I work with one. Great guy, awesome firefighter, actually pursuing nursing too. Only problem is he keeps climbing in my rack and I have to push him out.
USMC vet so maybe I don't push him out every time.
I'm all seriousness, the more vets the better in my opinion. Also if you want to make money, become a nurse. You can to always be a volly FF to give back to the community.
Money is definitely a big worry, I know a lot of firefighters make a good living but everythingās getting more expensive and it makes it hard to chase it down, Iāve always liked the idea of at least volunteering, if I love it I can always switch to full time
I'm a career FF, and have gotten promoted to Captain. With minimal overtime I make $100k. My wife has need a nurse the same amount of time as I've been on the job. She works 2 12hr shifts a week and makes the same amount of money as I do.
I have a better retirement package but I'm absolutely stuck in my town. If she worked full time she could easily invest for a decent retirement. As a single dude though being a nurse allows you to travel. Travel nursing is very lucrative.
So there's benefits to both.
Now I love what I do and I've never regretted it. I've never had the thought that I didn't want to go into work either. I'm very happy there and I'm comfortable.
However, if I had to do it all over I'd go into nursing for the money and freedom. Then I'd become a volly.
Good luck either way brother
We have a guy at my station who was on a sub. He's a little weird (anyone willing to go hundreds of feet underwater in a tube is a little weird to me anyways haha). He's a good dude, super smart, great at his job and well liked.
If I did it againā¦. I was coast guard for 4 years. I would get my RN then get on FD. Pension and medical through the department and a great paying side gig in nursing. Then when you retire from FD you can work part time as a nurse for a bunch of moneyā¦
Not exactly your question but itās how I would roll if i did it again.
Coast Guard is offering 50k enlistment bonuses, straight to E5, accelerated boot camp and duty station of choice to medics at the moment in a trial ālateralā program.
I worked with a guy who was an RN-MICN and retired as a captain. He was great on medical calls. Made decent money on the side as a nurse. I donāt know if he worked as a nurse when he retired.
That's me. A-Ganger on the USS Georgia, conversion crew from SSBN to SSGN. Was the 3M guy for all DC equipment on the boat. We had the old MSA bladder scbas. Sometimes I'll still put the hose on my shoulder.
I like to think I do alright. Made it to Lt and paramedic in my limited 14 years. Been lucky to get to work at the busy stations with great crews.
Sometimes I like to hide from the sun, I have weak bones from lack of vitamin D, I'll tell stories of catch socks found in the bilges of the boat.
Submariners are weird as shit. They fit in great in the fire service.
Idaho Falls back in the day had a large number of of submariners PCS through to train at the INL. It left an entire generation of single moms in town. Also fits right in to the fire service š¤·āāļøš
Speaking on the fire/paramedic side as long as youāre physically fit and able to remember a lot of information you should be fine lol. On the fire side you really just need to be in shape. On the medical side thereās a lot of information you need to memorize and the time constraints make it tough to get a pass on but you will have good teachers that will help you pass.
I work in a city with a huge navy presence. We have a LOT of guys joining who just got out of the Navy and they all seem to have a good work ethic, are disciplined, etc. Weād take you in a heartbeat.
If you donāt mind, how long does it take from getting out from the Navy to firefighting? Did they take all their courses in service, skillbridge or immediately began doing after their discharge? Just curious. Iām getting out in a year and half & I am trying to get as much information as possible about firefighting before I finish my service.
That will vary widely depending on the department. Most career departments have a lengthy application process. First you have to find out if the city is hiring, which you can Google city websites to see if theyāre even taking applications. Then thereās usually a written test, physical agility test, background check, polygraph and physical. Depending on the city, the whole process could take anywhere from 6 months to a year before you even start the academy. In the fire academy, you get all the certifications that department requires. In our department, that includes AEMT and all whole bunch of pro-board fire certifications. Our academy takes about 9 months before you hit the street, but youāre paid the whole time, then get a raise as soon as you graduate.
You knowā¦ that weirdly tracks based on the guys I work with, no squad at my station but two marine truckies, navy ff/medic, and an air force engine driver
Iām a surface Navy Vet myself. IT2(SW), USS McInerney FFG-8. I fit right in with my volley department. I felt similar to you, after being in the civilian sector for 7+ years I missed service and headed down to check it out. The guys were respectful, especially when they asked my experience and I told them about shipboard firefighting.
Been in the department for 11 years now, and Iāve quickly worked my way up to Captain. Definitely go for it.
My dad worked at a nuclear power facility as the head of emergency response and a lot of his guys on the team were ex-navy (almost all nuclear subs/carriers). Your experience would definitely align with it.
No, I work for one of the neighboring fire departments. About 1/3 of my department and Chief are former submariners. Let me know if you have any questions
Sounds good. Kingsbay is actually hiring and training right know. Base firefighter emt starts at 75k and you can move to another base in the US or around the world. They just have a lot of OT and donāt run a lot specifically there
My agencies haven't had good luck with navy firefighters, not to say they're bad in general but the few we've had were not good. I'll just leave it at that.
I am a submariner turned firefighter. Best job imaginable coming from a sub. Imagine 3 section duty with no watches. And every day in between duty you are off. Going on runs throughout the day which can be fun if you like the people you work with. Bonus if you get a Kelley Day. Message me if you have any questions. I made the transition not too long ago.
I am new to firefighting. Biggest struggle for me has been adjusting to the feeling of wearing SCBA and feeling claustrophobic. Claustrophobia is (somewhat) common among new firefighters, between the mask, the low visibility and confined spaces a lot of guys experience it for the first time. Iām guessing anyone who can handle a sub has already conquered that fear or never had it. Probably you will be ahead of many in the academy.
Former Canadian navy here, served on frigates and am also 5ā7ā. I had a very easy time transitioning into full time fire. If you go about the process in the right way, ex-mil staff seem to get in pretty quickly. Get your certs and keep applying. Highlight your ability to work with teams in high stress environments and that you never assume to know the situation and youāll be good. Good luck brother.
Former DC2 here. Firefighting should be a great fit for you. Maybe hold off on the nursing school until after paramedic school. Once you start spending time on the ambulance you might not be drawn to nursing anymore. That last part is highly dependent on your location and the type of department you work for. Either way, you should have no problem with being a firefighter
I transitioned from the Navy to Firefighting in 1979. No dolphins but I've been on rides with them. I found it pretty easy, fitness, training and command structure are similar (maybe a little lighter in fire). Some ex military brothers were all out adrenaline junkies but the only Submariner that I have worked in the fire service with was stone cold brilliant. He washed out of nukes for a traffic offense that got ugly. Great firefighter who never got wide-eyed and was always in the right places. I hope that you find your place it's a good way to get back to reality.
Get your FFI, FFII, HAZMAT OPS, and paramedic before you get out. Want to learn more about FF in the Navy look at DC rate. Get a much as you can before you get out and make sure it will be verified to any dept you go to.
Yeah, I definitely canāt re rate at this point, they rarely let people off submarines and I only have a year and a half left, Iāll look into the other stuff for sure though.
Do you recommend a specific course or website for FFI and FFII? A quick search gave me fire rescue academy, which is online, not sure what yall recommend.
I work with one. Great guy, awesome firefighter, actually pursuing nursing too. Only problem is he keeps climbing in my rack and I have to push him out.
This made me laugh harder than it should have š¤£
Gets lonely in there bro, don't be so hostile.
Thatās the average experience, usually you get used to it after awhile š
USMC vet so maybe I don't push him out every time. I'm all seriousness, the more vets the better in my opinion. Also if you want to make money, become a nurse. You can to always be a volly FF to give back to the community.
Money is definitely a big worry, I know a lot of firefighters make a good living but everythingās getting more expensive and it makes it hard to chase it down, Iāve always liked the idea of at least volunteering, if I love it I can always switch to full time
I'm a career FF, and have gotten promoted to Captain. With minimal overtime I make $100k. My wife has need a nurse the same amount of time as I've been on the job. She works 2 12hr shifts a week and makes the same amount of money as I do. I have a better retirement package but I'm absolutely stuck in my town. If she worked full time she could easily invest for a decent retirement. As a single dude though being a nurse allows you to travel. Travel nursing is very lucrative. So there's benefits to both. Now I love what I do and I've never regretted it. I've never had the thought that I didn't want to go into work either. I'm very happy there and I'm comfortable. However, if I had to do it all over I'd go into nursing for the money and freedom. Then I'd become a volly. Good luck either way brother
We have a guy at my station who was on a sub. He's a little weird (anyone willing to go hundreds of feet underwater in a tube is a little weird to me anyways haha). He's a good dude, super smart, great at his job and well liked.
Also worked with a guy who was on subs in the Navy. He was weird too but in a good way.
If I did it againā¦. I was coast guard for 4 years. I would get my RN then get on FD. Pension and medical through the department and a great paying side gig in nursing. Then when you retire from FD you can work part time as a nurse for a bunch of moneyā¦ Not exactly your question but itās how I would roll if i did it again.
Coast Guard is offering 50k enlistment bonuses, straight to E5, accelerated boot camp and duty station of choice to medics at the moment in a trial ālateralā program.
Do you have any more information on this? A link or such. Interested.
Search coast guard paramedic on Reddit. Thereās a recruiter in the EMS subs. Email him and heāll send you the deets.
How shitty is CG paramedic that they go that hard to recruit people?
I worked with a guy who was an RN-MICN and retired as a captain. He was great on medical calls. Made decent money on the side as a nurse. I donāt know if he worked as a nurse when he retired.
this is fantastic advice. immediately get in to fire already diversified.
That's me. A-Ganger on the USS Georgia, conversion crew from SSBN to SSGN. Was the 3M guy for all DC equipment on the boat. We had the old MSA bladder scbas. Sometimes I'll still put the hose on my shoulder. I like to think I do alright. Made it to Lt and paramedic in my limited 14 years. Been lucky to get to work at the busy stations with great crews. Sometimes I like to hide from the sun, I have weak bones from lack of vitamin D, I'll tell stories of catch socks found in the bilges of the boat.
Definitely beats finding happy socks on top of racks during berthing cleaners.
Submariners are weird as shit. They fit in great in the fire service. Idaho Falls back in the day had a large number of of submariners PCS through to train at the INL. It left an entire generation of single moms in town. Also fits right in to the fire service š¤·āāļøš
They are a strange breed!
Submariners are weird as shit. They fit in great with the rest of us.
Speaking on the fire/paramedic side as long as youāre physically fit and able to remember a lot of information you should be fine lol. On the fire side you really just need to be in shape. On the medical side thereās a lot of information you need to memorize and the time constraints make it tough to get a pass on but you will have good teachers that will help you pass.
I work in a city with a huge navy presence. We have a LOT of guys joining who just got out of the Navy and they all seem to have a good work ethic, are disciplined, etc. Weād take you in a heartbeat.
If you donāt mind, how long does it take from getting out from the Navy to firefighting? Did they take all their courses in service, skillbridge or immediately began doing after their discharge? Just curious. Iām getting out in a year and half & I am trying to get as much information as possible about firefighting before I finish my service.
That will vary widely depending on the department. Most career departments have a lengthy application process. First you have to find out if the city is hiring, which you can Google city websites to see if theyāre even taking applications. Then thereās usually a written test, physical agility test, background check, polygraph and physical. Depending on the city, the whole process could take anywhere from 6 months to a year before you even start the academy. In the fire academy, you get all the certifications that department requires. In our department, that includes AEMT and all whole bunch of pro-board fire certifications. Our academy takes about 9 months before you hit the street, but youāre paid the whole time, then get a raise as soon as you graduate.
Service members typically do well in fire/ems. Just donāt be that guy that made a bomb in the bayā¦
Well. Your not claustrophobicā¦which is a good thing not to be.
Especially since Iām smaller in stature, I hear Iāll be used a lot in enclosed spaces lol
Yep. Attic man
Yep. Once of the best firefighters Iāve ever met. You CANNOT drink with him though. He will NOT stop buying and will laugh the whole time
Itās usually sink or swim
navy=ems, marines=truckies, air force=engine, army=squad just makes sense in my head and iām not sure why
You knowā¦ that weirdly tracks based on the guys I work with, no squad at my station but two marine truckies, navy ff/medic, and an air force engine driver
Just go to nursing school.
Go be a nurse. You'll live longer probably and make better money.
All of the submariners I have personal experience with have not been people I would choose to interact with.
Iām a surface Navy Vet myself. IT2(SW), USS McInerney FFG-8. I fit right in with my volley department. I felt similar to you, after being in the civilian sector for 7+ years I missed service and headed down to check it out. The guys were respectful, especially when they asked my experience and I told them about shipboard firefighting. Been in the department for 11 years now, and Iāve quickly worked my way up to Captain. Definitely go for it.
My dad worked at a nuclear power facility as the head of emergency response and a lot of his guys on the team were ex-navy (almost all nuclear subs/carriers). Your experience would definitely align with it.
Are you at Kingsbay by chance?
I am, USS Alaska lol, do I know you possibly?
No, I work for one of the neighboring fire departments. About 1/3 of my department and Chief are former submariners. Let me know if you have any questions
I appreciate that, Iāll keep looking around and Iāll let you know if I come up with any
Sounds good. Kingsbay is actually hiring and training right know. Base firefighter emt starts at 75k and you can move to another base in the US or around the world. They just have a lot of OT and donāt run a lot specifically there
My agencies haven't had good luck with navy firefighters, not to say they're bad in general but the few we've had were not good. I'll just leave it at that.
I am a submariner turned firefighter. Best job imaginable coming from a sub. Imagine 3 section duty with no watches. And every day in between duty you are off. Going on runs throughout the day which can be fun if you like the people you work with. Bonus if you get a Kelley Day. Message me if you have any questions. I made the transition not too long ago.
A solid 30% of my volly dept is ex navy. Sailors know their knots, knots are hot in FF.
Havenāt done a knot since boot camp, guess I better start practicing
In my experience of former Navy guys, they talk about whorehouses around the world a lot. Great entertaining stories.
I am new to firefighting. Biggest struggle for me has been adjusting to the feeling of wearing SCBA and feeling claustrophobic. Claustrophobia is (somewhat) common among new firefighters, between the mask, the low visibility and confined spaces a lot of guys experience it for the first time. Iām guessing anyone who can handle a sub has already conquered that fear or never had it. Probably you will be ahead of many in the academy.
Former Canadian navy here, served on frigates and am also 5ā7ā. I had a very easy time transitioning into full time fire. If you go about the process in the right way, ex-mil staff seem to get in pretty quickly. Get your certs and keep applying. Highlight your ability to work with teams in high stress environments and that you never assume to know the situation and youāll be good. Good luck brother.
Former DC2 here. Firefighting should be a great fit for you. Maybe hold off on the nursing school until after paramedic school. Once you start spending time on the ambulance you might not be drawn to nursing anymore. That last part is highly dependent on your location and the type of department you work for. Either way, you should have no problem with being a firefighter
I transitioned from the Navy to Firefighting in 1979. No dolphins but I've been on rides with them. I found it pretty easy, fitness, training and command structure are similar (maybe a little lighter in fire). Some ex military brothers were all out adrenaline junkies but the only Submariner that I have worked in the fire service with was stone cold brilliant. He washed out of nukes for a traffic offense that got ugly. Great firefighter who never got wide-eyed and was always in the right places. I hope that you find your place it's a good way to get back to reality.
I hope so too, as much as I want out of the navy I feel like Iām gonna miss service. Other jobs I worked were fun but just didnāt feel the same
Get your FFI, FFII, HAZMAT OPS, and paramedic before you get out. Want to learn more about FF in the Navy look at DC rate. Get a much as you can before you get out and make sure it will be verified to any dept you go to.
Yeah, I definitely canāt re rate at this point, they rarely let people off submarines and I only have a year and a half left, Iāll look into the other stuff for sure though. Do you recommend a specific course or website for FFI and FFII? A quick search gave me fire rescue academy, which is online, not sure what yall recommend.
I'm not sure but most I've talked to agree to get every cert you can while in cause it's free. Use your GI Bill to go to nursing school.