Most of the full time city firefighters I've met started out fighting wild fires then moved up to Hot Shot.After many hard years they would eventually move to a rural station then finally an urban station. You're looking at 10 or more years to get into big department in the city of Seattle.

It sounds like you've been around them as an EMT so you know the shifts are odd and the turnover rate is high.

Washington is always short handed during the summer for wild fires and the season is looking to be especailly bad this year. If you really want to give firefighting a shot I'd highly reccomend volunteering to fight wild fires.

http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/docs/docs.htm
Heres a link for the basic requirements if you're intersted.

I hiked up to Kelly Butte fire lookout yesterday with a friend to help clear the trail. Hot,steep, dusty and crawling with black flies but what a view!!!
You'll have to look closely to the first pic to see the lookout. It's in the center.