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Firefighters

In the Firefighters occupation, workers control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. O*NET rates it as some preparation, which usually means a few months to a year of learning on the job. It leans on coordination, critical thinking, and active listening. The job can ask you to rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards. On the six-type interest model it reads RCS, meaning hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world comes first, followed by orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.

Main tasks

  • Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
  • Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons or provide emergency medical care such as basic or advanced life support.
  • Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
  • Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
  • Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
  • Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.

Skills

  • Coordination
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Active Learning
  • Speaking
  • Service Orientation

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on coordination and critical thinking.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.3 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCS takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Also called

  • Fire Engineer
  • Fire Equipment Operator
  • Fire Rescue Technician (Fire Rescue Tech)
  • Fire Technician (Fire Tech)
  • Fireman

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.