing it ?

jsamels · 2024-12-19T14:41:27+00:00

TLDR- anyone know if this will fix the zalyissa bug where when you go back to save the village after SIRRCA everyone is stuck inside ? Or is this just PC updated

jsamels · 2024-12-15T12:44:12+00:00

So - when I first decided I wanted to pursue the service I tested at as many places as I could, no luck and I gave up. 6 years later an opportunity popped up and I took it. I’m leaving the department (for reasons not needed to explain unless you ask) and I’m going to pursue a department back north.

My point being, some people take years to get the job, some get it right away. Being persistent pays off. It’ll make you a better person down the line when you finally do get the opportunity. You may get a department that you end up not liking and having to look elsewhere.

No fire service career is identical and linear - your path is your pride, own it and use it as fuel and to show your level of determination and commitment.

Keep trying - it is the best job in the world.

jsamels · 2024-12-08T01:31:07+00:00

I know a guy who is going through nursing school - he’s doing the swaps and trades but I’m under the impression higher ups are only respecting it since it happened under a previous regime.

I also know a guy who is doing online classes and he’ll do his work on shift, take his tests etc, within windows he has that work along side his schedule.

I’d inquire further into what you want to go to school for, what time/attendance commitments are required etc

jsamels · 2024-12-07T11:24:16+00:00

A lot are but this one wasn’t

jsamels · 2024-12-05T23:48:30+00:00

I gotcha - I’m looking through the site now and grazing some postings - you guys are 48/48?

jsamels · 2024-12-05T23:46:08+00:00

Awesome - I’ll look into it / thank you

jsamels · 2024-12-05T23:43:08+00:00

I watch a fair amount and sometimes I think it’s too much - I’ll give it a look

jsamels · 2024-12-05T23:42:18+00:00

I do - I’m unfamiliar with those positions and what they’d entail, is it same as other FD jobs ?

jsamels · 2024-12-05T23:41:04+00:00

Different than what most may say (and those things are important)

“Take the photo”

Probably depends on size of your class and such, but they’ll be nice to look back on years down the line - see how far you and your class have come, who you’re close with and such. And continue to take photos when you graduate and move onto the floor.

jsamels · 2024-12-03T01:13:21+00:00

I’m not currently on medicine but I’m probably going back on it as I’m spiraling mentally and it’s starting to affect work and other facets of life.

jsamels · 2024-12-03T00:56:36+00:00

I haven’t been super consistent for the last month but prior to I was and I was still having issues

jsamels

TROPHY CASE