The process of becoming an LA County Firefighter from the beginning with you dreaming of becoming one, to wearing a badge. It takes a lot of guts and motivation to become a firefighter. Firefighters go through some tough times, physically and mentally. Firemen experience things that many people have never and probably will never see in their lives. So, if you are one of the few people who have the courage to do this job, then this article is for you.
THE FIRST STAGE: GETTING INFORMATION
Some good things that you can do to prepare yourself for the fire department are joining the Explorer Program, visiting some fire stations and talking to firemen, or researching what an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) or firefighters do. Explorers also go on something called a ride-along. Which is when one or two Explorers go to a fire station and stay there from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and the Explorers go on calls and see what happens in a fire station. The age limit for being an Explorer is 15-20 years old, and you are going to be taught by firemen. The Explorers will get to have a 2-day academy where all of the Explorers in the same battalion get together at the battalion station, and you do similar things that you would do in the fire department academy. If you are not interested in the Explorer program, then another good way to get a feel of the fire department is to go to some of your local fire stations. You could talk to the captain of the station and see what it’s like in the fire department, and he will tell you how to sign up and what you do. The captain of the station will also talk about how you can fill out the interest card, which is something on the LA County Fire Department website. As soon as you fill out the interest card, the LA County Fire Department will have some of your information, and they will email you when they are hiring. If you aren’t interested in the Explorer Program and you don’t have a fire station near you, then you can research exactly what they do, if it’s the right job for you, and how you sign up. The best way to do research is the LA County Fire Department website.
THE SECOND STAGE: DOING SMALL JOBS OR PROGRAMS
Now that you have done your research, or you have gotten what it feels like being a fireman from Explorers or going to a station. You will now want to do some starting jobs or fire department programs to help you with your resume and prepare you for the LA County Fire Department academy. Some good jobs or programs that you can do are being a lifeguard, working at the small medical stations at amusement parks, or joining CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), which is a program that the LA County Fire Department hosts. Being a lifeguard is an excellent job if you like waterparks, the ocean, and the pool. Most of the time, lifeguards sit around to make sure everybody is being careful and following the rules. If you don’t want to be a lifeguard, you can work at the medical station at an amusement park. If someone is getting too hot and they are showing signs of heatstroke, then it is the medical station’s responsibility to take care of them. If someone drowns, the lifeguard will take that person to the medical station to check them out and to see if they are doing better. If you still want to learn more and don’t want to do a job yet, then you can do an LA County Fire Department program called CERT. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team, and the firemen and EMTs teach you how you can take care of someone who needs help. According to the LA County Fire Department website, they say that “LACoFD offers free, FEMA-approved 20-hour CERT training to the communities we serve. Classes are taught by trained emergency personnel, including firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Through this training, residents learn about hazards that may impact their area as well as basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Upon completion of the course, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.”
THE THIRD STAGE: GETTING EMT-CERTIFIED
Getting EMT certified is one of the most important steps in becoming a firefighter in general. EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician, which is a part of EMS. EMS stands for Emergency Medical Services, which is the entire medical department. In the process of becoming an EMT, you have to do a lot of things, like taking a college class, doing ride-alongs, and more. The EMT college class is a class that you have to take during the process of becoming an EMT, and one nice benefit is that a lot of colleges have this class. The process to finish this class is sometimes different from other colleges, but most likely, it will take a semester. You would also get to do ride-alongs in the ambulance. The ride-alongs will be all day long. According to elcamino.edu, “The ambulance crew may bring their own food or buy food along the way. It is advised that you prepare healthy snacks and a sack lunch, including plenty of water. Although not required, bringing a treat for the station makes a great first impression- especially if you intend to apply to the company in the near future. Bring study material, you may have some time when the ambulance you are assigned to is waiting for a call. This is a great opportunity to study for your upcoming module and ask clarifying questions. Be humble; do not sit down at the station and kick your feet up. Instead, offer to help with station/ambulance duties such as checking and restocking equipment and washing the ambulance. Be your best self while striving for excellence to show them you want to be a part of the team.” One more task in becoming an EMT is that you have to spend 3 days in an ER room. You would do the same things as you would do on a ride-along in the ambulance, but the difference is that you are not in a moving car, you are in a hospital with more than one patient. Then, after you get enough hours in the ambulance and ER, and also you finish the class, you can now say you are an EMT. This is going to help you a lot to become an LA County Firefighter.
THE FOURTH STAGE: APPLY FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND STUDY
The last thing you must do before becoming an LA County Firefighter is to make sure you are applying for not only LA County Fire Department but for other small Fire Departments. There is a good chance that you are not going to go into LA County on the first try, so if you apply for other small departments, then you can be with them for a few years and then try again with the LA County Fire Department. This will let you experience the fire academy and just about everything that you would experience in the LA County Fire Department, but one of the nice things that you get to experience in a big fire department is that you get more big and exciting calls. One other thing that will help you a lot in the academy is to make sure you are reading books and studying for the tests. The tests that you are going to get can also be physical, so make sure you are starting out physically fit and academically fit.
Although being a fireman is a lot of work physically and mentally, you can say that you save lives for a living. In my opinion, this is one of the best carers to do.