Hey,
Newb here on the threads. New basic, I want to get out of Ohio and get out there on my own. Any advice on how to get jobs out of the state you live in? I understand the carolinas and Arizona are building a lot of fire stations and hiring for the next year. I just want to know how to secure a job outside of the state you live in and how to increase your chances of being hired.
Thanks!
BL
Where did you hear this?
As far as fire departments in Arizona, I can only speak to the Phoenix area and can tell you there isn't much hiring going on at all. Economy is still bad there and while departments were growing and looking to hire a lot about 3-4 years ago, that hasn't been the case for a while. Phoenix Fire is currently looking to hire 40 but that process is already going on. I think Gilbert (a surrounding city/suburb) is looking to hire two but really as far as fire goes it's still pretty tight. Departments are testing a little bit here and there but not actually hiring much.
As far as EMS goes, the two main companies there are PMT and Southwest Ambulance. Again, this is in the Phoenix area, though Southwest is all over the state. In Phoenix, these two companies are constantly hiring so you'd have a pretty good shot at getting on with one of the two. There's a lot of turnover and they are big companies as they both share the entire Phoenix metro area, so they're pretty much constantly hiring, especially if you're a medic but it's basically the same for basics.
I'm not as familiar with the rest of the state so it's worth doing the research to see what's what, but as far as the Phoenix area is concerned that's kinda where you're at. As stated, obtain said state's certification beforehand if possible. I did my training in Arizona so I'm not sure what their reciprocity is like but you can find all that info on their department of health website. Obtaining an EMS or fire job out of state prior to moving is tough just because you actually have to go there to at least interview, so you're talking about having to fly back and forth at least once. It'd be worth calling places first to explain your situation and see what they say, but they almost certainly want a face to face interview.
At any rate, best of luck and if you have any other questions let me know. As I said, you're almost certain to get hired by either Phoenix EMS agency; PMT or Southwest. Not a bad place to start your search.
