How to Become a Firefighter

A volunteer department is an excellent training ground for aspiring firefighters. It’s a prime opportunity to get acquainted with the fire service and gain some valuable training and experience. In addition to volunteering to become a firefighter in your community, remember that opportunities also exist to volunteer at your place of work (see Section 2.1.4 for more information).

Volunteer fire departments are generally found in rural communities, although you may occasionally find a growing community with a large, very committed group of volunteers. These communities usually don’t have much of a tax base and public services are very limited. Most, if not all, of the money a volunteer department receives is used for the purchase and maintenance of equipment. Often volunteer firefighters maintain their aging apparatus themselves! 

All firefighters take a great deal of pride in serving their community (we’re very benevolent-minded people, remember) but many ‘vollies’ argue they have a right to even more pride because they serve without monetary compensation. 

Volunteer departments are often made up of people who work in the community on a daily basis. Most businesses understand when the emergency call comes in and their employee(s) leave work to respond. The problem many volunteer departments are faced with is that their towns are becoming ‘bedroom communities,’ with more and more people working out of town. Thus, there are fewer and fewer people to serve as volunteers. 

This shortage is good news for you! The need for volunteers is always great, especially during the nine-to-five, five-day week. The chief of the volunteer fire department is the person to contact about a position. More often than not he will require that firefighters be citizens of his community, but sometimes people from close neighboring communities will be accepted. 

  Moving to a rural area may seem like a lot to ask in a job quest, but being a member of any fire department is a good start to getting where you want to go. Not only does being a volunteer get you into the mix with other firefighters in town, it gives you a chance to meet firefighters from around the state and sometimes the nation, and you may be eligible to attend the National Fire Academy as well. While you expand your network you’re apt to hear of different positions opening and which departments have the best union contracts. Essentially you have a chance to informally shop around so you can make an educated choice. 

Volunteer departments are also a great place to learn to drive the fire trucks. Many departments now require applicants to hold a Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The practice you can get with the trucks in these departments can be invaluable to you, especially if you have never driven a large truck before. Once you’re comfortable enough, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for your state and arrange to be tested to earn your Class B CDL. It can be another feather in your cap, and sometimes may be required by full-time departments.

If you don’t live in a community that operates a volunteer fire department, you may very well live closer to one than you think. It may take a phone call to the department itself and anonymously asking about the department’s operation. Starting this is as simple as looking in the business pages of the phone book.

This article is an excerpt from the fabjob.com How to Become a Firefighter. Visit www.fabjob.com for information.