Requirements To Become Firefighter

To little boys and girls everywhere, they hold the status of heroes.They run into burning buildings and rescue those that cannot save themselves. They leave no partner behind. To Americans everywhere, they have become the icon of a day when terror attempted to shadow the will of the free world. They are the firefighters that respond at a moments notice, and make lifesaving decisions in the blink of an eye.

If you want to count yourself among the heroic men and women who call themselves firefighters, there are a few obstacles you will have to pass through, that will test your will and desire. A person considering a position as a firefighter must first know if they want to do the job as a volunteer, or make a career out of it.

If considering a career firefighting and saving lives, you should be able to find an application at most government facilities, such as local library, courthouse, police station, and, of course, the fire station, to name a few. This step is probably the easiest step in becoming a firefighter.

After the completion of your application, you will enroll in, and take a civil service exam, after which, the waiting begins. The civil service exam will test your basic everyday knowledge, to determine if you are competent enough to be placed in a position of community service. Once you have completed this test, you will be placed on the contact list for employment options.

Upon completion of the waiting period, which varies depending on openings in the area you have applied for, you will be contacted, and asked to take yet another series of exams. An applicant must pass a medical exam, which will ensure they are not dependant on drugs or have any other medical limitations that may inhibit your performance as a firefighter. Passing the medical test, the aspiring firefighter will then need to pass a physical exam that will test the limits of their strength and endurance.

Now that the easy requirements are done, the new firefighting recruit will go to firefighting recruit school. This will teach the new recruit the basics of firefighting life, including duty days, vehicle maintenance, and basic casualty response knowledge. The recruit will also need to pass an emergency medical technician course, where they will become a qualified medical response person. On top of all of this training, the new firefighter will also have to receive training as an emergency vehicle operator.

Finally, after all of the schooling has been completed, the new firefighter will enter into a probationary period, and shadow a senior firefighter as he learns the ropes of his or her new job.

The job of a firefighter is not for the faint of heart. It takes more than a little bit of heart and endurance to make it through the schooling alone. If you really want to know what it takes to be a firefighter, it is quite simple really. It takes courage, will, strength, and compassion to be a true hero.

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