Firefighter Employment Scenario Although it's not clear in the story whether an Associates Degree is a precondition for taking the exam, it should not necessarily be an absolute precondition for taking the exam. I personally believe education and experience are absolutely necessary before attempting to take the exam for certification, but that may not always be limited only to an Associate's Degree. There are a number of education programs in fire academies that often can serve as a good alternative for an Associate's Degree. Other types of certification, experience, or educational programs are out there that can help potential candidates succeed in their certification and beyond. Therefore, there must be requirements for various types of education and experience levels that are more fluid, allowing for judgment on individual cases rather than blindly across the board. This would mean that an Associate's Degree would not always be absolutely necessary as a pre-requisite for certification.

Question...

Scoring high on the certification testing is a huge plus, putting the two candidates high above a lot of their other potential candidates that took the same certification exam. Yet, as stated before, it is not the only element that would determine such status. In fact, a number of other qualifications would also play into who is chosen for candidacy. For most departments, there is a much more complex internal process for promoting candidates. This internal process includes a number of factors when choosing individuals for promotion, and often is different with each department. Potential candidates can offer other experience and qualifications to individuals from within the department in interviews and other acknowledgement processes. This allows people from inside the department…