Municipal Fire Fighters

Career Description: Control and extinguish municipal fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.

Industry: Protective Service

Other Job Titles for Municipal Fire Fighters:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons.
• Rescue victims from burning buildings and accident sites.
• Search burning buildings to locate fire victims.
• Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
• Dress with equipment such as fire resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Move toward the source of a fire using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
• Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.
• Take action to contain hazardous chemicals that might catch fire, leak, or spill.
• Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
• Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
• Operate pumps connected to high-pressure hoses.
• Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
• Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
• Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.
• Lay hose lines and connect them to water supplies.
• Protect property from water and smoke using waterproof salvage covers, smoke ejectors, and deodorants.
• Participate in physical training activities to maintain a high level of physical fitness.
• Salvage property by removing broken glass, pumping out water, and ventilating buildings to remove smoke.
• Participate in fire drills and demonstrations of fire fighting techniques.
• Clean and maintain fire stations and fire fighting equipment and apparatus.
• Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls.
• Establish firelines to prevent unauthorized persons from entering areas near fires.
• Inform and educate the public on fire prevention.
• Inspect buildings for fire hazards and compliance with fire prevention ordinances, testing and checking smoke alarms and fire suppression equipment as necessary.
• Participate in courses, seminars and conferences, and study fire science literature, to learn firefighting techniques.
• Prepare written reports that detail specifics of fire incidents.
• Spray foam onto runways, extinguish fires, and rescue aircraft crew and passengers in air-crash emergencies.

Emerging Tasks

• Maintain quality of pool water, such as by testing chemical levels.
• Educate the public about fire safety and prevention.
• Maintain court docket.
• Provide security by patrolling interior and exterior of courthouse and escorting judges and other court employees.
• Screen persons entering courthouse using magnetometers, x-ray machines, and other devices to collect and retain unauthorized firearms and other contraband.
• Screen, control, and handle evidence and exhibits during court proceedings.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• authorize entry or exit of individuals
• climb ladders, scaffolding, or utility or telephone poles
• communicate technical information
• conduct fire hazard inspections
• control and extinguish municipal or forest fires
• determine best method for attacking fire
• drive emergency rescue or firefighting vehicles
• drive truck with capacity greater than 3 tons
• estimate size or characteristics of fire
• follow police or emergency radio regulations
• inspect buildings to detect violations of fire codes
• judge terrain conditions for vehicle or equipment operation
• maintain or repair cargo or passenger vehicle
• move or fit heavy objects
• observe fire to note changing conditions
• operate emergency fire or rescue equipment
• practice emergency firefighting or rescue preparedness procedures
• read maps
• use emergency medical equipment
• use emergency medical procedures
• use fire suppression equipment
• use fire suppression techniques
• use first aid procedures
• use hand or power tools
• use hazardous disposal techniques
• use hazardous materials information
• use knowledge of fire, building or other codes
• use knowledge of ventilation systems
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use rescue procedures
• use two-way radio or mobile phone
• work as a team member
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• verify investigative information
• search for overdue aircraft
• serve arrest, search or seizure warrants
• testify in court for accident and criminal cases
• use arrest, search, or seizure legal statutes
• use firearms
• use interviewing procedures
• use knowledge of geographic coordinates
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques

Overall Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

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• Projected growth (2006-2016): 12.06%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 35,313
• Employment (2006): 292,876

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