Firefighting has traditionally been a career that trains applicants on the job, once they pass basic physical and mental testing. However, as the career field becomes more competitive, more and more fire departments are looking for applicants with some sort of post-secondary training – even an associate's degree in fire science. Community colleges are quickly rising to answer the call, providing state-of-the-art training facilities to prepare new firefighters for the rigors and diversity of the job.
About the Firefighting Profession
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job of a firefighter involves hazardous conditions and long, irregular hours. Despite the demands of the job, this industry is expected to see keen competition for available jobs, since many qualified applicants are interested in becoming firefighters. In addition to rigorous training which applicants must undergo, physical and medical exams must also be passed to ensure applicants are healthy enough for the job. Ongoing training is a must in this industry, as new fire fighting and first aid techniques are developed all the time.
Because many senior firefighters are nearing retirement age, younger workers are being asked to take on leadership roles within many departments. To prepare these new firefighters for their positions, departments are teaming up with some community colleges across the country to provide the highest quality of training possible. We have examples of just a few of these programs going on around the nation.
Mesa Offers Virtual Emergency Training
An article in the East Valley Tribune reports on renovations
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