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I am interested in fire science. Are there any professionals willing to share their experience on how they became a firefighter?

My grandfather was chief fire inspector for the state of Hawaii. He was really good at what he did. I heard most of the stories from my father, who would tag along during the days of his youth. My father even regretted not going into the fire department. I've heard about the benefits in working for the state. But I have other questions. How much are the pensions? What is a good age for retirement? Does firefighting count as a state or federal job? What are the physical training requirements for firefighting? Sorry for all the basic questions but my father doesn't like to talk much about the actual job because he's sort of scared? #firefighting #fire-investigator #department #fire-fighter

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Matt’s Answer

Hello, every department has different requirements as far as getting hired. Some require only a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma while others require a college level fire academy and/or a paramedic license with experience. Take a look at different job postings to see what the requirements are based on where you live or would like to work. Generally speaking I would suggest you first start by calling up a local fire station and start asking questions about how that person got hired and what type of candidates that department looks for. I started by getting my EMT license and working as an ambulance operator while getting classes done in fire science and eventually getting my fire academy done as well as obtaining my paramedic license before I got hired. Don’t be discouraged if you hear of people waiting a long time to get hired, the job was totally worth it for me. Best of luck and attitude is everything.

Matt recommends the following next steps:

Call local fire station.
Look at local college classes
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Helene’s Answer

On the federal level, you can be a federal firefighter on a military base. In that case you would be a "GS" (General Schedule) employee with government benefits and your pay would increase annually. Paid firefighters are local, so you work for the city or town and again you would get paid based on the government rate and benefits. 80% of firefighters in the US are volunteer. I was a volunteer in New York State.

The volunteer Department will pay for your education if you take the EMT course and your state training fire courses. You get a small deduction of $200 on your state taxes. Our department had a monthly meeting where pizza, beer and soda pop was available. They provide you with your basic gear.

With experience, you could work for a State fire service agency as an instructor.
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