Are there any Permo Fireies on here?

[Grover-98]

I am currently a student at Newcastle uni studying Construction Management with the intention of becoming a QS or PM but over the time of doing the course i have realised the only reason i am doing it is for the prospect of earning good money. I know the point of working is to earn money but i have little interest in what i am doing and i feel that is important as well...

Which leads me to my question, i am currently a retained firefighter for NSW and enjoy what i do. So i am beginning to question applying for the permanent brigade. Although i would earn less then what i would if i followed my course at uni i know i will have a better lifestyle which i feel is more important :)

So if any of you guys are in the Brigade or have a family member or friend in the Brigade what are your/their thoughts on it positives and negatives. Is it a family friendly career, what is the work like?

Kind Regards James.

[THE BOOGER]

there are a couple of fireies on here but i think they are private contractors(mines etc) not metro. put your rfs uniform on and go to your local metro station they can tell you:twisted: maybe leave the rfs uniform at home :D
not many retained fireies around how did you score that

[V8Ian]

Numpty's a firey, sort of. ;):p

[Grover-98]

there are a couple of fireies on here but i think they are private contractors(mines etc) not metro. put your rfs uniform on and go to your local metro station they can tell you:twisted: maybe leave the rfs uniform at home :D
not many retained fireies around how did you score that

I am not a member of the RFS i am a Retained NSW Brigade Member :) i was just lucky that i showed interest at the exact time my local station needed another Retainer :) I have spoken briefly with few permanent staff they all seem to enjoy what they do but i am just putting my feelers out to get a greater concept of what life would be like as a permo :)

James.

[THE BOOGER]

sorry didnt know metro had retained as well but they are the guys that will know. Family friendly dont know about that depends on your family:D

[Bushie]

sorry didnt know metro had retained as well but they are the guys that will know. Family friendly dont know about that depends on your family:D

NSWFB are the only ones in NSW that have 'retained'.

I would suggest you finish your course and get what ever qualification it gives you. If you then join the NSWFB you will be able to get secondary employment on your days off (seems to be very popular with most firies). As you would know though it's a very competitive entry process, how much advantage do you get from being 'retained'.

Most of the guys I know who are firies are pretty (very) happy in the job although I don't believe it has quite the attraction it used to have.



Martyn

[Grover-98]

NSWFB are the only ones in NSW that have 'retained'.

I would suggest you finish your course and get what ever qualification it gives you. If you then join the NSWFB you will be able to get secondary employment on your days off (seems to be very popular with most firies). As you would know though it's a very competitive entry process, how much advantage do you get from being 'retained'.

Most of the guys I know who are firies are pretty (very) happy in the job although I don't believe it has quite the attraction it used to have.



Martyn


I intend on completely my course for various reasons one being that the brigade is difficult to get into so it will give me something to fall back onto. As for the advantage of being a retained member already i have been told it does give some as the drop out rate of retainers is lower as we already know what the job entails and also they do not have to spend as much money on us.

But regardless of this i feel these points would be a minor help in getting in.


James.

[Datt]

Hi,

Don't know if this helps you but I'm a permanent in Qld. As said before and as you intend on doing, I would suggest you finish whatever qualifications you're planning on doing , then apply. This not only gives you a career to fall back on if you don't get through the generally competitive process, but it also gives you potentially extra income to draw on on your days off.

To answer one of your other questions you had, it depends on your lifestyle whether you find it a good family orientated work environment. You are an emergency service worker which can expose you to different situations and different people can react in different ways to this (but if you are a retained FF - which I assume is like our auxilaries - then you would have already been exposed). Also the shift work leaves your partner and kids if you have them at home at night twice a week. Having said that I thoroughly enjoy my job over anything else I have done.

Hope that helps and if I can be of any more assistance let me know.

Matt.

[THE BOOGER]

Sorry Bushie was talking to RFS member who was talking about being retained we must have got our wires crossed about who he was going to be retained by:o

[Grover-98]

Hi,

Don't know if this helps you but I'm a permanent in Qld. As said before and as you intend on doing, I would suggest you finish whatever qualifications you're planning on doing , then apply. This not only gives you a career to fall back on if you don't get through the generally competitive process, but it also gives you potentially extra income to draw on on your days off.

To answer one of your other questions you had, it depends on your lifestyle whether you find it a good family orientated work environment. You are an emergency service worker which can expose you to different situations and different people can react in different ways to this (but if you are a retained FF - which I assume is like our auxilaries - then you would have already been exposed). Also the shift work leaves your partner and kids if you have them at home at night twice a week. Having said that I thoroughly enjoy my job over anything else I have done.

Hope that helps and if I can be of any more assistance let me know.

Matt.

There has been a lot of talk of working another job as well as being a Permanent fireman. Is the reason for this due to low incomes? or is it due to the abundant amount of free time under the 10/14 roster?

[Datt]

For some people when they first join up it is because of the lower income than they are used to, but it does increase quickly in time and is because of the time off that the 10/14 roster allows. These are just my personal observations by the way.

Matt.

[Teks]

there are a couple of fireies on here but i think they are private contractors(mines etc) not metro. put your rfs uniform on and go to your local metro station they can tell you:twisted: maybe leave the rfs uniform at home :D
not many retained fireies around how did you score that

It may be worthwhile joining up at cfastream which is mainly made up of firies across Oz, both vols and mets.

Look up cfastream Home - News (http://www.cfastream.info/news.php)

The guys there would surely have an answer for you.

Good luck!

[numpty]

As V8Ian said, I am a firie of sorts;) Aviation Fire Service and have been for over 22 years. I would never go back to a "normal" job, now being too old, for one, but the flexibility this job allows, is one of it's main attractions. Many firies have second jobs, if this is your desire, though it was never one of mine.

Our service is at the 21 busiest airports in the country and various rosters are worked at these, dependent on aircraft movements. 10/14 rosters exist at about 7 airports (majors like the capital cities) and sympathetic 10/14 rosters at others. Coolangatta for example works 2 long days and 4 off. I, at Hamilton Island, as well as Karratha and Uluru, work a 2 week on/ 2 week off cycle, which until recently, I considered a worthwhile lifestyle option. I have no particular desire to change from this roster though in the forseeable furure.

All information regarding our service can be found on the Air Services Australia website.

Hope this helps.

Perry