Just began🫡

[u/Key-Consideration605]

What’s up yall, am a 19 y/o young man in New Jersey who just happened to apply as a volunteer firefighter. Speaking with my local FD & their fire captain, I gained some insight on what to expect about the application process (it’ll take longer than a month or two).

Am here to ask those who may already be in service, volunteer, or even retired, what can I expect from volunteering & how can I further take the initiative to better my future? Should I take any classes to get any certificates? Lmk please ! And thank you in advance to anyone who leaves any input, I really do appreciate it 🧏🏽‍♂️🙏🏽

[u/sithrage1138]

I'm a volunteer who started later in life, in my mid-30s. Just be sure to hold a good balance. The priorities are family, then job, then firefighting, in that order. Don't get me wrong, I love volunteering. It's a big part of who I am now. I take classes whenever I can. But it's not my whole world, and I have the support of my family. It's sometimes tough getting up in the middle of the night and still having to go to work in the morning.

[u/theoriginaldandan]

Current volunteer, but still VERY new to it ( under a year)

If you can afford to take a SCUBA class, i would. It’s not the same at all as being in full turnout’s but it lets you learn about what SCBA breathing is like. You never get a good full breath of air, but it’s ESSENTIAL you don’t panic and waste air. If you can’t do this, that’s fine.

Look up the CPAT and train for it. It’s required to get a fire academy slot. This is a bare minimum fitness level, not an end goal BTW.

If you want to go career or just be the best volunteer possible, consider EMT-B school. It’s becoming required in most departments. It’s good information for everyone to have.

Pay attention to where all your hydrants in your service area are, try to learn them. Then learn some nearby ones. Mutual aid for volunteers is essential.

Try to get better at knowing the actual roads because GPS is only so reliable and you don’t always get an address sometimes just a road.

[u/Key-Consideration605 → u/theoriginaldandan]

You too, thank you so much. Lots of gems in this comment and I do appreciate it 🙏🏽. How has your volunteering been going? Is it what you had expected, if not why?

[u/theoriginaldandan → u/Key-Consideration605]

I fell in love with it and I’m looking to go career soon hopefully( and I’ll keep volunteering)

It’s different than I expected, in good and bad ways. Calls come in weird waves. I have gone two weeks without getting pages and then got three in a day afterwards.

You will spend longer than you’d expect on calls. There’s a good bit of standing around in Alabama July heat getting roasted doing nothing some times because the car accident you are doing “traffic control” happened on a one lane dirt road. You have to be there just in case but everyone knows nobody is coming in all likelihood.

When it’s fun, it’s great but the lows REALLY suck. I was on the hot spot team for a boys fire on July 4th. The room was 120 degrees and I was in full turnouts. That’s about 60 pounds of gear, and your own clothes. It’s a lot. Then my job was cut a wall out with an axe.

I got lucky, I love the guys I run calls with. They’d come if needed them right now, no questions asked if it was personal or a fire department call and vice versa. I’ve met some blowhards from other departments and my own does have one dude who’s notoriously painful to be around, but he’s barely involved anymore.

[u/MaleficentCoconut594]

Volley here

Hard to answer. It’s all county/dept specific. For now, all you can do is wait. Once you’re actually in, I imagine they’ll send you to some sort of fire academy for the basics (Firefighter I, etc). Once you have the basic classes down for your dept, take a year. Most of your learning will be “on the job”. Wait at least a year from finishing your basic class to actually start taking extra stuff. Use that “year off” to come off probation and earn your black shield, through learning and OJT. Then you can start to explore more advanced classes

Too often these new guys show up and try to earn their doctorate in firefighting application before their first year is up. Book smart is one thing, but in this job physical smart is more important. Don’t try to run before you walk

[u/Key-Consideration605 → u/MaleficentCoconut594]

Thank you man, needed to read this as I do tend to want to move fast. If you don’t mind, can you still list if not all then some of the other certifications/advanced classes that can become an option in the future? Just curious to know what I can get some insight on what to expect later down the road. Once again thank you 🙏🏽

[u/MaleficentCoconut594 → u/Key-Consideration605]

Again, specific to your region

For us, the basic is Firefighter I. That’s all you need to be a regular firefighter here

Advanced classes include firefighter II, firefighter III, firefighter survival, Rapid Intervention Team, heavy rescue I, heavy rescue II, hi angle rescue, trench rescue, below grade operations, intro to fire officer, principles of instruction, Emergency vehicle operators course, etc etc etc. Those are just ones I know off the top of my head. I only took intro to fire officer, rapid intervention team, and EVOC

[u/brandonfrank04]

Take your trainings serious and your physical fitness. It's amazing how many over weight, only make one training a month guys think they're gonna pack up and lead an interior attack team because they've been on the department the longest.

I don't know your service but get at least an EMR but I would recommend an EMT license. We run fire and medical with medical making up over 80% of our calls.

As the training officer for a small town volley service I always tell new people their first 3 years is all about learning. Learn names, truck numbers, locations in your area - you're no good if you don't know where to go, what the equipment is and where it's stored, how to talk on the radio, how to direct traffic safely and how to maintain gear and equipment.

Temper your excitement and expectations it's a slow learning process in the volley world. You may be willing to train and learn every night but you'll have a hard time finding people to teach you.

Last thing and probably one of the more important ones. Find a "mentor" on the department. He doesn't need to be your Obi Won Kenobi but just a someone on your department who you thinks does a good job and try to emulate that person. Ask them questions during and after trainings, also after calls. We can get into some messed up stuff sometimes and it's great to have those bonds.

Best of luck, I'm 10 years in and when we moved into our small town I spent the first year dodging the FD and didn't want to join. Now I can't imagine life without it. If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask.

[u/Local_fiirefighter]

As someone similar in age the best thing I will recommend is when you do get on try to memorize the location of all tools. When you are doing drill volunteer to go, show initiative. It’s all about what you make it. Also be able to take shit and give it right back.

[u/Proper-Succotash9046]

Some counties offer FF2 right after FF1, take it then , while it’s still fresh in your mind and maybe a few weeks longer . Depending on which county you are in , ask to come to a drill and observe . If you are in a rural area, take the S-130/190 for NJFFS , your company may run a co-op truck . Just remember that you are new and learning , ask questions!