Firefighters

Summary

Fire fighting can be a hazardous occupation.

Quick Facts: Firefighters
2010 Median Pay	$45,250 per year $21.76 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Postsecondary non-degree award
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Long-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	310,400
Job Outlook, 2010-20	9% (Slower than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	26,600

What Firefighters Do

Firefighters protect the public by responding to fires and other emergencies. They are frequently the first emergency personnel on the scene of an accident.

Work Environment

When not on the scene of an emergency, firefighters work at fire stations, where they sleep, eat, and remain on call during shifts that often last 24 hours.

How to Become a Firefighter

Firefighters typically enter the occupation with a postsecondary non-degree award in fire science or a related discipline. In many jurisdictions, however, the entry-level education needed to become a firefighter is a high school diploma or equivalent. Most firefighters also must pass written and physical tests, complete a series of interviews, and hold an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification. All firefighters receive extensive training after being hired.

Pay

The median annual wage of firefighters was $45,250 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of firefighters is expected to grow by 9 percent, slower than the average for all occupations. Physically fit applicants with high test scores and some postsecondary firefighter education and paramedic training should have the best prospects.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of firefighters with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about firefighters by contacting these additional resources.

What Firefighters Do About this section

Firefighters use high-pressure hoses to suppress structural fires.

Firefighters protect the public by responding to fires and other emergencies. They are frequently the first emergency personnel on the scene of an accident.

Duties

Firefighters typically do the following:

• Drive fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to emergencies
• Put out fires using hoses and pumps
• Find and rescue victims in burning buildings or in other emergency conditions
• Treat victims’ injuries with emergency medical services
• Prepare written reports on fire or emergency incidents
• Clean and maintain equipment
• Conduct drills and training in fire fighting techniques
• Provide public education on fire safety

When responding to an emergency, firefighters do tasks assigned by a superior officer. They might be responsible for connecting hoses to hydrants, operating pumps to power the hoses, climbing ladders, or using tools to break through debris. Other firefighters might be responsible for providing medical attention.

Most calls firefighters respond to are medical, not fire, emergencies.

Firefighters’ duties may change several times while they are at the scene of an emergency. In some cases, they might remain at disaster scenes for days, rescuing trapped survivors and assisting with medical treatment.

Firefighters may specialize in responding to forest fires or hazardous materials incidents.

Forest firefighters use heavy equipment and water hoses to control forest fires. They also frequently create fire lines—a swathe of cut-down trees and dug-up grass in the path of a fire—to deprive a fire of fuel. Some elite forest firefighters, known as smoke jumpers, parachute from airplanes to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

Some firefighters work in hazardous materials units and are specially trained to control, prevent, and clean up hazardous materials, such as oil spills and chemical accidents. For more information, see the profile on hazardous materials removal workers.

Work Environment About this section

Firefighters respond to non-fire emergencies such as car accidents.

Firefighters held about 310,400 jobs in 2010.

About 91 percent of paid firefighters worked for local governments in 2010. Most of the remainder worked for federal or state governments. Firefighters also work at airports, chemical plants, and other industrial sites. They work in both cities and rural areas.

These employment numbers include only paid career fire fighters. They do not cover volunteer fire fighters.

Volunteer firefighters have the same duties as paid firefighters and account for the majority of firefighters in many areas. According to the National Fire Protection Association, about 70 percent of fire departments were staffed entirely by volunteer firefighters in 2008.

When not on the scene of an emergency, firefighters work at fire stations, where they sleep, eat, and remain on call. When an alarm sounds, firefighters respond, regardless of the weather or the hour.

Injuries  

Firefighters generally have a higher rate of injury and illness than the national average. They often encounter dangerous situations, including collapsing floors and walls, traffic accidents, and overexposure to flames and smoke. Firefighters wear protective gear to help lower these risks. The protective gear can be very heavy and hot.

Work Schedules 

Firefighters typically work long and varied hours, often about 50 hours a week. Most firefighters work 24-hour shifts on duty and are off the following 48 or 72 hours. Others work 10-hour day shifts for 3 to 4 days, followed by 14-hour night shifts for 3 to 4 nights before receiving 3 to 4 days off. Additional hours may be required when responding to a fire or medical emergency.

How to Become a Firefighter About this section

Firefighters begin their careers by attending fire academy training.

Firefighters typically enter the occupation with a postsecondary non-degree award in fire science or a related discipline. In many jurisdictions, however, the entry-level education needed to become a firefighter is a high school diploma or equivalent. Most firefighters also must pass written and physical tests, complete a series of interviews, and hold an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification. All firefighters receive extensive training after being hired.

Applicants for firefighter jobs typically must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. They must also pass a medical exam and drug screening to be hired. After being hired, firefighters may be monitored on a random basis for drug use.

Education

Most firefighters enter the occupation with postsecondary education, typically a postsecondary non-degree award fire science or a related discipline. There are also associate’s degree programs available. In many jurisdictions, however, the entry-level education needed to become a firefighter is a high school diploma or equivalent. 

Training

Entry-level firefighters receive several weeks of training at fire academies run by the department or by the state. Through classroom instruction and practical training, recruits study fire-fighting and fire-prevention techniques, local building codes, and emergency medical procedures. They also learn how to fight fires with standard equipment, including axes, chain saws, fire extinguishers, and ladders.

Some fire departments have accredited apprenticeship programs that last up to 4 years. These programs combine formal instruction with on-the-job-training under the supervision of experienced firefighters.

In addition to participating in training programs conducted by local or state fire departments and agencies, some firefighters attend federal training sessions sponsored by the National Fire Academy. These training sessions cover topics including executive development, antiarson techniques, disaster preparedness, hazardous materials control, and public fire safety and education.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Firefighters need to quickly evaluate emergency scenes and decide what to do.

Communication skills. Firefighters must be able to communicate conditions at an emergency scene to other firefighters and to emergency-response crews.

Courage. Firefighters must enter dangerous situations to do their jobs. 

Physical stamina. Firefighters may have to stay at disaster scenes for long periods of time to rescue and to treat victims. They may be called to respond to emergencies at any hour of the day.

Physical strength. Firefighters must be strong enough to move equipment and debris at an emergency site. They also need to be able to carry victims who cannot walk.

Teamwork. When working at dangerous emergency sites, firefighters must work as well-trained teams to react quickly and to minimize injuries.  

Certification

Firefighters must usually be certified as emergency medical technicians at the EMT-Basic level. Some fire departments require firefighters to be certified as paramedics.

In some departments, it is possible to earn these certifications after being hired. For more information, see the profile on emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

Some states have mandatory or voluntary firefighter training and certification programs.  

Advancement

Fire fighters can be promoted to engineer, then lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and finally, chief. For promotion to positions beyond battalion chief, many fire departments now require a bachelor's degree, preferably in fire science, public administration, or a related field.  The National Fire Academy also offers a certification as executive fire officer. Fire fighters need at least an associate's degree to be eligible for that certification.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of firefighters was $45,250 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,050, and the top 10 percent earned more than $75,390.    

In 2010, 67 percent of firefighters were union members or covered by a union contract.

Firefighters typically work long and varied hours. Many work about 50 hours a week. Some firefighters work 24-hour shifts on duty and are off the following 48 or 72 hours. Others work 10-hour day shifts for 3 to 4 days, followed by 14-hour night shifts for 3 to 4 nights before receiving 3 to 4 days off. Additional hours may be required when responding to a fire or medical emergency.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of firefighters is expected to grow 9 percent, slower than the average for all occupations.

Continued population growth will increase the number of emergency calls requiring firefighter responses. The majority of situations that firefighters respond to are medical—rather than fire—emergencies, and the aging of the population will lead to an increased demand for emergency responders.    

In addition, jobs will be created as volunteer firefighters are converted to paid positions in areas where population growth creates the need for a full-time workforce. An increase in urban populations, where full-time firefighters are more common, also is expected to increase the demand for firefighters.

Job Prospects

Prospective firefighters will face tough competition for positions. Many people are attracted to the job’s challenge, opportunity for public service, relatively low formal educational requirements, and pensions that are usually guaranteed after 25 years of service. As a result, a department often receives hundreds or thousands of applicants for a single position. Physically-fit applicants with high test scores, some post-secondary firefighter education, and paramedic training have the best prospects.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information about a career as a firefighter, contact your local fire department or visit

International Association of Fire Fighters

International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services

U.S. Fire Administration

For information about professional qualifications and a list of colleges and universities offering 2-year or 4-year degree programs in fire science or fire prevention, visit

National Fire Academy