Grand Junction Colorado Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are skillfully trained people to save lives as well as properties in case of fire. They’re strong people who can do rescue actions with style as well as panache. Similar to any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer jeopardizing their lives to save another. You see the accolades these professionals acquire, would you not like to become like these fearless firefighters?

firefighter career summary Grand Junction Colorado
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Money Does A Firefighter Make In Grand Junction?

People say that work does not seem like work anymore if you value what you do. Nevertheless, this passion is not enough to provide your finances such as basic needs and life style. Everybody requires a financial backing to help them live life the way they think fit. Consequently, in terms of choosing a profession, individuals are always curious about the amount of they might gain from it. For some, it is 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. But income is not their basis of pleasure and fulfillment. {Let us see how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us determine the income of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Grand Junction Colorado
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

[asd_program_button /]

The mean annual income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median around $46,000. There are various factors that affect this number including the size of the population as well as the education that a firefighter has undergone. Below is a listing of these aspects and how they could increase or decrease your wage being a firefighter.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major factor in determining someone’s income. This is because of a number of components like – population size, availability of firemen and frequency of fighters. A place exactly where spontaneous wildfires are likely, have a higher need for firemen than other areas. Currently, New York pays their firemen the most at around 70% above the national mean. On the contrary, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Grand Junction Colorado
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Education Qualification

If you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you will be qualified to apply as being a firefighter. In this area of firefighting, having attained a college degree is advantageous. Here’s 2 reasons why. This shows you have the required understanding and know-how in firefighting. The second is that the government will need to invest considerably less on you to develop you as an asset. Therefore, they can afford to pay you more. In case you have a degree, whether it is a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that would help you acquire added benefit. How much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Working Experience

Work experience is certainly the determining aspect of how much an employee should earn. As being a firefighter, your revenue can rise about 50% with experience in the field of Twenty years. This is quite high when compared to other careers which usually see a 15-20% rise in the same length of time.

Accreditations

Being a fireman, you will have to learn the basics of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, apart from learning the fundamental, you can go further and learn the advanced accreditations. Possessing these credentials gives you a higher chance of earning more. It also provides 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 out firefighters more, but it’s the private contractors. Included are firms handling production in oil, production of metal products and waste management. No matter, the local as well as state government are still in need of firefighting people.

Other Advantages

If you are a government personnel, one of the advantages you get is the benefits you could claim. As being a firefighter, you certainly get benefits like dental and medical insurance. You can also avail sick leave benefits. The exact advantages differ from department to department.

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

Grand Junction Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Grand Junction Colorado
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

The job outlook is an essential aspect while determining which career to get into. You wouldn’t want to choose your favorite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a couple of 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 ever-growing population. Consequently, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us discover.

[asd_program_button /]

There are presently about 300,000 firemen appointed in america. There is a steady advancement of 5% for the next several years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal profession. This means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. However, this also means that there will be that much more people hoping to get the job too. Therefore, there would be some competition. This is mainly due to the low education requirements and the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be quite high, but the advantages make up for that. It’s approximated that there may be about 100 people competing for the same job by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Grand Junction Colorado
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Steps To Becoming a Firefighter

Just like any other expert career to pursue, a procedure is crucial to follow. Primary requirement is you need to have the necessary education. Without these specifications, hardly any employer would be happy to hire you. As a firefighter, there aren’t too many education requirements that you need to possess. Alongside, education you need to pass other assessments like physical, medical and legal test. Let us explore these in detail.

Educational Qualification

The fundamental requirement to become a firefighter is to complete high school and have a relevant degree. The subjects usually do not matter as such. But if you have fire fighting related subjects earned, that would be useful. It will also educate you on how to be a more efficient firefighter.

[asd_program_search_bar /]

A lot of those who planned to become a firefighter, they choose to pursue a degree in college right after earning their diploma in high school. You need to be at least EIGHTEEN years old to meet the age requirement. That’s a primary reason why many of the aspirants aren’t be eligible after graduating in high school. If you wish to have choices later if you choose to be a firefighter, much better select a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree chosen that show you how to save lives, operate devices required in firefighting along with other related technical issues.

It’s optional, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The graduate studies you attain can help you land a promotion. While gaining your education, you always remember that age limitation requirement of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified as well. Thus, if you want to spend most of your life as being a firefighter, you shouldn’t concentrate too much on education.

Required Training in Paramedic

All the firefighters need to have this EMT certification. It could be either of these 2, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This helps firefighters tend to victims in accidents or fires. The training might last for up to 1 year. If one desires, they can decide to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and become a paramedic. The advantages of entering this direction are possible upsurge in income or added edge over other applicants. Additionally, there are some medical specialist firefighters who can take better care of people after they have been rescued from the fires.

Qualified to Drive Vehicle In Colorado State

In many states, employing of firefighter needs an applicant to possess experience in driving. A driving license to each candidate is needed so they can be useful in case of emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. The driver’s license also verify other info required in application like for instance the age.

Legal Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as thoroughly as police officers. Similar to policemen, firefighters also undergo lifestyle check before getting hired. To get employed, the firefighters could not have a criminal history. If you feel you have previous records, then much better not to pursue this profession as you will right away be disqualified. On the other hand, there are situations where a pardoned individual of his offences are recognized but not all department perform that.

Grand Junction Physical Prerequisites

One of the main characteristics that a firefighter must have is physical durability. They should have the high upper body strength to be able to lift objects and individuals to help them in rescue situations. Not only body strength is need, firefighter’s endurance must be high as they have to deal lots of factors like running even in harsh surroundings. All firefighters undergo strenuous physical tests both in the academy and before it.

Grand Junction Medical Specifications

Suffocations in rescue tasks happen and firefighters know how to deal with it. They are usually supplied with masks to help them handle such scenarios but not always are they so fortunate. Individuals having respiratory problems could not operate such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating situations. As a result, candidates are checked properly for any such illnesses that may cause them harm in such scenarios.

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

Grand Junction Firefighter Job Description

Firefighters are your everyday heroes who work together to set out fires and also help people when they get stuck in such circumstances. They’re around in rescue tasks you see in common incidents, not just fire. Which means that the image of firefighters saving a kitten stuck on a tree usually shown on televisions is really true. Apart from this, they’re also accountable for instructing people to prevent further fires. In certain cases, they’re supposed to check causes of fire and dig deep in to the case because of the possibility of an arsonist.

Putting Out Fires

Clearly, fire extinguishing is their main work. They are always in check waiting for a call for their assistance. When they do get a phone call, they rush to the location in one of their firetrucks which might contain hoses or ladders. Several of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver injured people.

[asd_program_button /]

At the scene of the fire, every individual has a different job. Some individuals are in charge of controlling the ladder and rescue operations. Others are in command of controlling the water flow as well as extinguishing the fire. These individuals work under the control of their respected commanding officers. They work in shiftings, because of that, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

All firefighters should be qualified as an EMT. Considering that the primary job of the rescuer is to save lives, it is vital that a firefighter has this EMT. A firefighter might need this technical know-how if a victim is trapped in fires. Not all rescue operations are fire related. Firemen or maybe 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 several other reasons. Firefighter should work to save the victim. Oftentimes a firefighter is also a qualified paramedic assisting them provide better health care to the victims.

Educating People

Firefighters are commonly knowledgeable in fire sciences. Their know-how may vary as to how more firefighters follow this field. Consequently, they help a lot of the people by educating them about ways to avoid fires. This is commonly performed right after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. Otherwise, they also go to schools and also other areas to positively educate people about fires, how to avoid fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Fire Investigation

It is also very important to be aware of the source of fire. Understanding the causes can help firefighters avoid fire for the same situation happen again. Cases like criminals set the first to blow up are probable. 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 called arson investigators that are skilled fire investigation. They work with the police to catch arsonists.

As you can see, there’s a wide number of reasons to call these people our everyday heroes. While extinguishing fires in several places, they ignite one in our hearts. So, if learning about their duties fired you up, see what education requirements you have to become one!