u/CaterpillarFlaky1847

I recently completed my EMT and am now licensed, and honestly I thought that was going to be the hard part. Now I’m trying to get hired with a fire department, and it feels even harder.
A lot of departments I’m seeing require BOF, which I don’t have yet. From what I can tell, most places don’t seem willing to sponsor you through the academy either, so I feel kind of stuck.
Right now my plan is to work for a private ambulance service, get some experience, and then use my GI Bill to go through a fire academy at a college so I can get BOF/Firefighter II. After that, I’d start applying to departments again.
Am I going about this the right way, or is there something I’m missing? I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve gone through the process in Illinois.
Edit: Ive already completed my CPAT and Ladder Climb