This is not a sprint. It’s a marathon.

If you were making a career choice today, you’d honestly have better odds of becoming a backup dancer for Taylor Swift than landing a firefighter badge next week.

This is going to take time, consistency, and work. If you’re in, then buckle up.

I’m going to take you on a 52-week journey, Exactly what I would do if I was in your shoes.

• No experience.
• No education.
• Just the idea of becoming a firefighter.

Every week, I’ll drop one focus + action steps. If you follow along, I can’t guarantee you’ll get hired, but I can guarantee you’ll be closer, sharper, and better prepared than most candidates walking into the process.

So the question is simple: Are you in?

Why This Matters

Breaking into this career isn’t about luck. It’s about persistence. And persistence requires fuel. That fuel is your WHY.

This idea isn’t new, Simon Sinek nailed it in his famous TED Talk: ‘People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.’ If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth the 18 minutes.”

Start With Why – Simon Sinek TED Talk - https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

If your WHY is strong, you’ll push through. If it’s weak, you’ll fizzle out out before you even start the academy.

Focus: Start With WHY

Action Steps for Week 1

1. Write Your WHY
   • One page or less: Why do I want to be a firefighter?
   • Don’t be generic: “I want to serve the community and help people” is everyone’s answer. Make it personal, specific, and authentic.
2. Clarify Your WHY (use these 5 prompts):
   • What moment or experience first made you think about being a firefighter?
   • When life gets hard, what kind of work makes you feel alive or proud?
   • What do you bring to a team that others count on you for?
   • Who or what inspired you to pursue this career, and why does that matter to you?
   • If you don’t get hired right away, what will keep you from giving up?
3. Refine It
   • Read it out loud. Would a panel believe it?
   • Ask yourself: “If they asked me this in an interview, does the answer make sense?”
4. Lock It In (pick your method):
   • Old School: Write your WHY on a piece of paper, seal it in an envelope, and tape it to your bathroom mirror. You’ll see it daily, and you'll remember what it says and what it stands for as a constant reminder. Open it in 6 months and see if it still holds true.
5. Future Tech: Use FutureMe.org - https://www.futureme.org email your WHY to yourself, set for delivery in 6 months. When it arrives, see if your WHY still holds true.
6. Extra Credit: Tell Someone Your WHY
   • In one conversation this week, tell someone, anyone; why you want to be a firefighter.
   • It could be your mom, a coworker, or the barista at Starbucks. The point is to say it out loud to another human being.
   • Every time you speak your WHY, it gets sharper, more natural, and more authentic. By the time you’re in front of a panel, it won’t be the first time you’ve said it.

Example Walkthrough: Distilling Your WHY

Q1. What moment first made you think about being a firefighter?
“When I was in high school, I came across a car accident. Everyone was panicking except the firefighters. They were calm, professional, and in control. I wanted to be that person who runs toward the problem.”

Q2. When life gets hard, what kind of work makes you feel alive?
“I feel alive when I’m training or competing with a team. Going past exhaustion, with other people counting on me."

Q3. What do you bring to a team that others count on you for?
“I stay calm under pressure. I don’t panic. People look to me as the rock.”

Q4. Who or what inspired you? Why does that matter?
“My neighbor is a firefighter. The pride he has in his work and the respect he has of his neighbors, made me want to live a life like that.”

Q5. What will keep you coming back if you don’t get hired right away?
“This isn’t about one test, it’s about a career. I’ll keep testing until I get there because there’s nothing else I want more.”

Final WHY:
“I want to be a firefighter because I thrive in high-pressure, team-driven environments where people depend on each other. I’ve seen how firefighters bring order to chaos, and I want to be the steady, dependable one families can count on in their worst moments. My WHY is simple: to serve with purpose, alongside a crew I trust, in a career I can give my whole self to.”

Key Takeaway

Week 1 is about building your fire.
Before you chase certifications, fitness, or interview tricks, you need to know exactly why you’re chasing the badge. Tape it to your mirror, send it to your future self, or tell someone out loud, but lock it in. Six months from now, you’ll know if your WHY still burns as strong as it does today.

If you're comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear your WHY - DM me and let me know.

I’ve been getting a lot of DMs lately asking, “What kind of questions should I expect on an interview?”

Here’s a one-page breakdown of the Top 7 Interview Questions that seem to come up again and again. It’s built from my experience on both sides of the table; as a candidate and as someone who’s been on several interview panels.

Couple of quick notes:

• These aren’t trick questions, they’re the basics almost every department will throw at you.
• The key is how you answer. If you can tie in stories, use the “START” method (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Tie-In), and always connect back to why you’ll be a solid firefighter, you will stand out.

• Don’t memorize answers word-for-word. Panels can sniff that out. Instead, build a few strong stories you can adapt, but they need to be yours and they need to be authentic.

  I hope this helps. DM me with any questions...

Mine came from a Captain I couldn’t stand and it ended up shaping my whole career.

Curious what stuck with you the most. Could be from a mentor, a call, or even a mistake, or might not have even been from your FD career.

What’s the one lesson that’s never left you?

I worked with a guy who used furniture polish to clean the rig. Rigs looked car show ready and smelled lemony fresh, but I later learned his hack was whack.. It left a residue that smeared and attracted more dirt than it repelled, and it was pretty slippery...

Every station has their hacks, some brilliant, some questionable. Ever seen (or used) one? What’s your secret weapon for the rig or the grill?

When I first learned how to mop a floor at the station, there was no YouTube, no “how-to” blog.

You grabbed a mop, filled the bucket with water, dumped in some random soap, and got after it. If you were lucky, the old salty engineer would mop alongside you, and you’d follow his lead. The thing is, he probably learned from some other salty engineer, going all the way back to when horses used to crap in the station.

It worked… kind of. But what if I told you there’s actually a right way to mop?

1. Different Cleaners for Different Jobs

Kitchen / Living Areas

• Neutral cleaners like Mr. Clean Multi-Surface, Zep Neutral Floor Cleaner, or Fabuloso.
• Look for neutral pH on the bottle. Cuts grease, won’t leave sticky residue.
• Mix: ~1 to 2 oz per gallon of warm water.

Bathrooms

• Disinfectants like Lysol Clean & Fresh, Pine-Sol Disinfecting, or bleach mixes.
• Look for quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) or sodium hypochlorite (bleach) on the label.
• Mix: 2 to 4 oz per gallon (bleach = ½ cup per gallon).
• Must stay wet for 5 to 10 minutes (dwell time) to actually kill germs. Mop, then let it sit.

Apparatus Bay

• Degreasers like Simple Green, Purple Power, or Zep Industrial Degreaser.
• Look for “degreaser” or “industrial strength” on the bottle.
• Mix: 4 to 6 oz per gallon. Cuts oil and grime, reduces slip risk. (Too much can cause streaks or make the floor slippery.)

2. Mop Heads & Separation

• Always keep mops separate.
• Never bring the bathroom or bay mop into the kitchen.
• Most stations label or color-code mop heads to rookie-proof it.

3. Technique (The Right Way)

• Sweep first: Mopping dirt just makes mud.
• Use hot water with correct dilution (don’t over-soap).
• Wring mop until damp, not dripping.
• Mop in a figure-8 or “S” pattern, moving backwards out of the room.
• Rinse often, change water when it turns gray.
• Let the floor air dry.

4. Changing Mop Heads

• Kitchen/bathroom: at least weekly, sooner if dirty or smelly.
• Apparatus bay: every couple of weeks, depending on use.
• Rookie rule: if it smells, streaks, or shreds = change it.

5. Rookie Lesson Tie-In

The mop is a metaphor. Anyone can slop water around, just like anyone can pull hose or tie a knot. But doing it right means knowing the process, respecting the details, and understanding why they matter.

Rookie lesson: If you can take pride in mopping a floor the right way, you’ll probably take pride in everything else you do here.

1) Carve out a lane.
Find an up and coming trend in the fire service and own it. Maybe it’s drones, solar panels, CNG vehicles. Become the guy people go to for answers. We had guys who did this with Swift Water, Tech Rescue,. They trained, learned, and kept learning until they became so good they couldn’t be ignored. You want a fulfilling career? Do this.

2) On-duty field trips.
Spend a few hours in dispatch. Meet the arson team. Tour HQ and meet the people that process payroll and workers comp. Meet the people in the PIO office, and Fire Prevention and learn what they do, and how they support field operations.

Visit specialty units, ARFF at the airport, Haz-Mat, USAR. It’s about exposure and building relationships early. When you need them later, they’ll know you. (Maybe one of them becomes your mentor.

3) Find a mentor.
I’d help outline what makes a good one, but the choice has to come from the rookie. Having the right mentor early is a game-changer.

4) Take Fire Instructor classes.
I used to make my rookies teach a class every shift. Some thought that was “too early,” but it forced them to organize their thoughts and learn how to teach. Those instructor classes gave them a framework for that.

5) Train the way we operate.
Once the basics are down, I expect anticipation, not instructions. If a ladder needs to go up, it goes up. None of the academy “ladder coming through, 4 points of contact” stuff. If we’re assigned to RIC, the equipment shows up without a word. Competence first, anticipation second.

That's my 2 cents -

For the vets: What do you expose your rookies to beyond the basics?
For the rookies: What would you want to be exposed to in your first 6 months?

I’ve seen a lot of new guys succeed and a few who didn’t make it. Here are two who didn’t.

Guy 1: Couldn’t get his skills down.
We trained every shift for two months straight to get him ready for his rookie test. He failed. Retested and failed again. We had to let him go.
Lesson: The crew will help you, but you’ve got to help yourself. Right attitude + right effort matters more than excuses.

Guy 2: Couldn’t show up on time.
Shift 2: 30 minutes late. Wrote him up.
Shift 3: Barely on time (10 minutes before shift change). Verbal notice: “You’re on thin ice.”
Shifts 4 & 5: Early. I told him, “This is the minimum standard.”
Shift 6: 10 minutes late = Written reprimand, final warning. Asked him if it was personal issues, alarm, car. What's the source of the problem? No real reasons, (I think he was surprised that he was being held accountable).
Shift 8: 15 minutes late. BC + HR involved. Terminated.
Lesson: If you can’t show up on time, figure it out — or it will cost you your job.

Not every rookie makes it. The skills can be taught. But excuses and bad habits will sink you.

What’s the biggest dealbreaker you’ve seen in a rookie?

First Shift, First Hour & What’s in Your Bag?

It’s your very first day as a career firefighter.

How are you spending that first hour in the firehouse?

Shift change is at 8:00 a.m., what time are you showing up?

What are you bringing with you in your bag?

It's really not a common question, but the more I think about it, I think it deserves a place at the interview table.

"If we don’t select you, what will you do? "

Or it could be worded -

• “What’s your plan if you’re not hired this round?”
• “What will you do after today?”

As a Rookie Firefighter you are tasked to run a detail in a marked Fire Department vehicle. 

On your way you witness an accident, and you are the first one to arrive. 

Bystanders are beginning to gather and they are getting upset that you are not doing anything to help the person in the vehicle. 

1) How will you inform the call center about the incident and what will you say? 

2) How will you address the concerned onlookers, and what will you do?

On your first shift, were you “voluntold” to be the cook?

What did you make, and was it feast or famine?
How many people did you cook for, and were you under or over budget?
How did you learn the recipe (family, Google search, or something else)?
Did you get it on the table on time, or was it late?
Did you test it out ahead of time, or roll the dice in front of the crew?

Any tips for the new guys on surviving their first firehouse dinner?

What change or trend do you believe will most impact your career as a firefighter in the next 10 years?

A pretty common question that seems to come up in interviews is; "When would you break a rule as a rookie Firefighter?"

Some guys will paint themselves into a corner by saying "I would never break a rule. The rules are there for a reason, to protect firefighters and save lives, so under no circumstances would I as a Rookie Firefighter break a rule."

That's when it happens. One of the guys is going to come after you. "So Mr. Candidate, you're saying that you would never break a rule?" How did you get to the interview today? We're you worried about being late? How fast were you driving on the freeway? What was the posted speed limit? Did you obey it, do you always obey it? He got you, dead to rights. We all speed, so you might as well concede this one.

Let me give you a better framework to answer this one. I call it the "CLEAR" framework.

C - Consequences: What's the best & worse case for everyone involved?

L - Legality - Will this decision get you or someone else arrested, sued or fired?

E - Ethics - Are you protecting someone, or just avoiding an inconvenience?

A - Alternative - Is there a safer or smarter way around this situation?

R - Responsibility - If it blows up, are you ready to own it?

In real life, rules aren’t meant to be broken, they’re meant to serve a purpose. But in an emergency?

Say you’re working at a bottling plant. You’ve been told never to press the red emergency stop button unless you’re the supervisor. Then one day, a guy’s sleeve gets caught in a machine and he’s about 3 seconds from losing his arm. SLAM THE DAMN BUTTON. You’ll explain later. But at least he’ll still have an arm to shake your hand with.

Here is a real world example from a Fire Department -

Rules, Exceptions, and the Moment You’ve Trained For; Most rules exist to keep people alive. Some exist to cover someone's ass. In the fire service, you might face a moment where those two conflict.

There was a Fire Captain in 2024 on a house fire. The Incident Commander had pulled the crews back to go defensive. The Captain, with years of experience got a report that someone was still inside. He knew the layout. He had a crew ready. He had his gear. He made a judgment call and went in. He pulled the victim out. He got suspended. Why? Because he broke the rule. Because the rule said "defensive fire." But the exception was a human life.

When the Rules and the job collide.

There are going to be moments in your career, maybe only one, maybe more, where the right call isn’t in the book. It might come fast. It might come quiet. But it will come.

The Captain found himself in that exact place. Smoke showing. A trapped woman. Orders to stand down. He made a call. He broke the rules. He got suspended. To be fair, we weren't there. We don’t have all the facts. And it’s easy to play armchair quarterback. But the point of bringing this up isn’t to tear apart what he did. It’s to prepare you for what you might face. The decision you might face in a situation where the right thing to do violates policy. That’s the reality of this job. In that moment, you won’t have time to scroll through an SOP or text your attorney or your union rep. You’ll have one thing to rely on; your judgment.

You’ll need to weigh the job versus the rules, the risk against the reward. Your integrity against the consequences. A simple test. Ask yourself two questions:

1. Can I defend my actions in front of the Chief?

2. Can I look the family in the eye and explain what I did and why?

If you can answer yes to both, then you probably made the right call. That doesn’t mean you’ll avoid a reprimand or a day at the beach. But it does mean you acted from a place of courage And in the long run, that’s what this job and this life is really about.

There's a great quote from Mark Twain about regret, and it kind of fits in here.

25 years from know you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did.

Just something to think about, and a way to look at answering this question.

That's my 2 cents

If you're getting ready for a background consider the following -

Multiple agencies have rescinded conditional offers after background units surfaced social‑media content that violated conduct policies (usually alcohol, slurs, hateful or extremist posts)

"12 fire cadets fired days before graduation for sharing racist memes in a group chat." The department called it “racist, hateful behavior” and cancelled their appointments despite the $1.2 million already spent on training.

Key takeaway: Background investigators and command staff increasingly treat online conduct as an extension of on‑duty behavior. “Free speech” doesn’t override public‑trust considerations when you hold (or are about to hold) the badge.

Social media done right can make you stand out -

• Volunteer work, community events, team photos
• Academy milestones & photos
• Professional LinkedIn profile showing certifications, sports, military

Rule of Thumb:

Before posting, ask: “Would I defend this in front of my Fire Chief and my Mom present?” If the answer isn’t yes, delete or delay.

Quick Checklist Before You Hit “Submit Application”

• ☐ Googled my name + old screen names
• ☐ Deleted / risky posts
• ☐ Clean profile pic & bio
• ☐ No political rants, hate, profanity
• ☐ Content reflects service & professionalism

If you can’t check every box, fix it before the background unit fixes it for you.

Final Word

The badge is public trust made visible. Protect it now, and the department will trust you to protect it.

One of the questions I get asked -

“What job should I work while I’m testing to become a firefighter?”

The go-to answer has always been: “Become an EMT and get some experience.”
That’s fine — it shows you’re committed, and you’ll need it eventually.

But here’s what no one tells you -

When you’re 35 feet up on a pitched roof, and the chainsaw dies —
that is not the time to figure out how it works.

That moment doesn’t care how many interfacility transports you've done at the local nursing home

What matters is:
Do you know how to troubleshoot on the fly?
Do you know how your tools work?
Can you keep calm and solve the problem before it becomes a bigger one?

That’s why I think jobs like working at a tool rental yard or in construction are underrated — and maybe even more valuable early on.

Fixing chainsaws, using demo tools, troubleshooting pressure washers, forklifts, backhoes…
That’s real-world mechanical grit. That’s confidence under pressure.

Being a firefighter isn’t just EMS.
It’s cutting, lifting, smashing, forcing, extricating, climbing — and when things break (and they will), you better know what to do next.

EMT is good.
But hands-on mechanical experience is a force multiplier.

If you can find a job that gives you both?
You’re not just testing — you’re building a foundation.

And when the time comes?
You’ll be the one they can count on.

CLOSING THIS ROUND AT MIDNIGHT PST - 6 hours left

If you’re serious about getting hired — and want honest feedback from someone who’s been behind the curtain — now’s the time to jump in.

No cost. No strings. Just real prep from someone who’s sat on the other side of the table.

https://forms.gle/sMYjKEp5QGLsFxcR6

5 Days Left — Interview Coaching Enrollment Closes 7/16

I’m closing the current coaching round this coming Tuesday.

If you’re serious about getting hired — and want honest feedback from someone who’s been behind the curtain — now’s the time to jump in.

No cost. No strings. Just real prep from someone who’s sat on the other side of the table.

https://forms.gle/sMYjKEp5QGLsFxcR6

I know - you might be skeptical - but it's true

You might be studying and doubting yourself and I really would like to help.

I've been on both sides of the table - Taken my share of interviews and been on plenty of panels

Now I'm retired, but I'm not done helping

I’m taking 5 candidates for a beta round of free 1-on-1 coaching

• Application & resume review
• Interview prep & feedback
• Strategy to stand out in a stacked field
• Long-game insight from Day 1 to Year 1

No cost. No catch. No BS. - Message me with any questions!

Here is the link - Fill out the form and I'll pick 5 by July 16th

https://forms.gle/Dzf6gbSZkE47b3NC8