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289
Firefighting Occupations

(D.O.T.  169.167-022; 373 except .117; 379.687-010; 452.134, .167,
.364- 014, .367-010 and -014, .687-014)

Nature of the Work

Every year, fires take thousands of lives and destroy property worth
billions of dollars.  Firefighters help protect the public against
this danger.  This statement provides information only about paid
firefighters; it does not cover volunteer firefighters, who make up
the overwhelming majority of all firefighters in the Nation.

   During duty hours, firefighters must be prepared to respond to a
fire and handle any emergency that arises.  Because firefighting is
dangerous and complex, it requires organization and teamwork.  At
every fire, firefighters perform specific duties assigned by a
superior officer.  They may connect hose lines to hydrants, operate
a pump, or position ladders.  Their duties may change several times
while the company is in action.  They may rescue victims and
administer emergency medical aid, ventilate smoke-filled areas,
operate equipment, and salvage the contents of buildings.

   The job of firefighter has become more complicated in recent years
due to the use of increasingly sophisticated equipment.  In
addition, many firefighters have assumed additional responsibilities
for example, working with ambulance services that provide emergency
medical treatment, assisting in the recovery from natural disasters
such as earthquakes and tornadoes, and becoming involved with the
control and cleanup of oil spills and other hazardous chemical
incidents.

   Some firefighters are responsible for fire safety in the Nation's
forests.  Fire lookouts locate fires from remote fire-lookout
stations and report their findings to headquarters by telephone or
radio.  Fire rangers patrol areas of the forest to locate and report
fires and hazardous conditions and to ensure that travelers and
campers are complying with fire regulations.  When fires break out,
firefighters go in to battle the blaze, parachuting from airplanes
when necessary to reach inaccessible areas.

   Most fire departments also are responsible for fire prevention.
They provide specially trained personnel to inspect public buildings
for conditions that might cause a fire.  They may check building
plans, the number and working condition of fire escapes and fire
doors, the storage of flammable materials, and other possible
hazards.  Fire inspectors inspect pipes, hoses, and other fire
apparatus to ensure that it is in working order.  Firefighters also
educate the public about fire prevention and safety measures.  They
frequently speak on this subject before school assemblies and civic
groups.

   Fire marshalls investigate and gather facts to determine the cause
of fires when arson or criminal neglience is suspected or someone is
killed or seriously injured.  In addition, they may have to testify
in court about the evidence that they have gathered.

   Between alarms, firefighters have classroom training, clean and
maintain equipment, conduct practice drills and fire inspections,
and participate in physical fitness activities.  Firefighters also
prepare written reports on fire incidents and review fire science
literature to keep abreast of technological developments and
administrative practices and policies.

   Firefighters routinely check equipment to ensure proper performance.

Working Conditions

Firefighters spend much of their time at fire stations, which
usually have facilities for dining and sleeping.  When an alarm
comes in, firefighters must respond rapidly, regardless of the
weather or hour.  They may spend long periods at fires, medical
emergencies, hazardous chemical incidents, and other emergencies on
their feet and outdoors, sometimes in adverse weather.

   Firefighting is one of the most hazardous occupations.  It involves
risk of death or injury from sudden cave-ins of floors or toppling
walls and from exposure to flames and smoke.  Strong winds, and
falling trees and branches can make fighting forest fires
particularly dangerous.  Firefighters also may come in contact with
poisonous, flammable, and explosive gases and chemicals.  For these
reasons, firefighters must wear all kinds of protective gear.

   Work hours of firefighters are longer and vary more widely than
hours of most other workers.  The majority of firefighters work over
50 hours a week; during some weeks, they may work significantly
longer hours.  In some cities, firefighters are on duty for 24
hours, then off for 48 hours, and receive an extra day off at
intervals.  In other cities, they work a day shift of 10 hours for 3
or 4 days, a night shift of 14 hours for 3 or 4 nights, have 3 or 4
days off, and then repeat the cycle.  In addition, firefighters
often work extra hours at fires and other emergencies.  Fire
lieutenants and fire captains often work the same hours as the
firefighters they supervise.  Duty hours include time when
firefighters study, train, and perform fire prevention duties.

Employment

Firefighters held about 305,000 jobs in 1992.  Nine of every 10
worked in municipal or county fire departments.  Some very large
cities have several thousand firefighters, while many small towns
have only a few.  Most of the remainder worked in fire departments
on Federal and State installations, including airports.  Private
firefighting companies employ a small number.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Applicants for municipal firefighting jobs may have to pass a
written test; tests of strength, physical stamina, coordination, and
agility; and a medical examination including drug screening.
Workers also may be monitored on a random basis for drug use after
accepting employment.  Examinations are open to persons who are at
least 18 years of age and have a high school education or the
equivalent.  Those who receive the highest scores have the best
chances for appointment.  The completion of community college
courses in fire science may improve an applicant's chances for
appointment.  In fact, in recent years, an increasing proportion of
entrants to this occupation have some postsecondary education.

   As a rule, beginners in large fire departments are trained for
several weeks at the department's training center.  Through
classroom instruction and practical training, the recruits study
firefighting techniques, fire prevention, hazardous materials, local
building codes, and emergency medical procedures; also, they learn
how to use axes, saws, chemical extinguishers, ladders, and other
firefighting and rescue equipment.  After completing this training,
they are assigned to a fire company, where they are evaluated during
a period of probation.

   A number of fire departments have accredited apprenticeship programs
lasting 3 to 4 years.  These programs combine formal, technical
instruction with on-the-job training under the supervision of
experienced firefighters.  Technical instruction covers subjects
such as firefighting techniques and equipment, chemical hazards
associated with various combustible building materials, emergency
medical procedures, and fire prevention and safety.

   Most experienced firefighters continue to study to improve their job
performance and prepare for promotion examinations.  Today,
firefighters need more training to operate increasingly
sophisticated equipment and to deal safely with the greater hazards
associated with fighting fires in larger, more elaborate structures.
To progress to higher level positions, firefighters must acquire
expertise in the most advanced firefighting equipment and techniques
and in building construction, emergency medical procedures, writing,
public speaking, management and budgeting procedures, and labor
relations.  Fire departments frequently conduct training programs,
and some firefighters attend training sessions sponsored by the
National Fire Academy on a variety of topics such as executive
development, anti-arson techniques, and public fire safety and
education.  Some States also have extensive firefighter training
programs.

   Many colleges and universities offer courses leading to 2- or 4-year
degrees in fire engineering or fire science.  Many fire department
offer firefighters incentives such as tuition reimbursement or
higher pay for completing advanced training.

   Among the personal qualities firefighters need are mental alertness,
courage, mechanical aptitude, endurance, and a sense of public
service.  Initiative and good judgment are extremely important
because firefighters often must make quick decisions in emergencies.
Because members of a crew eat, sleep, and work closely together
under conditions of stress and danger, they should be dependable and
able to get along well with others in a group.  Leadership qualities
are necessary for officers, who must establish and maintain
discipline and efficiency as well as direct the activities of
firefighters in their companies.

   Opportunities for promotion are good in most fire departments.  As
firefighters gain experience, they may advance to a higher rank.
The line of promotion usually is to engineer then lieutenant,
captain, then battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and
finally to chief.  Advancement generally depends upon scores on a
written examination, performance on the job, and seniority.
Increasingly, fire departments are using assessment centers which
simulate a variety of actual job performance tasks to screen for the
best candidates for promotion.  However, many fire departments
require a master's degree preferably in public administration or a
related field for promotion to positions higher than battalion
chief.

Job Outlook

Firefighters are expected to face considerable competition for
available job openings.  Firefighting attracts many people because a
high school education usually is sufficient, earnings are relatively
high, and a pension is guaranteed upon retirement.  In addition, the
work is frequently exciting and challenging and affords an
opportunity to perform a valuable public service.  Consequently, the
number of qualified applicants in most areas generally exceeds the
number of job openings, even though the written examination and
physical requirements eliminate many applicants.  This situation is
expected to persist through the year 2005.

   Employment of firefighters is expected to increase about as fast as
the average for all occupations through the year 2005 as a result of
the increase in the Nation's population and fire protection needs.
In addition, the number of paid firefighter positions is expected to
increase as a percentage of all firefighter jobs.  Much of the
expected increase will occur in smaller communities with expanding
populations that augment volunteers with career firefighters to
better meet growing, increasingly complex fire protection needs.
However, little growth is expected in large, urban fire departments.
A small number of local governments are expected to contract for
firefighting services with private companies.

   In response to the expanding role of firefighters, some
municipalities have combined fire prevention, public fire education,
safety, and emergency medical services into a single organization
commmonly referred to as a public safety organization.  Some local
and regional fire departments are being consolidated into
county-wide establishments in order to cut overhead, take advantage
of economies of scale, reduce administrative staffs, and establish
consistent training standards and work procedures.

   Turnover of firefighter jobs is unusually low, particularly for an
occupation that requires a relatively limited investment in formal
education.  Nevertheless, most job openings are expected to result
from the need to replace those who retire or stop working for other
reasons, or who transfer to other occupations.

   Layoffs of firefighters are not common.  Fire protection is an
essential service, and citizens are likely to exert considerable
pressure on city officials to expand or at least preserve the level
of fire-protection coverage.  Even when budget cuts do occur, local
fire departments usually cut expenses by postponing equipment
purchases or not hiring new firefighters, rather than by laying off
staff.

Earnings

Median weekly earnings for firefighting occupations were $636 in
1992.  The middle 50 percent earned between $499 and $824 weekly.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $362, while the highest 10
percent earned more than $987.  Fire lieutenants and fire captains
may earn considerably more.

   The law requires that overtime be paid to those firefighters who
average 53 or more hours a week during their work period which
ranges from 7 to 28 days.

   Firefighters receive benefits that usually include medical and
liability insurance, vacation and sick leave, and some paid
holidays.  Practically all fire departments provide protective
clothing (helmets, boots, and coats) and breathing apparatus, and
many also provide dress uniforms.  Firefighters generally are
covered by liberal pension plans that often provide retirement at
half pay at age 50 after 25 years of service or at any age if
disabled in the line of duty.

   The majority of career firefighters are members of the International
Association of Fire Fighters.

Related Occupations

A related fire protection occupation is the fire-protection
engineer, who identifies fire hazards in homes and workplaces and
designs prevention programs and automatic fire detection and
extinguishing systems.  Other occupations in which workers respond
to emergencies include police officers and emergency medical
technicians.

Sources of Additional Information

   Information on obtaining a job as a firefighter is available from
local civil service offices or fire departments.

   Information about a career as a firefighter may be obtained from:

   International Association of Fire Chiefs, 4025 Fair Ridge Dr.,
Fairfax, VA 22033-2868.

   International Association of Fire Fighters, 1750 New York Ave.  NW.,
Washington, DC 20006.

   Information about firefighter professional qualifications and a list
of colleges and universities that offer 2- or 4-year degree programs
in fire science or fire prevention may be obtained from:

   National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA
02269.

   Additional information on the salaries and hours of work of
firefighters in various cities is published annually by the
International City Management Association in its Municipal Yearbook,
which is available in many libraries.