| year, fires and other emergencies take thousands | | | | program. The written exam typically consists of |
| upon thousands of lives and cause damage to homes | | | | around 100 multiple choice questions and covers spatial |
| and properties amounting to billions of dollars. If you | | | | awareness, reading comprehension, mechanical |
| become a firefighter, you help protect the general | | | | reasoning, logic, observation and memory. The primary |
| public against such harm by tackling fires and a variety | | | | focus of the physical ability test is upper body strength, |
| of other emergencies. | | | | endurance and agility. |
| Firefighters deal with fires in a variety of environments, | | | | If accepted on to a firefighter training program, you will |
| not limited to metropolitan areas, rural areas with | | | | spend about 600 hours in training, over the course of |
| grasslands and forests, airports, chemical plants and | | | | 12 to 14 weeks, learning how to become a firefighter. |
| industrial sites. In addition, they have assumed a range | | | | A combination of practical training and classroom |
| of other responsibilities, including emergency medical | | | | instruction will see you study firefighting techniques, fire |
| services. | | | | prevention, hazardous materials control, local building |
| Lots of people want to become a firefighter because | | | | codes, and emergency medical procedures, including |
| it is challenging and offers an opportunity to perform an | | | | first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). |
| essential public service. It is therefore not surprising that | | | | On completion of the training program, you are |
| there is intense competition for firefighter positions | | | | assigned to a fire company, where you undergo a |
| when they become available. | | | | period of probation. During this time you will be on |
| How to become a firefighter varies somewhat | | | | active duty and will be carrying out the same tasks as |
| depending on where a firefighting department is | | | | a normal firefighter would. At the end of the probation |
| located, but general application requirements to enter a | | | | period, if you have performed to a high enough |
| training program are to: be at least 18 years old | | | | standard, you will officially become a fully qualified |
| (sometimes 21); be physically fit; have a clean criminal | | | | firefighter |
| record. | | | | $30,000 is the current average salary received, though |
| Personal qualities that are sought are mental alertness, | | | | experience and working overtime can significantly |
| self-discipline, courage, mechanical aptitude, endurance, | | | | increase this amount. Additional benefits usually include |
| strength, and a sense of public service. Initiative and | | | | vacation and sick leave, and medical insurance. |
| good judgment also are extremely important. | | | | Pension plans providing retirement at half pay after 25 |
| The majority of firefighters have a high school diploma, | | | | years of service, or if you are disabled in the line of |
| however, the completion of community college | | | | duty, are also normally on offer. |
| courses, or in some cases, an associate degree, in fire | | | | To progress to senior positions, you need to acquire |
| science will significantly improve your job prospects. | | | | expertise in advanced firefighting techniques, building |
| An increasing number of colleges and universities now | | | | construction, public speaking, management and public |
| also offer courses leading to 2 or 4 year degrees in | | | | relations. Usually, after becoming a firefighter, the first |
| fire engineering. | | | | promotion is to engineer, then lieutenant, captain, |
| Both a written exam and a physical test must be | | | | battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and, finally, |
| passed before you are accepted on to a training | | | | chief. |