So You Want to Be a Firefighter/Paramedic?
So You Want to Be a Firefighter/Paramedic?
Entering the fire service today is very different than when I started.
When I was trying to get hired in the early 2010s, there were hundreds of applicants competing for a single opening. I remember walking into civil service exams with rooms packed full of candidates, only to hear the fire chief stand in front of us and say:
"We may only have one opening over the next two years from this eligibility list."
That was reality.
The question wasn't, "How do I become a firefighter?" The question was, "How do I make myself impossible to ignore?"
Back then, having your paramedic license wasn't a competitive advantage—it was simply the price of admission.
Most Illinois departments also wanted firefighter certification, but the only way to obtain that certification was to already be affiliated with a fire department. It created a frustrating catch-22.
For most of us, there were only two realistic paths.
Find a part-time department willing to sponsor you through the academy while benefiting from your paramedic license.
Or...
Work for a private ambulance company, gain 911 experience, make around $11 an hour, and hope someone eventually invested in sending you to the academy.
That was my path.
I tested for nearly two years before finally getting hired.
But before you chase the job, let's answer a more important question.
Are You Ready for This Career?
Being a firefighter/paramedic isn't just another job.
Are you prepared to miss birthdays?
Holidays?
Anniversaries?
Are you ready to work Christmas morning?
Are you ready to wake up every hour throughout the night and still be expected to perform at your absolute best on the next emergency?
Are you prepared to work mandatory overtime?
People hear "24 hours on, 48 hours off" and imagine a predictable schedule.
In many departments today, that's simply not reality.
Nationwide staffing shortages mean firefighters are regularly working 48-hour shifts followed by only 24 hours off before returning again. You'll be exhausted. You'll miss family events. You'll sacrifice weekends.
If you answered yes, then keep reading.
Because there are rewards that are difficult to explain unless you've lived them.
The Brotherhood
People talk about the brotherhood, and despite everything that's changed in the fire service, it still exists.
You'll build a second family.
The people you work beside will care about you like you're one of their own.
When your first child is born, they'll fill the trunk, the back seat, and the passenger seat of your car with diapers and baby supplies.
When you're sick, they'll send flowers.
When life falls apart, they'll sit beside you.
They'll make you laugh when you need it most.
And if they're constantly pranking you...
Congratulations.
They probably like you.
You can't put a dollar amount on relationships like that.
The Financial Reality
The money isn't bad either.
A $10,000-$15,000 investment in paramedic school can open the door to a career that often starts around $80,000 per year, with many departments reaching six figures within a few years.
You'll typically receive:
Excellent health insurance.
A pension that will provide for you long after you've retired.
Access to deferred compensation investment plans available to many government employees.
Significant paid time off.
A schedule that, once established, often results in working only about 100 twenty-four-hour shifts each year.
Financially, it's one of the best returns on investment you'll find without accumulating massive student loan debt.
But if you're simply looking to punch a clock...
This isn't the profession for you.
You don't work at Chase Bank.
This job becomes part of your identity.
On your day off, someone will text the group chat that the boys caught a good fire.
You'll be jealous.
Bank tellers don't get jealous because someone made a large deposit.
Firefighters absolutely get jealous when they miss a good job.
That's the difference.
So How Do You Get Hired Today?
Here's the good news.
The fire service I fought so hard to get into doesn't exist anymore.
Today, there are more openings than qualified applicants in many parts of the country. Departments are struggling to recruit and retain firefighter/paramedics.
People will tell you that the traditional path is to spend four years earning a degree in Fire Science before you even think about applying.
I disagree.
In fact, I think it's one of the biggest financial mistakes you can make if your goal is simply to become a firefighter.
Once you're hired, many departments offer tuition reimbursement. Let them pay for your degree after you've landed the job.
Right now, your focus should be getting hired.
Step 1: Earn Your EMT-B License
In about six months, you can become an EMT-Basic and start working for a private ambulance company.
This isn't just about collecting a paycheck.
It's about learning how to talk to patients.
How to assess them.
How to make decisions.
How to stay calm when someone else can't.
Every patient makes you a better clinician.
Step 2: Go to Paramedic School
Apply to every accredited paramedic program you can.
Once accepted, spend the next year earning the certification that changes everything.
Because your paramedic license is the Golden Ticket.
Get that Golden Ticket, Charlie...
...and you get the pick of anything you want in the chocolate factory.
That's how valuable a paramedic license has become.
Step 3: Apply Everywhere
Once you're licensed, opportunities increase dramatically.
Many departments are eager to hire qualified paramedics and will send new hires through the fire academy after they're hired. The hiring market has completely shifted from what it was when I entered the profession.
The cheat code is simple.
Get your EMT-B.
Gain patient care experience.
Go to paramedic school.
Earn your Golden Ticket.
Apply wherever you want.
The fire service today is roughly 80% EMS.
For decades, we defined ourselves by the fires we fought.
Today, medical calls make up the overwhelming majority of what we do.
Communities need firefighter/paramedics more than ever.
If you earn that paramedic license, work hard, stay humble, and never stop learning, you'll put yourself in an outstanding position to build an incredible career.
It won't always be easy.
There will be sleepless nights.
You'll miss birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.
You'll see things that most people never will.
But you'll also laugh harder than you ever have.
You'll make friendships that last a lifetime.
You'll become part of a family you'll never forget.
I've done this job for more than a decade, and if someone asked me whether I'd do it all over again, my answer would be immediate.
Absolutely.
Because despite every sacrifice, every missed holiday, every mandatory overtime shift, and every difficult call...
This is the greatest job in the world.
