Meridian Idaho Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name says, Firefighters are those who actually save people or some other objects from fire through fighting it. They’re strong people who can perform rescue operations with style and panache. Normally loved by women, these professionals aren’t afraid of anything and literally lay down their lives daily like policemen. You see the accolades these experts get, would you not like to become like these brave firefighters?

firefighter career summary Meridian Idaho
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Table Of Contents

Just How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Meridian?

People say that work does not seem like work anymore if you love what you are doing. Nevertheless, passion is not enough to sustain a life-style. We all need bucks so we could move, after all money is everything. As a result, when it comes to choosing a career, people are always curious about the amount of they might earn out of it. For a few, it’s the only motivation each morning to get up and go to work. People who perform community outreach don’t earn much. However, they do have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. {Let us find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let’s determine the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Meridian Idaho
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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The mean yearly income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median around $46,000. There are various factors which affect this number including the size of the population and also the education that a firefighter has gone through. Below is a list of these aspects and how they are able to increase or decrease your income as being a firefighter.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major factor in figuring out someone’s income. Factored to that are the need of the population of fighters. A location exactly where fire happens regularly probably will possess higher income compared to less event of fire areas. New York has the highest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. While Columbia pays the lowest at 38%.

firefighter average salary by state Meridian Idaho
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Educational Qualification

In case you have undergone a study in fire science in high school, you will be qualified to apply as a firefighter. In this field of firefighting, having attained an education is favourable. There are two major reasons for this. One is that it is proof of your knowledge in the field. Another one is for the department to spend less on you just before becoming an asset in the government. Therefore, they can afford to pay you more. A bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree in fire science can help you advance your career and earn quite a bit more. A master’s degree might help a lot more.

Working Experience

Career history is undoubtedly the determining component of how much an employee must earn. In case a firefighter has a field experience of approximately Twenty years, his revenue may rise up to 50% This is quite high when compared to other jobs which commonly see a 15-20% rise in the same length of time.

Accreditation and Training

As being a fireman, you will need to learn the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. However, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and become a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Having these credentials provides you a higher chance of generating more. It also provides you a “Plan B” if you do decide to change 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 firefighters more, but it is the private companies. Included are companies handling production in oil, production of metal products and waste management. However, the local and also the state government still employ the most number of firefighters.

Other Advantages

If you’re a government worker, an advantage you get is the benefits you could claim. As a firefighter, you definitely get benefits like dental and health care insurance. But you also get covered sick leaves as well as reimbursement for a few specific tuition fees. The exact benefits vary from department to department.

Being a medical professional may have a higher earning as compared with being a fireman. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, you then become a hero in someone’s eyes. So, if you wish to be that hero, know the prerequisites to be a firefighter now!

Meridian Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Meridian Idaho
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The job outlook is a crucial factor while determining which profession to get into. You would not want to select 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. So, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s discover.

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There are presently about 300,000 firemen employed in america. There is a steady development of 5% for the next few years till 2024. This is the average growth rate of any normal profession. Which means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. Nonetheless, this also implies that there would be that much more individuals hoping to get the job too. Thus, there will 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 very high, but the benefits make up for that. It’s approximated that there may be about 100 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Meridian Idaho
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

How To be A Firefighter

Just like any other expert career to pursue, a process is essential to follow. Primary requirement is you should have the necessary education. Without these requirements, hardly any employer will be willing to hire you. As a firefighter, there are not too many education requirements that one needs to have. Nonetheless, there are a lot of other requirements like physical, medical and legal that one must have to qualify for being a firefighter. We will go further in details to better understand the prerequisites.

Education Requirements

The basic requirement to become a firefighter would be to complete high school and get a relevant degree. Subjects you earned do not matter much. However , if you have fire fighting related subjects earned, that would be helpful. That will provide you a backgrounder of the profession you are about to enter.

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A lot of those who intended to become a firefighter, they decide to pursue a degree in college right after earning their diploma in high school. The minimum age requirement is EIGHTEEN years. That is one of the reasons why most of the aspirants are not be eligible right after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a huge plus if you are planning to join the field. There are subjects in a curriculum of the degree chosen that teach you how to save lives, handle machines required in firefighting and other related technical issues.

If wanted, you can also choose to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The former ones are required to get promoted to greater positions. Simultaneously, keep in mind that the maximum age requirement is kept at 28-30 years of age. That is why you shouldn’t over concentrate on having too much education to be able to be eligible.

Paramedic Training

All the firefighters need to have this EMT certification. It can be either of these 2, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they really know what to do in case there is fires or in accidents. The training might last for up to 1 year. Should you chose to become a paramedic at later time, you need to gain education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. The benefits of going into this direction are possible increase in salary or added edge over other applicants. In most cases, fire victims rescued are attended by medical professional that are firefighters as well.

Idaho State Driving License

In many states, hiring of firefighter requires an applicant to possess experience in driving. A driving license to every candidate is needed so they could be useful in case of unexpected 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.

Clean Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as meticulously as police officers. They undergo a comprehensive criminal background check before they are appointed. To get employed, the firefighters could not have a criminal record. If you feel you possess previous records, then better to not pursue this career as you will right away be disqualified. Individuals who were pardoned for their crimes are normally accepted, however, not all fire departments acknowledge such individuals.

Physical Fitness

Among the main characteristics that a firefighter should have is physical durability. Scenarios like lifting fire victims or even objects to free victims arise much of the time in rescue tasks, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is a must. Not only body strength is need to have, firefighter’s endurance should be high as they have to deal lots of factors like running even in harsh environment. All firefighters undergo rigorous physical assessments both in the academy and before it.

Free From Medical Ailments

Firefighters should cope with a lot of suffocating cases. They are normally provided with masks to help them deal with such scenarios however, not always are they so lucky. Individuals having respiratory problems cannot handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating circumstances. Consequently, applicants are checked appropriately for any such diseases which may cause them harm in such circumstances.

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

Meridian Firefighter Work Description

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They are also in control of rescue actions for common daily troubles. Which 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 do, firefighters help instruct people to prevent fire from taking place. In certain cases, they are supposed to examine sources of fire and dig deep into the case due to the chance of an arsonist.

Putting Out Fires

This is the main function of firefighters. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as soon as possible. When they do get a call, they rush to the area in one of their firetrucks which may contain hoses or ladders. A few of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver harmed people.

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At the scene of the fire, every individual has a distinct job. Some individuals are in charge of controlling the ladder as well as rescue actions. 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. They work in shifts, for that reason, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

A certification in EMT is needed to all firefighters. This is required since one of the main tasks of the firefighters are to rescue people. A firefighter might need this technical skills if a victim is trapped in fires. Not all rescue operations are fire related. There are cases that a fireman comes first in the scene. 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.

Teach People

Fire science is among the expertise a firefighter possesses. Their know-how may vary as to how further firefighters go after this field. Therefore, they help most of the people by educating them about ways to prevent fires. This is commonly done right after they visit a fire site as well as extinguish it. Or else, they also visit schools and also other areas to actively teach people about fires, how to prevent fires and if necessary, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

It is also very important to know the source of fire. They must identify what caused it so they could prevent further such cases. Oftentimes, it is possible that criminals with malicious intent set such fires. It is then the task of the firefighters to investigate and provide more clues to the police officers about who started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations related to fire are called arson investigators. Together with the police, they work to investigate possible arsonists.

As you can see, there’s a broad number of reasons to contact these people our everyday heroes. They do save lives by extinguishing fires and they develop also our admiration to them. Consequently, if you think you want to be like them, begin filling up the list!