Firefighters work as a team at emergency scenes. The work includes training, fire station & equipment maintenance, fire prevention activities and public education. As a Firefighter you must be in excellent physical condition to meet the demands of the job; this means you must work quickly, handling heavy equipment for long periods of time while wearing special protective gear in hot and hazardous environments.

Here are a few careers in this field:

Aerial firefighters, AKA smokejumpers or rappellers, are deployed to fight wildfires by parachuting or rappelling from aircraft.

Wildland firefighters use special techniques and equipment to suppress wildfires. Hand crews, helitack crews, airtankers, rappellers and smokejumpers all contribute to create firelines, backburns, and controlled burns in order to isolate and wildfires that can be attacked with water or fire retardants from aerial tankers.

Swiftwater rescue is an aspect of technical rescue that involves specially trained rescuers who use ropes and mechanical systems to rescue persons who are threatened by fast moving waters.

Rope rescue is an aspect of technical rescue that employs nylon ropes, rappelling devices, and anchoring/belaying devices to reach victims in precarious positions. The three categories of rope rescue are high angle urban/structural, wilderness/mountain rescue, and cave rescue.

Paramedics are first responders who provide advanced life support for medical and trauma emergencies throughout a first response area, usually as part of an emergency medical service or fire and rescue department.

We’ve hand picked fire and rescue-friendly schools that match your needs to pursue your career. Find the right school to get that promotion and pay raise you deserve.