Jenkintown Pennsylvania Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name says, Firefighters are those who literally save people or other things from fire through fighting it. They are chosen among the best to risk their lives in rescue actions. Normally loved by women, these professionals are not afraid of anything as well as literally lay down their lives everyday like policemen. You see the accolades these professionals acquire, would you not like to become like these brave firefighters?

firefighter career summary Jenkintown Pennsylvania
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Jenkintown?

People express that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you value what you do. Nevertheless, this passion is not more than enough to supply your finances such as basic needs as well as life-style. Everyone requires a financial backing to help them live life the way they think fit. That’s why when you select a career to pursue, it’s unquestionable that you think also how much money you can receive from it. Reality check, undeniably that’s the inspiration you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job day to day. People in the community service sector do not get paid as much. But income is not their basis of pleasure and fulfillment. {Let’s see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let’s find out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Jenkintown Pennsylvania
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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The mean annual income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median somewhere around $46,000. There are various factors that affect this number including the size of the population and the education that a firefighter has gone through. As we go further, you will find out aspects affecting earnings.

Location Matters

The precise location of the fire department is a main factor in determining someone’s income. Factored to that are the need of the population of fighters. A place exactly 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. On the other hand, Columbia pays the smallest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Jenkintown Pennsylvania
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Educational Level

In case you have been through a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be qualified to apply as a firefighter. Nonetheless, education is highly valued in this field. Here’s 2 reasons why. One is the reason is proof of your know-how in the field. Another one is for the department to spend less on you before becoming an asset in the government. Therefore, they can afford to pay you more. If you have a degree, whether it is a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that will help you acquire added advantage. How much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Working Experience

Work experience is undoubtedly the determining factor of how much an employee should gain. If a firefighter has a field experience of around 2 decades, his income may rise to 50% This is quite high when compared to other jobs which commonly see a 15-20% rise in the same length of time.

Certificates and Training

As a fireman, you will have to learn the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. Nonetheless, you can choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and be a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Possessing a deeper list of accreditations and trainings provide you with a chance of getting a greater earnings. Besides, this also provides you another choice should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

By the end of the day, your employer signs your paycheck. Per BLS records, it’s not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, but it is the private contractors. Included are firms coping with production in oil, manufacturing of metal products and waste management. On the other hand, the local and also the state government still employ the most number of firefighters.

Other Advantages

Among the best things about possessing a government career is that there is a bunch of other rewards that come with it. As being a firefighter, you obviously get perks like dental and health care insurance. You can also get sick leave benefits. The exact advantages vary from department to department.

As you could see, the financial scope of a fireman isn’t as good as that of a doctor. However a fireman has the accolades of an instant savior. Therefore, if you want to be that hero, find out the prerequisites to become a firefighter now!

Jenkintown Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Jenkintown Pennsylvania
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The job outlook is a vital aspect while determining which career to get into. You would not want to select your favourite career option simply 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 always on the rise since due to the ever-growing population. Consequently, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find out.

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There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in america. There’s a steady progress of 5% for the next couple of years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal career. Which means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. But, this also means that there would be that much more individuals looking to get the job too. 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 might not be extremely high, however the advantages 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 Jenkintown Pennsylvania
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Steps To Becoming a Firefighter

Just like any other expert career to pursue, a procedure is important to follow. The most important part of these processes is to accomplish the education specifications. Without these specifications, hardly any employer would be willing to hire you. Though education is the primary requirement, you shouldn’t be worried because employer only need at least 1 degree completed. Alongside, education you should pass other assessments like physical, medical and legal test. Let’s explore these in detail.

Educational Requirements

High school diploma and a degree in higher education are the fundamental specifications to be qualified as being a firefighter. The subjects usually do not matter as such. Nonetheless, possessing some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also educate you on how to become a more effective firefighter.

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After high school, a lot of people decide to get some formal college education in the field just before they will become a firefighter. You must be at least 18 years old to meet the age requirement. As a result, one cannot elect to become a firefighter right out of high school. If you wish to have choices later if you opt to become a firefighter, better choose a degree with subjects in firefighting, you might need them. Courses that teach you how to save individuals, control hydraulic devices such as ladders or other related stuff are a major plus.

If desired, you may also choose to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The graduate studies you attain can assist you land a promotion. At the same time, remember that the maximum age requirement is kept at 28-30 years old. That is why you shouldn’t over concentrate on acquiring too much education to be able to be eligible.

Paramedic Training

Every single firefighter is required to present an EMT certification. The one required 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. One year is needed in order to complete this training. Should you chose to become a paramedic at later time, you need to gain education in the area of Emergency Medical Services. This helps them get an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a higher income. In some instances, fire victims rescued are attended by medical expert which are firefighters also.

Licensed to Drive Vehicle In Pennsylvania State

In most states, hiring of firefighter needs an applicant to possess experience in driving. A driving license to every applicant is required 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.

Free of Legal Record

In most cases, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They undergo a comprehensive background check just before they are hired. It completely required that an aspiring firefighters must have a clean record, no criminal history. If its found that there was one, or the firefighter was previously busted, then that candidate is instantly disqualified. Having said that, there are situations where a pardoned individual of his violations are accepted but not all department perform that.

Jenkintown Physical Prerequisites

One of the main characteristics that a firefighter should have is physical durability. Scenarios like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise much of the time in rescue missions, therefore, firefighter’s upper body strength is a must. They are also supposed to have the high endurance to deal with the excessive running around they must do. All firefighters experience rigorous physical examinations both in the academy and before it.

Jenkintown Medical Specifications

Firefighters should deal with a lot of suffocating scenarios. Firefighters have face masks to conquer those circumstances but even so, if have respiratory condition, this might hinder your chances. People having respiratory conditions could not handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating situations. Therefore, applicants are checked properly for any such diseases that may cause them harm in such situations.

When you fill up the forms, lots of boxes should be marked. Without a doubt, the list is long, so find out how long will it take you turn into a firefighter!

Jenkintown Firefighter Work Description

Firefighters are your daily heroes who work together to put out fires and also help people when they get stuck in such scenarios. They are around in rescue tasks you see in common incidents, not only fire. The same as what you see in films, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Besides this, they are also in charge of instructing individuals to prevent further fires. They also do the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its source or cause.

Extinguishing Fires

Certainly, fire extinguishing is their primary job. They are always in check waiting for a call for their services. When they do get a call, they rush to the location in one of their firetrucks which might contain hoses or ladders. There are also fire trucks that are used for transporting injured fire victims.

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Firefighting is a team work. Every single member already has its given task. Some individuals are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue operations. Others are in command of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. These people work under the order of their respected commanding officers. They work in shiftings, for that reason, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Saving People

A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. Since the main job of the rescuer would be to save lives, it is essential that a firefighter has this EMT. Much of the time this comes in handy when looking after people who are cornered inside the fires. However, not all rescue procedures that the firefighters take on are fire related. Firemen or even firewomen are the first on the scene with some police officers wherever there are any casualties. Casualties maybe caused natural phenomena or road accidents. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from further harm. This is certainly where a firefighters knowledge in EMT comes in handy.

Teaching People

Firefighters are commonly knowledgeable in fire sciences. The amount of knowledge will depend on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. Thus, they help most of the people by educating them about ways to avoid fires. Firefighters usually do it right after visiting an extinguished fire scene. In a few other instances also, they visit schools or other public places to educate and sometime do demo on what to perform in case there is fire.

Investigating Fires

To teach people regarding how to avoid fires, the firemen/firewomen must first find the source of the fire. Knowing 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 task of the firefighters to investigate and provide more hints to the law enforcement officers about who started it. There are firefighters who’re also called arson investigators that are experts fire investigation. They work with law enforcement to catch arsonists.

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