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Fire Service Career Requirements
Few occupations offer the same level of fulfillment, excitement, and danger as firefighting does. When you're not throwing yourself directly into harm's way to rescue people, you're teaching safety tips to the community, performing routine maintenance, and providing first aid assistance to victims. Understandably, there are many fire service career requirements you must meet before you can begin covering this broad range of responsibilities. Oddly enough, however, this occupational field doesn't normally require academic education after high school. The bulk of your training and certification takes place on-the-job and through specialized courses.
Specific Fire Service Career Requirements
Although a high school degree is usually the only academic requirement, completing an associate's degree or community college training can boost your chances of employment success. Through this coursework, you can study fire engineering, fire science, basic architecture, construction, and perhaps, computer science. Thereafter, you receive several weeks of intense training through an accredited firefighting academy during which you cover the various firefighting, medical, and safety skills required for this job. Fire prevention, local building codes, emergency medical procedures, CPR, and hazardous materials control form the bulk of your education. You also learn how to use, maintain, and repair the various tools and equipment that come with the job (ladders, chain saws, axes, etc). After completing the academy, you are assigned to a fire company where you can apprentice with seasoned professionals before your probation period expires.
Additional Fire Service Career Requirements
In addition to academy training, you must also become licensed as an emergency medical technician (EMT). Fire service personnel are often the first ones on the scene, and thus, knowing how to treat severe injuries is essential. Municipal firehouses often include a written, oral, and physical exam plus intermittent drug tests. For long-term career success it is recommended that you constantly retrain to ensure that your skills are sharp and you remain abreast of new developments in firefighting.
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