She had the chops to be a firefighter and paramedic. Here’s how she realized it
A chance encounter at a local bar with some firefighters inspired Corey Condren to quit pursuing a graduate degree in photojournalism and instead take a leap of faith onto a lucrative career path that she couldn’t see herself doing back when she was exploring jobs as a teenager.
She recalled taking aptitude tests that predicted she could be successful in the medical field, but she had this idea in her head that those students have be “massive geniuses” to pursue a medical career. The firefighters suggested she do a ride-along with a crew. That exposure dispelled a number of misconceptions.
“At the time, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t be a doctor or nurse. That’s so much pressure with people’s lives in my hand. But it was really interesting to see, how as emergency medical technicians and paramedics, these firefighters were able to work within their scope of practice, to attempt to stabilize people in the pre-hospital setting. From the very first call, I was hooked,” she said.
Before anyone can attain an apprenticeship as a firefighter, Condren said, they must have at least a GED and an EMT certificate. The EMT training takes only about three months, she said, and many community colleges offer programs at a cost of $200 or $300.
That was her first step that would eventually lead her to study for a year to attain her paramedic certification. She was able to give medications, intubate patients and stabilize those in the most critical of conditions. She loved the immediacy of the job, the rush of responding to 911 calls and the fulfillment of helping people in their most vulnerable moments.
Now a captain with that San Jose Fire Department, Condren will join other firefighters Saturday in Sacramento to offer those interested in becoming firefighters a glimpse into their profession, a chance to test their stamina on an agility course and an opportunity to check out equipment. The firefighter career expo will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center, 2560 River Plaza Drive.
Condren worked on ambulance crews for several years before she began to consider what would provide her with the long-term earnings potential she would need to achieve a comfortable retirement. Firefighters, she said, earned well over $100,000 and had numerous ways to increase their take-home pay.
Firefighting isn’t just for men anymore
Condren trained to become a firefighter paramedic and was accepted into an apprenticeship with the San Jose Fire Department. It was a profession that she’d associated with men as a teenager, but she’d been welcomed by crews during her ride-along more than 15 years ago at a local firehouse in San Jose. She also learned then that her regular workouts had given her the athletic ability she needed to handle the equipment.
In a career expo session called ”Roadmap to Becoming a Firefighter,” Condren and others will talk about EMT and paramedic school. If trainees come into fire service as paramedics, she said, they will find more employers interested in hiring them and they will bearn a bit more.
If medicine really isn’t something that interests potential applicants, Condren suggested they simply go to EMT school.. While it might seem daunting to go to school for a year longer to become a paramedic, she said, the demand for paramedics is usually greater.
Before becoming a captain, Condren, 41, was a paramedic for 10 years.
It can cost $10,000 or $15,000 to go to paramedic school, Condren said, but a labor-management partnership group called California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee operates a free EMT and paramedic school. Spots are limited, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for candidates with at least six months of EMT experience.
Firefighters can take on a number of different roles
There’s also a session called “A Day in the Life” where firefighters will talk about what the fire service is like for those who get hired and the different jobs that firefighters can hold.
“One thing that also really drew me to the fire service, as opposed to just being a paramedic on an ambulance for the rest of my career, is that the fire service has so many spots for promotion like fire inspector, arson investigator, captain, chief,” Condren said. “You could be a community liaison. You can be a public information officer. There’s just so many roles within a fire department.”
Roughly 30 different fire departments will set up booths at the Career Expo, Condren said, so aspiring firefighters can speak with them about opportunities and see what benefits the various departments offer. Attendees can also ask about how they can sign up for a ride-along experience with the various agencies, said.
“Members of the public just have to fill out a liability form,” she said. They can ride along to see if this is a type of profession that they could be interested in.”
The career fair exposes attendees to what’s possible in the world of firefighting, Condren said, but it was the ride-along experience that really made this profession relatable for her.
