Become a Firefighter

By Dave Merino

Go beyond the minimums! While many books claim to prepare you for firefighter testing, Fire Captain Dave Merino's unique approach trains you to break away from the pack as an unforgettable applicant and standout firefighter – an INTELLIGENT HERO. In plain (sometimes blunt) language, Captain Dave lays out your entire path, step by step.

What do firefighter test evaluators REALLY want to know about you? Drawing upon decades of experience in every aspect of fire service hiring, discipline, and promotions, Captain Dave reveals the surprising answers, and how to use this knowledge to rise to the top of The List. He shows you how improving your chances of landing your dream firefighter job goes hand in hand with improving yourself, making the entire training process a "two-for-one special."

Discover the multitude of tripwires hidden in test and interview questions. Then learn how to not just avoid them, but actually turn them to your advantage. You'll also learn how a simple commitment to honesty transforms a seemingly bland application form into your ticket to an interview invitation, and even enables you to overcome biases like the "lying lie detector."

Worried about those grueling firefighter physical tests? Captain Dave has you covered there, too, with his unique H.I.R.E. workout plan developed specifically for aspiring Heroes. By integrating mental, emotional, and physical training, his comprehensive guidebook gets you ready to think adeptly on your feet, even when you think you're too spent to stand.

Most importantly, Captain Dave recognizes that the best preparation in the world won't help if you end up working for a fire agency that clashes with your principles and life goals. Therefore, in addition to explaining how departments will scrutinize you, he teaches you how to properly scrutinize THEM. Through a combination of deep research and step-by-step mental exercises, you will find your "Goldilocks" agency – the fire department that's just right for YOU, supporting your ongoing growth and happiness.

For example, do you know what risks you'll face during your "probationary period"? Do you know whether your chosen fire department can sustain your position long term, and fund your pension? Believe it or not, every answer you need is right there in the public record, if you know where to look!

Almost nothing is as it seems in the world of firefighter testing, but as Captain Dave explains, the key to soaring above the crowd lies not in outsmarting the tests, but in truly knowing yourself. The right choices and the right first steps will set you on a path to a fulfilling career of saving lives, inspiring children, and putting smiles on the faces of everyone in your community.

Ready to start your journey to becoming an Intelligent Hero? Out of your best self will come your best answer to every question they might ask. Let Captain Dave show you how.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098309886

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Fire Captain Dave Merino

www.theheroschool.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed Attention: Permissions at [e-mail].

BookBaby

7905 North Crescent Boulevard

Pennsauken, NJ 08110

www.BookBaby.com

Print ISBN: 978-1-09830-987-9

eBook ISBN: 978-1-09830-988-6

Printed in the United States of America on SFI Certified paper.

First Edition

PAGE INDEX

Introduction

Conditional Job Offer

Rules

Chapter 1

7 Fire Service Steps

Prepare

The Goldilocks Department

Narrowing Your Search

Experiment Now!

Irons in the Fire

Chapter 2

Job Postings and the Application

The Test

The Scorer

Nine Impossible Questions

Apply

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

LITERACY

Bonus

Character

Introvert or extrovert? Why?

What Do You Do for Recreation?

Three high-scoring approaches

Receiving conflicting orders

Witnessed unethical behavior?

Expediency vs. accuracy, why?

TRIPWIRE

TIMING

SECRET

Chapter 3

Test Day(s)

THAT VOICE

PHYSICAL

Chapter 4

Follow-Up

Knowing the Audience

Points

The Talk

Contemplating Your Medium

First Know

A B C = ADD | BUILD | CORRECT

Chapter 5

Chief Interview

How to Tap Into the Brain’s Biases

At Your Level

If you only practiced and studied

Growth Mentality Prevails

WHERE INTELLIGENCE IS EXEMPLIFIED

The Awkward Pause

Chapter 6

Background/Polygraph

*FLASH LESSON*

The Succession Plan

Background Check Questionnaire

Harris’ Truth

The Lying Lie Detector

Chapter 7

Conditional Job Offer

Contingencies & Signs

Bias for the Employer

Engine 182

INTRODUCTION

This manual is intended for dedicated students of the firefighting profession. The author presents lessons in colloquialisms common within the California Fire Service. Contents may seem vulgar to general audiences; discretion is advised. The author makes no apologies for any offense taken, as he deems it appropriate to immerse the student in all facets of an emergency responder’s life.

I want to make you more knowledgeable about Firefighting. These lessons will help you obtain the knowledge you need to be successful. You will find the content to be friendly reading that’s easy to follow. 

Thoughts manifest as you allow the words freedom to move in your mind—the core idea begins to take shape. We are incubating your ideal working environment as the content evolves, enabling you to acquire a clearer picture of where you would be happiest.

To help you reach your goal, we go beyond standard training, adding one more component to accentuate (or season to taste) your desire to be a firefighter in California. We want you to be able to blow the competition out of the water!

There are seven steps you MUST know if you are considering a job in the fire service. Most candidates stop short of the full process. 

They go off and study an abundance of test questions, then apply to any agency that’s hiring. For them, success is arbitrary, and so is their future. They just drive blind and hope for accomplishments. 

Unfortunately, it’s only after they get a conditional job offer, and possibly leave behind a more robust income source, that the scary life lessons begin. So before anything else, you should ask yourself this important question: "Do I want to be a firefighter, and do I want to do it at the workplace of my dreams?" IF these are your goals, then say it out loud so the Fire Gods can hear you own it. 

Getting you a job as a firefighter is easy. I want to make you a NINJA HERO, or we’ll just say, Intelligent Hero. If I’m really lazy I’ll just say Hero, but please know that I want your success. Everyone needs success, and I can get you there, but only if you reciprocate with sweat equity and dedication. 

Luckily, I can quickly weed out those who aren’t meant to be firefighters. These candidates are easy to spot due to their lack of effort.

For instance, if you’re unmotivated, you will not read all of my words. At times, the content will feel like it is dragging on or getting repetitive. I do this because we need to develop your reading comprehension and attention to detail.

Also, patience will be a precious commodity, with mystical properties. If you can make it through both my short and long passages without breaks in your attention, you will be doing the mental exercises you need to withstand any situation. When stress is at its highest during an incident, you will need to keep calm. The key to calm is patience. 

If you skip over passages, you will not be successful at this sport. It will mean that you skip other things, too, because you have know-it-all syndrome. I call it the 20/30 delusion—being 20 years old, but thinking you have 30 years of experience. This makes you a ticking time bomb for the poor individuals under your command. 

However, if you are not initially successful at this sport, there is still hope! Here is a suggestion: Learn to say, I don’t know. Say it more than any other phrase you have