May 24,2006
Chief Freddie, I just want to thank you for all of your help in making me understand the promotional process and the assessment board questioning . Your program is very well put together and will prepare anyone to do well in the promotional process. The thing that helped me the most was that I had the knowledge, but did not display the confidence in front of the board. The program that you have come up with is the key, your motto of " The only proof of ability is performance" sums it up. The feeling that I had when you were teaching me is that its a passion and not just going through the motions. Anyone who ever wants to further their career as an officer should take this course to make them understand the process and display the confidence of a good officer. There is no trickery other than making you believe in yourself.
Thank you
Sgt. John L. Risoldi Sr.
Kill Devil Hills Fire Department
North Carolina
Well, I came in 2nd; I missed first by 1 point... I went and reviewed the assessment center and I was surprised by the results. I received 7 and mostly 8's on the presentation and conflict resolution. The tactical was an apartment fire. I felt very good about it and even one of my Chief's listened and said I smoked it, that I set the bar for the rest. I asked my Chief who listened in on it and he said "if you run a fire out on the street the way you ran the scenario you will do just fine."
I can't thank you enough for all your help and assistance in getting me ready for the assessment center. As funny as it may sound, I was more nervous for the written than the assessment center. I was very comfortable going into the assessment center that morning as if I was training with you. The tactical was the first thing I did and I can honestly say that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything I did. If I had an assessment center tomorrow I would do the same thing all over again. In the other scenarios, I just felt very confident and because of your help I went above and beyond and did all those extra things you taught me and it definitely paid off :)
Thank you very much for everything.
Michelle Popek,
Lieutenant
City of Miramar Fire Rescue
Chief, the test overall went well. I am currently sitting number one. I am hoping my promotion comes in the next month or so. Your preparation was invaluable and without it I would have been nowhere near that. Everything you taught was right on. I got caught on a couple things expecting more and it didn't happen; it was almost too simple.
Keith Rozak,
Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue
Chief Fernandez,
My name is Anthony Vila. My father, Tony Vila, is a firefighter for your department. I wanted to thank you for helping me acquire a perfect score on the Miami-Dade County firefighter oral exam. After taking your seminar I felt very confident during my test. After watching my dad become the oldest firefighter to graduate (44 1/2 yrs. old), I became excited to become a firefighter myself. I am currently number 129 on the county list and should be called by the end of the year. Once again, thank you.
Thank you very much for everything.
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Vila
As a Lieutenant taking my first Captain’s exam I knew I would need to score high to have any chance of being promoted. I had heard so many good things about Chief Freddie’s approach and his teaching methods that I was looking forward to hearing what he had to say. The ideas, innovations, and concepts, along with the basic format I got from my meetings with the Chief blew me away. I knew immediately that I had made the right choice.
Our Captain’s exam involved an assessment center with several different scenarios. Chief Freddie’s approach to the assessment center was easily understandable but also able to adapt to any personal innovations that can separate you from the pack.
Chief Freddie’s experience with assessment centers gave me a solid foundation to work with for every scenario from fire ground tacticals, subordinate counseling as well as a training presentation.
Thanks to Chief Freddie’s approach and some hard work I was the top scoring candidate on the Captains exam. Everybody can work hard, but Chief Freddie can show you how to work smart.
Thanks Chief,
Capt. David Moye
City of Miami Fire-Rescue
This year I set a goal for my self to become a Captain for the Fire Department. I decided that I must set certain objectives for myself in order to achieve the desired goal. My first objective was to get a very high score on the written portion of the exam. I achieved this by putting in a number of hours toward studying the assigned material. The next objective was preparing for the assessment center portion of the exam. This was a little more difficult for me, due to the fact that I did not know what to expect. I feel that through your training sessions I was not only able to understand what to expect, but also able to understand how the entire process is managed. You gave me the ability to succeed in reaching my overall goal, which was to score number one on the Captain eligibility roster.
Thank you,
James Estep
Wanting to achieve my dream of becoming a firefighter, I decided to do all that I could to prepare me for the challenge. I studied for the written test, trained hard for the physical, but it was the oral test that had me worried the most. Typically, I feel comfortable speaking to a crowd, but not knowing what to expect in this kind of exam had me extremely nervous. Luckily, I found out about a preparation class given by Chief Freddie Fernandez. I couldn't have asked for a better prep course! We were taken through every step of the oral exam, as well as what to expect while on the job. All of this coming from experienced firefighters. Students were taught how to structure answers to various types of questions and what the panelists were looking for. We were also allowed the chance to practice and be critiqued by the very knowledgeable staff. Thanks to not only the constructive criticism, but also to the positive praise, Chief Freddie Fernandez and the staff helped me to achieve the maximum amount of points possible on the oral exam and bring me one step closer to my dream!
Kristy Sheridan, Miami
Chief Freddie, Sir
As I stated over the phone, I scored 20 out of 20 in my oral interview. I
feel this is directly due to the fact that I attended both of your interview
pictorial classes. As it stands, I am number 283 out of approximately 2,000
people that are currently on the list. I feel extremely proud and blessed
that God has allowed me to make it this far. I approached my interview with
the same fury that I approach anything that has to do with the Fire
Department. However, I can honestly tell you that it never occurred to me
that I can actually get a perfect score. It was because of your expertise
and knowledge that I was able to do so well. I sincerely thank you and all
the other gentlemen that were involved in the teaching. It was a privilege
to be taught by such a well respected group of individuals.
God bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
Ana Fernandez, Miami Dade Firefighter Candidate
The list is out and I know where I am, I am so excited I can't see
straight. I KNEW I SLAMMED DUNK THAT ORAL INTERVIEW!!!! I just didn't want to get my
hopes up.
Thank you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Denise Zulueta, Miami Dade Firefighter Candidate
Fort Myers: Congratulations to Don Jacob who scored #1 on his recent promotional exam for the rank of Lieutenant. Here is what Don had to say:
"FREDDIE - #1 ON THE TEST - I AM BEING PROMOTED TOMORROW. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. I REALLY PUT A LOT OF TIME IN WITH THE SCENARIOS, AND IT WORKED OUT PERFECT."
Palm Beach Gardens: "Chief, well, you can add me to your advertisement list of #1 promotional candidates. I scored a 94% on the written and a 100% on the practical. Thanks for your help and the program it really made a difference." This test result speaks for itself.
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