3 answers
Hope
Student
Landrum, South Carolina
64
Questions
Asked
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What does a firefighter do?
I'm 13 years old #firefighting
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3 answers
Eric Swanson
Lieutenant, Firefighter & Paramedic
14
Answers
Ohio, Ohio
Updated
Eric’s Answer
First off, the name itself indicates that they fight fires, as they say, putting the wet stuff on the red stuff (flames). But that is not all. Fighting fires is a small portion of what they do. With all the safety modifications to buildings nowadays, the amount of fires is greatly reduced. Most firefighters are cross trained as EMT's or Paramedics and that makes up nearly 80% of the calls firefighters go on. Firefighters also respond to vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide alarms, HAZMAT calls as well as EMS calls. They do public relations events in the community. They do hydrant testing, and hose testing at least once a year. They train extensively on all aspects of firefighting, so as to stay ready and prepared. They also do housework around the station, cleaning up, they cook their meals at the station. They basically live at the station for a shift, which can be anywhere from 12-48 hours. Some firefighters are volunteer and only respond to calls from home. If you are serious, you can check into your local trade or vocational school, as they may have a firefighting training class. Go up to your local fire dept and talk to the firefighters. They will be glad to answer your questions and lead you in the right direction
Ryan Pfeiffer, MA
Firefighter Training Officer / EMT
85
Answers
Fort Collins, Colorado
Updated
Ryan’s Answer
Hello Hope! Eric's answer is spot on! Putting out fires is what firefighters do best. We put out fires in peoples homes, businesses, industrial or manufacturing areas, vehicles, forrests, etc. When we're not putting out fires, we're usually practicing putting them out, or learning how to do it better. You actually need a pretty good understanding of science to be a good firefighter!
When we're not putting out fires, or practicing putting them out, another thing we do is prevent the fires from starting in the first-place! We go to local businesses and look for dangerous things like exposed wires and blocked emergency exits, we go into people's homes and replace smoke detector batteries, and go to schools and community centers to teach people of all ages about fire safety.
Because firefighters are on-call 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, 365-days a year, we usually live in our fire stations, working shifts as long as 48-hours straight! That means we have to do all the same chores you do at home, like vacuuming, cooking, doing dishes, folding laundry, etc.
Those things are pretty universal to every firefighter no matter where you go in the world. There are some differences depending where you go though. For example, in many parts of the United States, firefighters are also trained as Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics, and respond to medical emergencies with the ambulance.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions about firefighting!
When we're not putting out fires, or practicing putting them out, another thing we do is prevent the fires from starting in the first-place! We go to local businesses and look for dangerous things like exposed wires and blocked emergency exits, we go into people's homes and replace smoke detector batteries, and go to schools and community centers to teach people of all ages about fire safety.
Because firefighters are on-call 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, 365-days a year, we usually live in our fire stations, working shifts as long as 48-hours straight! That means we have to do all the same chores you do at home, like vacuuming, cooking, doing dishes, folding laundry, etc.
Those things are pretty universal to every firefighter no matter where you go in the world. There are some differences depending where you go though. For example, in many parts of the United States, firefighters are also trained as Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics, and respond to medical emergencies with the ambulance.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions about firefighting!
Donna Hull
Engineer
71
Answers
Columbia
Updated
Donna’s Answer
Hope;
If you have a serious interest in becoming a firefighter. Check into the guidelines at Landrum Area Fire and Rescue. Although they have paid positions they also have volunteer positions. Volunteering will give you the opportunity to see what being a firefighter is like and if you really want to do it as a career.
If you have a serious interest in becoming a firefighter. Check into the guidelines at Landrum Area Fire and Rescue. Although they have paid positions they also have volunteer positions. Volunteering will give you the opportunity to see what being a firefighter is like and if you really want to do it as a career.