Germansville Pennsylvania Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name suggests, Firefighters are individuals who basically save people or other things from fire through fighting it. They are picked among the best to risk their lives in rescue operations. Just like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer jeopardizing their lives to save another. Right after hearing so much of praise regarding these brave people, you must have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Germansville Pennsylvania
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Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Germansville?

If you value your work, sometimes you feel like you’re not working anymore. Having said that, passion is not enough to sustain a lifestyle. Everybody requires a financial backing to help them live life the way they deem fit. That is why when you select a career to pursue, it is unquestionable that you think also how much money you could earn from it. For a few, it’s the only motivation in the morning to get up and go to work. People in the community service sector do not get paid as much. However, they do have a sense of achievement at the end of the day. {Let us see how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let’s figure out the wages of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Germansville Pennsylvania
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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Somewhere around $49,000 is the mean yearly 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 qualification or his abilities and experience. As we go more, you will know factors affecting income.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major aspect in figuring out someone’s salary. 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 any other places. Currently, New York pays their firemen the most at about 70% above the national mean. However, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Germansville Pennsylvania
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Educational Level

In case you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you will be qualified to apply being a firefighter. In this field of firefighting, having gained a college degree is advantageous. Here’s Two main reasons why. This will show you have the required understanding and know-how in firefighting. Another one is for the department to invest less on you before becoming an asset in the government. Bringing on paying you more. A bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree in fire science can 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 determining someone’s income. If a firefighter has a field experience of around Twenty years, his income may rise to 50% That percentage is quite as compared with other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have got the same duration of experience.

Accreditation and Training

Even the basics of EMT, it’s still required by a fireman. On the other hand, aside from learning the fundamental, you can go further and learn the advanced certifications. Having these credentials provides you a greater chance of gaining more. It also gives you a “Plan B” if you do decide to change careers later.

Industry

At the end of the day, your employer signs your paycheck. Per BLS records, it is not the government employers who pay firefighters more, but it is the private companies. This includes companies which deal with waste management, coal as well as oil production, and 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 having a government work is that there’s a lot of other advantages that come with it. Being a firefighter, you certainly get perks like dental as well as health insurance. But you also get covered sick leaves and reimbursement for some specific tuition fees. The exact benefits vary from department to department.

As you could see, the monetary scope of a fireman is not as nice as that of a health care professional. However a fireman has the accolades of an instant savior. Therefore, if you want to be that hero, figure out the prerequisites to be a firefighter now!

Germansville Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Germansville Pennsylvania
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The job outlook is a vital aspect while determining which profession to get into. You would not want to pick your favorite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You could find out such information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is definitely on the rise since because of the growing population. Therefore, 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 america. There’s a steady advancement 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. But, this also implies that there would be that much more individuals hoping to get the job too. Hence, there would be some competition. This is primarily because of the low education specifications and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be very high, but 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 Germansville Pennsylvania
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How To Become A Firefighter

You need to follow a specific procedure to join any career. Primary requirement is you must have the necessary education. You should have your diploma or you will never get hired. As being a firefighter, there aren’t too many education prerequisites that you need to have. Beside, education you must pass other assessments like physical, medical and legal test. We’ll go further in details to much better understand the prerequisites.

Educational Qualification

High school diploma and a degree in advanced schooling are the fundamental prerequisites to be qualified as being a firefighter. Subjects you gained do not matter much. Nevertheless, having some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. Which will give you a backgrounder of the profession you’re about to enter.

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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’s a primary reason why most of the aspirants are not be eligible right after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a big plus if you are planning to join the field. Courses which educate you on how to save people, handle hydraulic devices like ladders or other related things are a major plus.

It’s optional, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The former ones are needed to get promoted to higher positions. While earning your education, you always keep in mind that age limit qualification of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified too. That is why you should not over focus on having too much education so as to meet the requirements.

Paramedic Training

All of the firefighters must have this EMT certification. The one required is the EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they know very well what to undertake in the event of fires or in accidents. 12 months is required to be able to finish this training. Should you decided to become a paramedic at later time, you must gain education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. The benefits of entering this direction are possible increase in salary or added edge over other applicants. Additionally, there are a few medical specialist firefighters who are able to take better care of people after they have already been rescued from the fires.

Pennsylvania State Driving License

Many states need the candidates to be able to drive. A drivers license to every candidate is necessary so they could be useful in case of emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is out there. It also serves as an ID proof to validate the applicant’s age.

Free of Legal Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as meticulously as police officers. Similar to policemen, firefighters also undertake lifestyle check just before getting employed. To get hired, the firefighters could not have a criminal record. If its found that there was one, or the firefighter was previously arrested, then that candidate is instantly disqualified. Nevertheless, there are cases where a pardoned individual of his crimes are approved but not all department practice that.

Germansville Physical Requirements

Firefighters must be physically active to perform thier responsibility all the time. Instances like lifting fire victims or even objects to free victims arise quite often in rescue tasks, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is vital. They are also supposed to possess the high endurance to cope with the excessive running around they must do. No one become a firefighter without undergoing heavy and extremely thorough physical examinations.

Germansville Medical Requirements

Suffocations in rescue missions happen and firefighters know how to handle it. They are normally supplied with masks to help them manage such situations but not always are they so fortunate. When you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. Consequently, candidates are checked properly for any such diseases which may cause them harm in such cases.

There a number of boxes that must be ticked while picking out a firefighter. If you feel you tick these boxes, then go and find out how long it will take you to become a firefighter!

What Does a Germansville Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They’re also in control of rescue operations for common daily troubles. This means that the image of firefighters saving a kitten stuck on a tree usually shown on televisions is in fact true. Aside from the normal job they do, firefighters help educate people to prevent fire from occurring. They also carry out the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its source or cause.

Extinguishing Fires

Clearly, fire extinguishing is their main task. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as quickly as possible. When they get a phone call, they rush to the area in one of their firetrucks which may contain hoses or ladders. There are also fire trucks that are utilized for taking wounded fire victims.

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Firefighting is a team work. Each and every member already has its specified task. Some people are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue operations. Others are in command of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. These individuals work under the order of their respected commanding officers. Given that they work in shifts, every unit has their own commanding officer.

Saving People

A certification in EMT is required to all firefighters. This is important given that one of the major tasks of the firefighters are to save people. A firefighter might need this technical skills if a victim is cornered in fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are situations that a fireman comes first in the scene. Casualties possibly caused natural phenomena or road accidents. Firefighter should work to rescue the victim. Sometimes a firefighter is also a knowledgeable paramedic helping them provide better healthcare to the victims.

Teach People

Firefighters are usually knowledgeable in fire sciences. The amount of knowledge depends on which degree they have pursued in the area or which course they have studied. By sharing what they know, they help individuals by educating them how to prevent fire from going on. Firefighters usually do it right after visiting an extinguished fire scene. Or else, they also go to schools and also other areas to positively educate individuals about fires, how to prevent fires and if necessary, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

It is also very important to understand the source of fire. They need to distinguish what caused it so they can avoid further such circumstances. Cases like criminals set the first to blow up are probable. Working with police officers, it’s firefighter’s job to find out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. There are firefighters who are also called arson investigators which are experts fire investigation. Along with the law enforcement, they work to check into possible arsonists.

As you could see, there is a large number of reasons to call these people our everyday heroes. While extinguishing fires in different places, they ignite one in our hearts. Consequently, if you think you would like to be like them, begin filling up the list!