Firefighting is a risky career and there is always a risk of death or injury. However, one of the main risks of non-scene injury or death is because of improper application of personal protective equipment (PPE). To be a firefighter may be a risky job when it concerns injury and sickness (Dias et al., 2022). There is a lot that goes into for one to be a firefighter, for example, getting basic emergency medical technician (EMT) skills, getting a fire science degree, and the responsibilities and duties one will take. The essay explores a profile as a firefighter to learn how to earn a living in this professional career.
Risks Involved for Firefighters
A firefighter is seen as one of the riskiest jobs. It emanates from the aspect that firefighters have to take the risk of becoming critically sick or becoming trapped when they are operating in burning houses and they cannot see clearly. Further, firefighters counter fires and begin working inside carcinogens and start to coat their uniforms (Navarro et al., 2019). In addition, when they have to cut ventilation holes in the roof of the house to permit smoke to get away, they need to be cautious not to fall through since the roof is weaker because of the building being burned. They respond to more than 900,000 medical calls and fire apparatus yearly (Li et al., 2022). The more frequently firefighters are exposed to carcinogens poses the higher risk of them getting cancer or respiratory issues.
Firefighter’s Safety
In firefighting, safety is the main aspect of the service. Catastrophes may happen anywhere, and they always occur when people least expected them. The 10 pieces of PPE are seen to be life-saving gadgets. These comprise gloves, a helmet, a protective coat, a protective hood, safety shoes, bunker pants, eye protective, hearing protective, a personal alert safety system (PASS) gadget, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (Li et al., 2022). Each of the pieces is significant for the firefighters’ safety. If firefighters are not wearing all of these PPE, they are endangering their lives and the lives of others in the situation. In this fire service, there is an emphasis on personal safety as a priority (Pennington et al., 2022). Thus, safety is the firefighters’ number one job before saving others’ lives.
Training and Experience
Since being a firefighter is risky work, firefighters should be well-trained because people’s lives depend on them. Therefore, having juniors close to the fire service station may assist in training and gaining experience. Further, firefighters take tests of coordination, strength, and agility (Dias et al., 2022). Subsequently, being inside a burning house or property may be a risk; hence, firefighters should have clarity of speaking and hearing for adequate and rapid-fire radio and in-person communications along with good vision and health.
In the United States (US), for the last three and a half decades, fires have declined by over 40 percent (Navarro et al., 2019). Firefighters have the highest injuries and illnesses of all jobs. However, since firefighters operate between 10 to 14 hours per shift, they generate a salary of approximately$56,000 annually (Dias et al., 2022). Firefighters’ employment is forecasted to grow 7% from 2012 to 2023 slower than the average (Li et al., 2022). Over several years, firefighters might tell that 2 out of 3 calls are medical and for one to advance to fire chief, one should at most attain a master’s degree (Pennington et al., 2022). A majority of firefighters are volunteers and they share similar responsibilities as full-time firefighters
Consequently, when firefighters fail to adhere to the list of stated requirements they need to do, it might result in another casualty. New York Fire Department (NYFD) responds to over 60,000 building fires yearly (Li et al., 2022). The hazardous response group is comprised of hazardous material professionals who specialize in containing, detecting, and eradicating any potential discharge of hazardous substances to manage or stabilize the situation. In the case of the Hazmat team, HAZWOPER is among the training elements deemed significant to them. The main difference between firefighters with EMT skills and those with paramedics is based on the education they get. Thus, completing an EMT course takes approximately 150 hours, while paramedics have courses that can last up to 1,800 hours (Cash et al., 2022). Further, firefighters have to do more than respond to calls as they engage in public education programs within local communities on what to do during an event of fire and prevention measures to them.
Conclusion
Being a firefighter regardless of being either a volunteer or a full-time firefighter, one should still have to attain the same amount of training and time as full-time firefighters. However, there are certain issues that firefighters experience, for example, the location, and not every training fire department is the same; hence, there are some barriers harder than others. Therefore, being a firefighter is a career and is like a second family to some people.
References
Cash, R. E., Powell, J. R., Peters, G. A., Goldberg, S. A., Panchal, A. R., & Camargo, C. A. (2022). Trends in demographic and employment characteristics of US emergency medical technicians and paramedics, 2011–2019. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open, 3(4). Web.
Dias, P. C., Oliveira, Í. M., Rodrigues, A., & Peixoto, R. (2022). Burnout: Personal and work factors in volunteer and career firefighters. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. Web.
Li, J., Wang, Y., Jiang, R., & Li, J. (2022). Quantifying self-contained breathing apparatus on physiology and psychological responses during firefighting: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 1-13. Web.
Navarro, K. M., Kleinman, M. T., Mackay, C. E., Reinhardt, T. E., Balmes, J. R., Broyles, G. A., Ottmar, R. D., Naher, L. P., & Domitrovich, J. W. (2019). Wildland firefighter smoke exposure and risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality. Environmental Research, 173, 462-468. Web.
Pennington, M. L., Cardenas, M., Nesbitt, K., Coe, E., Kimbrel, N. A., Zimering, R. T., & Gulliver, S. B. (2022). Career versus volunteer firefighters: Differences in perceived availability and barriers to behavioral health care. Psychological Services, 19(3), 502-507. Web.