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Thailah
Student
Bronxville, New York
1
Question
Updated
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How can one prepare to become a firefighter?
I'm in my senior year in high school and I plan on going to college until the firefighter civil exam comes back up (4 years), so how can I prepare for it?
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1 answer
Ryan Pfeiffer, MA
Firefighter Lieutenant / EMT
117
Answers
Fort Collins, Colorado
Updated
Ryan’s Answer
Hello Thailah. I'm afraid I can't help much with the specifics of the civil service exam - in my region of the country there is no such thing. Firefighters in most of the midwest are hired much more like a typical job (application, panel interview, fitness/skills test, final interview, job offer). The written tests I have seen are all pretty basic (basic multiplication, basic reading/writing, logic/deductive reasoning, etc. Fairly difficult to study for other than just being proficient with math and reading and writing.
My best advice for getting ready to be a firefighter is to prepare for the physical challenge of it. Lots of people get the wrong idea and just focus on lifting weights to get strong or just running a lot and building up endurance. Firefighting is very unique - you do need to be strong but you also need to be able to sustain for awhile and have good cardio - but not so much of a focus on cardio that you're quickly overwhelmed when you're put under the weight and heat of your protective gear. I recommend high intensity interval workouts. While I don't necessarily recommend crossfit specifically, that is the general type of workout you're looking for. As an honorable mention, team sports is also great if you have that opportunity. It helps get you fit and active while also learning about teamwork, communication, humility, sportsmanship, ethics, fast decision making, etc.
I hope maybe that helped a little. Let me know if you have any other firefighting questions.
My best advice for getting ready to be a firefighter is to prepare for the physical challenge of it. Lots of people get the wrong idea and just focus on lifting weights to get strong or just running a lot and building up endurance. Firefighting is very unique - you do need to be strong but you also need to be able to sustain for awhile and have good cardio - but not so much of a focus on cardio that you're quickly overwhelmed when you're put under the weight and heat of your protective gear. I recommend high intensity interval workouts. While I don't necessarily recommend crossfit specifically, that is the general type of workout you're looking for. As an honorable mention, team sports is also great if you have that opportunity. It helps get you fit and active while also learning about teamwork, communication, humility, sportsmanship, ethics, fast decision making, etc.
I hope maybe that helped a little. Let me know if you have any other firefighting questions.