If you’re ambitious, take advantage of learning and training as much as possible within your organization. The fire service offers many opportunities during your career as a firefighter.  You should always look for ways to improve your skills.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, 33-2011 Firefighters May 2012, there were 297,7000 employed firefighters.  The mean hourly wage was $23 and mean annual wage of $47,850.  Below are the top 5 states with the highest firefighter employment level.

Top 5 states with the highest firefighter employment level and annual mean wage:

California – $72,540 − 26,550 employed firefighters
Texas – $46,790 − 24,880 employed firefighters
Florida – $51,190 − 23,780 employed firefighters
Ohio – $42,660 − 18,410 employed firefighters
Illinois – $47,560 − 16,700 employed firefighters

According to the bureau the top 5 – paying states were California, New Jersey, New  York, Washington, and Connecticut. Higher paying salaries are normally to compensate for higher cost of living.  Salary increases can be expected with advanced specialized training and increased management responsibility.  In my opinion, firefighters are underpaid for the amount of risk and long hours on the job. As many firefighters work 24-48 hour shifts they also get 24-72 hour rest periods.  During these rest periods many firefighters can earn extra income by doing small handyman jobs or starting other small businesses. Some of these successful businesses include Firehouse Subs, firehousemovers.com, and trainingdivision.com.  You’ll find many on your firefighter team have an entrepreneurial spirit and find creative ways to make extra income. You’ll learn the many new skills during your employment  can be used for opportunities in the future.  The key is to keep learning and always strive to improve.

You should remember, becoming a firefighter shouldn’t be about the money. You should take the opportunity to become a firefighter only if you’re passionate about the job and serving others.

What other questions do you have about firefighter salaries?  Please leave a comment and let me know.

During the test, candidates are required to wear a 50 lb. vest. with long pants, shoes with no open toes, hard hat w/chinstrap, and gloves. Wearing jewelry is prohibited.   The 50 lb. vest is used to simulate wearing self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

Each exercise station is separated by 85 ft. and requires the candidate to walk between each station. To ensure safety and minimize exhaustion, running between stations is not allowed.

The Eight Firefighter Fitness-CPAT Exercises:

1. Stair Climb – The exercise is conducted on a stepping machine requiring 60 steps for 3 minutes. In addition two – 12.5 lb. weights on the shoulder are required.  The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
2. Hose Drag – The candidate places the end of  a 200 ft. hose on their shoulder and drags the hose 75 ft. around a barrier, making a 90 degree turn and dragging it another 25 ft. to a 5 x 7 ft. box, on one or two knees the candidate pulls the hose 150 ft. until the 50 ft. hose mark crosses the finish line. The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
3. Equipment Carry – Two saws are removed from a cabinet and placed on the ground one at a time. Both saws are then carried and required to walk 75 ft. around a barrier and return to the starting point.  Both saws are placed on the ground and returned to the cabinet one at a time. The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
4. Ladder Raise –  The candidate walks to the top rung of a 24 ft. aluminum extension ladder, walking the ladder, rung by rung up to a stationary wall.  The candidate must stay positioned in a 3 x 3 ft.  box near the wall and raise the ladder until it hits the stop and returns the ladder back to its original position.  The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
5. Forcible Entry – The candidate uses a 10 lb. sledgehammer striking a measuring device while in a designated boxed area until the buzzer sounds.   The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
6. Search – The candidate crawls on hands and knees in a tunnel maze 4 ft. wide,3 ft. high, 64 ft.  long with two-90 degree turns. In addition there are two areas with significantly reduced space.  The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
7. Rescue Drag – The candidate grabs the handles at the shoulder of a 165 lb. mannequin and drags the mannequin 35 ft. up around a barrier returning the mannequin 35 ft. back to the finish line. The complete body of the mannequin must cross the finish line.   The exercise is completed and the candidate advances to the next station.
8. Ceiling Breach and Pull – The candidate uses a pike pole to push up a 60-lb. hinged door  three times and then use the pike pole to pull an 80-lb. ceiling device pulling the pike pole downwards five time.  The routine is conducted 4 more times for a total of 5 times. The exercise is completed after the last pull and the proctor calls out “Time”.

Two stop watches are used, one used for official time and the other for back-up.  Any time greater than 10 minutes 20 seconds is a fail.  The firefighter fitness CPAT is challenging.  To become a firefighter requires significant training in cardiovascular, strength, flexibility and endurance.  Stop by often as we look to provide more information about firefighter fitness to help you become a firefighter.

We shall never forget.  

NFPA Conference and Expo – Boston Convention Center – Boston, MA

June 12-15, 2011

Becoming a firefighter is a very dangerous occupation and requires many other tedious tasks, however there are some benefits of belonging to the Firefighter Family and Brotherhood.   Several weeks ago, took the family to a fundraiser for a local Colony, TX firefighter with serious health issues. The event was called  “A Day for Steven”. Steven recently had heart surgery and it’s unknown if he can return back to service.  This extended leave and medical bills have caused financial hardships for Steve and his family.

Fundraiser Activities

One of the event activities was at a local restaurant where you could meet Steve and his family during lunch time. Part of the proceeds for the day would go to the fundraising efforts.  There was a live band, silent auction, and plenty of good food and beer served on the outdoor patio.  Fire trucks and an ambulance were parked at the front of the restaurant.  In addition a Careflite Medical Helicopter flew in and landed in an open field near the restaurant. Parents and children were allowed to take a tour of the equipment,vehicles, and helicopter and ask on duty staff questions.

Thank You…

While people were eating lunch,  Steven spoke to the crowd.   The speech was brief and to the point. He thanked them for their support and how the events exceeded his expectations. He also indicated how proud he is to have support and be with the greatest fire department in the world. He truly loves his firefighter family and brothers. You could feel the sense of pride and family values in the air. It was a great family filled day.  Thank you Steven for your service and teaching us what is truly important in life and showing us what it’s like to be part of the Firefighter Family.

Hey gang. Here’s another 5 tips to help you become a firefighter.  Take note of these and you could increase your chances to landing a career in the fire service.

1. Take responsibility

No one likes someone on their team who lacks personal responsibility.  You must hold yourself to high standards and not blame others for your mistakes.  You need to learn from mistakes and not repeat a second time.  When you are on the job simple mistakes can cost lives.  You need to remember,  to become a firefighter others are depending on you to do your job.  You need to be able to follow directions as instructed , if you don’t like to follow orders from higher up, the fire service may not be for you.

2. Understand the interview

Congratulations, you’ve passed the written exam and selected for an interview.  Make sure to prepare for your interview. A candidate can have a stellar resume and still not get offered the position because they failed to connect with the hiring board.  The interview is your chance to standout from the pool.  The best way to prepare is understand what type of questions they may be asking.  The board is trying to find out who you are as a person.  Types of questions vary and not all boards will ask the same question.  Most start off as telling about yourself and why you want to become a firefighter.  They can then follow with situational questions regarding morals, legal issues, ethics, and interpersonal conflicts.  The hiring board does not want to hear canned responses.  They want to hear answers that are well thought, confident, and truthful.   As this is a very important topic, we will have more posts  in the future.

3. Visit your local fire station

Visiting your local fire station will give you an idea of what its like to become a firefighter.   You should strive to make a good first impression when you walk through the door.  Make sure to dress appropriately and ready to ask the right questions.   Leaving a bad first impression with local staff can be relayed back to the fire chief or hiring board and ruin your chances.  Some good questions to ask would be:

Is there a probation period?

What desired qualifications is the department looking for?

What makes a good candidate?

What did you do to get hired?

What’s important to the hiring board and fire chief?

Listen closely to their answers and make sure to ask additional questions based on their answers.  This will let them know that you understand and provide positive feedback.

4. Hang out with the right crowd

You’ve heard the saying, “Birds of the same feather, flock together”.   All fire departments work diligently to earn the trust and respect of the local public. The fire department does not want to jeopardize their reputation because you felt like getting drunk and causing a fight at the local bar or hear that your hanging out with a bunch friends who like to smoke pot on the weekends, even though you didn’t smoke it.   The fire department does not need controversy.  Make sure to choose your friends wisely.  Enough said.

5. Be the person the fire department wants in their family

Don’t be the black sheep.  You are going to be spending your career working 24-48 hour shifts with your fire service family and brothers.  The fire department wants someone that is trusted, respectful, and responsible.   We are all unique  and we need to express and highlight POSITIVE traits and skills.   There is no room for black sheep and NEGATIVITY in the family.

Most fire departments have firefighter recruitment programs. The programs vary widely from state to state across the US.  You should check the local fire departments for basic requirements.   Some of the basic firefighter recruitment requirements include:

Basic entrance requirements

18 or 21 years old. Some areas will accept 17 yrs. and some areas will have an age limit.  In New York City the maximum age is 29.5 years unless you have military exemption.

Have high school diploma or GED. Of course getting more advanced education is better.  This cannot be stressed enough. Most people want to get by with the minimum.  An advanced education will help you stand out from other prospects.  You need to remember that many fire departments require some sort of continuing education.  Some states require monthly continuing education to maintain your EMT/Paramedic certification or license.  Getting in the habit of keeping up-to-date is important and having a strong educational foundation will help you stand out from the rest.

Hold a valid vehicle drivers license with clean driving record.  This is another no-brainer.  At times you will be expected to drive a truck or engine.  How could you expect to get hired if the fire chief can’t trust you to drive a $300,000 apparatus?

Be a US Citizen or legal resident.  Do I really need to explain this one?

Be a non-smoker in good physical condition and pass physical fitness tests.  You will be wearing full bunker gear and expected to climb ladders, carry hose under high pressure, operate heavy equipment, and crawl in small spaces.  Full bunker gear includes a helmet, boots, trousers, turnout coat,  air tank  and other tools.  Bunker gear can weigh up to 50 lbs.   You also need to put the bunker gear on quickly  with most departments requiring 2 minutes or less to suit up. Physical tests can include stair climbing, ladder raise and extensions, forcible entry, search and rescue, and equipment carry.

Pass written examination. Most departments have a pass/fail with minimum passing significantly higher than 70% passing grade.   You should take as many practice and real tests as possible.  Remember that some cities can have applicant testing pools as high as 2000-3000 candidates. Scoring well above 70% will help you stand out and get  to the interview.

Have current EMT/Paramedic certification or Paramedic License.  A majority of the response calls are EMS related. You also should have updated CPR certification.  Many fire departments want candidates that are cross trained with EMT/Paramedic certification or Paramedic License.  In some fire departments this is mandatory and a candidate won’t be given a chance to interview.

Firefighter 1 Certification. This will give you an idea of what is expected of a firefighter while on the job.  NFPA 1001 is a fire code based on knowledge and skills requirements for the firefighter 1 and 2 designation.  See the post titled “Firefighter 1 Certification and Academy” for more information.

Pass Background Check. The fire department wants to hire someone with a clean record.  Fire departments work hard to earn the trust of the community.  Any type of scandal or controversy can ruin a fire departments reputation and take years to re-build the trust of the community.  It is much easier to maintain a clean image.   Fire departments don’t like to take that kind of risk and don’t need to because of the large candidate pool.

Bonus – A few more items in firefighter recruitment.

Volunteer. Participation in a volunteer program other than a volunteer fire department.  There are many candidates that have experience with a volunteer fire department.  Showing participation and leadership in other programs helps you to stand out from the rest.  Some good organizations include American Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Feed the Children, and many others.

Specialized Training. Obtaining EMS Certificates (Basic Trauma Life Support, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support) or training certificates from the State Fire Marshall (Auto Extrication, Swift Water Rescue, Confined Space Operations)

Bilingual Ability. If you know any type of secondary language make sure to include on your resume.  Many fire departments take this into account during the hiring process. Spanish fluency in southern California,New Mexico, Arziona, or Texas would be extremely helpful.  Not only Spanish is useful, make sure to let the fire department know of any language fluency you have.