By any chance do they have any Fire Dpt in the Marine Corps? I am a Volunteer Fire Fighter and I do want to be a full time paid Fire Fighter some day. Is there any MOS in the Corps that can advance my knoledge of Fire Fighting?

Thanks Marines,
-Foley

There's no firefighting MOS as you may think of it, as all USMC installations are serviced by either local or federally employed firefighters.

But the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting MOS (7051) will give you a specialized knowledge that the average civilian firefighter may not possess.

Stretch is our duty expert for this MOS. Give him a shout, or try the Air Wing boards.

quote:

Originally posted by SCMerle:
Stretch is our duty expert for this MOS. Give him a shout, or try the Air Wing boards.

I rememeber seeing him but havent in a while. Is he MIA?

-Foley

I would like to know more about the 7051 MOS as well. Is this a hard job to secure in the Marine Corps? I hear that for some jobs that they fill up quick for the fiscal year or something like that. I don't really understand how it works down at MEPS but I'm just wondering if it is hard to get that specific job (7051 - Aircraft Firefighting and Rescue).

My recruiter told me my field "was hard to get into", and tried to get me to go Motor T, or food services (back in '87) I told him it was 5800 or I wasn't interested.(ok, I was young and stupid) Miraculously, an opening "just came open" later the same day.....

I suggest you pick three you really want and stick to your guns, they will make it happen for one of them. But, on the other hand....do you want to be a Marine or not? (hence my stupidity back then)

I do want to be a Marine and I already have several MOS's picked out that I think I would like. However, 7051 is my top choice, and the only one that would be hard to get, so do you think if I tell them I want Infantry, MP or 7051 that they would even try to get me 7051? or would they just put me into one of them that they know will be easiest to get me? Do you think it would be a better approach to say im not interested unless I can get 7051 in that respect?

Just some food for thought...

I cant speak of the fire service where you are but here, we dual certify as firefighter/paramedic.


I served in the USMC with an MOS (2531/field radio operator) that had ZERO relevance to the career I got into after getting out.

My point I guess is this...I love the Marine Corps and I love being a Marine, BUT if I knew when I was 17 and enlisting that Fire/EMS was going to be my career I would have thought long and hard about something like being a FMF Corpsman in the Navy. I could have served in the same units, with the same Marines and done all the same stuff but I would have gotten some field military medicine expirience.

I am actually thinking about going back into the Navy Reserves as Corpsman.


Like I said, just some food for thought. So much of the fire service is EMS, I would guess that 70-80% of our calls are EMS calls.

S/F
Matt

quote:

Originally posted by EMT2531:
Just some food for thought...

I cant speak of the fire service where you are but here, we dual certify as firefighter/paramedic.


I served in the USMC with an MOS (2531/field radio operator) that had ZERO relevance to the career I got into after getting out.

My point I guess is this...I love the Marine Corps and I love being a Marine, BUT if I knew when I was 17 and enlisting that Fire/EMS was going to be my career I would have thought long and hard about something like being a FMF Corpsman in the Navy. I could have served in the same units, with the same Marines and done all the same stuff but I would have gotten some field military medicine expirience.

I am actually thinking about going back into the Navy Reserves as Corpsman.


Like I said, just some food for thought. So much of the fire service is EMS, I would guess that 70-80% of our calls are EMS calls.

S/F
Matt

If I had to do it all over...I would have stayed in as long as they'd have me, and I would have lat-moved out of the 5800 field..and I considered it.. but I wanted to become a Police Officer, so I got out. Being an MP allowed me to get a waiver and join the Sheriff's dept at 22, the year I got out of the Corps. They will hire at 21 around here, but "prefer" 25 in my county, at least back in '92. When I moved over to the Fire Dept, they required me to cert as an EMT-B and FF I/II. Some around here are dropping the EMT-P requirement due to hiring & retention problems, but some still require EMT-P.. But I agree w/ EMT2531, Corpsman would give you the best background if you want to be in a Firefighting career. And I hear good Corpsmen are highly respected in the FMF.

quote:

Originally posted by EMT2531:
Just some food for thought...

I cant speak of the fire service where you are but here, we dual certify as firefighter/paramedic.


I served in the USMC with an MOS (2531/field radio operator) that had ZERO relevance to the career I got into after getting out.

My point I guess is this...I love the Marine Corps and I love being a Marine, BUT if I knew when I was 17 and enlisting that Fire/EMS was going to be my career I would have thought long and hard about something like being a FMF Corpsman in the Navy. I could have served in the same units, with the same Marines and done all the same stuff but I would have gotten some field military medicine expirience.

I am actually thinking about going back into the Navy Reserves as Corpsman.


Like I said, just some food for thought. So much of the fire service is EMS, I would guess that 70-80% of our calls are EMS calls.

S/F
Matt

So basically your saying why not join the navy and get a MOS that will help you with your Fire Fighting career?

Thanks,
-Foley

I'm just offering up something to think about. Again I don't know what the fire service is like in your area or where you might end up.

For example where I grew up (Boston) firefighters there are exactly that, firefighters. Boston EMS is a seperate entity. FDNY is like that too. Being a medic in the military would not apply to those situations. Where I am, as a FF/Medic it certainly would. Thats all I'm saying.


If you want to do fire in the Marines then knock yourself out. Like I said anyways I had an MOS that has nothing to do with Fire/EMS and I'm just fine...


S/F
Matt

When I was 18 and joined, I wanted to use the Corps as a spring board for a career afterwards. Now that I'm out, and I did just that, I wish I was wise enough back then to see that the Marines is so much more than that. That was a selfish and young mindset I had. It was me, me, me.
What do you want more? to be a Marine, or be something because of the Marines? I liked being a Cop. I like being a career FF now. I LOVED being in the Marines. There's the difference that being out has taught me.

quote:

Originally posted by BMGILLEY:
When I was 18 and joined, I wanted to use the Corps as a spring board for a career afterwards. Now that I'm out, and I did just that, I wish I was wise enough back then to see that the Marines is so much more than that. That was a selfish and young mindset I had. It was me, me, me.
What do you want more? to be a Marine, or be something because of the Marines? I liked being a Cop. I like being a career FF now. I LOVED being in the Marines. There's the difference that being out has taught me.

Well I love being in the Fire Department. It's a great enviorment to be in. Becoming a Marine has always been a goal for me. What I was thinking is, if I dont like the Marines after my contract is up I'll go back to the Fire Department and try to get paid. But If I like the Marines I want to stay in as long as I can.

Thanks for the response Marine,

-Foley

quote:

Originally posted by Foley6543:

quote:

Originally posted by BMGILLEY:
When I was 18 and joined, I wanted to use the Corps as a spring board for a career afterwards. Now that I'm out, and I did just that, I wish I was wise enough back then to see that the Marines is so much more than that. That was a selfish and young mindset I had. It was me, me, me.
What do you want more? to be a Marine, or be something because of the Marines? I liked being a Cop. I like being a career FF now. I LOVED being in the Marines. There's the difference that being out has taught me.

Well I love being in the Fire Department. It's a great enviorment to be in. Becoming a Marine has always been a goal for me. What I was thinking is, if I dont like the Marines after my contract is up I'll go back to the Fire Department and try to get paid. But If I like the Marines I want to stay in as long as I can.

Thanks for the response Marine,

-Foley

Hey, nothing wrong with that...always good to have long term goals. Good luck. here's a tip; write down the names of the Marines you serve with, and take ALOT of pictures. You'll be glad you did later on.

You're welcome.

Stretch is a professional firefighter in Athens GA. He was in Crashcrew in the Corps He now can usually be found on the Squadbay forums. I'll leave him a note to check this board.

I received an email from Stretch. It will be a couple of days, but Stretch will get back to you when he has a computer available.

Sorry for the delay.

Here's a canned response about Crash Crew I wrote recently. If this doesn't answer your questions, don't hesitate to ask.

--------------

We have had many names over the years: Crash Crew, Crash Fire and
Rescue, and Aircraft Fire Fighting and Rescue. Several years ago, the
name was changed to reflect the priority of Rescue over Firefighting:
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting. I call it Crash Crew, because I'm a
dinosaur. (But I'm a meat-eating dinosaur.)

Your Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) career starts once you
graduate Boot Camp and MCT, and attend the USMC ARFF school. It is
located at the Garland Fire Academy at Goodfellow Air Force base in
San Angelo, Texas. www.goodfellow.af.mil The school lasts 16 weeks (or
so) and once completed, graduates have National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) Certifications in Firefighter 1 and 2, Airport
Firefighter, Hazardous Materials Responder (Operations Level), and
(Emergency Medical Service) First Responder. The graduate with the
highest academic average may receive a meritorious promotion up to
LCpl.

Once you've arrived at your permanent duty station, it is possible to
attend the classes and obtain EMT certification, but that is at the
discretion of your Officer and Non-Commissioned Officers-In-Charge.
Very few Crash Crew Marines are actually sent to EMT school, so the
slots are very competitive.

Active Duty Marines may be sent to California, Arizona, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii, Virginia, Japan, Okinawa, or other
overseas bases as international conditions dictate.

Many of these Marine Corps Air Stations sponsor Reserve ARFF units,
and there are some USMC Reserve ARFF units at other bases across the
nation, but I don't know where they all are.

Your training will continue at your duty station, as you become
familiar with the crash trucks, aircraft and airfield. Warplanes can
be terribly dangerous. They can be loaded with thousands of gallons of
jet fuel, thousands of rounds of ammunition, bombs, rockets, chaff,
and flares. A moment's inattention to business can kill you and your
crew.

ARFF crews (four Marines to a truck) are sent out to the airfield for
two-hour shifts, waiting for some poor schmuck to auger his plane into
the ground. The alert crew, called 'Hotspot', will save a couple of
minutes off the response time, as they're already in the truck and
next to the runway. Airfields generally open at 0600, and close at
2100. That makes for a long day. While the other Marines on base work
a regular 8-hour shift, you'll still be working.

Hotspot crews rotate, as a rule, every two hours. Inboard crews spend
their time in classes, maintaining equipment and the grounds, and
other chores. Sometimes the work is merely 'busy work', chores
assigned to keep everyone busy, instead of simply sitting around.
Beware.

You'll be allowed to go to the base chow hall in shifts, so you'll
still get three squares a day.

Whatever you're doing, you drop it when the Crash Crew receives an
emergency call. A radio call and a siren or air horn alerts the crews,
who then rush to their trucks, dress in their turnout gear, and drive
out to the edge of the runway to meet the Emergency Aircraft.

If the Emergency was declared after the aircraft landed, the control
tower usually gives Crash Crew clearance onto the runway, and we
render whatever assistance is required.

Usually, the Emergency is a mechanical failure in the aircraft, and
the pilot(s) are able to get the aircraft back to the airfield and
land without incident.

Sometimes, however, the aircraft crashes and good men violently die.
Mentally prepare yourself for this possibility.

Crash Crews can run their work schedules pretty much any way they
please, but most work a 24 hour on, 24 hour off work rotation, using
two shifts, or sections. I did work at one Crash Crew that had a Day
section, Night Section rotation, but that was during the first Iraq
war, and is unusual.

I had many friends who made a career of USMC Crash Crew, one even
becoming a Chief Warrant Officer, in charge of his own Crash Crew at
Cherry Point, NC. Others of us did one enlistment, and went on our
merry way. I know several (including myself) who have used their
experience in Crash Crew and the Marine Corps to get good jobs as
civilian Firefighters.

Like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. Moping
around with your hands in your pockets because you don't like your
NCOs, your job, or duty station is a quick way to let yourself slide
into a pissy attitude.

Stay positive and remember that what we do is REAL. While the Infantry
guys are the backbone of the Corps, they do what they're trained for
only in times of war. Crash Crew is on the job in peacetime AND in
war, putting our butts on the line to save the lives of our fellow
Marines.



Online articles about USMC Crash Crews in Iraq:

http://dogtrack.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=general...ay&thread=1117837418

http://dogtrack.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=general...ay&thread=1113529136

great info, Stretch, thanks! Is it EMT-B,A,I or P they train to?

quote:

USMC ARFF school

Hey Stretch,

Would the 16 weeks that you have to go to this school be cut short if you have already taken fire 1 & 2? I also plan on taking the EMT class next summer. I would take it now but it's a month course and it's 8 hours every day. With school and work, it wouldnt work out.

but this crash crew, is it hard to get in to?

Thanks Stretch,

-Foley

quote:

Originally posted by BMGILLEY:
great info, Stretch, thanks! Is it EMT-B,A,I or P they train to?

First Responder level. It's a fairly detailed First Aid class, but it's nowhere near an EMT certification.