life changing decision

[cokey]

So, life changing decision time...  who better to ask then the wisdom that is the DMF..  first off, were im at now in my life isnt bad.. im a time warner tech, with ot i make over 55-60k.. soon engh ill be at top pay and will be over 100k...  in about 2-3 years once my step son finishes highschool the wife and i want to move out of ny..  Austin Texas is the plan ( Ph AZ is 2nd) .  Now, while i can get a job easier in Tx with time warner, i have always wanted to be in the military.

 I was Dq'd from the medical part when i tried the marines in 03 because i have a scar which goes from front left chest to my back from heart surgery when i was one..  couldnt hide it..  my score on the asvab was 98, and at the time i was a personal trainer.. nothing was wrong with me but they didnt care.. so i went to the army..  they got me a doctor to test and make sure butmy recruiter then went off for more training right before i was to go..  no one took over over my paper work and after a long time waiting i gave up.. was talking to the wife about trying again. She supports me but at the age of almost 32 with a 19 month old and another due in march its a tough decision.  Thoughs?


2ndly,  i wanted to be a firefighter as well..  passed the fdny test with a 98 also..  then with cut backs they canceled my class..  next time around to get in i was all ready 30, ny cutoff age for fdny enrollment..   if anyone in Austin or close by has any pull in the fd out there and can help get me in before their cut off of 35, i would try theroute too..  i would move there before the wife and kids and when the time permits the family will join me..    -sigh- either way im getting out of ny..

[Monsterlover]

Tough call.

My gut reaction is to advise you to let the military thing go and make an effort to get into the FD.  If you didn't have kiddo's I'd be saying something different.

They need their dad.

[LMT]

I would say go take CPR for the professional rescuer, then go to EMT school. Being a FF is great, but 80% of the calls are medical and almost every paid and volunteer dept require you to be an EMT-B. Some require EMT-P.

After you pass EMT school, find a FD to volunteer with. You will get training, and see if it all you have dreamed of.  There are lots of ways to change your life with out moving away. There is no one person that could make a FD change their hiring policy for you. The testing process for each dept you are interested in should be clearly outline on their web site. I know that here in Seattle it takes about 2 years from applying to academy for our FD.

[cokey]

Oh i know changing the policies isnt doable but after test taking and all that some pull can get you called faster.. i had it here in ny but it was too late..

Yea the kids situation is why im discussing it and leaning away from military.  Leaving ny though is a definite.  We both want to leave..

[Drjones]

+1 to LMT's approach.

Keep your day job and do VFD for a while to see how things fit with you and your family.

[The Architect]

Leaving ny though is a definite.  We both want to leave..

Best thing we did!  

[muskrat]

Austin is suffering some major cut backs and there was a freeze, last I checked with friends, on FD hiring.  You might want to look at surrounding cities like Georgetown or treck up the Dallas where the economy is still in good shape.  Hell my town is 74 square miles and I'm 30 minutes North of downtown Dallas.  Austin is great but there's more industry in the DFW area.  If you decide to treck North then let me know.  I know the Dallas Police & Fire Pension people personally and can ask around.  And don't worry, there are plenty of surprising roads in the North corridor. Good luck.

[IZ]

I live in PHX. Lived in Austin prior. Military 20 years ago  I'll post up after work.

[Stella]

IZ, where didn't you live?!   

[Nomad]

Whatever you think joining the military will be like, it wont be like that.  Especially at 32 and as an intelligent person.  PASS.  You have a family and a good job, a military lifestyle is the best way to tear a family apart, I know from experience.
The FD thing sounds like a much better idea if you feel you need to do one or the the other.

[stopintime]

You can make 100K from fixing He Man's line 

I'd suggest taking a harder and closer look at why the millitary and FD still attract you.
My uninformed guess is that it should be possible to get that attraction satisfied, or worked through, without actually enlisting.

I don't think your attraction is based on logic, but if it was - what's the growing market? Where will you most likely find secure/well paid work?

[Raux]

Your other option is to look at department if defense civilian jobs ar usajobs.gov
lots of places and if you go overeas theyllpay for the move. you'll make at least what you're making now and get the adventure


unless you go officer which i think you're too old. you'll never nake enough to feel roght about the move.  and fd is dangerous.  hello. kids. 

[ZLTFUL]

I would NEVER give up my military experience. I found the life to be an adventure and enjoyed it in its own right. Hell, I missed basic for months afterwards simply due to the fact that I literally didn't have to think for myself...at all. 

But I would never go back with a family. I could blame the Army for destroying my first marriage, but fact is, it was my ex wife. It just didn't help that I was gone for the first 2 years we were married and she had no desire to live in Edgewood, MD.

I agree with Raux...DoD or do the EMT/FF thing.

[Triple J]

Personally, I'd stay with your curren job and just move if that's what you want to do and can get a good job in the same field.

Military would be tough on the family, like everyone else has said.

Fire Dept. would be great, but it is extremely competitive to get a position. Good luck at 32 with no previous experience. It'll take a decent amount of school just to get your EMT certificate...and that'll do nothing except put you on equal footing with all the other people trying to be a firefighter. Then, if you do get hired, you'll likely make less than you'd be making in your current job. A firefighter is a great job (my dad is a retired FF), but from what I've seen you'll be very lucky to get a position.

[cokey]

Yea the kids are keeping me away from it.. i like to help peole but i cant be behind a desk..  i an very so the adventurous type, hell the docs said i couldnt be hit in the stomach hardor i would die when i was young.. i put that to the test..  problem with my field is in tx, time warner doesnt have a union so pay isnt as high..  here once you get all your books together top pay is 32+ n hour... with 20 hrs of OT easily had every week its good..   fd has always been a dream, deff harder at my age..  but it seems as more of a secure job (is it?) out there.    Guess i should hang up the want of being a sp sniper, seems like the more reasonable thing to do...  i dont want my kids growing up without a dad.. even as aperson who has no faith, i still believe when its your time its hour time..