As the name says, Firefighters are those who literally save people or some other objects from fire simply by fighting it. They’re picked among the finest to risk their lives in rescue operations. Often loved by women, these pros aren’t afraid of anything and literally lay down their lives daily like policemen. Right after hearing so much of praise regarding these brave individuals, you should have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.
Table Of Contents
- Average firefighter salary
- Firefighter career outlook
- How to become a firefighter
- Firefighter job description
How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Wallpack Center?
If you love your work, sometimes you feel like you aren’t working anymore. However, this passion is not enough to provide your finances like basic needs and life-style. We all need money so we can move, after all money is crucial. That is why when you pick a profession to pursue, it is indisputable that you think also how much money you can earn from it. Genuinely, undeniably that’s the motivation you set your alarm clock to get you ready for the job everyday. People in the community service sector do not get paid as much. On the other hand, they do have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. {Let’s see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let us figure out the income of a firefighter.
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The mean annual income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median around $46,000. The figures may vary depending on the what state he is in or his education qualification or his skills and experience. As we go further, you’ll figure out factors affecting earnings.
Location Matters
Firefighter’s earnings can be determined by the location of the department you’re assigned. This is due to a number of factors like – population size, availability of firemen and frequency of fighters. A location where fire takes place often will probably get higher income in comparison to less occurrence of fire areas. New York has the highest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. On the contrary, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.
Educational Level
To be a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course relevant to fire science in high school. However, education is extremely valued in this area. There are two main reasons for this. One is the reason is proof of your knowledge in the field. The second is that the government will need to spend drastically less on you to develop you as an asset. Bringing on paying you more. In case you have a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that would help you gain added benefit. Just how much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.
Working Experience
Experience is usually a major key in determining someone’s earnings. Being a firefighter, your revenue can rise about 50% with experience in the field of 20 years. That percentage is quite in comparison with other job which is at 15% to 20% even they have the same duration of experience.
Certifications
As a fireman, you will need to know the basics of EMT to even apply for the job. However, apart from learning the fundamental, you can go further and learn the advanced certifications. Possessing a deeper list of certifications and trainings provide you with a chance of acquiring a better income. It also gives you a “Plan B” if you do choose to change careers later.
Industry
By the end of the day, your company signs your paycheck. Per BLS records, it is not the government employers who pay firefighters more, but it is the private contractors. Included are firms handling production in oil, manufacturing of metal products and waste management. Regardless, the local as well as state government are still in need of firefighting people.
Other Benefits
Among the best things about having a government job is that there’s a bunch of other benefits that come with it. As being a firefighter, you definitely get benefits like dental as well as medical insurance. You can also get sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, benefits may vary from what department you are into.
As being a physician might have a higher earning as compared to being a fireman. But a fireman has got the accolades of an instant savior. Learn the requirements to becoming a firefighter and be the man, the fireman, the hero!
Wallpack Center Firefighter Career Outlook
The job outlook is a crucial aspect while deciding which profession to get into. You would not wish to pick your favorite career choice just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You will find out such information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is always on the rise since due to the ever-growing population. So, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us find.
[asd_program_button /]There are presently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There is a steady growth of 5% for the next few years till 2024. This is the average progress rate of any normal profession. Which means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. But, this also means that there would be that much more individuals trying to get the job as well. Hence, 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 benefits make up for that. It’s approximated that there may be about 100 individuals competing for the same job by 2024.
How To Become A Firefighter
Just like any other professional career to follow, a procedure is important to follow. Main requirement is you need to have the necessary education. Without these specifications, hardly any employer will be happy to hire you. Though education is the primary requirement, you shouldn’t be worried simply because employer only need at least one degree completed. Nonetheless, there are many other needs such as physical, medical and legal that one needs to have to be approved for being a firefighter. We will go further in details to better understand the requirements.
Education Qualification
High school diploma along with a degree in higher education are the basic specifications to be qualified being a firefighter. Subjects you earned don’t matter much. Nevertheless, acquiring some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. That will give you a backgrounder of the profession you are about to go into.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Many 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 qualification is EIGHTEEN years. Consequently, one cannot choose to be a firefighter right out of high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a big plus if you’re planning to join the field. Courses which teach you how to save people, handle hydraulic devices like ladders or some other related stuff are a major plus.
If wanted, you may 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. While earning your education, you always remember that age limit requirement of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified as well. Consequently, if you want to spend most of your life as being a firefighter, you should never concentrate too much on education.
Required Training in Paramedic
Every single firefighter is required to have an EMT certification. The one required is the EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they really know what to perform in case of fires or in accidents. The training might last for up to 1 year. If one desires, they could choose to pursue further studies in the field Emergency Medical Services and become a paramedic. This will help them gain an edge over other candidates and hopefully, a higher earnings. In most cases, fire victims rescued are attended by medical expert that are firefighters also.
New Jersey State Driving License
Many states need the candidates to be able to drive. A drivers license to each and every applicant is necessary so they could be useful in case of emergency where for an instance no other fire truck driver is available. It also functions as an ID proof to confirm the applicant’s age.
Clean Record
In a few cases, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. They go through a comprehensive background check just before they are appointed. It definitely required that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal record. If it is discovered that there was one, or the firefighter was previously imprisoned, then that applicant is immediately disqualified. Nevertheless, there are cases where a pardoned individual of his crimes are approved but not all department perform that.
Physical Fitness
Firefighters need to be physically active to execute thier duty all the time. Cases like lifting fire victims or objects to free victims arise quite often in rescue tasks, consequently, firefighter’s upper body strength is important. They’re also supposed to possess the high endurance to cope with the excessive running around they must do. All firefighters undertake rigorous physical assessments both in the academy and before it.
Free From Healthcare Problems
Firefighters must deal with a lot of suffocating cases. Firefighters have face masks to overcome those situations but even so, if have respiratory condition, this might hinder your chances. If you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. Therefore, applicants are checked properly for any such diseases that may cause them harm in such circumstances.
There a lot of boxes that must be ticked while choosing a firefighter. If you feel you tick these boxes, then go and see how long it takes to be a firefighter!
What Really Does a Wallpack Center Firefighter Do?
Firefighters are the unsung heroes who risk their lives just to save other lives. They are around in rescue quests you see in common incidents, not just fire. This means that the image of firefighters saving a kitten stuck on a tree normally shown on televisions is actually true. Apart from this, they are also responsible for teaching individuals to prevent further fires. They also perform the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its origin or cause.
Putting Out Fires
Certainly, fire extinguishing is their major work. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as quickly as possible. When they do get a phone call, they rush to the location in one of their firetrucks which may contain hoses or ladders. A few of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver injured people.
[asd_program_button /]At the scene of the fire, every person has a distinct task. Some individuals are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue actions. Others are in command of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. These individuals work under the control of their respected commanding officers. Since they work in shifts, every unit has their own commanding officer.
Rescuing People
All firefighters are required to be qualified as an EMT. This is required since one of the primary duties of the firefighters are to save people. Most of the time this comes in handy when looking after people who are trapped inside the fires. Not all rescue procedures are fire related. There are cases 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 rescue the victims from further harm. This is certainly where a firefighters knowledge in EMT will come in handy.
Teaching People
Firefighters are normally educated in fire sciences. The amount of knowledge depends on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. By sharing what they know, they help people by educating them how to avoid fire from going on. This is commonly done just after they visit a fire site as well as extinguish it. In a few other instances also, they visit schools or other public places to teach and sometime perform demonstration on what to do in case there is fire.
Investigating Fires
To educate people about how to avoid fires, the firemen/firewomen must first find the cause of the fire. Understanding the causes can assist firefighters avoid fire for the same situation happen again. Cases like criminals set the first to blow up are possible. Working together with police officers, it’s firefighter’s task to determine what causes the fire or who possibly started it. There are firefighters who are also known as arson investigators that specialize fire investigation. Together with the police, they work to check into possible arsonists.
There is no doubt why we should not call them our life savers and unsung heroes. While extinguishing fires in several areas, they ignite one in our hearts. So, if learning about their duties fired you up, see what education prerequisites you need to become one!