When people think of everyday heroes, firefighters are some of the most iconic examples around. Not only are their uniforms a symbol of safety, but firefighters are typically the first on the scene for all emergencies, not just fires. If you have an interest in exploring a career in firefighting, then allow us to explain what to expect from a career in firefighting.
Duties of a Firefighter
While the first and foremost duty of a firefighter is to, as the name suggests, combat fire, you can expect to be responding to other emergencies as well. Day or night, firefighters are on-call to respond to fires, rescue operations, and provide medical assistance. Furthermore, even if you are responding to a fire, there are likely victims who need to receive medical attention or could be trapped within the building. This ability to assist across multiple types of emergencies is why firefighters are held in such high regard, but it can be a bit grueling to have to respond to so many emergencies.
Training Regimes
Exercise is certainly something to expect from a career in firefighting. From carrying and operating heavy equipment to enduring long periods of physical strain, firefighters need to be in top form to perform their jobs. For this reason, training regimes to get you in shape will be the norm so that the weight of your own gear doesn’t immediately exhaust you.
The second part of the training regards academia. You’ll go through training at a fire academy to learn procedures, practices, and more, but you can also opt to get an EMT certification to become more desirable to fire branches you are considering.
Firefighting Equipment
We mentioned the equipment you’ll be carrying a few times now, but what does that involve? First and foremost, personal protection equipment for firefighters is the most important and vital equipment for you to become familiar with. You can’t help anyone if you aren’t properly protected first. After that, you need to know what kind of gear and tools you’ll need depending on the situation. For example, when responding to a building fire, doorstops are a handy tool to have on hand, while responding to wildfires may require digging tools to help control the blaze.
