Fire Fighters are emergency responders that, as their name suggest, reduce the damage caused by fires by using a variety of tools to contain and diminish the size of a fire. They also remove people from dangerous situations and provide emergency medical aid and transport.
There are two basic kinds of fire fighters. One kind responds to fires in populated areas with the fire most often started inside of a building. The other fights forest fires, fires started in unpopulated areas outdoors and can grow to be very large.
When they aren’t responding to an emergency, fire fighters constantly train and learn different skills and how to use different equipment. During an emergency fire fighters follow the orders of their superiors, and their roles may change several times in a single emergency.
Fire Fighters also respond to emergency medical situations. In fact the majority of emergencies that fire fighters respond to are medical emergencies and not fires.
Fire Fighters receive specialized training when they first obtain the job. Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are becoming increasingly preferred, but a high school diploma or GED certificate is required. However, most firefighters are required to obtain Emergency Medical Technician certification so that they can respond to medical emergencies. Take a look at the programs being offered in many locations and start on the exciting path to becoming a firefighter.