So You Want to be a Firefighter?

Posted on April 3, 2006

A lot of kids dream of becoming firefighters and some continue that dream into adulthood and actually become firefighters. An article in The Epoch Times offers an interesting glimpse at the firefighting career. It explains how firefighters are taught the scientific principles of firefighting and how fires get started and burn. Today's fires are more complex because homes contain new elements, like computers, that burn differently. The article also says that firefighters train daily to improve their skills. The downside of firefighting is that it is a dangerous career and lawmakers often turn to the fire department when it comes time to cut costs.

Without the safety net of providing a revenue stream to the state, firehouses and the professionals they contain represent a special set of budget and human resource problems for the coffers of government funding.
According to San Francisco Firefighters Union Chief Hanley, when the budget axe comes down, it can put the fire department under a dangerous strain. "When it comes to budget cuts, they [lawmakers] look at the Fire Department. When we lose five firefighters, we can't do our jobs, because the number of calls we respond to doesn't change with budget cuts."
Then there is the very real possibility facing these men and women when they go to work that they might never come home again. In 2005, 106 firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. 48 firefighters died of heart attacks and 26 were killed in vehicle crashes during the same year. It is a life-and-death job that takes its toll on those who are left behind to continue on.
But this doesn't stop them from going back to work and taking that chance, year after year. Nor budget cuts or the promise of fatal danger can hold back a firefighter who knows they are needed.

Firefighters also do a wide variety of tasks in addition to fighting fires. It is a very demanding career that isn't for everyone. Some more information about firefighting careers can be found here on the Department of Labor website. More resources can also be found using a Google Search.