Desert Hot Springs California Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are expertly trained individuals to save lives as well as properties in case of fire. They’re picked among the best to risk their lives in rescue operations. Normally loved by women, these professionals are not frightened of anything as well as literally lay down their lives daily just like policemen. Right after hearing so much of praise about these brave people, you need to have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Desert Hot Springs California
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Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Desert Hot Springs?

People express that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you value what you do. Nonetheless, this passion is not more than enough to provide your finances like basic needs as well as life-style. Everybody needs a financial resources to help them live life the way they deem fit. That is why when you go with a profession to pursue, it’s undeniable that you think also how much money you can make from it. Reality check, undeniably that’s the motivation you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job everyday. People who perform community outreach don’t earn much. But income is not really their basis of happiness and fulfillment. {Let’s see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let’s determine the wages of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Desert Hot Springs California
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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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. The figures may vary based on the what state he is in or his education qualification or his abilities and experience. As we go more, you’ll figure out aspects affecting earnings.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major factor in determining someone’s income. This is due to a number of components like – population size, availability of firemen and frequency of fighters. A place where impulsive wildfires are likely, have a higher need for firemen than other locations. New York has the greatest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. However, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Desert Hot Springs California
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Educational Qualification

If you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be eligible to apply as a firefighter. Nevertheless, education is extremely valued in this area. There are 2 main reasons for this. One is the reason is proof of your knowledge in the field. Another one is for the department to spend less on you before becoming an asset in the government. As a result, they could afford to pay you more. In case you have a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that will help you acquire added benefit. Just how much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Length of Work Experience

Career history is certainly the determining component of how much an employee must earn. In case a firefighter has a field experience of approximately Two decades, his revenue may rise up to 50% That percentage is quite as compared to other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have got the same duration of experience.

Certifications

As a fireman, you will have to learn the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. Nevertheless, apart from learning the basic, you can go more and learn the advanced certifications. Having these credentials provides you a better chance of generating more. It also gives you a “Plan B” if you do decide to change careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and finished, you need to receive your paycheck. Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paying employers for this career are not the government but private companies. This includes companies that deal with waste management, coal and oil production, and metal product production. Nonetheless, the local and also the state government still employ the most number of firefighters.

Other Advantages

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

As being a doctor may have a greater earning as compared to being a fireman. But a fireman has got the accolades of an instant savior. Therefore, if you want to be that hero, know the requirements to become a firefighter now!

Desert Hot Springs Firefighter Employment Outlook

firefighter job outlook Desert Hot Springs California
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The job outlook is an essential aspect while determining which profession to get into. You wouldn’t want to pick your favorite career choice just to realize that it going down the drain in a couple of years. You could find out such info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is obviously on the rise since because of the ever-growing population. Therefore, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us find.

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There are presently about 300,000 firemen employed in america. There’s a steady growth of 5% for the next couple of years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal career. This means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. But, this also implies that there would be that much more individuals looking to get the job also. As a result, there would be some competition. This is mainly due to the low education specifications and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay may not be very high, however the benefits make up for that. It’s estimated that there might be about 100 people competing for the same job by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Desert Hot Springs California
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

How To be A Firefighter

Much like any other expert career to go after, a procedure is essential to follow. Main requirement is you need to have the necessary education. Without these specifications, hardly any employer will be willing to hire you. As a firefighter, there are not too many education prerequisites that you have to have. Alongside, education you must pass other exams like physical, medical and legal test. We’ll go further in details to much better understand the prerequisites.

Education Requirements

The basic prerequisite becoming a firefighter would be to complete high school and have a relevant degree. The subjects really do not matter as such. Nonetheless, acquiring 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, a lot of people decide to get some formal college education in the field before they become a firefighter. The minimum age qualification is 18 years. Thus, one cannot elect to be a firefighter right out of high school. If you wish to have options later if you opt to be a firefighter, better select a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. Courses that educate you on how to save individuals, handle hydraulic tools like ladders or other related things are a major plus.

It’s optionally available, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The former ones are required to get promoted to better positions. While gaining your education, you always remember that age limitation qualification of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified as well. Consequently, if you want to spend most of your life as a firefighter, you shouldn’t concentrate too much on education.

Paramedic Training

All the firefighters must have this EMT certification. It can be either of these Two, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This will help firefighters tend to victims in accidents or fires. The training might last for up to one year. Should you chose to be a paramedic at later time, you should gain education in the area of Emergency Medical Services. Some great benefits of going into this direction are possible upsurge in salary or added edge over other applicants. Additionally, there are a few medical expert firefighters who can take better care of individuals after they have been rescued from the fires.

California State Driving License

In many states, hiring of firefighter requires an applicant to possess experience in driving. Consequently, they require their applicants to be a licensed driver that might help them when person is required to drive the firetruck to the area. It also functions as an ID proof to verify the applicant’s age.

Legal Record

In most cases, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They carry out a thorough background check before they are hired. It completely required that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal history. If you feel you have previous records, then much better to not pursue this career as you will instantly be disqualified. Individuals who were pardoned for their crimes are commonly accepted, nonetheless, not all fire departments admit such individuals.

Physical Fitness

Among the main characteristics that a firefighter must have is physical durability. They need to have the high upper body strength in order to lift objects and people to help them in rescue cases. Not just body strength is need, firefighter’s endurance should be high as they need to deal lots of aspects like running even in harsh environment. All firefighters undergo rigorous physical assessments both in the academy and before it.

Desert Hot Springs Medical Requirements

Suffocations in rescue tasks happen and firefighters know how to handle it. Firefighters have masks to conquer those scenarios but even so, if have respiratory condition, this may hinder your chances. If you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. That’s why it’s important that an applicant must be clear from any of that respiratory conditions.

There a number of boxes that need to be ticked while picking out a firefighter. Certainly, the list is long, so learn how long will it take you become a firefighter!

What Does a Desert Hot Springs Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives to save other lives. They’re around in rescue missions you see in common incidents, not only fire. The same as what you see in movies, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Aside from the normal job they are doing, firefighters help educate individuals to prevent fire from taking place. They also carry out the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its origin or cause.

Extinguishing Fires

This is the major role of firefighters. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as quickly as possible. When a distress call is received, firefighters together with their equipment rush to the fire location to extinguish it. A few of the fire trucks are just meant to deliver wounded people.

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At the scene of the fire, every person has a different task. A certain firefighter maybe in control of controlling the ladder and hose. Others are in command of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. These people work under the order of their respective commanding officers. They work in shifts, because of that, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

A certification in EMT is required to all firefighters. Since the major task of the rescuer would be to rescue lives, it is a must that a firefighter has this EMT. Much of the time this comes in handy when taking care of those who are stuck inside the fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are situations that a fireman comes first in the scene. Casualties maybe caused natural phenomena or road crashes. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from additional harm. This is where a firefighters knowledge in EMT will come in handy.

Teach People

Fire science is among the skills a firefighter possesses. The amount of know-how depends on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. By sharing what they know, they help people by educating them how to prevent fire from occurring. This is normally performed right after they visit a fire site as well as extinguish it. Otherwise, they also visit schools and other areas to positively educate people about fires, how to avoid fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

It is also important to know the origin of fire. Knowing the causes can assist firefighters avoid fire for the same scenario happen again. Sometimes, it is possible that criminals with vicious intent set such fires. Working together with law enforcement officers, it’s firefighter’s job to determine what causes the fire or who possibly started it. There are firefighters who are also known as arson investigators that specialize fire investigation. Together with the law enforcement, they work to check into possible arsonists.

There is no doubt why we must not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. They do save lives by extinguishing fires and they develop also our admiration to them. So, if you think you would like to be like them, begin filling up the list!