Fire recruitment has many different angles and techniques that firefighters are required to display when searching for a job in the fire service. There are so many applicants out there, what makes you more appealing to a fire department than the others? This question is the main subject when it comes to fire recruitment. Hiring fire departments have thousands of applicants who are trying to get hired but, there are only a few spots available, who do they choose? Fire recruitment is a harsh way for the fire service to turn over every rock in someone’s life even if they want to leave it unturned. Fire departments hiring new rookies are always looking for someone who can spark their interest and who will become a firefighter that everyone wants to become. Fire captains and recruits often live different types of life styles; this is why the fire recruitment process is so intense. Applicants start by taking a written fire exam that has a hundred to two hundred questions ranging from mechanical advantage to medical terminology and mathematics. Firefighters that have been hired always suggest that the recruits research the fire departments history and community numbers and hazards when applying to show your passion and attention to detail. Fire recruitment is based off three main subjects including your personality, fire related experience and your education.
A firefighter personality is usually a type A personality that is dominant and can be a great leader. Fire recruiters are always looking for natural born leaders that will be able to control an emergency scene even when things start to get hectic. Fire recruitment captains and the human resources department also look at what fire related experience you may or may not have. This can include but is not limited to working as a volunteer firefighter, working on an ambulance as an attendant or driver or even volunteering at a fire school doing paperwork. Fire recruitment can also be attributed to an applicant’s education. The fireservice is a service career that not only requires brute strength but, it also requires delicate mental strength because the firefighters deal with extreme circumstances every shift they are on duty. Fire recruitment does not stop there, for before the recruit is fully hired a background investigation is completed. A fire recruitment background investigation requires the applicant to be very honest about their past and their intentions once they get hired. Firefighters are the only ones who will be running towards the burning building instead of away from it because they are able to rely on their extreme training and skills that are continually practiced on and off of their working shifts. The fire recruitment process is something that can be very different than most any other career but the end result of getting hired onto your dream fire department is worth it. Applicants should always keep going and applying to different fire departments around the nation because the fire recruitment process is sometimes just being at the right place at the right time.
