Firefighters are trained to extinguish fires and otherwise rescue people and animals from dangerous situations. They respond to events including fires, floods, medical incidents and motor vehicle accidents, as well as situations involving hazardous materials, to assist people in distress.

“It’s different than it was 50 years ago, and even different than it was 20 years ago,” says Ty Cobb, fire chief at Columbia Fire and Rescue in Columbia, Tennessee. “Most paid, professional departments respond to all types of emergencies. So to be hired at most departments, you have to be an (emergency medical technician) or have some special medical training.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3.6% employment growth for firefighters between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 12,000 jobs should open up.

To become certified as firefighters, recruits must apply for and successfully complete a training course through a fire academy. These usually are run by the state, county or municipality in which the academy is held. Going through the fire academy can take weeks or a few months, depending on the schedule set by each academy.

Some states will let candidates go through the fire academy without being associated with a particular fire department, while other states require fire department affiliation.

Candidates must pass written and physical tests, and most departments require firefighters to be EMTs.

Communication skills are important, as today’s firefighters write reports as well as teach fire safety classes and otherwise engage with the public.

Firefighters typically need a high school diploma, and while no particular college degree is required to become a firefighter, there are a number of skills and degree or certificate programs, including becoming a licensed paramedic, that can be beneficial for anyone interested in pursuing firefighting as a career.

Cobb says he tries to hire “a highly educated firefighter (who) can do the many different parts of a job that haven’t been asked or called upon before, which are writing, reviewing, being able to research, being able to calculate data to determine what’s causing accidents or what’s the leading cause of injuries on a highway. Getting a degree tied to fire science or tied to public safety and emergency management is a top priority for anybody coming into this field.”

Additional training is required for specialized teams and assignments, such as water rescue or hazmat operations.

Wildland firefighters are specially trained on heavy equipment to control forest fires.

Advancement for firefighters includes promotion to the ranks of engineer, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief and chief, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some fire departments may require college degrees for candidates in higher ranks.