Firefighter Job Description & Duties
Firefighters are professional servicemen who are paid to handle situations related to natural disasters, particularly out-of-control fires. Their top priority is to keep citizens safe from harm or accidents. A firefighter's typical job description may
include a wide array of duties such as extinguish raging forest fires, scurry through burning buildings to rescue stranded victims, respond to emergency scenes, lift heavy objects to clear out debris, inspect buildings for safey, educate children about fire prevention, as well as a number of other things. They must be extremely versatile and focused in order to succeed this line of work, not to mention undergo extensive training in order to handle these types of emergency situations. Successful firemen must also be courageous enough to risk their lives in order to try and save other peoples' lives. Although it may seem like the only real duty of a fireman is to put out fires and rescue people, there is actually a lot more to this job than people typically think. Let's take a closer look and see what a typical day in the life of a firefighter is really like.
Standard Firefighter Job Description:
- Fight fires of all types (houses, buildings, automobiles, forest, brush)
- Respond to fire alarm systems and emergency calls
- Extract stranded victims from dangerous situations, including burning buildings
- Administer medical aid and CPR to victims before ambulances have arrived
- Assist in major traffic accidents, particularly when flammable or toxic materials are spilled
- Help respond to any type of bomb threats
- Clean up affected areas after completing rescue operations and extinguishing fires
- Determine the root cause of fires
- Write reports and keep records of hazardius situations
- Educate citizens and schools with proper fire prevention and control practices
- Attend training workshops
- Operate a fire truck, hose, ladder, & fire hydrant
- Clean, maintain, and repair fire stations & equipment