How to become a structural (urban) firefighter: Part 3

Preparing for your career as a firefighter

Don't expect to become a firefighter tomorrow. In the first place, most fire departments only give an entry-level (hiring) test every two years or so, and it may be several months after that before the first recruit class is hired from the resulting list. More importantly, your approach to your firefighting career should be even longer-range than that. Getting ready for to become a firefighter should start years before you ever submit your first job application, ideally while you're still in high school. This will give you time to prepare yourself to be a good candidate for the job, as well as to decide if firefighting is really right for you.

In school, make sure you have the basics in place: good reading comprehension and writing skills, computer literacy, basic math and typing. Chemistry and biology, shop, auto mechanics, carpentry and drafting will also be useful. If your community (or the one where you hope to work as a firefighter) has a significant linguistic minority, learn that language. In the U.S., this will usually be Spanish, but it may also be Hmong, Korean, Mandarin or Vietnamese. Useful for all firefighters to know are the basics of American Sign Language, the language used by deaf and hearing-impaired people in every U.S. community.

In reality, most women don't decide on a firefighting career until long after high school. If you're already out of school, you can study most of the above subjects in a two- or four-year college program. Colleges in every state offer degrees in fire science or fire protection engineering, and a few have residential firefighting programs that give students the chance to get hands-on experience and training. If you are pursuing a degree in a different area, look for other courses that may help, such as public speaking, basic psychology, anatomy, and government. Colleges sometimes offer their students help in developing their test-taking and job-interview skills; be sure to take advantage of these.

Education happens outside of school, too. The Red Cross in your community teaches first-aid and water safety classes; either it or the American Heart Association offers CPR training. Seek out opportunities to be trained as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician); volunteer fire departments and state agencies sometimes offer this training. If fire departments in your area give hiring priority to paramedics, and you're interested in becoming one, consider putting yourself through paramedic school. This takes time and money, but it can considerably enhance your chances of being hired.

Depending on where you live, you may also have the option of putting yourself through basic firefighter training. In some states, you can only get this training once you've been hired by a fire department. And many departments put all newly hired firefighters through recruit training, regardless of what prior training they may have. But in states such as Florida, where vocational schools and other agencies offer basic firefighter training to any interested student, many fire departments give hiring priority to applicants who have completed this training on their own.

Another way to get firefighter training, and to find out how much you enjoy the work, is to become a fire cadet or a volunteer firefighter. Some fire departments have cadet programs or Explorer posts that allow high-school students to learn basic firefighting skills and spend time in the stations. For those over 18 (or in some cases 21), service as a volunteer firefighter can provide excellent experience, education and connections to job opportunities. If your area is served by a career-level fire department, find out if the department has any programs that involve community volunteers, such as checking residential smoke detectors or teaching CPR. If you have your EMT or paramedic certification, check out options for volunteering in hospital emergency rooms.

Your physical training should be ongoing: don't expect to sit in classes or behind a desk for years and then be able to get in shape for a fire department test after you've submitted your application. Don't think of it as preparing to take a test: what you're actually doing is making an investment in a career that requires a high level of fitness. Actual firefighting takes up only a small percentage of the time firefighters spend on duty, but that small percentage can demand extremes of strength and endurance from everyone involved. Despite all the progress that has been made in equipment and technology, fighting a fire is still strenuous, hot, dirty and often dangerous work.

[Also see: "Fitness for Firefighters"]

Becoming a firefighter means a lifelong commitment to physical fitness, and the earlier you make this commitment, the better. Get involved in sports teams, regular workouts, and other activities that will develop your strength and fitness and give you confidence in physically demanding situations. Your training routine should involve a weightlifting program as well as aerobic activities. (Be sure to get your doctor's okay before you begin any new training routine, however.)

While you're preparing yourself for your fire service career and waiting for your chosen fire department to announce a hiring opportunity, you'll probably have to work at another job. If you don't already have a job, look for other openings in the fire department or elsewhere in city or county government; these can provide you with excellent inside information, not only about job opportunities but about city government and the people involved. Some towns and cities give firefighter hiring preference to candidates who already work for the municipality, which can be a significant advantage.

Working as a dispatcher at the 911 alarm center is another good introduction to firefighters and their work. If you are a student or for other reasons have summers available, consider applying for a seasonal job with wildland fire crews. Whatever your job, if it is not one that keeps you physically fit, be sure to integrate sports and other physical activities into your life outside of work.

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 Web site.