What Will I Learn?

The main duties of a full-time firefighter are to help protect the public in emergency situations. They respond to a wide variety of calls, such as car crashes, chemical spills, flooding, water rescue and general rescue as well as fires. With many fire crews being trained as first responders they can provide first aid until the arrival of ambulance personnel. In addition to attending emergency call outs and rescuing people and animals from life-threatening situations, the job entails:

• using sophisticated firefighting and rescue equipment
• promoting fire safety via talks, advice and training sessions
• inspecting and enforcing safety standards in commercial and residential properties
• demonstrating the use of firefighting equipment
• performing practice drills
• working with police and ambulance service personnel
• undertaking physical and academic training
• checking and maintaining vehicles, equipment, hydrants and water supplies

All staff wear uniforms, and 24-hour shift work is a standard requirement of the job. The work can be stressful and dangerous but there is a great deal of job satisfaction to be gained from providing such a valuable service to the community.