When Fire Gets You Hired

Once upon a cold December morn, our local fire department had a parade which passed by our street. On their fire truck was a costumed Santa, waving at the kids who happened to lay eyes on him. I’m not a kid, but I was one of those who happened to be at our front lawn when they passed by, sirens wailing and all.

One of the firefighters, thinking I was a kid because of my short stature, went down from the truck, crossed our grassy lawn, and handed me two candy canes. At that moment, I became a kid—the schoolgirl type, with a silly schoolgirl crush on the young firefighter bearing peppermint sweets.

I’ve long admired firefighters even way before that. The tragic story of 9/11 made me regard the FDNY with solemn respect.

I was ignorant about firefighters in general until I found out that one can earn Fire Service Degrees online. Education has graduated into cyberspace that you can study in the comfort of your own home with online schools such as Lewis University Online.

I do know that firemen don't just respond to burning buildings, but other emergencies as well such as medical ones. That's why Lewis University Online's fire degree course offers subjects such as "Administration of Emergency Medical Services." And since everything we do in life has a legal aspect to it, there's also "Legal Aspects of Fire Service Management." Their online course leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Fire Service Administration which can open many doors for a fulfilling career.

Online education has many advantages for the workaholic who barely has time for his family. The computer now becomes a virtual classroom which doesn't require you to raise your hand just to go to the bathroom.

If you have a burning passion for the firefighting profession, this just may be the right direction!