Firefighting Career

Report
Nature of Work:

All firefighters follow the moto “To protect life and preserve property” which is very

generic in the world of firefighting. Firefighters do not just protect life and property. They also

use various tools including the Jaws of Life which can be very heavy for a less physical person.

Firefighters who are interested in driving any fire apparatus must attend a driving course through

the state and get a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) license. Firefighters also respond to

medical calls which require firefighters to administer basic life support and general first aid

while waiting for the ambulance to arrive on scene.

Working Conditions:

In a typical firefighting work setting, firefighters must be able to adapt to working in

various outdoor weather conditions as well as very small confined indoors spaces. Next,

firefighters must be able to work in a team which is very important to the fire service since

multiple individuals are required to help put out a typical fire. Also, firefighters must be able to

avoid mistakes while in an active fire situation since any mistakes could result in serious injury

or cause death.
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Job Outlook and Employment:

The national employment of firefighters is expected to grow 7 percent through a 10 year

period from years 2016 to 2026 which is similar to the average for all occupations. Local city

governments do hire career firefighters but they are not their only employers. Airports, chemical

plants and many other industrial sites have their own crews. If you are not qualified enough to

make it into a career fire department, there are many rural fire departments in the state of

Missouri that are always seeking volunteers.

Training, Qualifications and Advancement:

● Training

A majority of entry-level firefighters receive a few months of training at fire academies

hosted by their city’s fire department or by the state. Through classroom instruction and practical

training, recruits study firefighting and fire-prevention techniques, local building codes, and

emergency medical procedures. The fire recruits also learn how to fight fires with standard

equipment including axes, chain saws, fire extinguishers, and ladders. During the last few weeks

of the fire academy, most will have you take a state written exam. After attending a fire academy

and being hired on to a career fire department, new firefighters must usually complete a

probationary period which can last up to one year.

Although, a majority of new fire recruits do attend a fire academy, many fire departments

- especially rural ones, do not put new fire recruits through a fire academy. They will either

encourage you to take Firefighting 1 and Firefighting 2 through a local college or even host a

local Firefighting 1 and Firefighting 2 class to help interested firefighting recruits get certified.
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● Qualifications

Many firefighting careers, especially in the state of Missouri, need a Hazardous Materials

Certification with a Firefighting 1 and Firefighting 2 course. Due to the nature of local city

governments, all new firefighters need to complete NIMS (National Institute of Management

Safety). These are online independent study courses. Once successfully passed you get a

certificate verifying completion of NIMS courses for any instructors or human resources

department. These are required by the federal government to assure every public safety

organization has a command system. This requirement came about after the September 11, 2001

terrorist attacks. Some volunteer departments do not require probationary firefighters to be

qualified in Hazardous Materials and Firefighting 1 and Firefighting 2.

● Advancement

In the fire service, all fire departments have ranks and the ranks are as follows:

● Volunteer firefighter *
● Probationary firefighter
● Firefighter/EMT- Lowest Position In Career Fire Departments
● Firefighter/Paramedic
● Driver Engineer
● Lieutenant
● Captain
● Battalion Chief
● Assistant Chief
● Fire Chief - Highest Position In Fire Department
* Means these are optional due to how the department runs since there are strictly city
fire departments and strictly volunteer fire departments in the United States

Finally, advancement opportunities are available at most fire departments in the United

States due to retirements and resignations. To advance in ranks, you have to show dedication to

your work and take your job seriously.

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Earnings:

All wages vary by employer and the firefighter's schedule. Firefighters are paid overtime

if they work more than a certain number of hours a week. Firefighters who belong to a union

usually earn more than non-union firefighters. Also, firefighters usually receive benefits such as

health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and a retirement plan. Fire departments provide

protective clothing and breathing gear to their workers. Many also provide dress uniforms.

Finally, the median average salary in the Ozark region of Missouri is $37,806 yearly.

Related Occupations:

There are many different careers within firefighting and similar occupations close to

EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and paramedics. These deal with strictly medical

emergencies and transporting patients to and from the hospital. Also, you can join the other side

of firefighting which is wildland firefighting. This can be very dangerous and hot most of the

time since you are putting out forest fires that burn thousands of acres. Another related career to

firefighting is a hazardous materials removal worker whose responsibilities include the removal

of very dangerous chemicals. Finally, you can join the other side of public safety by becoming a

police officer.
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Justification:

The main reason I chose this career is because, I really like to help especially if it means

risking my life to save somebody else’s. Throughout various personality tests, that I completed in

class, the results indicated that I am Transformative. This means I go out of my way to make

something right and have the courage to grow according to the Global Goals. Secondly, on

myplan.com Value’s Assessment I scored a 5 star on Achievement which is a very great

personality trait for the fire service since you need to put out your best effort at the scene of a

fire. Once you are in a burning house there is no time to just say “Oh well I’m tired” and just turn

away and head back to the firetruck.

On Missouri Connections I scored the highest on Investigative which is awesome since I

really love to investigate new things. One of the recommended careers was a “Fire Investigator”

which does tie into firefighting. The fire investigator will investigate the initial cause of the fire

and submit a report outlining the probable cause of the fire. I fell in love with this career after

switching programs at OTC from Early Childhood Education to Fire Science Technologies.
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Potential Training Sites:

● Ozarks Technical Community College

○ Address: Springfield, MO

○ Total Program Costs: $15,401.00

○ Program of Study: Fire Science Technologies

○ Length of Program: 2 Years (Depending On Seeking A Degree Or Certificate)

○ Degree Options And Total Credit Hours Needed:

■ Associate of Applied Science: 69-71 Credit Hours

■ Fundamentals of Firefighting Certificate: 38 Credit Hours
■ Fire Officer Certificate: 36 Credit Hours

○ Special Classes:

■ Associate of Applied Science:

● FST 120 Hazardous Materials
● FST 105 Intro To Firefighting 1 And 2
● FST 101 Principles Emergency Services
● FST 107 Fire Prevention
● FST 110 Firefighter Safety & Survival
● FST 102 Building Construction
● FST 108 Fire Behavior & Combustion
● FST 111 Fire Strategy & Tactics
● FST 106 Firefighter I & II
● FST 109 Hydraulics
● EMT 101 Emergency Medical Technician - Basic
● FST 117 Fire Protection Systems
● FST 280 Capstone

■ Fundamentals of Firefighting Certificate:

● FST 120 Hazardous Materials
● FST 105 Intro to Firefighting 1 & 2
● FST 103 Emergency Medical Responder
● FST 101 Principles Emergency Services
● FST 107 Fire Prevention
● FST 110 Firefighter Safety & Survival
● FST 106 Firefighter I & II
● FST 111 Fire Strategy & Tactics
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● OTC Fundamentals of Firefighting Certificate Continued...

● FST 108 Fire Behavior & Combustion
● FST 102 Building Construction
● FST 117 Fire Protection Systems

■ Fire Officer Certificate:

● FST 210 Fire Department Officer
● FST 231 Fire Investigation II
● EMS 100 Emergency Management
● FST 240 Occupational Safety & Health for Emergency Responders
● TEC 108 Applied Technical Mathematics
● FST 211 Fire Officer II (Managing Officer)
● FST 250 Fire Service Reports & Communication
● FST 275 Legal/Contemp Issues-FST/EMS
● FST 212 Fire Officer III (Administrating Officer)
● FST 207 Community Risk Reduction

● Missouri State University- West Plains

○ Address: West Plains, Missouri

○ Annual Tuition Costs: $14,320.00

○ Program of Study: Fire Science Technologies

○ GPA Requirement And Required ACT/SAT Score:

Class Rank GPA ACT Composite SAT Total

Percentile (Based On 4.00 Scale)

75 or higher 3.50 or higher 17 900

71 To 74 3.41 to 3.49 18 940

64 To 70 3.25 to 3.40 19 980

56 To 63 3.04 to 3.24 20 1020

48 To 55 2.85 to 3.03 21 1060

40 To 47 2.63 to 2.84 22 1100

34 To 39 2.50 to 2.62 23 1130

Below 34 Below 2.50 Not Admissible

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● Missouri State University- West Plains Continued...

○ Length of Program: 2 Years

○ Degree Options And Total Credit Hours Needed:

■ Associate of Applied Science: 64 Credit Hours

○ Special Classes:

■ Core Classes
● CIS 101 Computers for Learning
● FST 102 Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations
● FST 103 Medical First Responder
● FST 104 Basic Fire Fighter Skills
● FST 106 Fire Fighter I & II
● FST 201 Fire Hydraulics and Systems
● FST 203 Fire Cause Determination
● FST 205 Managing Company Tactical Operation-Preparation
● FST 206 Managing Company Tactical Operations - Decision Making
● FST 207 Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operations
● FST 297 Administration & Organization (capstone course)
● FST 210 Fire Service Instructor I
● FST 212 Leadership Strategies for Personal Success
● FST 213 Leadership Strategies for Company Success
● FST 214 Leadership Strategies for Supervisory Success

■ Special Elective Courses:

● FST 250 Farm Machinery Rescue Technician
● FST 251 School Bus Rescue Technician
● FST 252 Auto Rescue Technician
● FST 255 Pumping Apparatus Operator/Driver
● FST 260 Fire Officer I
● FST 262 Incident Safety Officer
● FST 265 National Incident Management Systems
● FST 266 Advanced Incident Management Systems
● FST 270 Fire Service Instructor II
● FST 272 Shaping the Future
● FST 275 Introduction to Volunteer Service Management
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● East Central College

○ Address: Union, Missouri

○ Annual Tuition Costs (Per Credit Hour):

■ $85 per credit hour for in-district students

■ $122 per credit hour for out-of-district students
■ $181 per credit hour for out-of-state students
■ $186 per credit hour for international students

○ Program of Study: Fire Technologies

○ Length of Program: 2 Years

○ Degree Options And Total Credit Hours Needed:

■ Associate of Applied Science 77-80 Credit Hours

○ Special Classes:

■ FT 1015 Firefighter I A (fall only)

■ FT 1023 General Building Construction
■ FT 1025 Firefighter II A (spring only)
■ FT 1013 Basic Fire Protection & Alarms
■ FT 2033 Inspection & Fire Prevention
■ FT 2022 Fire Service Instruction I
■ FT 1034 Apparatus Driver/Operator
■ FT 2044 Fire Investigation
■ FT 2063 Rescue Techniques
■ FT 2023 Hazardous Materials
■ FT 1073 Strategies & Tactics
■ FT 1063 Codes & Ordinances
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REFERENCES

"Academics." Missouri State University-West Plains, 2 May 2018,

wp.missouristate.edu/academics/.

ECC - East Central College, www.eastcentral.edu/nursing/wp-

content/uploads/sites/15/2014/08/FireTechnology-FactSheet-2015_lv.pdf.

"Fire Science Courses." Missouri State University-West Plains, 6 Feb. 2015,

wp.missouristate.edu/catalog/courses-fst.htm.

"Fire Science Technologies." Missouri State University-West Plains,

wp.missouristate.edu/assets/admissions/FireScienceTechnology.pdf.

"Fire Technology | Nursing & Allied Health." ECC - East Central College,
www.eastcentral.edu/nursing/fire-technology/.

"Firefighters: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics." U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24 Apr. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-
service/firefighters.htm.

"Missouri Connections Firefighting." Missouri Connections,

missouriconnections.org/OccInfo.aspx?SourceState=MO&OccID=100318&TopicID
=0.
"OTC Fire Science Department." OTC Fire Science, academics.otc.edu/fst/.

"Preferred Course Sequence - Fire Science." OTC Fire Science,

academics.otc.edu/fst/preferred-course-sequence-fire-science/

"Search Result." ECC - East Central College, 16 Oct. 2015, www.eastcentral.edu/search-

result/?q=fire%20science.

State University. "Firefighter Job Description, Career As a Firefighter, Salary,

Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training
Requirements, Getting the Job." Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job
Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and Profiles - StateUniversity,
careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/685/Firefighter.html.

"Tuition and Fees | Financial Aid." ECC - East Central College,

www.eastcentral.edu/finaid/tuition-and-fees/.