Skills People in the Fire Careers Need
INTEGRITY-Trust is of the utmost importance in public safety. The public needs to trust them in order for them to do their job. They need to trust them with their personal property, their safety, their privacy, their loved ones' care and even their lives.
PHYSICAL FITNESS-Many of the most crucial aspects of the job require firefighters to have above-average strength and agility. Health and fitness is an essential part of our job and it must become an essential part of your lifestyle if you are to become a firefighter.
COMMUNICATION-Clear, intelligent, courteous and open communication is essential within the firehouse, on the fire ground and when interacting with the public. You will need to know how to be an active listener. You will need to know how to use radios to relay essential information to your crew, incident command, calm frightened patients, console distraught family members, relay essential patient information to paramedics, nurses and doctors, instruct children in the area of fire safety, educate adults in fire prevention and enforce fire codes to business owners.
BE A TEAM PLAYER-Firefighters are a part of team. This means that others are always relying on you to do your job and do it efficiently. When one person does not, the whole team suffers and the team's safety can become jeopardized. The goal will also not be accomplished in the most effective way unless the entire team is working together. Just like on a sports team, when one person fails to perform their job the whole team begins to break down.
MECHANICAL APTITUDE- You do not need to be a master mechanic to be a firefighter, but every firefighter must have some basic mechanical aptitude. The more mechanical aptitude one has, the more they can contribute. It requires the use of a variety of tools, both hand tools and power tools. It also lends itself to being creative, problem-solving and finding ways to accomplish goals or solve problems.
Fire Careers to Explore
Besides firefighters, who else do you think lives and works at a fire station? Let's watch this video and find out. As you watch the video, pay attention to the people that you meet and their jobs. How many jobs did you hear about?
Did you know that cooking fires in the kitchen are the #1 cause of home fires? Let's watch this video to learn more about how to be fire safe. If you have a piece of paper, write down 3 fire safety tips that you can share with a friend.
Explore Fire Science
The Great Chicago Fire was one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. The fire began on October 8, 1871 and burned for two days until October 10th. Much of the city was destroyed in the fire.
Wildfires
Wildfires are a very real threat in California. Learn more about who fights wildfires and the tools they use to do it.
View the Active Wildfire Map of the U.S. that provides real-time information on wildfires occurring across the country. How many fires are currently occurring and in which states?
What is fire, exactly? What causes fires in the wild, and how do we put them out?
In 2019, 87% of wildfires were caused by humans. (Source: nifc.gov)
Explore Smokey Bear’s History
Review all of the past media published since the 1940s.
Create your own media reflecting the important fire prevention message we need to today.
Present it to your class and share the message with your family and friends.
When you're done creating you media piece, create your story.
Teacher Toolbox
Explore the K12 Career Education Navigator
The K12 Career Technical Education (CTE) Navigator helps you explore high school courses and career pathways offered across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Browse by industry sector, county, school district, and more to find options that match your interests and career goals and see how these pathways can prepare you for college, certifications, apprenticeships, or the workforce.
Credits:
Created with images by Jay Heike - "Lieutenant observing the practice fire" • Matt Chesin - "Firefighter Training Fire" • Unknown - "Free stock photo of architecture, blur, building" • yelantsevv - "Forest fire. Burned trees after forest fires and lots of smoke" • Evan Wise - "Fires are raging across California right now, but in Black River Falls, WI things are looking moderate! Snapped this picture traveling through a local town." • Unknown - "Free photo Toolbox Handyman Construction Tools Builder ..."