Any Montana firefighters?

[crunchy]

Im company officer for a large department in California,Thinking about doing the switch and leaving. Would like information on just about anything, like work schedules, retirement, pay ect. I've done a bit of research one of my biggest questions was if I can transfer my retirement or buy years.
I'm looking at municipal (City) not interested in BLM or Fed. Thanks. I know the testing consourtium is almost due.

 

[crunchy]

Tight lipped. I understand that this is probably something locals are bot excited about

 

[fort fireman]

I’m not a Montana firefighter. I’m on the job in Nc. However my in laws are from Great falls and my wife has family in Helena. Here are a few links that may help you or give you someone to talk to with your questions.

Fire Department

Fire Department | City of Billings, MT - Official Website

About Us | City of Great Falls Montana

Hopefully these may help you.

 

[fort fireman]

I’m not a Montana firefighter. I’m on the job in Nc. However my in laws are from Great falls and my wife has family in Helena. Here are a few links that may help you or give you someone to talk to with your questions.

Fire Department

Fire Department | City of Billings, MT - Official Website

About Us | City of Great Falls Montana

Hopefully these may help you.

 

[EastMT]

I’m not a Montana firefighter. I’m on the job in Nc. However my in laws are from Great falls and my wife has family in Helena. Here are a few links that may help you or give you someone to talk to with your questions.

Fire Department

Fire Department | City of Billings, MT - Official Website

About Us | City of Great Falls Montana

Hopefully these may help you.

I used to live there, when you arrive tell them you are from Wyoming. If you say California the locals will think you said North Korea. There's some animosity towards out of staters driving up housing, altering politics, shutting down areas they have gone for generations. It's a great place, lots of stuff to hunt, see, visit.

 

[crunchy]

Great info. Thanks. I Get the hesitation especially for Californians probably for the same reasons I am interested in leaving for. Houses look similar in cost in a lot of places but the salary range is sunstantialy less. Might be tough to make it happen

 

[EastMT]

Yes sir, salaries in Western Montana Vs the housing prices is not very good. It's a great place to live other than that, my wife is a teacher with her masters and was making a hair over 30k several years back. So we are in Alaska now, cost of living is higher, but salary made up the difference.

 

[fort fireman]

I was curious a few years back about some of those departments as well. It didn’t take long to realize financially I couldn’t make it work unless I was willing to give up good bit. Plus at 20 years in on the job I’m past the point of no return on my career. Maybe after I retire. Of course I left NW Pennsylvania because of winter so I’m not sure I’d want to do snow again on a full time basis either. Montana mAy just stay a great place to visit and hopefully go to hunt with my wife’s family.

 

[Wild Bob]

We got more Californian jokes here than any other state...just sayin'. Hate to admit it, but as mentioned, you may not want to offer that personal info up real quickly or openly.

I'm not a fireman either, but I do work for a small municipality and I can tell you that pay rates here tend be lower than almost everywhere else in the country. Most communities in Montana are members of MPERS (Montana Public Employees' Retirement System) and muncipality employees get retirment through that system. I don't believe PERS allows anyone to 'buy' time any more...they used to, but not these days.

Job / career wise a lot of folks in the smaller communities tend to have a job and then do something else on the side to make ends meet.

Based on my observations and experience; You gotta love it to make it work here or you won't stick around. I've watched a lot of people come and go...especially when the wife isn't happy. Most guys can sustain themselves and be happy living in a hunting and fishing meca...but it don't work if Momma ain't happy.

Me - I'm super blessed to have a wife that doesn't care that the nearest Walmart is 3 hours away! Amazon prime is tough to beat. LOL.

Good luck with your search.

 

[bmart2622]

Crunchy, I am a FF in Great Falls. Shoot me a pm with your number and we can chat.

 

[Lawnboi]

I'm a fire medic in wi and would like to look into the same, but it sounds like a logistical nightmare. And it would be tough to give up what Iv got

 

[rickjames80]

Crunchy,
Bmart has probably answered your questions already, but I am a mt ff also. PM me if you have any other questions

 

[N2TRKYS]

If you like oppressive heat and humidity, you can come down here. Lol

I think new hires start in the mid to upper 40s. Add 10%, if you're a medic.

 

[530Chukar]

I work in a dept In California as well. I did some research on it in the last year. Pay wise, no one is going to come close to what you’re making in a dept in the bay area or Southern California, those are among the highest paid depts in the country.


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[HuntHarder]

Yeah, but the C.O.L. offsets a lot of the higher salary. I know a couple of firefighters here in Az, and they make decent wages with the overtime but also supplement quite a bit with a part time gig. Seems like windshield installation or light construction seems to be a couple of the more popular part time gigs.

 

[crunchy]

Thank you for all the great responses.
It doesn't look like I'll be able to make it work. Most of my certificates and training don't look like they'll transfer. And although the retirement is great I would be losing all the years of service I have here without being able to buy time. Maybe after retirement.