How to become a structural (urban) firefighter: Part 5

Taking tests for practice

Taking any fire department test you can, just for practice, is a good idea to help make you a better test-taker: even though tests differ considerably, people usually improve by taking them. Having gone through a few tests gets you used to the process and helps you feel less nervous when you take the one for the department you want to join.

On the other hand, you run one significant risk: you may do well enough on the test to be offered a job. And if you do get an offer, you may find it very hard to say no, even though it isn't really where you wanted to work. The financial security of having a firefighting job right now can be very appealing in comparison with the possibility of maybe getting on your chosen department a year from now. It may just seem like bad luck or foolishness to turn down a job that's offered. If you aren't sure you can be firm in your resolve, don't take a test for a fire department you know you don't want to work for.

The exception to this would be if you plan to work there only a short while and then move on to another department. While this gives fire department managers fits, it is done, and many smaller fire departments that can't afford attractive pay have a high turnover of two- and three-year firefighters going on to larger and better-paying departments. This may be the option that best suits you, especially if you desperately need a job now. It is usually easier to be hired by a fire department if you're already working for another one, as long as your work record is good.

The negative side to getting on just any fire department is that if it is a very badly run department, you may get turned off to the fire service or may not be able to stand being on the job long enough to get hired elsewhere. Women particularly run risks if the department is badly managed and fails to control or punish ugly behavior such as sexual harassment. Working in a hostile environment can harm your mental health or even, in the worst cases, put your physical safety at risk. Discriminatory behavior by co-workers and managers can result in you receiving poor training and bad evaluations that will harm your chances of getting hired elsewhere. Not many fire departments like this are still around, but they can be found here and there. Working for one of them is not the best idea, even in the short term.

The application and testing processes

Once you've narrowed your list down to those departments you really want to work for, make sure you know how to find out when they'll be hiring. Get on a mailing list to receive their job announcement, if possible, or watch the classified ads or other places where openings are posted. When a fire department on your list announces a hiring opportunity, get a copy of all the available information and make sure you understand everything on it: dates, deadlines, qualification requirements. If you're not sure about something, make a phone call to get clarification.

Different departments use different application processes. Some will mail out their application forms; others distribute them only in person, and sometimes only at a specified time and place. Find out what you need to bring when picking up your application, such as a drivers license or proof of residency. Sometimes the department will limit the number of applications given out; if this is the case, plan to be on hand very early to wait in line. You may be charged a fee (usually $20-$35) when you submit your application. Sometimes applicants with severe financial constraints can ask for this fee to be waived.

Some fire departments, particularly in California, now use lotteries to reduce the number of applicants. Instead of bearing the expense of testing all firefighter applicants (which sometimes number in the thousands for only a handful of positions), they randomly pick an allotted number of the applicants to continue through the process. This is an unfortunate practice and justifiably frustrating to the candidate who has prepared herself or himself for a firefighting career and expects to be able to compete for a job on the basis of qualifications, not chance. Nonetheless, it is a fact of life for the present, and unless it is successfully challenged in court, there is little or nothing the candidate can do about it except try not to be too disappointed.

Find out everything you can about the hiring process. How many steps does it involve, and what are they? Many variations are possible, but a typical process will look something like this:

Candidates who make it through these steps successfully are placed on a hiring or eligibility list. The order in which names appear on the list and the rules that govern the order in which candidates can be hired vary from place to place. The list may be kept for one year, two years, or longer, depending on local policies and needs. When the department is ready to hire from the list, it will make a conditional offer of employment to the selected applicants, and send them through a medical evaluation, which sometimes includes a drug screening. Only after all of this has the applicant earned the right to be hired as a fire recruit. (Smaller departments, or those that hire only certified firefighters, may hire applicants as probationary firefighters rather than fire recruits.)

This article is adapted from material developed by WFS under contract to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's U.S. Fire Administration, and published by FEMA/USFA as Many Women Strong: A Handbook for Women Firefighters. The handbook may be ordered free of charge from the USFA's website.