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So,
you think you want to be a Firefighter?
Q.
What exactly does a Firefighter do?
- Extinguish fires
of all types (structure, vehicle, vegetation).
- Provide
emergency medical care to the sick and injured as EMT's/Paramedics.
- Respond to
traffic collisions and perform technical rescue.
- Respond to
hazardous materials incidents.
- Perform fire
prevention and safety inspections of buildings/ occupancies.
Prepare and give presentations
to the public on fire safety and disaster preparedness.
Training (your
education never ends)-Firefighters must be proficient at many
things.
Clean, maintain,
and repair fire apparatus/equipment and stations.
Q.
What education/work experience/qualifications should I have?
- Complete your
high school education.
- Go to
college-get a 2-year or 4-year degree (e.g. AA in Fire Science,
BS-any major). College helps make you a well-rounded
individual, helps you develop your communication skills, exposes
you to a variety of people and situations.
- Obtain EMT-I
certification (
Mt.
San Antonio College,
ph# 909-594-5611,
Rio Hondo College ph# 562-692-0921,
Glendale College ph# 818
240-1000, or Rancho Santiago College
714-564-6015 all offer this certification class).
Firefighter-I
academy/certification (Mt.
San Antonio College, Rio
Hondo College, Glendale
College, or Rancho Santiago
College all offer basic
fire academy certification classes).
Get experience as
a seasonal Firefighter, reserve/paid call or auxilliary
Firefighter with various fire departments or private agencies such
as Warner Brothers or Lockheed.
Become
an EMT-I with a private ambulance company.
Paramedic
school/licensure-Daniel Freeman Hospital in Los Angeles, Mount San
Antonio College and other schools.
Develop/maintain
physical fitness and strength - upper body strength and aerobic
capacity.
Learn a second
language.
Q.
How do I find out about entry level Firefighter examinations?
- Subscribe to the
mailing service o
f
various companies.
Submit interest
cards to Fire Department/Human Resource Departments. The
State Fire Marshal's Office has a directory of all the Fire
Departments in the state.
Research the
Departments you will be testing with - visit the stations, talk
with the people who work there.
Q.
What is involved in the testing process?
A.
It differs from
department-to-department, but for
the City of San Marino the requirements are
...
City
of San Marino Personnel Department.
Written test - Passed
the CWH exam within a year.
Physical Abilities test - Passed the Biddle Exam within a year.
Paramedic
Certification - Hold a current paramedic cert for Los Angeles
County, and California State or proof currently in paramedic
school.
Oral
Board Interview - the big hurdle.
Chief's Oral
Interview - the top several candidates get this far.
Background
check.
Physiological
testing/physical exam/fingerprinting.
Q.
What type of person is the Fire Department looking for?
A.
Male or female, team-player, motivated, flexible/adaptive ability to
think on feet, ability to work long hours under stressful
conditions, ability to work with/get along with all types of
people/personalities, ability to take direction/follow commands,
bilingual, but most of all, someone who enjoys helping others.
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