Fire Fighter Job Description

A Firefighter's Guide

A firefighter is a figure of safety. They respond to fires at homes and other premises and rescue people from buildings. They are trained to provide minor, urgent medical care.

They play an educating role, making the public aware of different fire prevention methods. They may host events in the community. The fire service's hierarchy can be quite technical for those working in a large city.

A firefighter reports to a leader. The exact chain of command will change depending on the station, but applicants must be aware of the exact hierarchy for the station they are applying for. The company or station should be highlighted for its pension scheme, employee assistance programme, gym membership and competitive salary.

The careers of professional firefighters

Firefighters help protect the public in emergencies. They respond to a wide variety of calls, including fires, car crashes, chemical spills, flooding and water rescue. Full-time professional firefighters and retained firefighters are the main divisions of the firefighter.

Retained firefighters only attend the fire station during call-outs and usually have another full-time job. They must live or work within five minutes of the station. Fire services' websites and social media are where you can find vacancies.

Senior roles are advertised in the national press. You can become a firefighter with or without a degree. You don't need a specific academic qualification to join, but health and safety qualifications and specialist management training could help.

Emergency service work experience can beneficial. Training is a must for the work. New firefighters start with a training period followed by a learning and development programme.

Firefighting Skills: A Fundamental Component of the First Responder Role

There is a lot of hard work ahead of anyone who wants to become a firefighter. A rigorous selection process that includes a written exam, physical agility test, background check, medical and psychological evaluation, and a final interview begins early. You will learn and practice survival training, emergency medical procedures, and firefighting and prevention techniques in the academy training.

The academy offers the perfect opportunity to practice your skills with other first responders. Leadership and initiative are important skills for a firefighter to have but remember that you will always need backup to tackle emergencies. Being a firefighter is more than running toward a burning building.

Once you get there, you will need to carry out your assigned tasks as efficiently as possible. It can add up to an immense amount of stress if you have to work in dangerous conditions and a short time limit. One of the questions you will be asked during your interview is how well you work under pressure.

You will want to assure them that you thrive in tense and chaotic situations. You will need to explain how you keep the laser focus on the situation. You should have examples of your stress tolerance skills from your internship or training.

Dealing with unexpected is a huge part of the job. You might be doing routine equipment maintenance at the firehouse and then be called to an industrial fire. The plan of attack could be derailed by weather, the sudden instability of a building, or unpredictable actions by victims, bystanders or perpetrators.

Firefighting: A Hero's Journey

A hero is a synonym for a firefighter, without any question. Being a hero is a hard job. You are not allowed to make mistakes and have gray moral areas.

You need to be an example of what a model citizen should be. You need to be kind and morally unbreakable. You will represent yourself and the state and city you are in.

The entire department will be sullied by any wrongdoings or criminal activity on your part. Before firefighters are hired, they go through a background check. Your chances of ever joining the force are permanently damaged by a criminal record.

Keep your nose clean and be on your best behavior. A fireman is a life of action. Firefighters need to be in top physical shape.

You will be required to summon incredible strength in an instant along with showing amazing flexibility at a moment's notice. You need to work out daily to build strength and strength. Maybe you shouldn't be a firefighter if you don't feel like you're helping people.

The Career Growth of Firefighters

Firefighters respond to fires and other emergencies. They drive fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. They use the equipment on the vehicles and on their people to address the situation.

Depending on the incident they face, firefighters work with paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers and emergency management personnel. A building collapse will have firefighters pulling people from the fallen structure, paramedics and emergency medical technicians attending to injured people and police officers ensuring citizens do not get too close to the scene. Firefighters are certified as emergency medical technicians so they can attend to injuries.

Saving lives and property is dangerous and glamorous, but there are other important aspects. Firefighters write reports about emergencies once they are under control. Managers are kept informed and firefighters are helped to assess what went well and what could have gone better.

Firefighters clean and inspect their equipment on a regular basis in order to get the trucks rolling as soon as possible after the firehouse alarm sounds. Problems and mechanical failures are prevented from occurring during an emergency. To act quickly under pressure, firefighters must be able to connect hoses to fire hydrants, operate pumps to give power to water hoses, climb ladders, and use special tools to break through fallen debris to rescue victims.

Firefighters can specialize in hazardous materials work or have special training to fight fires using heavy equipment. The National Fire Protection Association says that two-thirds of firefighters are volunteers. A firefighter's salary is determined by a number of factors.

Firefighting Resume Examples

You need to mention the type of environment you have been exposed to in your working experience. In comparison with residential fire emergencies, fighting forest fire requires additional skills and competencies. You may need to be skilled in creating fire lines, cutting down trees, or even jumping out of planes to reach fire areas that are not easily accessible on foot or vehicle.

Chemical accidents or oil spills are examples of hazardous materials. You will be able to use your specialist work environment experience to your advantage. The next section should discuss your day to day operations.

When you are not on a call out, recruiters want to know what you do. If you are a seasonal firefighter, you should know the duration and frequencies of your shifts, weekend schedules, and time out of state or away from home. Technical competencies regarding actual firefighting duties, as well as the many health and safety protocols you need to adhere to, should be addressed.

A firefighter is more than just putting out fires with a water hose. Fire Station chiefs would like to know your experience in protecting the public during emergencies, for example cordoning off areas in the instance of a chemical spill, flooding, car crash, or evacuate people during a bomb threat or riot situation. Firefighters are also responsible for saving people from disasters, such as industrial accidents, water accidents, and people stuck in buildings.

Also, allocate a paragraph for non-fire fighting and emergency duties such as maintaining, cleaning, and inspecting equipment between uses, promoting fire safety at schools, and writing reports about emergency incidents. Fire Station chiefs are busy people and may get hundreds of resumes a month. Your career summary is the only change you have to make to get them to read through the rest of your resume.

Forest Firefighter Engineers

A Fireman is more than just putting out fires. They respond to a lot of different situations, like medical emergencies, rescue operations, vehicle accidents, building collapses and more. They play a significant role in protecting the community.

The primary responsibility of the fire department is to contain the fire and rescue the victims who are trapped in the fire or are affected from it. Each firefighter in the department is dressed in a uniform and ready to go when the department gets a call for help. The department has different types of trucks for different emergencies.

Some trucks have water pumps that can spray and extinguish, some have ladders that can scale any building, and some have trucks that can help with rescue and transport victims to the nearest medical facilities as early as possible. The firefighters have other responsibilities, such as educating the local communities about the fire hazard, auditing safety equipment to ensure its functions are intact, maintainability of rescue equipment, and investigating the causes of fire. A firefighter engineer drives a vehicle that transports firefighters, carries equipment and pumps water through hoses and pumps at the fire scene.

They are responsible for its upkeep. They make sure the engine is running smoothly, the gas tank is full, and the vehicle is moving. After every call, the equipment and tools are cleaned and maintained, and also reviewed each morning before heading for the next task.

Firefighters control fires in the forest. Their duties include fighting fires, maintaining tools and equipment, inventory and supply management, and educating people on fire prevention. There are many different ranks of forest firefighters, ranging from forest fire warden to forest ranger.