Cool Careers & How You Got Them
A conversation with professionals who have cool and interesting jobs and a description of their career path, targeted at high schoolers, hosted by Zain Raza, a current high schooler.
Cool Careers & How You Got Them
2.3 - Firefighting Captain Todd Nixon
Ever wondered what it takes to be a firefighter? In this episode, Captain Nixon takes us through how he worked his way up in the firefighting ranks and the roles and responsibilities associated with his job.
hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of cool careers and how you got them. I'm your host, zane rosa. I'm sure lots of adults ask you what you want to be when you grow up and if you're anything like me, you don't have an answer for them. Hopefully, my podcast can give you some inspiration. I'm very excited and lucky to be joined today by captain todd nixon, who has a very cool and interesting career dedicated to firefighting and, and, without further delay, let's get into it. Captain Nixon, how are you doing Good? Thanks for having me Excited. Of course we're happy to have you, and let's just start out how we always do.
Speaker 2:What is your official title? They call me Captain Nixon. So I started as a firefighter. I worked my up through the ranks in our department, the next steps lieutenant. Now I'm captain, so they call me Cap, captain Nixon. My badge number is 211. And you get a badge number when you get hired. So as a firefighter that badge number equals your seniority. But as you move up in status it's your rank.
Speaker 1:So, captain Nixon, Okay, and what kind of responsibilities do you have as captain, as opposed to like an entry level fireman, gotcha?
Speaker 2:So as a firefighter, you know, my jobs are to follow my officer's lead and I have different chores and things I have to do through the day. But as a captain, it's as a lieutenant. You oversee a rig. So that's an apparatus. It could be either an engine or a ladder. They both have different responsibilities. When the bell rings, I'm a ladder officer, but a lieutenant on the engine or ladder would supervise his three men going to a fire and throughout the day, a captain oversees a lieutenant's rig and his own rig, so I have three guys that work on my rig. Specifically, I have a lieutenant that's under me at my firehouse and he has three men. So I oversee two apparatus on a daily basis. So I'm in charge of a house. We have eight guys at our house. We have three houses that are in operation and so I oversee our house, which is, you know, eight members, including myself.
Speaker 1:Okay, and you mentioned, sorry, engine and ladder. Can you explain?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so engine and ladder. So those are two responsibilities and in my city in New Jersey, we have four engines ideally when we have full staffing and two ladder trucks. So an engine brings the water to the fire, they stretch the hose lines in. The driver's called a pump operator. He's going to hook up to a plug which is a fire hydrant and then the engine company stretches lines in. So their job is fire suppression, where a ladder's responsibility is search and rescue, ventilation and utilities. So I have a four-man crew Me and the guy who sits behind me we go in for search and rescue.
Speaker 2:Second ladder is going to secure the utilities and help side with outside vent. But I send two guys to the roof for vertical ventilation. So we work on the roof, cutting holes in the roof to control the flow path of the fire, help remove some of the heat and smoke so the interior crews can have a little relief, get a little deeper inside. The job and you know myself is working off the hose line for search and rescue inside. So the latter company's job is ventilation, search, rescue, utilities. Engine company is fire suppression. Obviously we work hand in hand with each other to, you know, make the goal of saving lives, property and scene stabilization.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, awesome. So little blast from the past here. When you were a teenager, what were you like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so as a teenager I was kind of a wild one, you know. I got in a little trouble in school, you know, kind of bumped into a little trouble with the law here and there. And yeah, school was a little bit challenging for me. It certainly wasn't a straight A student at all. I had to work hard to get, you know, b's but I got a couple C's and D's. So yeah, you know, I had a good group of friends and you know, but I liked to party too and it got a little complicated sometimes. But there's all breeds of firefighters there's. There's, you know, wild ones, but there's also ones that did well in school and there's athletic ones and ones that weren't so athletic. So, um, you know, there's all body types and and state of minds as firefighters. But yeah, you know, a bunch of us maybe become firefighters because school wasn't our thing, you know, going through the ranks of life, but but yeah, so that was that. So that was my teenage years.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it, and did you have any idea of what you wanted to do for a career?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I did a little bit. So my parents grew up in a tough city in Jersey and two of my uncles my mom's brothers became firefighters in that tough city. So through my childhood, visiting the firehouse was something I did and I always did want to become a firefighter. Because of their influence and, lucky enough, that opportunity came to me. So, yeah, it was on my mind. Firefighting is a bit of a family business. Like I said, I had two uncles there. There's a lot of father-sons in my department, a lot of cousins. We've had multiple brothers that are working and have retired. So, yeah, there's a little family tree in the fire service and, yeah, I was a part of it for that reason. Yeah, my uncles are both retired now but I'm still there.
Speaker 1:You got it and did you attend college.
Speaker 2:So I did go to college. I went to a county college, so I did get my two-year degree. To be a firefighter, you need to be 18 years old, you need to have a high school degree, um, and you have to apply by the time you're 35 and you have to retire by the time you're 65. So you don't need a college degree at this point to in time to be a firefighter, but you do need a high school degree and you need to be at least 18. So, um, yeah, and what?
Speaker 1:what was that two-year degree for?
Speaker 2:uh, it was just in, um, I barely can remember, like humanities and social sciences, it was just leaving the door open for a four-year degree. If I choose to go that route to, you know, kind of make a decision. Uh, so I I wasn't sure where I was going other than trying to become a firefighter, but that is not a guarantee and there's the process to that. So so, yeah, I eventually got my two year degree, going part-time to county college.
Speaker 1:And is this your first career?
Speaker 2:I was a lifeguard growing up as a teenager and I applied to become a firefighter at 23,. But I didn't get hired. And when you apply to be a firefighter there's a written test you take, there's a physical test you take and you get ranked on a number based on how well you do on your written and your physical and you have to apply to a town that is called a career department their paid department. So it took a little time. The first time I took that test I came out number 54 in that city and I did not get hired. So in that time I was a lifeguard who eventually became a full-time swim instructor at a YMCA local YMCA and my title was aquatic director and I was in charge of hiring and firing and training lifeguards and swim instructors at the facility. Then I again took the test at 27 to try to get hired, because I get the list is good for three years once you take the test. It's a test you take with civil service and when I was 27 I got hired. Off of that list I came out number 24 on the list. So that means within that three years they hired at least 24 firefighters. They've hired more than that, but I was one of them. So I got hired.
Speaker 2:Finally, by the time I was 30 and I have to work 25 years. So I was an aquatic director running outdoor pools and indoor pools until I was 30. And then I became a career firefighter. Ok, well, 25 years, you have to work to get benefits in your pension. So I'll work, I'll retire 55 or have the option to work till 65 if my body can handle it. But I do have to retire at 65. In my mind, I think 25 years will be good. My body will be ready by then okay, got it.
Speaker 1:And when you're preparing for those two tests, is there like a training regimen? Is there like like? Is it like the police academy, where you go and you study with other guys, or are you doing that on your own?
Speaker 2:yeah. So, um, there's there's different. You know websites that could give you some insight on how to prepare. The physical is, uh, it's interesting. It's like something I've never done before. It's you between three and five minutes of, you know, total hell on your body, and my advice would be for that is, prepare your heart, lungs and legs. You can have the biggest biceps in the world, but you know your lungs are going to be have like pins and needles in them and your legs will be jello after you're done with this three and a half five minute obstacle course. So you know, when it comes to working out heart, lungs, legs, all the way.
Speaker 2:And then in terms of the written test, which is a different day, there's they're spread out. You read a passage, maybe about the fire service, then you have to answer questions and it's timed, so it's not like you have all the day in the world to go back and read, reread what you just read, to answer these questions. At the time I took the written test, it was pretty basic information, so small numbers you need to know for frictions and you know tank pressures when you're pumping an apparatus. So it was a little of that, but it was mostly just read and answer questions pretty basic. I believe they made it a little more complex over time, but I've been a firefighter for almost 18 years now, so I took this test 20 years ago and you know it changes over time, but that was my experience this test 20 years ago and you know it changes over time.
Speaker 1:But that was my experience and is there any kind of like probationary period where you're like just on the team, because I know for to be an emt like you have to have a certain amount of hours logged riding around on the ambulance before you can actually become one?
Speaker 2:right. So for a career department, once you do the physical and the written, you you run a list and then, depending on how many firefighters they hire in that time frame that list is three years you then get your training. So once you get hired they're going to send you to a physical test with your doctor to make sure your body is capable of going to the fire academy. And you have to take a drug test to make sure you're clean, and then they do a background check with the police department and then they do a residency check to make sure you live in the town that you're applying to. So those are a couple of things that you need to that the department's going to do prior to putting you in the fire academy. Then they put you in the fire academy for fire one and that's where you're going to get your training once you pass all those other tests.
Speaker 2:And that's a five week class. That's full time. So they send me to that and you're there from 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon for five weeks. Then you go to fire two, which is another three or four weeks, and then you take a first responder class, which is another week. So there's about two months of training outside of the fire department at these academies. Then, once you're on the fire department, you're usually on something called days for about a month and they train you differently than the fire department, a little more specific to our apparatus and our environment, and then they're going to assign you to a shift. So once you get hired and start the academy, that's your start date.
Speaker 2:So I was hired, ironically, september 11th of 2006. And that's when I started the academy in which I'm on probation for an entire year.
Speaker 2:So in that year, if you have a major or minor mess up, you could be fired. You don't really have the stature. So for a year you're on probation while you do the academy. After about two or three months of training you're on the line when you're sitting on apparatus following your lieutenant or captain's orders, and after that year you're kind of, you know, stable and have a job. So you're a probationary firefighter for a year of your hire date and you're called a boot until the next class is hired. So even if you're off probation after that year, if they don't hire anyone for another three years, you're low man. You're the boot of the department until they hire again.
Speaker 2:In my situation I feel very lucky that I got hired, but there was a hiring freeze after that. They didn't hire anyone for seven years. So that would mean I was the boot for seven years. Low man needs to do all the grunt work. So every morning my chores would be a little different than everyone else's. I would be responsible for cleaning all the toilets and then I'm responsible to make sure everyone has a lunch. If not, I take their lunch order, take their money, I take my own personal vehicle and go get the lunch, come back, talk to the cook and then I have to go out and get dinner for everyone. He cooks it for us. So when you're the boot you have more responsibility than the rest of the shift. Low man probationary for a year. You're the boot until someone else gets hired.
Speaker 1:You're like an intern kind of Kind of yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:So the boot does the most work. One because he hasn't learned his job yet and needs the experience, and two because he's new and the senior guys get a little bit of a rest. So he might have to hire the carry the heaviest equipment on a call. He would have to do, you know, the dirty work in the firehouse more so than a senior guy. Yeah, so intern boot, probationary.
Speaker 1:OK, got it. So obviously I think you have a cool career because you're on a podcast. I remember when I was a little kid, like all of the boys were like police officer, astronaut, firefighter. So I think you have a very cool career. But, in your opinion, what makes it cool or unique?
Speaker 2:I love the job for sure. So I mean one of the things that's appealing to the job is just the excitement and the adrenaline rush that we get Right. So you know as a kid you know maybe not for everyone, but throwing rocks through a window sounds like fun, right? So now I get paid to break windows and that's called ventilation. So you know what I mean. If you like being active and feeling that rush, you know for sure the bell rings and instantly your blood's flowing. So it's a lot of fun. You got to make quick decisions, smart decisions, but quick decisions, smart decisions. But you get to break walls, break windows, run into buildings and hopefully try to help someone. So the adrenaline rush is a lot of fun for a lot of us. Obviously, doing something rewarding is a huge deal too, right? So I mean if you save a cat, if you save a person, protect someone's house, there's a lot of thanks and appreciation involved. So that feels good too, to be doing something rewarding.
Speaker 2:But a lot of us also like the schedule, and you know there's disadvantages to the schedule. We work 24 hours on, so a day for me would be going to work at seven 30 in the morning. You always try to get there a half hour early. I work for 24 hours straight so we eat meals and we sleep there, but then I have 72 hours off and a lot of the guys look forward to that schedule hours off. So it's like you have a three-day weekend, no matter what.
Speaker 2:So my schedule is going to rotate on an eight-day schedule for 25 years and I work Monday, friday, the next week, I work Tuesday, saturday, the next week, sunday, wednesday, sunday and on we go Thursday, monday and it just rotates. So I have my schedule in front of me. I know what I'm going to be working in 2026, on May 28th. So it's nice to have all that time. I can get my kids to school, I'm home and I can get them off the bus. But you know the challenge is we do work weekends and we do work holidays. So you know there is that hiccup. But a lot of us enjoy the schedule in addition to the excitement behind the job. So good brotherhood, that helps.
Speaker 1:They got it. So a regular day at work. It's a 24-hour shift and you sleep there. Yep, you have like bunking arrangements and everything. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So a 24-hour shift, if you want to hear the day of a firefighter. We get there in the morning and we check the apparatus. So, no matter what the shift did before us, we want to make sure that everything works. So I'm a ladder officer. That means we put the jacks out to the apparatus, we put the stick up it's 103 foot stick, put it in the air, we turn on the generator and make sure all our hydraulic tools work for extrication and we make sure all of our power saws work for ventilation. So my crew instantly goes to work on doing an inventory, make sure everything's on the apparatus, everything works, and then they start doing their cleaning. So we clean the whole firehouse. Like I said, little man does the toilets, but the kitchen gets cleaned thoroughly. There's a little bit of a break there. We take a little rest before about nine.
Speaker 2:Nine, 30 guys have a cup of coffee, maybe a donut, and then um, and then we start our day with training. So there's always going to be a training. Sometimes it's in-house, with a video and a discussion, and other times it's, you know, with the weather's nice If it's above 40 degrees or below 80 degrees. We do something outside. So training's a daily. We get lunch, we come back, we take a little bit of a break the afternoon. Usually I'm doing my computer work or building inspection in the town. I try to let the guys take a nap sometime. Between you know, three, 30 and uh, dinner every day, just because I don't know what the night's going to be like. We eat dinner together and then, um yeah, everyone makes a bed.
Speaker 2:So you have a bed that you're assigned to. You make your bed at night. You can go to bed anytime after dinner. When the bell rings, you obviously get up in the morning, you take your bedding off, put it in a box above your locker and the next shift comes in and then another guy is going to be sleeping in your bed. So, yeah, so there's a bed, you're in a big room. Even on a good night when there's not a lot of calls, you don't really get good sleep because you're with eight other guys and someone's going to the bathroom, someone's farting, someone's going to bed at a different time, someone's snoring. So you know I work eight days a month. It comes out to about 42 hours a week on average. Of those eight days a month, there might be a shift where there's only one or two calls through the night. So that sounds like a good night, but with everything.
Speaker 1:I said it's never a good night's sleep.
Speaker 2:But yeah, we do get a bed. Ideally we get a nap and a good night's sleep, but the good night's sleep rarely happens.
Speaker 1:It's like sleeping in a cabin at summer camp. Exactly that, yeah, so no, we talked a lot about the work kind of thing, but how do you use your free time?
Speaker 2:You mean when I'm at work. How do I use my free time? Or on my off days here?
Speaker 1:What does free time look like at work?
Speaker 2:Right. So free time at work, like I said, is usually a nap. I'm usually, I'm always trying, I'll never stop learning. So I usually Google a video or read a book. If I'm studying for a test, I'm reading the assigned books, but if I'm not studying for a test, I'm just reading something extra to never stop learning and stay on my toes. But there's also free time. You know, once we eat dinner, there's, you know, guys might play ping pong, you know there's. You know, a movie night, um, cards are a big deal. You know people play cards, pinnacle guys like so. So there, there are those things there are. There is downtime at the firehouse where the guys can bond and have a good laugh together, um, but you know, between the uh seven, 30 in the morning until three, 30, we're we're pretty busy, uh, doing firefighter stuff that we're assigned.
Speaker 1:And what about free time when you're not at work, Like just how you so a lot of guys, because of our, our schedule, have a part-time jobs to make extra money.
Speaker 2:Uh, firefighters are paid well. Well, once they get to top pay, that takes a little time. In my department it takes 10 years to be able to make six figures. So when they get hired they're making you know chump change, which in our department it's like 35,000. So it takes a while to you know kind of get to top pay and that 10 years. So guys work other jobs. Mostly I worked, um, you know, as a lifeguard and swim instructor when I was a single man. Now I'm married and my wife has a good job and she works real hard. So my job now is just taking care of the kids. Um, so I do not work a second job, but a lot of firefighters do and you know they usually work with their hands doing something or own their own business, um, but for me it's just, you know, trying to get a workout, enjoy nature, spend time with my family.
Speaker 1:Got it Awesome and now your work. It's all collaborative. You're working with the guys on your team the whole time and, like, can you speak a little bit about like the collaborative aspect of it?
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah. So I mentioned the word brotherhood earlier. So there's definitely a brotherhood, and it's not just on the department, it's kind of. Anytime you see a guy wearing a firefighter t-shirt you're like, oh, where does he work? And you know, and the brotherhood is there because no one can relate to what it's like to fight a fire, risk your life, feel the exhaustion, except for someone that does the exact same thing as you. So I think that's a little bit of a bond that you have with guys in other departments also. But in terms of our own department, yeah, there's definitely a brotherhood and there's definitely a bond. Some guys get along better with than you know, others for sure. But this job consists of teamwork constantly. So we share a lot of laughs, we eat together, we sleep together, so there's definitely a lot of bonds that are lifelong. That last, you know, at the firehouse and outside, for sure.
Speaker 2:So I work with you know, and also mentioned, like, who I work with. We're working with all ages, so you can get hired between 18 and 35. So sometimes the boot might be 35 years old, an established man that's worked many jobs. The other boot could be 18 years old. So we, you know, we have all life, um, and pretty diverse. We have, uh, you know, whites, blacks and spanish on our department and we also have I want to mention uh, five women on our department. So you know it's for boys and girls and you know it's definitely a tough job, but uh, yeah, you know, hopefully they pull their weight. So so, all ages, all nationalities and uh genders.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it, and now is there an opportunity that like maybe you could transition into a managerial position where, like, you're not actually going out on the truck.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So there's a couple options in that regard. So to be in a management position, you tend to get promoted, like I did, and I can talk about how to do that. But I'm still on the line, I'm still fighting fires, I'm still going inside. But there are day positions for firefighters and officers and a day position would consist of communications Someone's got to make sure the radio is always working and our communication with mutual aid departments. There's a fire prevention program, so there's fire investigators that come to our fires afterwards and there's fire prevention team that goes to buildings prior all day to make sure they're up to code. There's a training division, so there's a guy on days with staff members and they're in charge of training to make sure that the officers are teaching their guys the right things and what they should be teaching at what times. So there's a lot of opportunity for that.
Speaker 2:Some people want to go on days because they realize once they get there firefighting is not their thing. But some people just get a little old for their job. Their bodies wear out. It's definitely a young man's job and at a 47 year old man right now, I'm not the same firefighter that I was when I was 30. It's just wear and tear on your body. So sometimes guys get a little bit old, maybe they have an injury, and they request to go on days. Some guys are just assigned to go on days because they have the right fit, you know, mechanic wise, or whatever background they have, certification wise. So, yeah, there are opportunities to be on days. When you're on days, you get a four day schedule and you work 10 hours a day, so you still have three days off, but they wouldn't be in a row and it would be, you know, four days between Monday and Friday working days. Yeah. So there's those opportunities.
Speaker 2:And then, in terms of getting promoted, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be on days on an apparatus. You need to have at least five years on the job and then you're going to take a series of tests. You study for a few months with a couple of signed books. It's a written test. You pass the written test. A few months later you take an oral test, in which case you stand in front of a camera, you're asked questions, they film you while you answer the questions on the fly, and then again you get a list of where you come out between those two tests to get promoted. So that's how you can get in the management position of in our department, lieutenant captain, deputy chief, and then there's one chief. But you can put on days in a management position if you get promoted or if just you get injured. So that's a way you can maybe not be on the line doing stuff as demanding on your body.
Speaker 1:Okay, got it Absolutely Well. Thank you so much for joining us, captain Nixon. As we finish up, let's do our mailbag that. This one works out perfectly because you spoke a little bit about earlier about school not being your thing. But his question is I don't want to attend college but I'm concerned about my chances of getting a job without a degree. My parents emphasize a college education, but I don't see myself there. Do I need to attend college to get a job I'll enjoy?
Speaker 2:Yeah, without a doubt, you do not need to attend college to get a job you enjoy. You know whatever, find something that you're interested in, start with internships, find a mentor and, you know, keep working towards your goal. But it's funny that this question is asked to me. Just recently I saw something on YouTube and it was a guy who said 50% of college graduates get a job where they don't need a college degree.
Speaker 2:So you know a lot of people are spending this money to get a college degree. I work with firefighters that have a college degree, that are, you know, deeply in debt right now, and they're getting paid the same as me who didn't go to college. So getting a college degree, you know, will open the doors to a lot of opportunity and some people won't even consider looking at you unless you have that college degree. So you know, to have as many opportunities as possible, it's good to get it, but now you can find a rewarding job without it and, like I said, this study just showed that 50 percent of college graduates get jobs where they don't need a college degree. So, yeah, be smart when you go to school and try to figure it out.
Speaker 2:But whatever career you want to go into, start working at it now. If you like animals, start working at a vet shop, start working at a zoo, whatever the case may be, you want to be in a doctor, start a lifeguard, get first aid and CPR. So yeah, figure out what you want to do. Find a mentor. College is great, but not necessarily mandatory.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And if people want to learn more about you or what you do, where can they go?
Speaker 2:Um, that's a tricky one. Uh, I would say I mean you could just Google, uh, how to become a firefighter. For sure, um, you know to follow me directly. I don't have any social media or platform like that or anything. Um, but uh, yeah, I think any firefighter you meet would be interested in answering questions.
Speaker 2:We like talking about our job. You know, not so much the bad stuff that we see, but you know the fun and exciting, rewarding stuff for sure. Yeah, so there's information out there for you on YouTube. But if, if you wanted to get a job and you are in a town that has a career department, I would just follow up with you know town hall. Are in a town that has a career department, I would just follow up with you know town hall. And if you're in a town that has a volunteer department, it's a little bit trickier because you need to apply and get residency at a town that has a paid department. So there's a little research you need to do. Uh, if you live in a volunteer town currently to get this job. Um, but, yeah, good luck, I love this job. I would suggest doing it if, uh, if, if he can afford to, and um, yeah, rock on man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And as we wrap up, you've got many highly ambitious students. Do you have any final advice for them or like an ask you have for them?
Speaker 2:Uh, not so much. I mean, I kind of spilled it out there, but I, you know, I have read a lot of self-help books, for sure, and it just talks about finding someone you trust that can be a mentor. So you know, find someone that's done what you want to do before. Pick their brain If they're willing. Never stop. And then the key is never stop learning, dude, it's not just school, but it's just reading books outside of school and just and that's really how you gain your knowledge, man Just never stop reading, never stop learning. It's the key to everything.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well. Thank you so much for joining us today. You got it, dude.
