If I wanted to work as a regional safety advisor in 2010, do I have to volunteer at a “lower” position first? I am currently a FRC safety captain and would be a college student next year. I am certified as a Firefighter and EMT so safety is in my nature. Can I simply request Safety advisor and get it? I fit the qualifications FIRST puts up but I am unsure what else is needed.
I’ve worked a bunch of positions in volunteering official events & off-seasons, & I’ll say that volunteering at a “lower” position helps just to get the logistics of volunteering down before moving on “up” to a Safety Advisor.
(I only put those terms in quotes because I think every job at a competition is equally as important & necessary to have a successful event)
You actually seem a lot more qualified than I was at the time I was asked to switch from another volunteer position to a Safety Advisor last year at a regional event with your medical training, but the facts are that while in the Safety Advisor position, you will not be acting as an EMT or anything like that - unless it’s to assist the on-site EMT’s if ever needed (But probably not - that’s what they are there for).
The jobs of a Safety Advisor mainly include advising teams on good safety procedures, so as long as you have a good understanding of the Safety Manual, you’ll be fine.
You’re also a Safety Judge at the event as well, and will talk to every team about their safety practices, & honor a Safety Captain at your event each day & also pick the best team(s) who exhibited the best safety procedures during these interview & hand out some awards.
(This was the experience in my event anyways, & was similar from hearing the stories from a friend who was a Safety Advisor at a different even last year.)
Sign up, & when FIRST calls you for your interview, tell them your about EMT background, but it is just an added bonus of your skills for the position.
You should be good to go.
If you want, PM me as well, & I can forward to you some basic info I received while I was Safety Captain last year so you can get a head start.
(If I still have it… I’ll have to look into that.)
I don’t really know about volunteering at a FIRST event but I do know that last year in Denver, one of our coaches was asked to be a Safety Adviser. She hadn’t volunteered at a FIRST event before then except for being a coach. With your qualifications, I think you would be fine. They might have you attend a training but I wouldn’t think you would have to volunteer before becoming a Safety Adviser.
Find out who the regional director is for the regional you want to be the safety Advisor for and talk to them about it.
-Jim
Safety Advisors work under the Lead who comes from UL to help at FIRST events. The UL people I’ve worked with have been great folks. They care about the task they’ve been given and take it seriously.
There are no low level jobs at FIRST competitions. 
What we look for is a level of maturity that would allow the person to work well in the Safety team, a good listener with the teams and other volunteers and the ability to take the mentoring approach to problem solving and rule enforcement.
I’ve met some Safety Captains on teams who would make great Safety Advisors.
Go for it next year, but be sure to also list other positions you would consider. There is a space for you to write comments in the VIMS, where you could list your experience. The job description is posted through the VIMS site.