Southaven Mississippi Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

By definition, firefighters are professionally trained people to save lives as well as properties in case of fire. They’re picked among the finest to risk their lives in rescue operations. Much like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer risking their lives just to save another. After hearing so much of praise about these brave individuals, you need to have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Southaven Mississippi
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Southaven?

People express that work does not seem like work anymore if you value what you do. Having said that, passion is not more than enough to sustain a lifestyle. Everyone requires a financial resources to help them live life the way they deem fit. That’s why when you select a career to pursue, it is indisputable that you think also how much cash you can earn from it. Reality check, undeniably that’s the motivation you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job day to day. Individuals who carry out community outreach do not earn much. But income is not really their basis of happiness and fulfillment. {Let’s see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let us find out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Southaven Mississippi
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

[asd_program_button /]

The mean annual income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median somewhere around $46,000. The figures may vary based on the what state he is in or his education degree or his skills and experience. As we go further, you’ll know factors affecting income.

Location Matters

Firefighter’s earnings can be determined by the place of the department you are designated. Factored to that will be the need of the population of fighters. An area just where fire happens regularly will probably possess higher salary compared to less event of fire areas. Currently, New York pays their firemen the most at around 70% above the national mean. While Columbia pays the cheapest at 38%.

firefighter average salary by state Southaven Mississippi
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Educational Qualification

In case you have been through a study in fire science in high school, you’ll be eligible to apply as being a firefighter. In this field of firefighting, having gained an education is favourable. There are 2 main reasons for this. One is the reason is evidence of your knowledge in the field. Another one is for the department to spend 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 if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Length of Work Experience

Experience is commonly a major key in determining someone’s salary. As a firefighter, your revenue can rise around 50% with experience in the area of 20 years. This is quite high when compared to other careers which usually see a 15-20% rise in the same amount of time.

Certifications

Even the fundamentals of EMT, it’s still needed by a fireman. On the other hand, aside from learning the basic, you can go more and learn the advanced certifications. Possessing these credentials provides you a higher chance of generating more. Besides, this also provides you another option should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

By the end of the day, your company signs your paycheck. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paying employers for this job are not the government but private contractors. Included are companies handling production in oil, production of metal products and also waste management. Regardless, the local and state government are still looking for firefighting individuals.

Other Benefits

If you’re a government personnel, an advantage you receive is the benefits you could claim. You get the services like insurance plan in your health or dental check up. You may also get sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, benefits may vary from what department you are into.

As you could see, the monetary scope of a fireman is not as good as that of a doctor. However a fireman has got the accolades of an instant savior. Learn the prerequisites to becoming a firefighter and be the man, the fireman, the hero!

Southaven Firefighter Job Outlook

firefighter job outlook Southaven Mississippi
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

The job outlook is an important factor while choosing which career to get into. You wouldn’t want to choose your favourite career choice simply 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 always on the rise since because of the ever-growing population. Therefore, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s find.

[asd_program_button /]

There are currently about 300,000 firemen appointed in the USA. There is a steady growth of 5% for the next couple of years till 2024. This is the average growth 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 people trying to get the job also. Therefore, there would be some competition. This is primarily because of the low education requirements and the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be extremely high, however the advantages make up for that. It’s approximated that there might be about 100 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Southaven Mississippi
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Steps To Becoming a Firefighter

Much like any other expert career to follow, a process is crucial to follow. Primary requirement is you need to have the necessary education. Without these specifications, hardly any employer will be willing to hire you. As being a firefighter, there aren’t too many education prerequisites that you need to possess. Alongside, education you need to pass other exams such as physical, medical as well as legal test. We’ll go further in details to much better understand the requirements.

Education Qualification

The fundamental requirement to become a firefighter would be to complete high school and have a relevant degree. Subjects you gained don’t matter much. Nonetheless, acquiring some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also educate you on how to become a more effective firefighter.

[asd_program_search_bar /]

Right after high school, many people decide to get some formal college education in the field just before they will become a firefighter. You should be at least EIGHTEEN years old to meet the age requirement. That’s a primary reason why most of the aspirants aren’t be eligible right after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a big plus if you’re planning to be a part of the field. Courses which show you how to save people, handle hydraulic equipment such as ladders or some other related things are a major plus.

It’s optionally available, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The former ones are required to get promoted to bigger positions. Concurrently, remember that the maximum age qualification is kept at 28-30 years of age. That’s why you should not over focus on getting too much education in order to qualify.

Required Training in Paramedic

Every single firefighter is required to have an EMT certification. It can be either of these 2, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they know very well what to do in case of fires or in accidents. One year is required to be able to finish this training. If one desires, they can decide to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and become a paramedic. Some great benefits of going into this direction are possible upsurge in income or added edge over other applicants. In some instances, fire victims rescued are attended by medical expert which are firefighters as well.

Mississippi State Driving License

Many states need the candidates to be able to drive. Consequently, they need their applicants to be a licensed driver which might help them when person is required to drive the firetruck to the area. The driver’s license also validate other details required in application like for instance the age.

Clean Record

Firefighters are vetted almost as meticulously as police officers. They carry out a comprehensive background check before they are appointed. It certainly needed that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal history. If you think you have previous records, then much better not to pursue this profession as you will instantly be disqualified. Nevertheless, there are situations where a pardoned individual of his violations are recognized but not all department practice that.

Southaven Physical Prerequisites

Firefighters need to be physically fit to perform thier job always. Cases like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise most of the time in rescue tasks, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is a must. Not only body strength is need, firefighter’s endurance should be high as they should deal a lot of aspects like running even in harsh surroundings. Nobody become a firefighter without going through heavy and extremely comprehensive physical assessments.

Southaven Medical Prerequisites

Suffocations in rescue missions happen and firefighters know how to deal with it. They are normally supplied with masks to help them deal with such cases but not always are they so fortunate. When you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. That’s why it’s a must that an applicant must be clear from any of that respiratory problems.

When you fill up the forms, lots of boxes have to be marked. Certainly, the list is long, so find out how long will it take you become a firefighter!

Southaven Firefighter Job Description

Firefighters are your everyday heroes who work together to put out fires and help people if they get stuck in such circumstances. They are also in charge of rescue actions for common daily troubles. Just like what you see in movies, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Apart from the usual job they are doing, firefighters help educate individuals to prevent fire from happening. In certain cases, they are supposed to inspect causes of fire and dig deep in to the case due to the possibility of an arsonist.

Putting Out Fires

Certainly, fire extinguishing is their primary task. They’re always in check waiting for a call for their services. When a distress call is received, firefighters together with their tools rush to the fire location to extinguish it. There are also fire trucks which are used for taking wounded fire victims.

[asd_program_button /]

Firefighting is a team work. Each and every member already has its given job. Some people are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue operations. Another firefighter is only for extinguishing the fire, while other perform the rescue of fire victims. These individuals work under the command of their respective commanding officers. They work in shiftings, for that reason, every shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Rescuing People

All firefighters should be qualified as an EMT. Considering that the major task of the rescuer is to rescue lives, it is important that a firefighter has this EMT. A firefighter might need this technical abilities if a victim is trapped in fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are situations that a fireman comes first in the scene. These casualties may be caused due to natural disasters, motor crashes or several other reasons. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from further harm. This is where a firefighters know-how in EMT will come in handy.

Teach People

Firefighters are commonly knowledgeable in fire sciences. Their knowledge may vary as to how more firefighters go after this field. By discussing what they know, they help people by teaching them how to prevent fire from going on. This is normally done just after they visit a fire site and extinguish it. Or else, they also go to schools and other locations to positively educate people about fires, how to prevent fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Fire Investigation

To teach people on how to avoid fires, the firemen/firewomen should first find the source of the fire. They need to distinguish what caused it so they can prevent further such cases. Oftentimes, it’s possible that criminals with malicious intent set such fires. Working together with law enforcement officers, it’s firefighter’s task to find out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations associated with fire are called arson investigators. They work with the police to catch arsonists.

There is no doubt why we must not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. While extinguishing fires in various locations, they ignite one in our hearts. So, if you feel you wish to be like them, start filling up the list!