There are several important steps to becoming a firefighter. The first of these would be your attitude which should include a strong motivation to be a firefighter. The others are competences (cognitive, physical and technical) that a candidate has to possess to become a member of the fire department.
In general, steps to becoming a firefighter is difficult and hard. A candidate needs to have some good education, involvement with his community and many hours of dedicated training. The training shall serve him for his safety as well as the people he will help later. First step Like in many of today’s endeavors, the first important step in becoming a firefighter is getting the right education. For a firefighter-to-be, it is to have a high school diploma (of an equivalent (GED). A college degree can help with one’s advancement down the career road. Having an associate or a bachelor’s degree is not exactly required fro a firefighter. Some states in the US require that firefighters get an emergency medical technician certificate. To date, there are now many community colleges that offer EMT programs which can last from 6 to 24 months. Another step Volunteering is one very good move for an aspiring firefighter to take. Working aqs a volunteer firefighter can help get our candidate get their foot in the door, although it might need an investment of time commitment. In some departments, the chiefs will allow you to join and ride in the fire vehicle to gain some understanding of the profession seeing your companions in real time fighting for some real emergency situations. Volunteering needs that you must be fit enough and that you need to complete a National Fire protection Association certified course that can last up to 110 hours. Training At this point, you need to undergo thorough training in a fire academy or an apprentice program. You will have your spot in the fire academy if you pass your written and physical fitness tests, background checks, drug tests and the interviews. The training will have about 600 hours of hard training within 12 to 14 weeks. The training also has a classroom education and hands-on experience in fighting fire in controlled situations. Techniques and equipment use The candidate will also learn the various uses of fire equipment lie extinguishers and the many techniques in fire prevention. The other additional training include specialized topics like hazardous materials and anti-arson techniques. All these training are under the supervision of the National Fire Academy. The training also includes such specialized tasks that might be needed at the tiem of the training for the job. These include ice water rescues, swift water rescues, hazardous materials (hazmat) training and rope rescue techniques. Apprenticeships There are candidates who begin their training in fire academies, some fire departments instead offer apprenticeship programs that enable candidates to learn from experienced firefighters over a 3 year period. Entrances to these apprentice programs are also very competitive and require tests and interview processes similar to fire academies. Afterwards, you can then go to some probationary period to stay mentally alert and physically prepared.
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Kecko, [SiK-photo], The National Guard, Tony Webster