[Hockey9019]

Hi everyone, I currently live in Chesaning (about 30 mins south of Saginaw). I went to Traverse City this past summer where I got engaged, and we've been talking about moving up there. Living down here where there is high crime, NO growth at all, etc it's kind of depressing I guess you would call it.

We are both 21 and in College. She will be graduating with her degree in Electronic Media Broadcasting at the end of the Winter Semester and me in Criminal Justice in the Spring.

I just recently applied for 911 Dispatch in GT County and am going Wednesday to take my test. They make 15.73 a hour starting out which I don't think is bad compared to here.

I am currently taking EMT and will be licensed in Dec/Jan-ish. Currently I work at the hospital down here doing public safety. Anyways, the other day the Record-Eagle had a opening for Peninsula Township Fire Department, Fulltime 2 openings for FF/EMT. Well I am very interested in becoming a fulltime FF/EMT if possible. I noticed the pay is $30,000 4p-Midnight M-F. It almost sounds too good to be true. With Michigans job market, an opening like that is pretty rare The job isn't really that announced so I don't expect a thousand applications like some jobs.

Anyways, we would be looking at a small 2 bedroom house (not right up on our neighbors like a Detroit neighborhood) with a yard that is reasonable. Should we look at a mobile home? House? I know with the housing market, you can find anything right now pretty much.

She'll have a job, but it would be only like 8-10 dollars a hour until she graduates. I would most likely get another part time job (911? Hospital? NorthFlight EMS?)

Anyways, I know I've rambled on enough now. Anyone know anything about the 911 Dispatch up there? How about Peninsula Township Fire Department? From my research, they answer 20-50 calls a month, but need to hire 2 fulltimers because the lack of manpower showing up at calls.

Would our income be good enough to live comfortable? Not paycheck to paycheck or anything.

I'll add more when I can think of it. Have several questions though.

Thanks

[MainStreet]

Hi Hockey,

I've been a 911 operator here in Indy for 13 years and in two years will be looking for the same position in GT, Leelanau, and Benzie counties. I continuously do research on these jobs. Although I do not know of any openings...I do have plenty of tips.

1. Make sure they do not have a residency requirement. If they do, find out how long they will give you to move. Often, you could live only 6 feet on the wrong side of the county line and be denied employment or terminated.

2. Any shift other than day shift, should pay additional shift differential, which is usually under a dollar more per hour. Every little bit helps.

3. Have you ever had a polygraph or a VSA (Voice Stress Analysis)? Depending on the department, they will use one of these two screening procedures. The most important thing is to relax. You could be good as gold and still peak in the most unexpected categories. (The last VSA I had they asked me after if I'd ever been a prostitute. I passed, but it made for some interesting discussion.)

4. They will cold call you in questions and in interviews on prioritizing crisis situations. Always remember, anything involving weapons is first, injuries is second.

I make just over 30K a year and afford a rental house at $750 a month, but that is without a car payment and without a second income.

Best of luck to you. Dispatching in my opinion is the best profession. 90% relaxation and 10% of the most stress you've ever felt in your life. 50 runs a month is an insanely low call count. My county does approximately 3000 a day.

Maybe we will cross professional paths in a couple years. I will be the middle aged single mom that will be weeping because she's so happy to be back in Michigan.

[Hockey9019]

Originally Posted by MainStreet

Hi Hockey,

I've been a 911 operator here in Indy for 13 years and in two years will be looking for the same position in GT, Leelanau, and Benzie counties. I continuously do research on these jobs. Although I do not know of any openings...I do have plenty of tips.

1. Make sure they do not have a residency requirement. If they do, find out how long they will give you to move. Often, you could live only 6 feet on the wrong side of the county line and be denied employment or terminated.

2. Any shift other than day shift, should pay additional shift differential, which is usually under a dollar more per hour. Every little bit helps.

3. Have you ever had a polygraph or a VSA (Voice Stress Analysis)? Depending on the department, they will use one of these two screening procedures. The most important thing is to relax. You could be good as gold and still peak in the most unexpected categories. (The last VSA I had they asked me after if I'd ever been a prostitute. I passed, but it made for some interesting discussion.)

4. They will cold call you in questions and in interviews on prioritizing crisis situations. Always remember, anything involving weapons is first, injuries is second.

I make just over 30K a year and afford a rental house at $750 a month, but that is without a car payment and without a second income.

Best of luck to you. Dispatching in my opinion is the best profession. 90% relaxation and 10% of the most stress you've ever felt in your life. 50 runs a month is an insanely low call count. My county does approximately 3000 a day.

Maybe we will cross professional paths in a couple years. I will be the middle aged single mom that will be weeping because she's so happy to be back in Michigan.

Thanks for the response Main


GT is always looking for people. They hire every couple months it seems too

1. Nope not residency requirement. Not sure if its illegal or not, but I know most areas cannot enforce a residency requirement. Some areas want you to live within 30 miles or 1 hour or whatever from your work in case of an "emergency".

2. Yup they have shift differential. Where I work I get 12% for working at night which is good. Love hospitals


3. Not in Michigan. Illegal and are not allowed to be used to determine employment

4. As I said I work at a very big hospital and busy in Saginaw. I do dispatch and field work both quite a bit. I do the stats (read through the dispatch logand record certain codes for the report). Every month, non-normal daily calls such as unlocks, assaults, helicopter stuff, shootings etc I put into the report. We get on average 2900 calls per month. If I was to add in the other calls we'd be near 5000 or so.

So I can prioritize

Well hurry up and get your butt up here and we can all hang out up here

[scottmi]

$30,000/annually and live in Traverse City?

Um, no.

You can live in one of the surrounding cities but that defeats the purpose of T.C.

You mention high crime and no job growth where you're at currently. TC is exactly the same job growth wise...in other words, it's flatlining.

You GF/wife has a degree that will be totally useless up there because 1) No companies really do that stuff and 2) Even if they did, they'd *********r GF/wife out of the pay she should be getting.


I would strongly consider GR or a Detroit suburb if you want an area you both can work and not hav eto live paycheck to paycheck.

[MikeCummings]

The Traverse City area has so much to offer and though the job market is not optimal for a new college grad, it is still a great area to live and work. As a Real Estate that lives and works in the area, I would encourage you to pursue your dreams and live the good life!

[Rapunzll]

I lived in PT for ten years and my ex husband flew for Northfight for 13 or so years. :-) I didn't realize that the township had any full time staff at the fire dept. I thought it was all volunteer?

I think you would have a hard time finding housing on the peninsula if you are only making 30K a year unless you are living in some shack way out towards the tip. Of course she will be working too, so it might be doable. I lived off Bluff Rd. north of Bluewater road and we had one of the best views out there. I loved living out there, although I had to leave after my divorce as I couldn't find anything affordable to buy.

Good luck, this is a wonderful place to live.

[Bydand]

Oh, I love a drive along Bluff Road. Nice orchards and who can gripe about the views? Haven't done that in a long time. I'll have to do that this Summer when I go up to visit my cousin in TC.