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How to become a structural (urban) firefighter: Part 4
But choosing where you want to work as a firefighter may be a decision you'll live with for the next twenty or thirty years. It's worth making carefully. All fire departments and firefighting agencies are not the same, and they can differ in many ways. Some obvious factors include the number of firefighters on the department, the size and location of the town or city, and the type of area protected.
Fire departments in smaller towns are usually "slower," meaning they have fewer fires and other emergency calls. Whether this is a plus or a minus depends on what you want from your career. If you're itching to work at a station with lots of fire or EMS action, you will probably be disappointed on a small department. On the other hand, if you want a firefighting job that allows you an opportunity to be involved in many different kinds of activities, and to have your individual talents recognized and used, your chances may be better on a small department. Promotional opportunities can be few and far between when a department has only a few officers; if your goal is to become a lieutenant or captain in the next few years, you may be better off on a department with more personnel. Keep in mind, though, that the best career opportunities are often found on fire departments in towns or suburbs where the population is growing rapidly. The department will have to grow to keep up with the population, and those who are in it now will be prime candidates for promotion when it does. Large fire departments, and particularly their busy stations, have status and glamour in the eyes of many firefighters who want as much action as possible. If this type of assignment is attractive to you, you'll only find it in a large department. Just keep in mind that every department has slow stations as well, and you won't necessarily be assigned to the busiest station just because you want to be. Larger departments are more likely to have more professional management, regular promotions and set promotional processes, more formalized training and better training facilities. They are also more likely to have specialized teams such as hazmat, SCUBA, and technical rescue. The disadvantage to a larger department is that employees often to get less individual recognition, just like employees of a big corporation. The status of working for a big-city department can be diminished if you end up feeling like just a small fish in a big pond. Bureaucracy and a many-layered hierarchy can make firefighters feel very remote from decision-making, which can be frustrating for some people. Also, depending on how station assignments are made, you can end up with a long commute across town to get to and from work each shift. As a recruit, you may find yourself "carrying your boots" -- that is, detailed to work at other stations than the one you're normally assigned to -- quite often, which can disrupt the process of getting to know your crew members.
If you have a particular interest in specialty teams -- hazardous materials response, technical rescue, SCUBA -- be sure to choose a department that has those teams. Some fire departments participate in Urban Search and Rescue teams that respond to major incidents all around the world. While positions on these teams are limited to a select, highly trained few, you should choose a participating department if being on such a team is your goal. If you want to be a firefighter only for a few years and then become a fire inspector or fire marshal, don't choose a department that has a civilian fire inspection bureau. Make sure the departments you apply for have these positions as promotions or in some other way part of a career ladder that begins in suppression. The U.S. Forest Service and several western states employ firefighters who specialize in wildland (forest fires) firefighting. Some urban fire departments, particularly in California, do both structural and urban firefighting. If this is of particular interest to you, you should focus on these agencies and areas. See our article on being hired as a wildland firefighter for more information. The answers to the above questions should narrow down your options. Once you have a short list, you can start investigating the details of specific departments more closely. It may also simply be that you don't really care where you work: you're unemployed or working at a job you hate, and you just want to get on a fire department and get started. In that case, you're probably already scanning the Sunday classifieds and putting in job applications every time you find an announcement for firefighter hiring. But even if you don't think you care, you may care. If you have even two fire departments to choose from, you'll want to make the right choice.
What is the department's track record with respect to hiring women firefighters? The environment can be very different in a department where women have worked successfully for many years and earned the respect of their co-workers, compared to one that has yet to hire its first women. The first woman in any fire department will often encounter obstacles that are not found, or are much smaller, in fire departments that already employ women: someone else has already blazed the trail and smoothed out some of the rough spots. If you aren't sure you're cut out for the dual role of pioneer and firefighter, you may wish to concentrate on fire departments where women already work as firefighters and officers. How do the department's personnel treat you? Do you feel comfortable talking with them as a prospective firefighter? Do they give you information about how to apply for the job, and about the testing process? Do the women on the job say good things about the department? Be sure to visit more than one station, including at least one where a woman is working.
Is there an annual fitness or performance standard that fire personnel must meet in order to keep their jobs or their suppression assignments? What does this consist of, and what happens to people who don't meet the standard? Do people on the job find the standard is relevant to the job's demands, or do they feel the annual test is stressful or unnecessary? Are pay bonuses or incentives available? Do paramedics or engine drivers receive additional pay, and how are personnel selected for these spots? If you plan to continue your college education while you're working as a firefighter, what kind of tuition reimbursement or educational incentive pay is offered? What kind of promotional opportunities are available? How often are promotions made, and what kind of testing is given? How many years as a firefighter are required for promotion? Is a college degree or other advanced education required or given preference? Is the department unionized? Departments with firefighters' unions typically offer better pay and benefits than non-union departments, and the union is, or should be, an advocate for you if you have any problems on the job. What is the relationship between labor and management like: positive or hostile? Has the union been supportive of its women members?
This article is adapted from material developed by WFS under contract to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's U.S. Fire Administration, and published by FEMA/USFA as Many Women Strong: A Handbook for Women Firefighters. The handbook may be ordered free of charge from the USFA's website. |
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