Fairfield Connecticut Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name suggests, Firefighters are individuals who actually save people or other objects from fire simply by fighting it. They are strong people who can do rescue actions with style and panache. Just like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer jeopardizing their lives to save another. You see the accolades these experts get, would you not like to become like these bold firefighters?

firefighter career summary Fairfield Connecticut
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Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Fairfield?

If you love your work, sometimes you really feel like you are not working anymore. Nonetheless, 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 crucial. That is why when you go with a career to pursue, it is undeniable that you think also how much cash you can make from it. Genuinely, undeniably that’s the motivation you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job everyday. 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’s find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us figure out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Fairfield Connecticut
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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Somewhere around $49,000 is the mean annual income a firefighter makes. A median of around $46,000 is the median. The figures may vary based on the what state he is in or his education degree or his skills and experience. As we go more, you will figure out factors affecting salary.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major element in figuring out someone’s wage. Factored to that would be the need of the population of fighters. A place where spontaneous wildfires are likely, have a higher need for firemen than other locations. Currently, New York pays their firemen the most at around 70% above the national mean. While Columbia pays the lowest at 38%.

firefighter average salary by state Fairfield Connecticut
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Educational Qualification

To become a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course related to fire science in high school. However, education is extremely valued in this area. There are two significant reasons for this. This will show you have the required understanding and expertise in firefighting. 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. A bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree in fire science will help you advance your career as well as earn quite a bit more. How much more when you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Working Experience

Experience is usually a major key in deciding someone’s income. If a firefighter has a field experience of approximately 20 years, his earnings may rise up to 50% This is quite high when compared to other jobs which commonly see a 15-20% rise in the same amount of time.

Accreditation and Training

As being a fireman, you will have to learn the basics of EMT to even apply for the job. Nevertheless, aside from learning the fundamental, you can go further and learn the advanced accreditations. Possessing a deeper list of accreditations and trainings provide you with a chance of having a greater earnings. Besides, this also provides you another option should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and done, you have to receive your paycheck. Per BLS records, it is not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, but it is the private companies. Included are companies handling production in oil, manufacturing of metal products and waste management. No matter, the local and state government are still looking for firefighting individuals.

Other Advantages

If you’re a government personnel, an advantage you receive is the benefits you could claim. You get the services like insurance plan in your health or dental check-up. But you also get covered sick leaves and reimbursement for a few specific tuition fees. But then again, benefits may differ from what department you’re into.

Being a medical professional might have a greater earning in comparison with being a fireman. However, by the end of the day, you become a hero in someone’s eyes. So, if you would like to be that hero, know the requirements to be a firefighter now!

Fairfield Firefighter Employment Outlook

firefighter job outlook Fairfield Connecticut
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The job outlook is a crucial aspect while determining which profession to get into. You wouldn’t want to choose your favourite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You could find out such info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is definitely on the rise since due to the growing population. So, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find.

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There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There is a steady advancement of 5% for the next several years till 2024. This is the average growth rate of any normal career. Which means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. Nonetheless, this also means that there will be that much more people hoping to get the job too. As a result, there will be some competition. This is primarily because of the low education requirements and the attractions of a public service job. The pay might 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 Fairfield Connecticut
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How To be A Firefighter

One needs to follow a specific procedure to join any profession. The most crucial part of these processes would be to complete the education requirements. You should have your diploma or you’ll never get employed. As a firefighter, there are not too many education requirements that you need to have. Nevertheless, there are many other requirements like physical, medical and legal that one must have to qualify for being a firefighter. We will go further in details to much better understand the prerequisites.

Educational Requirements

The basic prerequisite to become a firefighter is to complete high school and get a relevant degree. Subjects you gained don’t matter much. But if you have fire fighting related subjects earned, that would be useful. That will provide you a backgrounder of the profession you are about to go into.

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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 requirement is 18 years. That’s a primary reason why many of the aspirants are not be eligible after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a huge plus in case you are planning to join the field. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree picked that educate you on how to save lives, operate machines required in firefighting and also other related technical issues.

It is optional, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The graduate studies you attain can assist you land a promotion. At the same time, keep in mind that the maximum age requirement is kept at 28-30 years of age. That’s why you must not over concentrate on getting too much education so as to qualify.

Paramedic Training

All the firefighters should have this EMT certification. The one needed is the EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they know very well what to complete in the event of fires or in accidents. The training might last for up to 1 year. If one desires, they can choose to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and become a paramedic. Some great benefits of going into this direction are possible increase in salary or added edge over other candidates. There are also some medical expert firefighters who are able to take better care of individuals after they have been rescued from the fires.

Qualified to Drive Vehicle In Connecticut State

In most states, employing of firefighter requires an applicant to possess experience in driving. A drivers license to each candidate is necessary so they could be useful in case of urgent situation where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. It also serves as an ID proof to confirm the applicant’s age.

Clean Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as thoroughly as police officers. They undergo an extensive background check before they are appointed. It definitely required that an aspiring firefighters must have a clean record, no criminal history. If you feel you have previous records, then better to not pursue this career as you will immediately be disqualified. Individuals who were pardoned for their crimes are normally accepted, on the other hand, not all fire departments acknowledge such individuals.

Physical Fitness

Firefighters need to be physically active to perform thier job at all times. They need to have the high upper body strength to be able to lift objects and people to help them in rescue cases. They’re also supposed to have the high endurance to deal with the excessive running around they need to do. Nobody become a firefighter without going through heavy and extremely detailed physical assessments.

Fairfield Medical Prerequisites

Firefighters should cope with a lot of suffocating scenarios. Firefighters have masks to overcome those situations but even so, if have respiratory condition, this might hinder your chances. Individuals having respiratory conditions could not handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating circumstances. That is why it’s a must that an applicant must be clear from any of that respiratory problems.

There a number of boxes that need to be ticked while choosing a firefighter. If you really feel you tick these boxes, then go and see how long it will take you to be a firefighter!

What Really Does a Fairfield Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They’re also in command of rescue actions for common everyday troubles. The same as what you see in films, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Besides this, they are also responsible for teaching people to avoid further fires. They also perform the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its origin or cause.

Putting Out Fires

This is the major function of firefighters. When on-duty, these individuals stay in their firehouse to respond to a call as quickly as possible. When they do get a phone call, they rush to the area in one of their firetrucks which might contain hoses or ladders. Several of the fire trucks are just meant to deliver harmed people.

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Firefighting is a team work. Each member already has its specified task. A certain firefighter maybe in control of handling the ladder and hose. Others are in control of controlling the water flow as well as extinguishing the fire. The same as any other team that has a leader ordering the operation, their group is headed by their commanding officer. They work in shiftings, for that reason, every shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

All firefighters are required to be qualified as an EMT. This is important given that one of the primary tasks of the firefighters are to save people. A firefighter may need this technical know-how if a victim is trapped in 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 accidents. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from further harm. This is where a firefighters knowledge in EMT will come in handy.

Teach People

Firefighters are normally educated in fire sciences. Their know-how may vary as to how more firefighters pursue this field. As a result, they help most of the people by educating them about ways to avoid fires. This is usually done just after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. In certain other circumstances also, they go to schools or other public places to teach and sometime do demo on what to do in case of fire.

Fire Investigation

Also, it is imperative to understand the origin of fire. They should distinguish what caused it so they could prevent further such circumstances. Oftentimes, it’s possible that criminals with malicious intent set such fires. Working with law enforcement officers, it’s firefighter’s task 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. Along 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. While extinguishing fires in several areas, they ignite one in our hearts. Consequently, if learning about their responsibilities fired you up, see what education prerequisites you have to become one!