My daughter turns 16 here pretty quick. She wants to be a firefighter. She also wants to be a paramedic. Obviously i told her to look into atleast emt1 basic class. What other courses should she look into?
Our county gives free tuition to the local community College and who knows, a course may coincide.
Told her she better get in shape, playinghockeyfor 10 years help but better start carrying a loaded pack and start hiking.
At 16 she can register with the township for ride a longs and volunteer at the fire barn.
I would suggest she get involved with everything she can with a local department, from training to recovery after a fire like cleaning gear, rolling hose and charging air tanks. tell her to soak up all the exposer and training she can, that way she is a step ahead.
when I was a firefighter in SC. we had a jr firefighter squad. they were a very involved group of teens 15-18 years old. they didn’t go on active calls (ride trucks) but for big events they would show up for rehab, cleanup and assistance. they were also involved with training, fundraising events.
tell her to take a Fire Science, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Emergency Management course if available.
good luck with her endeavors.
It’s great to see a young person interested in the best job in the world. That being said she should be ready to work harder than everyone else,learn everything she can, stay in shape and realize that you will see some things that are truly horrible. Do the best you can everyday. Once you sign up remember that your responsibility is to your people and the people you serve.