Experience in a trade before firefighting

[AKuhnreich]

Hi Everyone,

I was curious how important it is to have worked in a trade before applying to be a firefighter. I am currently a CPA accountant and I always wanted to become a firefighter but I suppose I took the safer option when I was applying to university.

I am now 26 years old and will be attending the fire academy during the summer. Once I complete the academy, would it be more beneficial if I apply for general labour positions for the year so I can have experience working with machinery/tools on my resume?

Thank you in advance, it is sincerely appreciated.

[Rescue78]

AKuhnreich

First of all, your University degree and your work experience will already help you once you apply.

As far as hands on experience, it definitely is something important to have. Experience working safely with hand tools and power tools and have the ability to troubleshoot issues with small engines is a great asset for a candidate firefighter.

What you have to decide now is how you will keep funding your journey towards a firefighting career. It might be wiser to keep your current position as a good source of income to pay for courses unless you know a contractor that would give you full time hours on a job site.

Firefighter I and II, 1072 and first aid is the bare minimum everybody shows up with. You will have to take time, money and energy and redirect it towards taking additional training to make you a noticeable candidate.

[Steppy27]

Hi Everyone,

I was curious how important it is to have worked in a trade before applying to be a firefighter. I am currently a CPA accountant and I always wanted to become a firefighter but I suppose I took the safer option when I was applying to university.

I am now 26 years old and will be attending the fire academy during the summer. Once I complete the academy, would it be more beneficial if I apply for general labour positions for the year so I can have experience working with machinery/tools on my resume?

Thank you in advance, it is sincerely appreciated.

A lot of your experiences can be relevant to the job. As for a career switch to a general labourer job I would say maybe hold off. Definitely put some focus on getting additional courses and volunteering your time in the community, specifically in the vulnerable sector.

You’re the right age to start really pushing for a job and you have to figure out what is going to set you apart from other candidates. Maybe reach out to a few local departments and try asking their newer guys what they did. That can be intimidating but people there will be willing to help out.