Smithville Tennessee Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are expertly trained individuals to save lives and properties in case of fire. They’re strong individuals who can perform rescue actions with style and panache. Much like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer risking their lives to save another. Right after hearing so much of praise about these brave individuals, you must have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Smithville Tennessee
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Table Of Contents

Just How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Smithville?

People say that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you value what you are doing. However, passion is not more than enough to sustain a lifestyle. Everyone requires a financial backing to help them live life the way they deem fit. Thus, in terms of picking out a career, people are always curious about the amount of they might receive out of it. Genuinely, undeniably that’s the inspiration you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job daily. People who do community outreach do not earn much. Nonetheless, they do have a sense of achievement at the end of the day. {Let us find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let’s figure out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Smithville Tennessee
*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 undergone. As we go more, you’ll find out factors affecting earnings.

Location Matters

Firefighter’s salary can be decided by the location of the department you’re assigned. Factored to that would be the need of the population of fighters. A location exactly where fire occurs often is likely to have higher income compared to less occurrence of fire areas. Presently, New York pays their firemen the most at about 70% above the national mean. On the other hand, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Smithville Tennessee
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Educational Level

In case you have gone through a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be eligible to apply being a firefighter. In this area of firefighting, having attained a college degree is advantageous. There are 2 major reasons for this. This will show you have the needed understanding and knowledge in firefighting. Another one is for the department to invest less on you before becoming an asset in the government. Thus, they can afford to pay you more. In case you have a degree, may it be a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that would help you gain added advantage. How much more when you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Working Experience

Work experience is certainly the determining component of how much an employee must receive. As a firefighter, your income can rise about 50% with experience in the field of Two decades. That percentage is quite as compared to other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have the same duration of experience.

Accreditation and Training

As being a fireman, you will need to learn the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, you can pick to pursue the medical field a bit further and be a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Getting these credentials provides you a greater chance of earning more. Besides, this also gives you another option should you decide shift careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and done, you should receive your income. Per BLS records, it’s not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, but it is the private companies. Included are firms dealing with production in oil, manufacturing of metal products and also 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 having a government career is that there is a bunch of other advantages that come with it. As a firefighter, you definitely get perks like dental and health insurance. You may also acquire sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, advantages may vary from what department you’re into.

As being a doctor might have a higher earning as compared to being a fireman. However a fireman has got the accolades of an instant savior. Therefore, if you wish to be that hero, know the prerequisites to become a firefighter now!

Smithville Firefighter Career Outlook

firefighter job outlook Smithville Tennessee
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The job outlook is a crucial aspect while deciding which career to get into. You would not wish to pick your favorite career choice simply 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 find out.

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There are currently about 300,000 firemen appointed in america. There is a steady growth of 5% for the next several years till 2024. This is the average growth rate of any normal career. This means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. But, this also means that there would be that much more people looking to get the job as well. Therefore, there will be some competition. This is mainly due to the low education specifications and the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be extremely high, however the benefits 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 Smithville Tennessee
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Steps To Becoming a Firefighter

You need to follow a particular procedure to join any career. Primary requirement is you should have the necessary education. You should have your diploma or you will never get hired. As a firefighter, there are not too many education requirements that you have to possess. Alongside, education you should pass other tests like physical, medical and legal test. Let us explore these in detail.

Educational Qualification

The fundamental prerequisite becoming a firefighter would be to complete high school and acquire a relevant degree. Subjects you earned do not matter much. However, having some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also show you how to become a more effective firefighter.

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After high school, many people decide to get some formal college education in the field before they will become a firefighter. The minimum age qualification is EIGHTEEN years. Therefore, one cannot opt to be a firefighter right out of high school. If you wish to have choices later if you opt to be a firefighter, better pick a degree with subjects in firefighting, you might need them. Courses that teach you how to save people, handle hydraulic tools like ladders or other related stuff are a major plus.

If desired, you can also opt to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the same. The former ones are required to get promoted to bigger positions. Simultaneously, remember that the maximum age requirement is kept at 28-30 years old. That’s why you shouldn’t over concentrate on having too much education to be able to meet the requirements.

Required Training in Paramedic

All of the firefighters need to have this EMT certification. The one needed is the EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This helps firefighters tend to victims in accidents or fires. The training might last for up to one year. Should you chose to be a paramedic at later time, you need to gain education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. This helps them gain an edge over other applicants and hopefully, a better salary. In some instances, fire victims rescued are attended by medical expert which are firefighters also.

Licensed to Drive Vehicle In Tennessee State

In many states, hiring of firefighter needs an applicant to have experience in driving. Therefore, they require their applicants to be a licensed driver that might help them in case that person is needed to drive the firetruck to the location. It also serves as an ID proof to verify the applicant’s age.

Legal Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as thoroughly as police officers. They undergo an extensive criminal background check before they are hired. It absolutely needed that an aspiring firefighters must have a clean record, no criminal record. If its found that there was one, or the firefighter was previously imprisoned, then that applicant is immediately disqualified. Having said that, there are situations where a pardoned individual of his crimes are accepted but not all department perform that.

Physical Fitness

One of the main characteristics that a firefighter should have is physical durability. They need to have the high upper body strength in order to lift objects and individuals to help them in rescue cases. They are also supposed to possess the high endurance to deal with the excessive running around they need to do. Nobody become a firefighter without undergoing heavy and extremely comprehensive physical exams.

Free From Medical Ailments

Firefighters should deal with a lot of suffocating situations. They’re usually supplied with masks to help them manage such scenarios but not always are they so lucky. People having respiratory conditions could not operate such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating conditions. That is why it’s essential that an applicant should be clear from any of that respiratory conditions.

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

What Really Does a Smithville Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives to save other lives. They are also in charge of rescue actions for common everyday challenges. The same as what you see in movies, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Aside from the usual job they do, firefighters help educate people to prevent fire from happening. In certain cases, they’re supposed to examine causes of fire and dig deep into the case due to the possibility of an arsonist.

Putting Out Fires

This is the main role of firefighters. When on-duty, these individuals stay in their firehouse to interact to a call as quickly as possible. When they get a call, they rush to the area in one of their firetrucks which may contain hoses or ladders. Several of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver wounded people.

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At the scene of the fire, every person has a distinct task. Some individuals are in charge of handling the ladder as well as rescue actions. Others are in charge of controlling the water flow as well as extinguishing the fire. The same as any other team which has a leader commanding the operation, their group is headed by their commanding officer. They work in shifts, because of that, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Saving People

All firefighters are required to be qualified as an EMT. This is required given that one of the major tasks of the firefighters are to rescue people. A firefighter might need this technical know-how if a victim is cornered in fires. Nevertheless, not all rescue procedures that the firefighters take on are fire related. There are instances that a fireman comes first in the scene. Casualties possibly caused natural phenomena or road crashes. The firefighters are supposed to work together and rescue the victims from further harm. This is certainly where a firefighters know-how in EMT will come in handy.

Teaching People

Fire science is among the expertise a firefighter has. Their know-how may vary as to how more firefighters pursue this field. Consequently, they help most of the people by educating them about ways to prevent fires. This is commonly carried out just after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. Otherwise, they also go to schools and also other areas to positively teach people about fires, how to prevent fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

To teach people on how to avoid fires, the firemen/firewomen need to first find the source of the fire. Understanding the causes can assist firefighters prevent fire for the same situation happen again. Oftentimes, it is possible that criminals with malicious intent set such fires. Working with police officers, it’s firefighter’s job to find out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations associated with fire are called arson investigators. Together with the law enforcement, they work to investigate possible arsonists.

There is no doubt why we should not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. While extinguishing fires in different locations, they ignite one in our hearts. So, if learning about their responsibilities fired you up, see what education requirements you should become one!