What do fireman do

Retained firefighters are paid an annual retainer, dependent on their role in the service, plus a turn-out fee for each incident they attend. London firefighters are paid more. Income data from the Fire Brigades Union. Figures are intended as a guide only. Hours of work typically include regular unsocial hours. You'll usually work 40 to 48 hours a week in a shift pattern. Most firefighters work two day shifts followed by two night shifts, before having four days off. However, different services employ different duty systems, depending on their needs.

When necessary, paid overtime is worked. Personal qualities and physical attributes are more important than academic qualifications, though a good general education is required. A degree or other further education qualifications are not essential and entry without a degree or HND is common. There are, however, a number of vocationally-focused, graduate-entry degree courses available, such as:.

These courses don't guarantee entry into the fire and rescue service but aim to equip students with the skills needed to pursue a career in the fire industry. Other related degree courses in areas including fire engineering, fire safety and risk management or fire and explosion are also available.

Search for postgraduate courses in fire safety engineering for more options. You need to be aged 18 or over to become a firefighter. After successful completion of an application form, you'll go through the standard national selection process called the National Firefighter Selection NFS , as well as a Personal Qualities and Attributes PQA test to ensure you're suitable for the role. Applicants then move on to physical tests carried out in full firefighter uniform before attending an interview, and towards the end of the selection process you'll be invited to attend a medical.

Good vision in both eyes and good hearing are essential. Some services are making changes to the NFS, which may include an online application, with some online ability testing early in the application process. Check with individual fire services to find out about their application process. To improve your chances of entry, you need to keep fit and gain as much information as possible about both the role and the fire and rescue service in general.

Due to health and safety requirements, work experience isn't possible, although you may be able to be placed as an observer in a fire station or attend an open day. Contact the fire and rescue service you're interested in to enquire. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to work as a volunteer or retained firefighter.

Experience of this nature could increase your chances of gaining a full-time position. Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available. Fire and rescue services only recruit when they need firefighters to replace those who are retiring or leaving the service, and competition can be fierce. What a firefighter does in one fire department may slightly, or drastically, differ from what a firefighter does in another fire department, whether nearby or across the country.

And if you watch TV shows that depict firefighters, it is common to see crews sitting around the kitchen table, joking and having fun, and maybe even watching TV or sleeping during the daytime. Rarely do you see firefighters portrayed as doing busy work or productive work, such as actual preplanning exercises — and that does not mean going shopping; it means actually walking through existing occupancies or buildings under construction to learn how they are constructed and analyze how they would mitigate an emergency.

It would open a lot of people's eyes, including the eyes of future firefighters, if they realized that firefighters do far more things than just run calls and sit around the kitchen table waiting for the next run. It would certainly prevent the shock of new firefighters who have to run medical calls or handle public education details or company inspections, or whatever it might be that they didn't expect.

We have all heard some form of complaint after someone got off probation, of course where a firefighter is not fond of doing a certain task, or even worse, pleads ignorant or states, "I didn't sign up to do [fill in the blank]," or "That is not in my job description.

Before any future firefighter determines this is the career for them, they must realize that they may be called upon on any given shift to do a number of different things , and even possess the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to accomplish the following things at some point during their fire department career. The department will formally teach you how to accomplish some of these things. However, for many of these things, you will be expected to know from life experience or learn on the job from other firefighters.

Someone once said that a firefighter needs to know about 42 different trades and careers to be a good firefighter. At first, that sounds unrealistic. But when you think about it, it is highly possible a firefighter can be called upon at a moment's notice to do any of the following trades, professions, jobs or careers as part of their daily routine on duty.

Feel free to add your own to the list to educate others about what a firefighter really does. Candidate Physical Ability Test. The career video is in the public domain from the U. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Free Career Tests. Powered by Campus Explorer. Skip to content A firefighter responds to fire and medical emergencies and most importantly, fight fires and help evacuate people and animals to safety.

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