Meadowview Virginia Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name suggests, Firefighters are individuals who literally save people or other things from fire simply by fighting it. They are chosen among the finest to risk their lives in rescue actions. Just like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer risking their lives just to save another. Right after hearing so much of praise about these brave people, you need to have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Meadowview Virginia
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Meadowview?

People express that work does not seem like work anymore if you love what you are doing. Having said that, passion is not enough to sustain a life-style. We all need money so we could move, after all money is everything. That is why when you pick a career to pursue, it’s unquestionable that you think also how much money you could make from it. Reality check, undeniably that’s the motivation you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job daily. People in the community service sector don’t get paid as much. On the other hand, 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 us find out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Meadowview Virginia
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

[asd_program_button /]

Somewhere 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 skills and experience. As we go more, you’ll know components affecting salary.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a main element in figuring out someone’s salary. Factored to that will be the need of the population of fighters. A place exactly where spontaneous wildfires are likely, have a higher need for firemen than other locations. New York has the greatest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. While Columbia pays the lowest at 38%.

firefighter average salary by state Meadowview Virginia
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Education Qualification

In case you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be eligible to apply as a firefighter. However, education is extremely valued in this field. There are two main reasons for this. This will show you have the required understanding and know-how in firefighting. The 2nd is that the government will have to expend considerably less on you to develop you as an asset. Bringing on paying 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. A master’s degree might help even more.

Length of Work Experience

Experience is commonly a major key in deciding someone’s income. As a firefighter, your income can rise around 50% with experience in the field of Twenty years. This is quite high when compared to other jobs which normally see a 15-20% rise in the same amount of time.

Certifications

As being a fireman, you will need to know the basics of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and become a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Having a deeper list of certifications and trainings provide you with a chance of acquiring a better wage. Besides, this also provides you another option should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and finished, you must receive your paycheck. Per BLS records, it’s not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, but it is the private contractors. This includes companies which deal with waste management, coal as well as oil production, and also metal product production. On the other hand, the local and the state government still hire the most number of firefighters.

Other Benefits

One of the best things about possessing a government job is that there is a bunch of other rewards that are included with it. As being a firefighter, you definitely get perks like dental and health insurance. You may also acquire sick leave benefits. But then again, benefits may vary from what department you are into.

As being a medical doctor might have a higher earning in comparison with being a fireman. However, by the end of the day, you become a hero in someone’s eyes. Learn the requirements to becoming a firefighter and be the man, the fireman, the savior!

Meadowview Firefighter Employment Outlook

firefighter job outlook Meadowview Virginia
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

The job outlook is a vital aspect while deciding which profession to get into. You would not want to choose 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 ever-growing population. So, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find out.

[asd_program_button /]

There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There’s a steady advancement of 5% for the next several 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. Nevertheless, this also implies that there would be that much more individuals trying to get the job too. Hence, there would be some competition. This is primarily because of the low education specifications and 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 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Meadowview Virginia
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

How To Become A Firefighter

Just like any other professional career to follow, a procedure is imperative to follow. Primary requirement is you need to have the necessary education. Without these requirements, hardly any employer will be happy to hire you. As a firefighter, there aren’t too many education prerequisites that you need to possess. Nevertheless, there are many other needs like physical, medical and legal that one needs to have to be approved for being a firefighter. Let us explore these in detail.

Education Qualification

The fundamental requirement to become a firefighter would be to complete high school and get a relevant degree. Subjects you gained don’t matter much. But, possessing some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. That will provide you a backgrounder of the profession you’re about to enter.

[asd_program_search_bar /]

A lot of those who intended to become a firefighter, they elect to pursue a degree in college after earning their diploma in high school. You have to be at least EIGHTEEN years old to meet the age requirement. That is a primary reason why most of the aspirants are not be eligible after graduating in high school. If you wish to have choices later if you opt to become a firefighter, much better pick a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. Courses that show you how to save people, handle hydraulic devices such as 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 gaining your education, you always remember that age limit requirement of 28 to 30 years of age limit for you to be qualified also. Consequently, if you wish to expend most of your life as being a firefighter, you should never concentrate too much on education.

Paramedic Training

All of 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 case there is fires or in accidents. One year is required to be able to finish this training. Should you chose to be a paramedic at later time, you should earn education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. This helps them acquire an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a better income. In some cases, fire victims rescued are attended by medical specialist that are firefighters too.

Qualified to Drive Vehicle In Virginia State

Many states need the candidates to be able to drive. A driving license to each and every applicant is necessary so they could be useful in case of unexpected emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. It also functions as an ID proof to validate the applicant’s age.

Free of Criminal Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as meticulously as police officers. They undertake a comprehensive criminal background check before they are appointed. To get hired, the firefighters cannot have a criminal record. If you think you have previous records, then much better to not pursue this profession as you will right away be disqualified. Individuals who were pardoned for their crimes are usually accepted, however, not all fire departments admit such individuals.

Meadowview Physical Requirements

Firefighters need to be physically fit to carry out thier duty all the time. Instances like lifting fire victims or even objects to free victims arise most of the time in rescue missions, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is a must. They are also supposed to possess the high endurance to cope with the excessive running around they must do. All firefighters undergo strenuous physical examinations both in the academy and before it.

Meadowview Medical Requirements

Firefighters should deal with a lot of suffocating cases. Firefighters have face masks to conquer those scenarios but even so, if have respiratory condition, this may hinder your chances. Individuals having respiratory problems cannot handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating situations. Therefore, applicants are checked appropriately for any such illnesses which may cause them harm in such cases.

When you fill up the forms, a lot of boxes have to be marked. If you really feel you tick these boxes, then go and find out how long it takes to become a firefighter!

Meadowview Firefighter Work Description

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives to save other lives. They’re around in rescue missions you see in common incidents, not only fire. This means that the image of firefighters saving a kitten stuck on a tree often shown on televisions is really true. Apart from the common job they are doing, firefighters help instruct people to prevent fire from occurring. They also do the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its source or cause.

Extinguishing Fires

This is the major role of firefighters. They’re always in check waiting for a call for their expert services. When they 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 utilized for transporting wounded fire victims.

[asd_program_button /]

At the scene of the fire, every person has a different task. A particular firefighter maybe responsible for handling the ladder and hose. Another firefighter is only for extinguishing the fire, while other carry out the rescue of fire victims. Just like any other team which has a leader commanding the operation, their group is headed by their commanding officer. Given that they work in shifts, every unit has their own commanding officer.

Rescuing People

A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. This is important since one of the major duties of the firefighters are to rescue people. Most of the time this comes in handy when looking after people who are cornered inside the fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are cases that a fireman comes first in the scene. These casualties might be caused due to natural disasters, motor accidents or a few other reasons. Firefighter must work to save the victim. Oftentimes a firefighter is also a qualified paramedic assisting them provide better healthcare to the victims.

Teach People

Fire science is among the expertise a firefighter possesses. The amount of know-how depends on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. By sharing what they know, they help individuals by teaching them how to avoid fire from occurring. This is commonly carried out right after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. In some other cases also, they visit schools or other public sites to teach and sometime do demo on what to perform in case there is fire.

Fire Investigation

Also, it is important to know the origin of fire. Knowing the causes can help firefighters prevent fire for the same situation happen again. Cases like criminals set the first to blow up are probable. Working with police officers, it’s firefighter’s task to find out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. There are firefighters who’re also called arson investigators that are skilled fire investigation. Together with the law enforcement, they work to check into possible arsonists.

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