Worth it to get paramedic? Seeking advice

I’m thinking about enrolling in a paramedic program that costs around $8k. I’m a volunteer and my goal is to eventually get hired as a fire medic with a full time department in my state. I feel like the cert would make me more competitive.

I did six years in the reserves as an infantry medic, where I got an emt cert. I don’t have any civilian EMS experience. My full time job is in a completely unrelated field.

My main concerns are whether I’d be successful in class with no prior EMS experience, and how I’d maintain my paramedic skills until I get hired on somewhere. I enjoyed the medical side of things during my time in the reserves so I’m thinking this is what I want to do. Any advice would be appreciated.