Paying your own way through and to the fire academy

[EMT8170 6]

Has anyone on here ever paid for, and gone to the state fire academy before being hired? I've heard of a hand full of instances where this has happened around here where volunteer depts. will host / sponsor a member to go. However the member pays the expense. People who do this are then supposedly given preference over others when canvassed, because they now already have the needed training, thus saving the hiring department from having to pay for the academy as well as pay the individual.

If by chance anyone on here has done this or heard of it; how did it, if at all, work out?

[Bnechis 3,961]

Has anyone on here ever paid for, and gone to the state fire academy before being hired? I've heard of a hand full of instances where this has happened around here where volunteer depts. will host / sponsor a member to go. However the member pays the expense. People who do this are then supposedly given preference over others when canvassed, because they now already have the needed training, thus saving the hiring department from having to pay for the academy as well as pay the individual.

Some FD's accept previous training, some do not. So if they will give hiring preference will start with that. You need to check with the civil service office that covers the dept. you are interested in (could be a local city or county civil service).

Good Luck

[firecapt32 282]

I may be wrong on this but I am pretty sure that the State Law concerning firefighters training 426.somthing state in part that firefighters must have their mandared 229 hours of training WITHIN 18 months of employment--not PRYOR to employment.

There are States that have different employment requierments like Fla which has a Fire School where you do have to get your training and then go in lists, In NY you are required to get it after.

I am also pretty sure that their are communities out there that have skirtted around this But thats why there are lawyers.

I know it costs a cimmunnity a lot of money to send a firefigher to a Training Academy, maybe its time for them to step to the plate and try and change the law so that it is legal and it will count.

Go to Fire School--pass, get your CPAT--apply to a community of your choosing wait that might not work it sounds so simple wwe dont want to confuse Goverment any more then it is. just my thoughts on this matter

[KRF178 49]

I actually had three guys in my academy class in Montour Falls who were sponsored by their respective FD's and paid the fees themselves. All three were volunteers and shortly after graduation one of them got hired by his department, and another just recently got hired by the same dept.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

In Connecticut, paying your own way through the fire academy is the 2nd best way to be hired as a firefighter, after Paramedic of course. Some departments don't accept it and you'll have to go back through anyway, but other departments are requiring CT Fire Academy Recruit, so a lot of guys have taken the hint and paid their own way. I'm considering it, but you have to save up a decent amount to afford it and the missed work.

[helicopper 1,050]

Go to Fire School--pass, get your CPAT--apply to a community of your choosing wait that might not work it sounds so simple wwe dont want to confuse Goverment any more then it is. just my thoughts on this matter

It's not as simple as applying. You still have to be hired off the civil service list so you may have been to the academy, gotten your CPAT, but if you're number 57 on the list you have to wait until 56 other guys get canvassed.

Unless/until civil service comes up with a preferred list for prior training - which may be the way to make this viable - you could invest all that time and money in the training and still not get hired.

[Porsha911gt3 8]

Your best bet is to ask the departments that you are interested in whether or not they accept the Montour Falls academy. I know several people that have put themselves through the academy including myself. It has turned out very well for some of us, but others that I know are still trying to get hired. I know there are some departments that run their own academy or only accept a certain academy. Regardless of whether or not a specific department will honor your academy training it will show that you have gone above and beyond, and your are capable of completing the academy.

As some others have stated though it all depends on what you get on the test and who you know. My advice to you is take every firefighter test you can find whether or not it is near where you live or want to work... you will learn with every test, if you can consistently score well then that will increase your odds that much more if you have the academy but, I know of several situations where someone had a 100 on the list with the academy and have been passed over for someone else because the someone else knew the right people.

You need to realize that nothing is ever guaranteed no matter how hard you try. Civil service is a giant game, some departments will hire the top candidates off the list regardless of anything else, other departments try to hire truly qualified candidates off of the list based on what skills they can bring to the table not just a good test score. Then there are other departments that you will never be able to figure out their reasons for hiring who they do. Trying to get a civil service job is a lot like gambling, yes there are things you can do to increase your odds, but in the end the odds are still against you so do not bank on it. Do all that you can to try to get what you want but do not get tunnel vision. You need to have something to fall back on.

As far as the academy goes it costs about $3000 and is 11 weeks long. If you want to put yourself through you need to have a department sponsor you and you need to put your name on a waiting list very early, since fewer departments are hiring due to the economy the class sizes have been smaller and the waiting list has been shorter.

[dmc2007 17]

IIRC getting hired as a firefighter in Florida is very similar to getting hired as a Paramedic (all other factors, such as Civil Service, exams, etc., being equal). You attend an academy first on your own dime and then you apply to various departments.

[commonsensejake 6]

The Westchester County Chief's Academy is $4000 for Spring 2011 and is 16 weeks long (includes CFR).