When I decided that I wanted to become a Firefighter, I was 24 years old and was working as a broker in a local investment firm. I knew I couldn’t work in a cubicle my whole life. Someone told me that becoming an EMT was a good place to start, and when I sat down for the first day of class, something clicked: I knew this was the career for me. But because I didn’t have any friends or family in the fire service, I really struggled to find information and opportunities during the early stages of my career.
It wasn’t long before I met two incredible mentors who helped me with everything, from the little questions to the big decisions, and the contrast between having a mentor and going through things on my own was striking – with just a little effort on their part, they changed my life dramatically. When I finally achieved my career goal of being hired by a local fire department, I asked my mentors what I could do to thank them for their help, and they both had the same response:
“There is nothing you can do for me, but what you can do is help those that are coming up behind you”.
This website is dedicated to that idea – and every component of this project can be traced back to that concept as it’s foundation. It is my sincere hope that this site can offer the information that will help shape your career in a positive manner. I also hope that as you immerse yourself in this information, and the career of your choice, that you can also be inspired by that same sentiment.
This site has become a passion of mine, and I am driven by the idea that through the sharing of information that it can be a resource for everyone. Please contact me if your questions are not answered with the information found here at this site, and together we’ll work towards an answer that will help you achieve your goals.
Josh Sanders
Firefighter/Paramedic since 2004
josh@firefightermedic.com
