Belvidere Illinois Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are expertly trained people to save lives as well as properties in case of fire. They are chosen among the finest to risk their lives in rescue operations. Usually loved by girls, these pros are not frightened of anything as well as literally lay down their lives daily just like policemen. You see the accolades these experts get, would you not like to become like these bold firefighters?

firefighter career summary Belvidere Illinois
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Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Belvidere?

People say that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you love what you are doing. However, this passion is not enough to provide your finances such as basic needs as well as lifestyle. We all need money so we can move, after all money is everything. Therefore, with regards to choosing a career, people are always curious about how much they might gain from it. For a few, it’s the only motivation each morning to get up and go to work. Individuals who do community outreach do not earn much. Nonetheless, they do have a sense of achievement at the end of the day. {Let us see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let us find out the income of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Belvidere Illinois
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Somewhere around $49,000 is the mean yearly income a firefighter would make. A median of around $46,000 is the median. There are many factors which affect this number including the size of the population and the education that a firefighter has gone through. As we go further, you will find out aspects affecting earnings.

Location Matters

The precise location of the fire department is a main aspect in figuring out someone’s income. Factored to that would be the need of the population of fighters. An area just where fire occurs frequently will probably possess higher income compared to less event of fire places. New York has the greatest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. On the contrary, Columbia pays the smallest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Belvidere Illinois
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Education Level

If you have gone through a study in fire science in high school, you will be qualified to apply being a firefighter. However, education is highly valued in this area. There are 2 main reasons for this. One is the reason is evidence of your know-how in the field. The 2nd is that the government will have to expend considerably less on you to develop you as an asset. Resulting to paying you more. If you have a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that will help you gain added advantage. A master’s degree might help even more.

Working Experience

Experience is usually a major key in deciding someone’s earnings. As being a firefighter, your revenue can rise about 50% with experience in the field of 20 years. That percentage is quite in comparison with other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have got the same length of experience.

Accreditations

Even the fundamentals of EMT, it’s still needed by a fireman. However, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and be a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Having these credentials gives you a higher chance of earning more. Besides, this also gives you another choice should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

By the end of the day, your company signs your paycheck. Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paying employers for this job are not the government but private contractors. This includes firms which deal with waste management, coal and oil production, and also metal product manufacturing. However, the local and also the state government still hire the most number of firefighters.

Other Advantages

One of the best things about possessing a government job is that there’s a bunch of other rewards that come with it. As being a firefighter, you obviously get perks like dental and health insurance. You may also acquire sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, advantages may differ from what department you are into.

As you can see, the financial scope of a fireman is not as good as that of a health care professional. On the other hand, by the end of the day, you become a hero in someone’s eyes. Learn the prerequisites to becoming a firefighter and be the man, the fireman, the hero!

Belvidere Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Belvidere Illinois
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The job outlook is an important factor while determining which profession to get into. You would not want to choose your favourite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a couple of years. You can find out such info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is obviously on the rise since due to the growing population. So, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us find.

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

firefighter job outlook by state Belvidere Illinois
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How To be A Firefighter

You have to follow a specific procedure to join any profession. Main requirement is you should have the necessary education. You need to have your diploma or you’ll never get hired. As a firefighter, there aren’t too many education requirements that you have to have. Nevertheless, there are a lot of other needs like physical, medical and legal that one must have to be approved for being a firefighter. Let us explore these in detail.

Education Requirements

High school diploma along with a degree in higher education are the basic prerequisites to be qualified as a firefighter. Subjects you earned do not matter much. But, possessing some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also teach you how to be a more effective firefighter.

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Right after high school, most people 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 of the reasons why most of the aspirants aren’t be eligible after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a big plus in case you are planning to be a part of the field. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree picked that educate you on how to save lives, handle devices required in firefighting and also other related technical issues.

If wanted, you can also opt to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The former ones are needed to get promoted to better positions. While gaining your education, you always remember that age limitation qualification of 28 to 30 years of age limit for you to be qualified also. That’s why you shouldn’t over concentrate on acquiring too much education so as to qualify.

Paramedic Training

All the firefighters should have this EMT certification. It could be either of these Two, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This helps firefighters tend to victims in accidents or fires. One year is needed to be able to complete this training. Should you decided to be a paramedic at later time, you must acquire education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. This will help them acquire an edge over other applicants and hopefully, a greater earnings. Additionally, there are some medical specialist firefighters who can take better care of individuals after they have been rescued from the fires.

Illinois State Driving License

Many states require the candidates to be able to drive. Consequently, they require their candidates to be a licensed driver that might help them in case that person is needed to drive the firetruck to the area. It also serves as an ID proof to verify the applicant’s age.

Clean Record

In a few scenarios, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They undergo a comprehensive criminal background check before they are hired. To get employed, the firefighters could not have a criminal record. If it is found that there was one, or the firefighter was previously busted, then that applicant is instantly disqualified. People who were pardoned for their crimes are commonly accepted, nonetheless, not all fire departments acknowledge such people.

Physical Fitness

Among the main features that a firefighter must have is physical strength. Instances like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise much of the time in rescue missions, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is vital. Not only body strength is need to have, firefighter’s endurance should be high as they must deal lots of aspects like running even in harsh surroundings. All firefighters undergo strenuous physical assessments both in the academy and before it.

Belvidere Medical Requirements

Suffocations in rescue missions happen and firefighters know how to deal with it. Firefighters have face masks to overcome those scenarios but even so, if have respiratory condition, this might hinder your chances. People having respiratory problems could not handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating conditions. That is why it’s essential that an applicant should be clear from any of that respiratory conditions.

If you fill up the forms, lots of boxes need to be marked. If you feel you tick these boxes, then go and see how long it takes to become a firefighter!

What Does a Belvidere Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives to save other lives. They are around in rescue tasks you see in common incidents, not just fire. Just like what you see in films, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Aside from the usual job they do, firefighters help instruct individuals to prevent fire from going on. In many cases, they are supposed to inspect causes of fire and dig deep into the case because of the possibility of an arsonist.

Extinguishing Fires

Clearly, fire extinguishing is their major job. When on-duty, these individuals stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as soon as possible. When a distress call is got, firefighters together with their tools rush to the fire area to extinguish it. There are also fire trucks which are utilized for taking wounded fire victims.

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At the scene of the fire, every person has a distinct task. A certain firefighter maybe in control of handling the ladder and hose. Another firefighter is only for extinguishing the fire, while other carry out the rescue of fire victims. These people work under the command of their respected commanding officers. They work in shiftings, for that reason, every shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Saving People

A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. Considering that the primary task of the rescuer is to rescue lives, it is a must that a firefighter possesses this EMT. Most of the time this comes in handy when taking care of people who are cornered inside the fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. Firemen or firewomen are the first on the field with some police officers wherever there are any casualties. These casualties may be caused due to natural disasters, motor accidents or a few other reasons. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from further harm. This is where a firefighters know-how in EMT will come in handy.

Teaching People

Firefighters are usually knowledgeable in fire sciences. Their knowledge may vary as to how further firefighters pursue this field. Thus, they help a lot of the people by educating them about ways to prevent fires. Firefighters normally do it right after visiting an extinguished fire scene. Otherwise, they also go to schools and also other areas to actively educate people about fires, how to prevent fires and if necessary, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

To educate people regarding how to avoid fires, the firemen/firewomen should first find the source of the fire. They must identify what caused it so they can avoid further such circumstances. Instances like criminals set the first to explode are possible. Working together with police officers, it’s firefighter’s job to find out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations associated with fire are called arson investigators. Together with the police, they work to investigate possible arsonists.

As you could see, there is a broad number of reasons to contact these people our everyday heroes. They do rescue lives by extinguishing fires and they develop also our appreciation to them. Consequently, if learning about their responsibilities fired you up, see what education specifications you should become one!