Finding a Job in the Fire Service

Add Feedback

Share |

Budget cuts in fire departments across the United States have affected the hiring of new firefighters.   San Diego Fire-Rescue, one of California's largest fire departments, is no exception.  For the first time in several years they were unable to hire the six open enrollees who graduated from their 72nd Fire Academy.

Open enrollees are firefighter recruits who put themselves through the fire academy, paying for everything from uniforms to learning materials.  While other recruits receive a paycheck during the academy process, open enrollees do not.   In past years, San Diego Fire-Rescue has been able to offer jobs to all of its open enrollees, but because of the national economic downturn they have not been able to hire any of the six enrollees from the 72nd Fire Academy.

Jeremiah Martin, who graduated 2nd in the class of 39, was an open enrollee, so despite his high ranking in the class, he was not offered a position with the fire department.  Keeping a positive attitude, Martin and his fellow open enrollees come to San Diego Fire-Rescue Station 17 once a week to do ride-alongs and maintain their firefighting skills, although they do no get paid for any of their work.

Maintaining hope that he will be hired by either San Diego Fire-Rescue or another fire department in the United States, Martin admits that it has been a difficult process, saying, "I'll be honest with you.  It's been an emotional roller coaster for me.  I'm such a security person.  I'm always used to that paycheck.  My faith has been tested."  However, he refuses to give up hope and perseveres in his quest to find a job in the fire service.

Tim Munholand, another open enrollee from the 72nd Fire Academy, echoes Martin's feelings, saying, "It's been tough.  It definitely stung a little bit when we received the news that we weren't going to get picked up.  But something I've learned in the fire service is trying to get in you're going to go through peaks and valleys and this is just one of those things where we got to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and get back into it.  Because if we can't recover after that then we're never going to make it."

In addition to coming to the fire station once a week to donate their time and get firefighting experience, the six men are waiting tables, working in construction, and doing other jobs to make ends meet.  One enrollee, Paul Lotze, recently had a newborn baby girl, and has been working hard to provide for his family while searching for a job in the fire service.  Like Martin and Munholand, he maintains a positive outlook.

While all of the enrollees would love to stay in the San Diego, California area because of family ties, they are more than willing to accept offers of work from fire departments in other cities or states.  They are willing to relocate and come highly recommended.

Captain Ralph Haynes of San Diego Fire Rescue's Engine 17, B Division says, "It's really unfortunate that they didn't get picked up.  Usually we hire open enrollees but during this particular time in the history of the fire department and the city, money is funny and change is strange right now, so we didn't pick them up.  But these guys here, these six guys are some of the best firefighters that I've ever worked with and trained.  I've been doing the academy process for about 25 years.   I've done a lot of academies, and these guys here really deserve to work somewhere.  Hopefully it will be with us."

If your fire department is interested in speaking with any of these recruits for possible employment, please contact their Academy Coordinator Ralph Carrasquillo at ralphc@sandiego.gov.


Author:Deanne Goodman - FDNNTV.com