What do firemen make

Firefighters conduct building inspections, educate school children and the public, participate in on-going training, maintain equipment and vehicles, help with medical calls, assist with rescue operations and fight fires. Professional, full-time firefighters typically work rotating hour shifts, followed by two-to-three days off, or hour shifts followed by 14 hours off. Firefighter crews live and work together while on the job. The intensity of the job, required teamwork and extensive time in the station creates a family atmosphere at the firehouse.

Firefighting preparation used to entail a high school diploma and a willingness to serve. The competitive nature of this field has increased the education requirements and added to the qualification process. In addition to a high school diploma, most states require completion of a program or series of courses certified by the National Fire Protection Association.

This training covers topics such as fire behavior, equipment usage, fire control, rescue, foam fire streams, safety and other related subjects. Some programs combine online courses with field experience. In competitive areas, firefighting candidates complete two-to-four years of fire science studies. Many firefighters earn an Emergency Medical Technician or paramedic certification to add to their credentials. These programs can add another two years of coursework. Stringent physical standards must also be met along with education and training requirements.

Salaries vary by geographic location, but the cost of living should be considered when evaluating job offers. Firefighters also spend time writting reports on emergency incidents they have attended, cleaining and maintaining their equipment, doing fitness training and conducting drills. A retained firefighter only attends the fire station when they receive an emergency call out.

Retained firefighters hold other jobs and carry around with them a pocket alerter. When their alerter is activated they have a maximum of 5 minutes to report to the fire station and get their equipment ready. Retained firefighters may respond from home or work, during the day or night. All fire services are committed to the Integrated Personal Development System IPDS , which encourages firefighters to continue to broaden their skills by attending lectures, practical training sessions and so on.

Although the majority of firefighters work for the FRS, there are some jobs available in the private sector. These include working at civil airports or ports or being an employee of large industrial companies which have a higher risk of fire such as chemical, gas or oil installations.

The Ministry of Defence also has some vacancies for firefighters. These postitions may have an even better firefighter salary than a position within the local council.

Benefits to those who join include an accident and injury fund as well as legal advice. In April it was increased for the third successive year. Rules were also changed regarding eligibility. They would have to complete 40 years of service to receive a full pension. Therefore they would have the choice of leaving with a reduced pension or face dismissal. Cashfloat analysed loan applications received to try and understand the customer base.

We noticed many requests for payday loans for firefighters. With corresponding increases in pension contributions, it is evident that firefighters have seen a significant decline in the value of their earnings over the past few years.

Allied to these worries is the lack of job security. Since , it has been calculated that 9, firefighters over all services have lost their jobs.

With limited numbers of jobs in the private sector, many have found themselves unemployed with highly specialised skills which do not allow them to find other work on the same pay scale. For those who have kept their jobs, rising costs mean they may struggle to make ends meet to the end of the month. Traditionally seen as a well-paid job, many firefighters are forced to look for a second job or to turn to lenders offering payday loans for firefighters.

This is especially true for firefighters who are new to the service and have yet to reach the higher pay scales. Engel joined Lexipol in and has since reported on issues related to public safety.

Engel lives in Wichita, Kansas. She can be reached via email. You must enable JavaScript in your browser to view and post comments. More FireRescue1 Articles. More Career News. More Product news. More Career Videos. Make FireRescue1 your homepage. More than 1, courses and videos, including more than hours of approved EMS credit! Reducing firefighter cancer risk: How emotionally attached are you?

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Can firefighters pick and choose which community events to attend? Topics Career. Email Print Comment. Rachel Engel Rendering Aid.