Interested in becoming a firefighter, police officer, or EMT? On Feb. 26 Bakersfield College hosted a public safety open house at the West Institute, located in downtown Bakersfield, for students who are trying to pursue careers as first responders. Bakersfield Fire Department, Kern County Fire Department, Cal Fire, Hall Ambulance, and Kern County Public Health were all present with helpful information for future workers who have questions or need a stepping stool to get started on their journey.

Kern County Fire Engineer, Jeremy Ruiz, explains the hiring process for people who are interested in becoming a firefighter. “Our applications are open to anybody that is 18 years old, has a GED, and a driver’s license. It is accessible to anybody who wants to come in and we will give you the training and opportunity you need to be successful. We also have study guides provided and practice tests. Eventually you will get contacted by people from the department and help them out.”

Hall Ambulance EMT, Krystal Rorosa, aims to help people get started on their EMT careers by laying out steps to achieve that career. She provided insights on what being in the field is like.

“The basic requirements to become an EMT is to either go through the Hall EMT academy because you need the certificate to become an EMT in general which requires a 6-8 week training in the class and 6 week training in the ambulance,” said Rorosa. You can also go through BC that has 3 different courses. No matter which route you take, it is still required to pass the NREMT (National Registry for Emergency Medical Technicians) exam in order to be an EMT.

With the help of Ruiz and Rorosa, people who had dreams and aspirations of being in these positions now have the resources to put their plans to action and start the process for what their future holds.