How To Become a Fireman
This section contains the following information on How To Become A Fireman
WHAT IS A FIREFIGHTER?
There was a line in a movie recently that said, "There are no more heroes left in America." After, September 11, 2001, most Americans found out who the true heroes are – the firefighters.
This is truly a profession of helping others in need. How many jobs can you name where you can go to work and be of service continuously to people in their most critical time of need? Whether it is rescuing people from a burning building, caring for their medical needs, extinguishing fires in a home or in a large mercantile building, this profession is all about helping others. The satisfaction you get from this job is unparallel to any other profession in this country.
Ninety-eight percent of firefighters look forward each and every day to going to work. Can you say that about your current profession? When you become a fireman, you belong to second family. The camaraderie, the helping of others, having pride in what you do, job security, and just an overall good feeling about yourself.
Firefighting demands a high level of dedication and professionalism for those who choose it as a career. Possessing the courage and stamina to risk their lives for the sake of others is something that goes with the territory. They must also study long hours and go through extensive periods of training to become effective and efficient professional.
This is not a career choice that you sort of want, kind of want – you have to really want it. The competition is tough, but the people who put in their heart and soul and hours of preparation are the ones who come out on top.
The process of becoming a fireman involves taking a written examination, physical agility exam, psychological exams, medical and background checks, and oral interview.
Please take the time to review each of the important sections on our How to Be a Fireman web page. We believe that it will convince you that if you are the type of person who likes helping others in times of need, that this is the job for you.
JOB SECURITY
One of the things that we discuss in our seminars and talks to prospective firefighters is the job security the position offers for yourself and your family. Did you know that 99.7% of all hired are never laid off? In today's changing economic situation, how many jobs can boast that statistic? How many people do you know that have been working for a company for 10, 15 or 20 years and suddenly the company is bought out and their job is eliminated? Once you have worked hard to obtain this job, it is yours for a lifetime. You have financial security, medical benefits for you and your family, an early retirement plan – these are all benefits that not many jobs today can offer. The average salary range is $55,000-$70,000 with hospitalization and a retirement plan after 25 years of service or the age of 48. How many people do you know who can retire at the age of 48? Most people have to wait until they are in their 60's before they can think about retiring comfortably.
The job outlook for the next 10 years is expected to far exceed the average of all other occupations.
WORK SCHEDULE
The work schedule of a fireman consists of two 24-hour days per week, for an average of 8 days per month. With this schedule, 5 days off per week is normal. Listed below you will find an average month's scheduler, with the days in red and starred being scheduled workdays and the other days representing days you have off during the month.
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Normally every 3 weeks, an extra day off is given. We use Thursday, the 13th, as an example for this month's schedule.
Because of the many days off during a month, many maintain a second job to supplement their income. They easily can make as much money on their day off as they do on the job. These second careers consist of salesmen, ambulance drivers, accountants, laborers, landscapers, real estate brokers, appraisers, contractors, attorneys – you name it, a firefighter does it on their day off.
