While the economy has constant ups and downs, a career trajectory that is always accepting new applicants is in the civil service fields, especially that of firefighting. Firefighters, like police and soldiers, are often perceived as especially selfless men and women, as they dedicate their lives to the protection of others. As such, while many people may consider firefighting as a career, most city stations (especially larger cities) will only take the best and brightest so that the lives and welfare of citizens will be in the best of hands.
Consider your other options carefully if you decide you are interested in pursuing how to become a firefighter. The job requires long shifts, sometimes spending forty eight hours consecutively on call. You must be in excellent shape for the instances when you must physically break down barriers and lift injured or unconscious people out of burning buildings. Good body strength is critical, even when not in a burning building; much of the firefighter’s equipment is extremely bulky and requires constant practice in order to adjust to the extra weight. Other tools, such as hoses, axes, and the jaws of life can be very heavy and require long periods of lifting or hauling.
Weight the specific needs of your community against your own preferences before committing to a firefighter’s path. Smaller towns may not offer much career advancement and may not even be allocated much money in the local budget. Others may depend on volunteer forces. By contrast, larger cities may have greater ability to follow a career trajectory, but may require greater political abilities and duties. Firefighters in larger cities may have obstacles outside their work due to increased media coverage and relations with the city council. As such, while there is increased rewards, there is also increased risks.
Applicants that are selected for the training procedures are usually between the ages of 18-35. While some cities may not have an age limit at all, men and women in the prime of their health are the most desirable recruits. As nearly every firefighting department has insurance and pension plans, younger candidates are preferred for their ability to put extra time and/or money into the benefits packages. Candidates begin training sessions that usually last around six weeks.
In a “boot camp” training session, new recruits will learn the most intricate details about their future spot in a firefighting squad. Firefighters are initially taught first aid and lifesaving in the event that EMTs or physicians cannot make it to an injury in time. After the basic concepts are mastered, firefighters begin training with their equipment, doing countless drills of running up and down stairs with their gear, simulating the stress, heat, and panic of a real-life inferno. Life-size buildings are erected near training facilities so that these students can run the gauntlet of nearly any type of fire that they could be called out to control; electrical overloads, gas leaks, and flammable building materials. At the end of training, firefighters who pass the tests are accepted into the department and may even go on call the very same day.
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