Missoula Montana Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are professionally trained individuals to save lives as well as properties in case of fire. They’re strong individuals who can perform rescue operations with style as well as panache. Usually loved by girls, these pros aren’t afraid of anything and literally lay down their lives everyday like policemen. You see the accolades these experts acquire, would you not like to become like these courageous firefighters?

firefighter career summary Missoula Montana
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Money Does A Firefighter Make In Missoula?

People express that work does not seem like work anymore if you value what you do. However, passion is not more than enough to sustain a lifestyle. Everybody needs a financial resources to make them live life the way they deem fit. That is why when you pick a career to pursue, it’s unquestionable that you think also how much cash you could earn from it. For a few, it is the only motivation each morning to get up and go to work. People who perform community outreach do not earn much. On the other hand, they do have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. {Let us find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us figure out the income of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Missoula Montana
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

[asd_program_button /]

The mean yearly income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median somewhere around $46,000. There are many factors that affect this number such as the size of the population and the education that a firefighter has undergone. As we go further, you’ll figure out factors affecting income.

Location Matters

Firefighter’s wage can be determined by the location of the department you’re assigned. This is due to a few aspects like – population size, availability of firemen as well as frequency of fighters. A place where impulsive wildfires are likely, have a higher need for firemen than any other areas. New York has the highest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. On the contrary, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Missoula Montana
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Educational Qualification

If you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be qualified to apply being a firefighter. Nonetheless, education is highly valued in this area. There are two significant reasons for this. This will show you have the required understanding and know-how in firefighting. Another one is for the department to spend less on you just before becoming an asset in the government. Bringing on paying you more. In case you have a degree, may it be a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that would help you acquire added advantage. How much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Working Experience

Experience is commonly a major key in determining someone’s income. As a firefighter, your income can rise about 50% with experience in the field of Twenty years. That percentage is quite in comparison with other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have got the same duration of experience.

Certifications

Even the fundamentals of EMT, it’s still needed by a fireman. Nevertheless, apart from learning the fundamental, you can go more and learn the advanced certifications. Getting these credentials provides you a higher chance of earning more. Besides, this also gives you another option should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and finished, you need to receive your paycheck. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paying employers for this career are not the government but private contractors. Included are firms handling production in oil, manufacturing of metal products and also waste management. Regardless, the local and state government are still needing firefighting individuals.

Other Advantages

In case you are a government worker, an advantage you obtain is the benefits you can claim. You get the services such as insurance plan in your health or even dental check-up. You can also acquire sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, advantages may differ from what department you are into.

As you could see, the monetary scope of a fireman is not as good as that of a physician. Nonetheless, by the end of the day, you then become a hero in someone’s eyes. Consequently, if you wish to be that hero, find out the requirements to become a firefighter now!

Missoula Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Missoula Montana
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

The job outlook is a crucial aspect while choosing which career to get into. You would not wish to choose your favourite career choice simply to realize that it going down the drain in a couple of years. You will find out such information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is obviously on the rise since because of the growing population. Therefore, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us find out.

[asd_program_button /]

There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There is a steady development of 5% for the next few years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal profession. Which means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. Nevertheless, this also means that there will be that much more people looking to get the job as well. As a result, there will be some competition. This is mainly because of the low education requirements and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be extremely high, however the benefits make up for that. It’s approximated that there may be about 100 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Missoula Montana
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

How To be A Firefighter

Much like any other expert career to go after, a process is crucial to follow. The most significant part of these processes would be to complete the education requirements. Without these requirements, hardly any employer would be happy to hire you. Being a firefighter, there are not too many education prerequisites that you need to possess. Beside, education you must pass other tests like physical, medical and legal test. Let us explore these in detail.

Education Requirements

High school diploma and a degree in higher education are the basic specifications to be qualified being a firefighter. Subjects you gained don’t matter much. But, having some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. Which will give you a backgrounder of the profession you are about to enter.

[asd_program_search_bar /]

Right after high school, many individuals decide to get some formal college education in the field before they become a firefighter. The minimum age qualification is EIGHTEEN years. That’s one good reason why most of the aspirants aren’t be eligible right after graduating in high school. If you want to have choices later if you opt to become a firefighter, much better choose a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree picked that show you how to save lives, operate devices needed in firefighting and other related technicalities.

It is optionally available, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The former ones are needed to get promoted to greater positions. While gaining your education, you always keep in mind that age limitation requirement of 28 to 30 years of age limit for you to be qualified also. That’s why you must not over concentrate on acquiring too much education so as to meet the requirements.

Required Training in Paramedic

All the firefighters need to have this EMT certification. It can be either of these Two, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they really know what to perform in case of fires or in accidents. The training might last for up to 12 months. Should you chose to become a paramedic at later time, you should acquire education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. This will help them acquire an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a higher income. In some instances, fire victims rescued are attended by medical specialist which are firefighters too.

Montana State Driving License

In many states, hiring of firefighter needs an applicant to have experience in driving. A driving license to each candidate is needed so they could be useful in case of emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is out there. The driver’s license also verify other details needed in application just like for instance the age.

Clean Record

In certain cases, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They undertake an extensive criminal background check before they are hired. It completely needed that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal record. If you think you possess previous records, then much better to not pursue this profession as you will immediately be disqualified. People who were pardoned for their crimes are usually accepted, nevertheless, not all fire departments acknowledge such individuals.

Missoula Physical Prerequisites

Firefighters need to be physically fit to carry out thier duty all the time. Instances like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise quite often in rescue tasks, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is a must. They are also supposed to have the high endurance to deal with the excessive running around they should do. Nobody become a firefighter without going through heavy and extremely detailed physical assessments.

Free From Medical Conditions

Firefighters must deal with a lot of suffocating scenarios. They’re usually supplied with masks to help them deal with such scenarios but not always are they so fortunate. When you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. That’s why it’s a must that an applicant should be clear from any of that respiratory conditions.

When you fill up the forms, a lot of boxes need to be marked. If you really feel you tick these boxes, then go and find out how long it will take you to become a firefighter!

Missoula Firefighter Work Description

Firefighters are your everyday heroes who work together to set out fires and also help people when they get stuck in such circumstances. They’re around in rescue quests you see in common incidents, not just fire. The same as what you see in films, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Apart from the usual job they do, firefighters help teach people to avoid fire from happening. In many cases, they are supposed to examine causes of fire and dig deep into the case because of the chance of an arsonist.

Putting Out Fires

Certainly, fire extinguishing is their major job. When on-duty, these individuals stay in their firehouse to interact to a call as soon as possible. When they do get a phone call, they rush to the area in one of their firetrucks which may contain hoses or ladders. Several of the fire trucks are just meant to deliver wounded people.

[asd_program_button /]

Firefighting is a team work. Each and every member already has its designated job. Some individuals are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue actions. Others are in control of controlling the water flow as well as extinguishing the fire. These people work under the command of their respected commanding officers. They work in shifts, for that reason, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. This is necessary given that one of the major jobs of the firefighters are to rescue people. A firefighter might need this technical abilities if a victim is trapped in fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are instances that a fireman comes first in the scene. These casualties may be caused due to natural disasters, motor accidents or a few other reasons. The firefighters are supposed to work together and rescue the victims from additional harm. Oftentimes a firefighter is also a qualified paramedic helping them provide better healthcare to the victims.

Teach People

Firefighters are commonly knowledgeable in fire sciences. Their know-how may vary as to how further firefighters go after this field. By discussing what they know, they help individuals by teaching them how to avoid fire from going on. Firefighters commonly do it after visiting an extinguished fire scene. Otherwise, they also visit schools and also other locations to actively teach people about fires, how to avoid fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

It is also imperative to know the cause of fire. Knowing the causes can help firefighters prevent fire for the same scenario happen again. Oftentimes, it’s possible that criminals with vicious intent set such fires. It is then the job of the firefighters to investigate and provide more hints to the police officers about who started it. There are firefighters who’re also known as arson investigators that are skilled fire investigation. Along with the law enforcement, they work to investigate possible arsonists.

As you can see, there is a broad number of reasons to contact these people our everyday heroes. While extinguishing fires in different locations, they ignite one in our hearts. Consequently, if you think you would like to be like them, start filling up the list!