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...any firefighters or medics?

3K views 24 replies 17 participants last post by  hosejockey4506 
#1 ·
I have a few questions. I just finished Fire 1 and am taking fire 2 in the fall. I'm thinking about taking basic EMT simultaneously.
*Where did you take your basic/medic?
*Would you recommend going there? (What's the pass rate for S.R?)
*Does your department hire without medic?
 
#4 ·
Do both at the same time if you can dedicate the time to it, otherwise do them separate. My department hired me before any training and provided everything, so I can't really recommend any good places to go for the education. But if there's a Great Lakes Education class near you, their EMT classes are very good.
 
#5 ·
I was under the impression that to go through Fire 1/2 you had to be sponsered by a FD to get your certification. Has somthing changed? I went to Great Lakes EMS academy in Jenison for my EMT, and I really liked the school. KaiserJeep got on with me and Flamesfearme to White Lake Fire Authority, and they put him through MFR, and his is in his Fire 1/2 academy. Make sure that you get your Wild Fire 1, Hazmat Operations, and ICS for the Fire Service.
 
#6 ·
I took my EMT course through the Hospital here in town.

The community college tried to get me to go through the Fire stuff but I have no desire to fight fires, blood and guts are more of my thing.

Everyone in my class passed and we had a 3 month accelerated class too.
 
#8 ·
I talked to a Garden City firefighter the other day about Fire 2 and EMT at the same time. He said he did it and it was awful and there no reason for it - said it made him entirely too busy with no time for homework or free time.
Not Medic and fire2. I wouldn't even think of taking medic with anything else. Just basic and fire 2.

Im from lansing area i took my fire 2 and emt basic at the same time i was taking an advanced extrication class as long as you stay with it it will be ok, definitely worth it to get it done and get on to a job! just my .02!!
I'm pretty sure I'm going to take both at the same time. Congrats! Where did you take the extra extrication class at? I'm pretty sure they offer it around my area. Was it beneficial?
 
#14 ·
It is good to get a basic instruction, unless you live in a total urban area, with ZERO change of a wild/grass fire.. you take them online for free. And if you ever get froggy, and want to go party out west, they obviously require it.
 
#15 ·
Get on a paid on call department that will pay your tuition.
Some even pay you a training wage while going to school.
Then get what ever medical training you need (suggest paramedic) to work.
And good luck.
Thanks. The only thing with getting onto a volunteer dept. is the whole having another job and going to school thing. Do you have to attend every call? Maybe I'm not entirely sure how it works.

From what I hear, the hiring in Michigan is shotty. I was thinking South Carolina, but I'm still unsure. I hope that by the time I'm all finished, the dinosaurs will be leaving the department and opening up positions for some newbies.
 
#16 ·
That all depends on where you want to work. I live on the east side and most of the full time FD's are ALS(medics) if not BLS(EMT's). I got my medic license just over 2 years ago and maybe know 3 guys that have been hired as full time on FD's. It is crazy hard to get a spot now and over here more places are transporting ALS units so you have to have the fire classes and medic already and a decent amount of experience if you expect to be taken seriously. There are around 50 guys going to 1 job so you want your best possible chance of getting hired. Since there are so many guys going for it, there is no place around here that would put you thru the schools.

Since you asked, I went to baker college in clinton township. There are a few other locations around the state, but I am not sure where.

I know one guy that just got hired to south carolina (myrtle beach). If you really want a job soon, expect to have to leave the state.

I have not taken my fire classes yet. I will, I just have not had the time to do it yet.
 
#18 ·
I have my Fire I/II, EMT, and Fire science degree. I have had my certifications since 2004. I have been to over 20 fire department testings. I have interviewed over 10 times. This is a very competive field, as I am still trying for a job, but if you want a fair shot in Michigan, you have to go medic.
As for my training, I took everything at Lansing Community College
Good luck and don't give up
 
#19 ·
Thanks. I'm going to take my medic before I start trying to get into a department. I'm really nervous about this decision now. I don't mind moving out of the state to get a job, but it was so hard trying to figure out what I want to do with my life that I was kind of hoping it would be easier to find a job than it was to actually decide on a my career.
 
#20 ·
MY older brother is on our department here in sheilds were we live. Its a volunteer department and they paid for his med class and his fire academy. They require him to be atleast MFR certified and thats what he did and then took his FF I and FF II after. He took his med class at bridgeport Fd and his FF I an II at Saginaw Township. Both places he said the experience was great. Hes not going into career FireFighting but said that doing the volunteer thing is a good way to get your education paid for but most Volunteer departments require a minimum service of said yrs or they fine you a penalty.
 
#21 ·
Lets See I took my EMT at Macomb Community College, My fire academy at Oakland Community College, My Paramedic at Baker College. I have been working full time EMS since 04. I am a licensed Paramedic. Here in macomb county our FDs that everyone wanted to get on for job security are starting/talking Layoffs. Also good luck finding a job since 99 percent of the time if your laid off from a different department you will get hired before someone with no experience. I actually love working the EMS side. Right now one of my buddys who has 6 years on the job with a local FD is concerned he is getting laid off. I work with Motorcitydak, hell I remember when he was doing his clinicals with the company I work for. The emt class is relitivly easy. Medic on the other hand is a little bit tougher. Good luck. and honestly if you want a fire job full time. you need to get 2 things FF1/2 and a MEDIC license. and expect to go out of state. I have choose with my age and time vested in the company I am with to stay EMS. I cannot afford to leave a Job where im make 68k a year and high senority with job security. to goto a job with no senority and a inital pay cut.

BTW if you want to stay just EMT it gets even tougher. Mount Clemens just accepted apps, there a BLS department. And they stated medic prefered. really expect to leave the state if you dont wanna be a medic.
 
#22 ·
Thanks a lot. I actually just put an app. in at Van Buren FD. I have some connections, and I'm really hoping they hire me part time and pay for the remainder of my school. I have Fire 1, and was looking for places to take Basic through during the summer. I do plan on taking Medic. I was also playing with the idea of taking the bridge between medic and nursing and doing that as well as working with a fire dept. full time (eventually). I heard that a whole lot of fire departments are going to have some openings in the next couple of years (lots of retirees) so for all of us leaving the academy and entering medic, it should be pretty okay once we've finished the state (as far as finding a job goes)
 
#23 ·
I took my emt at groveland fire, The pass rate was 98%. It was great! most depts are wanting medic. with alot of money cuts I don't think dept are going to pay schooling as much as they did. My dept is a combination dept. We hire emt. As right now we have about 15 apps. in and we are not hiring.
 
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