About Michael Expertise I am a firefighter, fire inspector, public educator, emergency medical
technician and public information officer with 14 years of experience in
emergency services. My goal is to help you find the answers to your
questions.
Question What is the best way to becoming a firefighter?
I am currently in the Army (MP) and would like to become a firefighter when I ETS in 2007. I am also interested in becoming a fire investigator sometime down the road but I am unsure of what kind of educational background that entails. I currently have a B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I am looking at going back to school for Fire Protection Engineering (however, I will have to practically start all over with Math and Physics). But for right now I am just interested in fire fighting. Forest fire fighter mainly. Any suggestions?
Answer Hello and thank you for your question. I know very little about forest firefighting, but if you don't mind, I will give an overview of emergency services as the answer to your question.
Everyone will have a similiar, but different path to take. My brother suffered a traumatic brain injury in 1992 and hence my interest in emergency services. I was a volunteer firefighter for about 1.5 years before I took my first career position with a fire department. I worked on my certifications while I was a volunteer and that helped me pay my way. Tweek your path according to your needs!
The emergency service field is very competitive! Dependent upon locale, your starting options will vary. Some, but not all, departments hire strictly entry-level candidates with no experience or training in emergency services; however, many departments require Firefighter I and/orEMT certification. The entry level departments generally pick the candidate they like and train them from within their department and the others pick up those with training and/or experience and just acclimate them to their particular fire department and its operating policies and procedures.
Firefighter I certification is a nationally recognized requirement that was created and maintained by the National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org). Talk with your local or prospective fire department about when, where and how to obtain certification.
Some departments require the Fire Service Entrance Exam (FSEE). The FSEE is offered to people seeking positions with fire departments or any entity that requires completion of the FSEE before submitting an application. The FSEE is a standardized test for assessing a person's basic aptitude for the position of firefighter. The test does not assess a person's knowledge of the fire service or firefighting.
EMT certification varies from state to state, but many states grant reciprocity for National Registry EMT-B certification. NREMT is on the web at www.nremt.org. Once again, check with either your local fire department and/or emergency medical service about when, where and how to obtain the proper certification for your area.
The age requirements vary as well. Two of the most common minimum age requirements are 18 and 21.
I am by no means a personal trainer, but will give you an overview of possible physical requirements. The physical requirements vary from department to department. Some require successful completion of a physical agility test (again, varies from department to department, but generally the components of these tests mimic tasks performed in the actual job like hose drags or carries, striking a sledgehammer or axe against a moveable sled or immovable object, manikin drag simulating a rescue, etc.) or wellness test. One standard test is called the Candidate Physical Ability Test or CPAT (http://www.floridafirejobs.org/cpat/CPAT.pdf). Overall physical well-being is a must! Check out http://cms.firehouse.com/content/section/content.jsp?sectionId=11 to see FDNY Firefighter Jim Stefano's take on fitness.
As a college graduate, I cannot express the importance of higher education. I think that the college experience, as a whole, is invaluable (personal opinion). Generally an associate degree in fire science or administration isn't required for entry-level, but it sure does look nice. Many progressive departments require a fire-related associate degree for promotion below the rank of Chief and require a bachelor degree, at minimum, for promotion to a Chief's rank. Degree types range from business administration to public administration to general topic degrees.
Oklahoma State University offers fire service-related bachelor degree programs - OSU is known for its fire service training program. Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, Kansas(southwest Kansas
City) has a solid associate degree program in fire service administration. Type in OSU and JCCC in your internet browser and check out their websites.
Volunteering may be a good avenue to pursue. You may get some or all of your training paid for if you find the right fire department to volunteer with.
The salaries vary from area to area. If a fire department is city or county government funded, you may check the salary ranges for a specific fire department by contacting their human resources department. In most cases, base salary, top salary and benefits are public record.
Check out all of your options and continue to ask questions!
Emergency services is rewarding and firefighting is only about 5-10% of the actual job. Most of the job is emergency medical and rescue calls.
There is a downside though, to me and what I find disturbing about the job is that overall we are one of the worst countries in the industrialized world in fire deaths per capita!According to Tri-Data Corporation we are only second to Hungary in fire deaths. This is 100% unacceptable for a country with all of our technology and resources. Fire prevention and public education are the keys to reducing these numbers.
What I like most about the job is having the ability to help someone who can't help themself. You don't receive a lot of kudos for deeds, but when you do it makes you feel great!
Emergency service people are generally good decision makers, quick thinkers, like to learn, compassionate, capable of working in harsh environments and personable.
