By definition, firefighters are expertly trained people to save lives and properties in case of fire. They are picked among the best to risk their lives in rescue actions. Normally loved by women, these pros aren’t scared of anything and literally lay down their lives everyday just like policemen. Right after hearing so much of praise about these brave individuals, you should have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.
Table Of Contents
- Average firefighter salary
- Firefighter career outlook
- How to become a firefighter
- Firefighter job description
How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Mercer?
People express that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you value what you do. Having said that, passion is not enough to sustain a life-style. Everybody requires a financial backing to help them live life the way they think fit. That is why when you select a profession to pursue, it is indisputable that you think also how much money you could earn from it. For some, it is the only motivation each morning to get up and go to work. People in the community service sector don’t get paid as much. But income is not their basis of joy and satisfaction. {Let’s find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us find out the income of a firefighter.
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Around $49,000 is the mean annual income a firefighter would make. A median of around $46,000 is the median. There are various factors which affect this number including the size of the population and also the education that a firefighter has gone through. Below is a listing of these components and how they could increase or decrease your income as being a firefighter.
Location Matters
Firefighter’s salary can be decided by the location of the department you’re designated. This is due to a few components like – population size, availability of firemen and frequency of fighters. An area exactly where fire occurs regularly is likely to get higher salary in comparison to less occurrence of fire areas. New York has the greatest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. While Columbia pays the cheapest at 38%.
Education Level
To become a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course relevant to fire science in high school. On the other hand, education is highly valued in this area. Here’s 2 reasons why. This will show you have the needed understanding as well as knowledge 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. If you have a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that will help you acquire added benefit. A master’s degree might help a lot more.
Length of Work Experience
Experience is usually a major key in determining someone’s revenue. Being a firefighter, your revenue can rise about 50% with experience in the field of 20 years. This is extremely high when compared to other jobs which commonly see a 15-20% rise in the same amount of time.
Accreditation and Training
Being a fireman, you will have to know the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and become a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Having these credentials gives you a higher chance of earning more. Besides, this also gives you another option should you decide shift careers later.
Industry
At the end of the day, your employer signs your paycheck. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the biggest paying employers for this career aren’t the government but private companies. This includes companies which deal with waste management, coal and oil production, and metal product production. Nonetheless, the local and the state government still employ the most number of firefighters.
Other Advantages
Among the best things about possessing a government job is that there’s a bunch of other rewards that are included with it. Being a firefighter, you definitely get perks like dental as well as medical insurance. You may also get sick leave benefits. The exact advantages vary from department to department.
Being a doctor may have a greater earning in comparison with being a fireman. But a fireman has the accolades of an instant savior. Consequently, if you wish to be that hero, find out the prerequisites to become a firefighter now!
Mercer Firefighter Employment Outlook
The job outlook is an essential aspect while deciding which career to get into. You wouldn’t wish to choose your favourite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You can find out such info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is always on the rise since because of the growing population. Therefore, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find out.
[asd_program_button /]There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There is a steady advancement of 5% for the next few years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal career. This means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. Nonetheless, this also implies that there would be that much more people hoping to get the job also. Therefore, there will be some competition. This is primarily due to the low education requirements and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be extremely high, but the advantages make up for that. It’s estimated that there might be about 100 individuals competing for the same job by 2024.
How To Become A Firefighter
Just like any other professional career to go after, a process is imperative to follow. The most significant part of these procedures would be to complete the education specifications. You need to have your diploma or you will never get employed. Being a firefighter, there are not too many education prerequisites that you have to possess. Nonetheless, there are many other requirements like physical, medical as well as legal that you needs to have to be approved for being a firefighter. We will go further in details to much better understand the requirements.
Educational Requirements
High school diploma along with a degree in higher education are the basic requirements to be qualified as a firefighter. The subjects really do not matter as such. Nonetheless, possessing some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also educate you on how to become a more effective firefighter.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Many of those who intended to become a firefighter, they decide to pursue a degree in college after earning their diploma in high school. The minimum age qualification is EIGHTEEN years. That is one good reason why many of the aspirants aren’t be eligible after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a big plus if you are planning to be a part of the field. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree chosen that educate you on how to save lives, operate devices required in firefighting along with other related technical issues.
If wanted, you may also decide to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The former ones are required to get promoted to better positions. While earning your education, you always keep in mind that age limitation qualification of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified as well. Consequently, if you wish to spend most of your life as a firefighter, you shouldn’t focus too much on education.
Paramedic Training
All of the firefighters need to have this EMT certification. The one needed is the EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they know what to complete in case there is fires or in accidents. One year is required in order to complete this training. If one desires, they can choose to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and be a paramedic. This will help them gain an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a better salary. Additionally, there are several medical professional firefighters who are able to take better care of individuals after they have already been rescued from the fires.
Wisconsin State Driving License
Many states require the candidates to be able to drive. A drivers license to every candidate is required so they could be useful in case of unexpected emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. It also serves as an ID proof to verify the applicant’s age.
Free of Criminal Record
In a few scenarios, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They undertake a comprehensive criminal background check before they are hired. To get hired, the firefighters could not have a criminal history. If you feel you possess previous records, then better to not pursue this profession as you will right away be disqualified. Nevertheless, there are instances where a pardoned individual of his violations are acknowledged however, not all department practice that.
Mercer Physical Prerequisites
Among the main features that a firefighter needs to have is physical durability. Scenarios like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise much of the time in rescue missions, therefore, firefighter’s upper body strength is vital. They’re also supposed to have the high endurance to cope with the excessive running around they must do. All firefighters endure strenuous physical tests both in the academy and before it.
Mercer Medical Requirements
Firefighters must cope with a lot of suffocating situations. Firefighters have masks to conquer those circumstances but even so, if have respiratory condition, this might hinder your chances. In case you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. That’s why it’s essential that an applicant should be clear from any of that respiratory conditions.
There a number of boxes that need to be ticked while selecting a firefighter. Indeed, the list is long, so learn how long will it take you become a firefighter!
What Really Does a Mercer Firefighter Do?
Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They are around in rescue missions 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 common job they are doing, firefighters help instruct people to avoid fire from occurring. In many cases, they’re supposed to examine sources of fire and dig deep in to the case because of the possibility of an arsonist.
Extinguishing Fires
Clearly, fire extinguishing is their primary work. They’re always in check waiting for a call for their assistance. When a distress call is received, firefighters together with their devices rush to the fire area to extinguish it. There are also fire trucks that are utilized for carrying injured fire victims.
[asd_program_button /]At the scene of the fire, every person has a distinct task. Some people are in charge of controlling the ladder and rescue operations. Others are in control of controlling the water flow as well as extinguishing the fire. These people work under the control of their respective commanding officers. They work in shifts, for that reason, every shifting unit has its corresponding officers.
Rescuing People
A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. This is required since one of the major tasks of the firefighters are to rescue people. Most of the time this comes in handy when looking after those who are cornered inside the fires. Having said that, not all rescue procedures that the firefighters undertake are fire related. There are instances that a fireman comes first in the scene. These casualties may be caused due to natural disasters, motor crashes or several other reasons. Firefighter has to work to rescue the victim. This is where a firefighters know-how in EMT will come in handy.
Teach People
Firefighters are usually knowledgeable in fire sciences. Their knowledge may vary as to how further firefighters follow this field. Therefore, they help most of the people by educating them about ways to prevent fires. This is normally done just after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. Or else, they also visit schools and other locations to actively educate people about fires, how to prevent fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.
Fire Investigation
It is also very important to understand the origin of fire. They need to distinguish what caused it so they can prevent further such circumstances. Cases like criminals set the first to explode are possible. It is then the job of the firefighters to investigate and provide more hints to the police officers about who started it. Firefighters expert in investigations related to fire are called arson investigators. Together with the law enforcement, they work to investigate possible arsonists.
There’s no doubt why we must not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. While extinguishing fires in different areas, they ignite one in our hearts. Therefore, if learning about their responsibilities fired you up, see what education requirements you have to become one!