So This Class I’ve Mentioned…

Class. Well, I can’t actually remember if I have mentioned this or not in a previous post, but I am in the process at the department to become and Acting Lieutenant. It’s a position that replaces the assigned Lieutenants when they are not at work, but will also allow me to trade with other LT’s on other shifts for days off. More to the point, it is the applicant pool for any future promotional opportunities to LT (ie: you have to be an Acting LT before you can promote to LT), but don’t worry, I don’t think that I am interested in a promotion for a few more years. 

Some might remember that I was an Acting LT in a past life with the department, and at the time I dropped the position due to mixed emotions on how the department was treating the people willing to serve in that spot (still, there is no acting pay…which is just one of the issues). But over the course of the last several years, I have decided that this is something that I am interested in pursuing again. Unfortunately, the department decided that it had been long enough since I last was an actor, so I get to go through the process (which didn’t exists before) with the other guys that are also stepping up. 

The process has been long – including a very comprehensive exam, a psych test, and an interview with the Chief. Upon successful completion of all of that, we were admitted to the course, which is essentially a college course on Fire Officer 1 (and we will get credit at the college if we desire). The course runs for almost two months on shift, with each class lasting from 9 in the morning until approximately 4 in the afternoon. Each day we cover two chapters, thus we have two quizzes every day and 2 tests every day where we have to maintain an average of 80% to stay in the class. Needless to say, it’s stressful and tiring, and it is taking a lot of time reading and studying. 

Once the class is done, we will get assigned a mentor LT, and have to complete a task book that takes roughly 3-4 months to finish….we have to do all sorts of stuff on the fireground and administratively and document all of it. The end of the process should be sometime during the first quarter of next year, but the end game is an opportunity to learn the position while not yet being promoted…..therefore becoming more prepared for when we are able to test and promote. 

For now, the result here is a little more space between posts…but they are fun for me to write, so I promise to try to get them up more frequently that this past week has been.