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John Taylor

Professor Solorzano

English 1A

27 May 2009

Firefighters Burn with Respect and Integrity

The tones go off in the fire station and impulsively the firefighters react to the alarm by

rushing to the engine. With precision they don their turnout gear and sound the siren and lights as

they accelerate out of the station. Dispatch announces a structure fire on 5th street. The column of

smoke can be seen as they pull out of the station. As they pull to the scene the captain gives the

orders, and his crew instinctively sets up some hose lays and start advancing towards the

smoldering building. After about an hour of tiresome efforts the fire subsides and what can be

saved from the house is salvaged. As the crew heads back to the station they debrief and talk

about the incident that just ceased, then the tones go off again and away they go back in the

engine. What kind of career provides that fast pace, excitingly dangerous environment every

day? Being a firefighter is a tough job that is always on the move and has an amazing sense of

pride and respect. Firefighting is the career I want to pursue and be a part of one day. In the

career of firefighting there are many different benefits for me, like an always exciting work

place, help become better person, good work schedule, continued higher education, competition,

respect, and many different opportunities to choose from.

Fire fighting is an amazing career and there are several reasons why I want to be a part of

it. Ever since I was young I have always wanted to be a fire fighter. When I was in elementary
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school my class took a field trip to a fire station. I just remember how excited I was to see the

fire fighters and their workplace it was like they were superheroes to me, and I wanted to be just

like them. As I grew up I only became more interested in the fire service. I had made up my

mind when I was the one the firefighters were responding to. I was involved in a terrible car

accident when I was about 13 years old. It was on the freeway and the opposing car split in half

ejecting the passengers, and the people in the car I was in were severely hurt. Me, on the other

hand was untouched, and I walked out of the car and watched with great respect as the fire

engine arrived and the crew saved my friends life.

The respect of the fire service is one of the main reasons I love this career so much.

Firefighter Erik Kollins said “People everywhere wave to us when in uniform and it’s just a great

feeling” (Interview). I can’t wait for that sense of accomplishment when I can put on the uniform

of a firefighter. Everyone in the community looks up to the fire department as a symbol of

protection, and loyalty. For example, when the infamous 911 attack hit our country we were at

one of our most vulnerable moments, and the fire department never quit their efforts to help. I

remember seeing news coverage all over the television of fire fighters protecting and saving

lives.

Along with the great respect received from the community, another reason I was attracted

to the fire service is the work environment. The comradery of the crew in the station is

unparalleled. “It’s like a second a second family here at the station” said Erik Kollins

(Interview). I rode out with the fire department as an explorer before, and even though I was at

the bottom of the ranking totem pole they treated me as one of their own. Robert Killnoff writes

in The Introduction to Fire Protection “Sticking by your fellow fire fighters through the good

times and bad.” ( 9 ). They go through so much together that bond is necessary.
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The work environment is fast, never boring, and firefighter are always working with

people. I personally feel like I would get bored of an average nine to five office job. The great

part about the fire service is that they are always doing something, and I enjoy the exciting and

dangerous aspect of it. Also I love working with people, which is a very big part of the fire

service like public education and patient care. “It’s a great job and even after all these years I

have never hated going to work” said firefighter Erik Kollins (interview). I can’t wait for the

opportunity to work in that fast exciting environment where I can help people in need.

There are many different qualities and duties that describe a firefighters place in a

department, and benefits that come along with it. It is necessary for a fire fighter to have certain

characteristics, some of which are acquired only with experience on the job. Killnoff explains,

“Many attributes make a fire fighter a valued member of the fire department community” (9).

The fire department, being so respected, has to maintain discipline within its firefighters.

Discipline is pushed on firefighters to keep the professional attitude in them. Some

characteristics are acquired like becoming desensitized. Traumatic calls that firefighters respond

to eventually desensitize them so they are not as affected by different situations in order to get

the job done efficiently. It takes a lot mentally to deal with some situations and eventually

desensitize oneself.

There are many different benefits that come with the fire service economically and

personal. The fire department provides many different personal benefits for someone who is

passionate about it. I love helping people and exciting environments, which can be more

important than a paycheck sometimes. However, money and economical benefits are important

to sustain life. The fire service offers great benefits including healthcare, dental, and great

retirement.
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The benefits of a career in the fire service are great; however there is a more negative

side to the fire department when it comes to diversity. John Mcneil explains in “Diversity in the

Fire Service” that “the concept of diversity in the fire department can be thought of in different

ways” (1). Fire fighters have always been known to be strong males. Not until recently have

women become more involved with the fire departments, and still there are very few of them.

Some stations have to be remodeled to tend to the different needs and rules for women, like

separate bathrooms. Also because of the comradery in the station harassment can become an

issue. In most departments there is a good variety of personnel of different ethnicities. What I

have noticed is that the department’s location influences the ethnical diversity of the personnel.

While on the topic of personnel, the ranks of the fire departments are very important. The

different ranks have different responsibilities and communication between them goes through the

chain of command. In the average department there is a fire chief on top, then an assistant chief

who oversee the whole department. Next there are a couple of battalion chiefs who are in charge

of a couple of stations. Under the BC’s are captains of stations and their crews. The crews are

usually made up of firefighters, engineers, and paramedic or EMT firefighters. The pay scales for

firefighters increase as the ranks go up. According to Traci Mosser, in the “Firefighter,” “The

median annual salary for firefighters is $36,309.” (1). I think that the salary is a little low to start

out with because of the job, however that is only an average and there are many ways to increase

it.

I am currently working towards being a fire fighter. I have already received my EMT

certificate and am going to school for fire science. In five years from now I see myself as a

firefighter paramedic probably working in Riverside City. In ten years I hope to be an engineer
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on an engine company, and ideally trying for a captain’s position; however I would probably

need a lot more experience in order to make captain position, but I’ll try.

The average work day for a firefighter involves a variety of different situations one will

come across. I have ridden out with a couple of stations before and know pretty much how an

average day at a station is like. Surprisingly there is a lot of cleaning involved. “My bachelors

degree really comes in handy when pulling these weeds” said firefighter Kollins as I interviewed

him while he was out doing yard work (interview). All the time that they are maintaining the

station and working out or drilling, the crew must respond to every call throughout the day. The

work schedule of a firefighter is not an average work schedule. They vary depending on the

department, however usually for a firefighter he or she will work for 3 days and be off for 4. This

is not including overtime and when there is a big situation a firefighter could be working for

weeks straight. What was surprising is how much firefighter’s have to write on the job. “Fire

Reports and Patient Care Reports” have to be filled out after every event (interview).

There are many different situations that fire fighters are faced with and the mental and

physical challenges that go with them. Firefighters respond to a number of different calls,

whether it is a traffic collision, fire, or medical call. There is constant training involved in the

firefighters work schedule, because he/she needs to be prepared to respond to anything and

respond correctly. When dealing with such a variety of situations there is a big toll on a

firefighters physical body. With the training and actual calls, the demand on the body requires

one to be in top physical condition. I think the more demanding challenges in this career are

mental. “The hardest thing for me was going on medical calls dealing with infants” said Kollins

(interview). I honestly know it would take some getting use too to be able to handle scenarios

with people dying and getting burned. It is hard to cope with and unwind from traumatic
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incidents. Kevin S. Del Ben explains in “Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

in Firefighters” about the “Prevalence rates of PTSD symptoms within samples of firefighters

have ranged from 6.5% to 37%” (2). This is basically saying that more firefighters are having

trouble dealing with traumatic incidents. That is why it is so important to debrief and stay

healthy in order to continue to be able to do one’s job.

The educational requirements to be a firefighter are no more than a high school diploma

in some departments; however, because of the great competiveness of the job, higher education

is a big advantage. There are a number of different educational opportunities that will help for

the fire service. In the article “Education v.s. Experience” the author writes “I can assure you that

muscle may be replaced by brain power.” (2). This is true because education gives a big

advantage in this career. Fire science classes, medical classes, and different certifications are

good to go to school for. Killnoff writes, “In some departments the completion of courses is a

condition for completion of the probationary period.” (5). Taking classes to advance oneself in

the fire service is very beneficial. Not only schooling education but manipulative education is

important as well. This type of education comes from explores, volunteering, and going through

fire academies. There are a lot of different certifications that one receives through these

manipulative programs, like Haz-Mat, first responder, and high angle rescue etc... I am currently

involved with explorers, which is great and helps get to know people and learn different skills. I

need to get started volunteering in order to start that network of communication and meeting

people in the career. Within this career a lot of continued education is involved. The learning

never stops; there is always new ways to perform skills, and in order to climb up the ranks one

needs to test for different positions by studying for them. In “Education v.s. Experience” the

author explains, “Company officers should be required a certain number of college credits.” (2).
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Education helps for success in this career and has benefits such as compensation for degrees and

certificates. I would like to get an associate in paramedics, and eventually a bachelor in business

management.

There are many different components involved in the hiring process for the fire service.

The most important component would probably have to be networking and just getting to know

people in the career. “Like they all say it’s all about whom you know,” said Kollins (interview). I

plan to get my face out there in a positive way so people can remember me when I’m in the

process of applying. Most fire department openings aren’t just posted all over the place. Most of

the time openings are posted locally or just through contacts. Also usually there are a lot of

people applying for a limited amount of jobs, and the application process is very competitive.

The main parts of the hiring process after applying include physical test, oral interview,

background checks, polygraph, and the probationary period. Mosser explains, “Fighting fires is

physically demanding work” (1). There is a physical test that is required called the CPAT. I like

the physical part of the job; I need to get stronger in order to compete competitively on the test.

The oral board interview is simply a regular job interview with 3 interviewers, and the person

being interviewed. This is an opportunity to let them know who you are. The background checks

for the fire department are very in depth and important. Killnoff writes, “One of the components

of the hiring process that is becoming more prevalent is the background investigation.” (24). I

have a clean background and am trying to keep it clean so I don’t have any points against me. To

take it a step further, there is a polygraph test that is given through hiring, so it is best to be

truthful. Lastly is the probationary period which is the point where one is actually hired and

getting paid; however one is not guaranteed a spot at the station, it is simply a chance to prove

one is worthy.
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There are many different branches and opportunities within the fire service. The fire

department is made up of staff jobs and line jobs. Staff jobs are more office related and technical,

while line jobs are the actual field jobs and hands on. I would rather work a line job and be in the

action than a staff job. There are two divisions within the department which are training, and

operations. The training division is very important because without good training the fire

department would not be able to respond and handle too incidents effectively. Alan Brunacini in

“Going to School for 50 years” explains, “The SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) became

the basic curriculum for a training program used to teach department members.” (1). I would like

to someday get into the training division and help train new personnel; it is also a good way to

move up the ranks. The operations side is the field side of the division, basically where I want to

be with all the excitement I yearn for. There is a possibility to promote in the fire departments. I

like how the fire service allows one to promote through the ranks, I will need to really prove

myself but in the end it is very much so worth it.

There has been a wide variety of changes throughout the long history of the fire service.

The fire service goes way back, and has grown a lot since then. “The first recognized firefighting

force was organized in Rome by the Emperor Augustus in A.D. 6” explains Killnoff (57). The

equipment has developed dramatically as well, from horse drawn steam pumpers to today’s

advanced engines. I think it is interesting to look back at old firefighting techniques like bucket

brigades and steam pumpers. Changes in training have grown a lot too, mainly because of the

advances in equipment and new buildings. In “The Fire Service in 2025” the author writes

“Instead of a fire service that occasionally does EMS, we will be an EMS service that

occasionally does fire.”(2) As far as diversity goes, fire departments are becoming more and

more diverse in personnel. Fire stations have also greatly improved, from being small and fairly
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basic, to being big and more technologically advanced. For example at station five where I rode

out on, when the tones go off in the station the GPS automatically updates on the engine guiding

us to the incident. “Technology for locating trapped or lost firefighters in a burning building-

hopefully, it will be there or available to us.” (The Fire Service in2025). I have noticed that

technology in the fire station has greatly expanded.

Overall the career as a firefighter is something that I have always wanted to do and will

continue to pursue. There is no other job that offers the same fast, exciting, dangerous work

experience. Along with a great comradery that is built up between the crew to form a second

family. Firefighting offers me personal benefits like being able to help people in need, and that is

more important to me than a paycheck. While there are some tough challenges within the fire

service, the benefits to me outweigh them tenfold.