As the name suggests, Firefighters are individuals who actually save people or other things from fire simply by fighting it. They are picked among the finest to risk their lives in rescue operations. The same as any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer risking their lives to save another. You see the accolades these professionals get, would you not like to become like these courageous firefighters?
Table Of Contents
- Average firefighter salary
- Firefighter career outlook
- How to become a firefighter
- Firefighter job description
How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Independence?
If you value your work, sometimes you really feel like you’re not working anymore. On the other hand, passion is not more than enough to sustain a life-style. Everybody requires a financial resources to help them live life the way they think fit. That is why when you pick a profession to pursue, it is undeniable that you think also how much money you can make from it. For some, it is the only motivation each morning to get up and go to work. People in the community service sector don’t get paid as much. But income is not really their basis of joy and satisfaction. {Let’s find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us find out the earnings of a firefighter.
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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 degree or his abilities and experience. Below is a listing of these aspects and how they are able to increase or decrease your wage as a firefighter.
Location Matters
Firefighter’s income can be decided by the place of the department you’re designated. This is because of a number of aspects like – population size, availability of firemen and frequency of fighters. A location where fire occurs frequently probably will possess higher income compared to less event of fire areas. Presently, New York pays their firemen the most at about 70% above the national mean. However, Columbia pays the lowest at 38% below the national average.
Education Level
To be a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course related to fire science in high school. On the other hand, education is highly valued in this field. There are 2 major reasons for this. One is that it is proof of your expertise in the field. Another one is for the department to invest less on you before becoming an asset in the government. Resulting to paying you more. A bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree in fire science will help you advance your career and earn a lot more. Just how much more when you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.
Length of Work Experience
Experience is mostly a major key in determining someone’s revenue. In case a firefighter has a field experience of around Two decades, his income may rise to 50% This is extremely high when compared to other jobs which commonly see a 15-20% rise in the same amount of time.
Accreditations
As a fireman, you will have to know the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit more and become a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Possessing a deeper list of certifications and trainings give you a chance of getting a better salary. Besides, this also gives you another choice should you opt shift careers later.
Industry
At the end of the day, your company signs your paycheck. Per BLS records, it is not the government employers who pay firefighters more, but it’s the private companies. This includes firms that handle waste management, coal and oil production, and metal product manufacturing. No matter, the local and state government are still needing firefighting individuals.
Other Benefits
If you are a government employee, an advantage you receive is the benefits you could claim. You get the services like insurance in your health or even dental check-up. You can also get sick leave benefits. The exact benefits vary from department to department.
As you could see, the monetary scope of a fireman is not as good as that of a physician. But a fireman has the accolades of an instant savior. Therefore, if you would like to be that hero, know the prerequisites to be a firefighter now!
Independence Firefighter Employment Outlook
The job outlook is a vital aspect while determining which career to get into. You wouldn’t wish to select your favorite career choice just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You can 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 ever-growing population. Consequently, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find.
[asd_program_button /]There are presently about 300,000 firemen employed in america. There is a steady development of 5% for the next several years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal profession. Which means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. However, this also implies that there will be that much more individuals looking to get the job as well. Thus, there would be some competition. This is mainly because of the low education specifications and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be quite high, but the benefits make up for that. It’s approximated that there might be about 100 people competing for the same position by 2024.
How To Become A Firefighter
You have to follow a particular procedure to join any career. Main requirement is you should have the necessary education. Without these requirements, hardly any employer would be willing to hire you. As being a firefighter, there are not too many education prerequisites that you need to have. Beside, education you must pass other examinations like physical, medical as well as legal test. Let us explore these in detail.
Educational Requirements
High school diploma along with a degree in higher education are the fundamental prerequisites to be qualified being a firefighter. Subjects you gained don’t matter much. But if you have fire fighting related subjects earned, that would be very helpful. It will also educate you on how to be a more efficient firefighter.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Right after high school, many individuals choose to get some formal college education in the field before they will become a firefighter. You need to be at least 18 years old to meet the age requirement. That’s one of the reasons why most of the aspirants are not be eligible right after graduating in high school. If you would like to have options later if you choose to become a firefighter, much better choose a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree chosen that educate you on how to save lives, handle equipment needed in firefighting and other related technical issues.
If desired, you can also decide to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The former ones are needed to get promoted to bigger positions. At the same time, bear in mind that the maximum age qualification is kept at 28-30 years of age. That’s why you should not over concentrate on acquiring too much education to be able to meet the requirements.
Paramedic Training
All the firefighters must 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 case of fires or in accidents. A year is required to be able to finish this training. If one desires, they could choose to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and become a paramedic. This helps them gain an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a better income. There are also some medical specialist firefighters who are able to take better care of people after they have been rescued from the fires.
Oregon State Driving License
In many states, hiring of firefighter needs an applicant to have experience in driving. A driving license to every candidate is needed so they could be useful in case of urgent situation where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. It also functions as an ID proof to verify the applicant’s age.
Legal Record
In certain scenarios, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. The same as policemen, firefighters also undertake life-style check before getting hired. It completely required that an aspiring firefighters must have a clean record, no criminal history. If you feel you have previous records, then better not to pursue this profession as you will right away be disqualified. People who were pardoned for their crimes are usually accepted, on the other hand, not all fire departments admit such individuals.
Independence Physical Requirements
One of the main attributes that a firefighter needs to have is physical strength. Instances like lifting fire victims or even objects to free victims arise most of the time in rescue missions, therefore, firefighter’s upper body strength is crucial. They’re also supposed to possess the high endurance to cope with the excessive running around they need to do. No one become a firefighter without going through heavy and extremely comprehensive physical assessments.
Free From Health Conditions
Suffocations in rescue missions happen and firefighters learn how to deal with it. They are normally provided with masks to help them cope with such situations but not always are they so lucky. If you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. As a result, applicants are checked properly for any such diseases that may cause them harm in such situations.
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 be a firefighter!
Independence Firefighter Job Description
Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They’re around in rescue tasks you see in common incidents, not just fire. The same as what you see in movies, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Apart from the usual job they do, firefighters help teach individuals to avoid fire from going on. In certain cases, they are supposed to examine sources of fire and dig deep in to the case because of the possibility of an arsonist.
Extinguishing Fires
Certainly, fire extinguishing is their primary job. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as quickly as possible. When a distress call is got, firefighters along with their devices rush to the fire location to extinguish it. Some of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver wounded people.
[asd_program_button /]Firefighting is a team work. Every single member already has its designated job. A certain firefighter maybe in charge of controlling the ladder and hose. Others are in control of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. The same as any other team which has a leader ordering the operation, their group is headed by their commanding officer. They work in shiftings, because of that, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.
Rescuing People
A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. Since the major job of the rescuer would be to save lives, it is important that a firefighter has this EMT. A firefighter may need this technical skills if a victim is trapped in fires. Not all rescue operations are fire related. Firemen or even firewomen are the first on the field with a few police officers wherever there are any casualties. These casualties may be caused because of natural disasters, motor crashes or several other reasons. Firefighter should work to rescue the victim. This is where a firefighters know-how in EMT comes in handy.
Teach People
Fire science is one of the skills a firefighter possesses. The amount of knowledge 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 teaching them how to avoid fire from occurring. This is commonly performed right after they visit a fire site as well as extinguish it. Or else, they also go to schools and also other locations to actively teach people about fires, how to avoid fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.
Fire Investigation
Also, it is important to understand the source of fire. Understanding the causes can assist firefighters prevent fire for the same scenario happen again. Oftentimes, it’s possible that criminals with vicious intent set such fires. It is then the job of the firefighters to investigate and provide more clues to the law enforcement officers about who started it. There are firefighters who are also called arson investigators that specialize fire investigation. Together with the law enforcement, they work to check into possible arsonists.
There’s no doubt why we should not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. While extinguishing fires in various areas, they ignite one in our hearts. So, if you think you want to be like them, begin filling up the list!