How much do Firefighters make in CA?

The work of a firefighter can include many responsibilities, so a professional in that area must handle several aspects that may or may not be correlated. Undoubtedly, it can be said that the career of a firefighter is quite a complete and demanding job at the same time.

Being a firefighter is a prized profession in U.S. society and a necessary one. With the number of people in California, firefighters have a lot of work to do daily. Because of this, the question may arise whether it is a well-paying career. Here we will explain a little about this profession.

What is the salary of a firefighter in California?

The salary of a firefighter in the state of California is around $20.79 per hour, which means that daily, they can earn approximately $215. This salary is above the national average wage by 37%.

What is the annual salary?

According to these calculations, the monthly salary of a firefighter in California is $4,898, which means that, in a year, a professional firefighter can earn $69,174.

What are the responsibilities of a firefighter?

It is believed that firefighters are responsible for paying for fires, which is what they are known for. However, a firefighter goes beyond that. While it is true that the term firefighter comes from the ending “pump,” the firefighter’s job includes certain helping situations.

A firefighter can provide support in situations such as a traffic accident, flooding, chemicals, or rescue situations.

As it is such a broad job, it can be confused with other related professions. Therefore, we will leave you with a series of responsibilities that firefighters must fulfill in the exercise of the work.

Emergency or not emergencies

A professional firefighter must respond to any emergency, and sometimes non-emergency, incident and then provide services that are appropriate to the particular situation. For example, a fire may or may not be an emergency incident, depending on the level of the fire.

However, every firefighter should respond to these rescues, whether the family can get out alone or is trapped in the premises, and then proceed to suppress the fire. Evaluate those involved to rule out injuries caused by the fire or other fire factors.

Give first aid services.

In the event of injuries, firefighters should be able to provide emergency medical or first aid services to patients. In the event of something more serious than emergency medical services, the person should be transported to a hospital.

The professional firefighter should prepare a report to be delivered to the hospital where the patient who suffered major damage in a fire or accident will be received.

Emergency and fire suppression equipment

A firefighter handles certain equipment or rescue apparatus, starting with the famous fire truck, where there are specialized devices in this profession.

The professional firefighter must be able to operate, inspect, repair, and know how to maintain the equipment and facilities in his assigned area. Such equipment may include an emergency, fire extension, and rescue apparatus.

Fire prevention programs

Firefighters are also in charge of educating their community through fire prevention programs. They are responsible for training the community, through operations and activities, on how to act in the event of a fire.

They explain the codes, how they are applied, and how some public equipment, such as fire extinguishers, work.

Wildfires

One of the most important and difficult activities is wildfires, this type of fire can grow from a tree to a giant magnitude in a few minutes.

Some firefighters are dedicated to investigating wildfires to manage a successful response in case of a natural catastrophe. They must know how to identify the situation to prevent the spread of fire and cause as little damage as possible.

How can I be a firefighter?

A career as a firefighter requires several academic, physical, and basic requirements to be part of a fire department. Why? Firefighters are responsible for the community’s safety, and not everyone qualifies for the type of work needed in the field.

Basic requirements

To be a firefighter, the first requirement is to be 18 years of age or older. As a high-risk job, you cannot apply to be a firefighter if you are under 18. It is recommended that you be over 21 (of legal age). However, this is not a limiting factor.

The only way to become a firefighter under 18 is to do basic work under the supervision of a veteran firefighter. Likewise, there is usually an age limit. Normally, the age limit for accepting recruits is between 28-30 years of age.

Another requirement is a high school diploma and a driver’s license. Upon presentation of these documents, a criminal record and a drug test will also be requested. If any of these turn out positive, you may be rejected.

Training and tests

Those accepted into the program will undergo a training process for the professional practice of firefighting; these programs are provided by the fire academies, where they specialize in areas of action.

During the training process, they are taught how to extinguish fires, how to execute procedures in case of large fires, how to perform rescues, how to use ropes, how to handle emergency vehicles, and how to operate safely for the patient.

In this process, the applicant can decide which area they want to specialize in, the pilot, technician, or smoke jumper. Depending on what they choose will be the training they will get. The theory and practice of the areas must be studied. First will be the theoretical training and then the practical training.

Good training lasts between 1 year and 18 months; after that, you must undergo two types of examination, a written test with theoretical training and a physical ability test. When passing the tests, they can be certified as firefighters of the country.

References

• “Firefighter.” Indeed, https://www.indeed.com/career/firefighter/salaries/CA.