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What are the most important skill sets firefighters need to have?

Firefighters have one of the most challenging careers around. They require a multitude of skill sets to ensure they are capable of rescuing the people in their local communities. A firefighter also needs to have a personal character to properly and respectfully represent their profession and department. With a unique working position and living conditions this job places on them, firefighters have a lot of responsibilities to handle. That leads to a long and varied list of skills that are required to become a firefighter. 

Firefighters are placed in a position that requires them to handle extraordinary amounts of responsibilities when they become a part of this career. First, in foremost, they will be placing themselves in harm’s way and taking risks to ensure the safety of others. While firefighters undergo extensive training as recruits, they need to develop or already have specific skills to perform their duties safely and effectively. 

If you are planning on becoming a firefighter, you need to be aware of these skill sets and work on developing them. During the interview process, you will be asked to provide proof of these skills with several examples. By showcasing these examples from your personal history, you will show the interview panel why you are qualified to become a part of their department and a full-fledged firefighter.  

There are several essential skill sets firefighters must possess to become successful in the firefighting professions. For this article, we are going to list some of the most vital skills you need to have in this line of work.  These skills were some of the most mentioned ones when firefighters asked what skill sets were required to be apart of this career.  

Communication skills

Communication is one of the most crucial skills to have in this line of work. First of all, communication is required to develop successful relationships with the people you will deal with daily. Firefighters will establish a variety of relationships with different people, from coworkers, law enforcement, paramedics, local politicians, and the community of people they have sworn to save. 

Smart, explicit, respectful, and open communication are crucial within the firehouse, on the fire ground, and when interacting with the public. Being an active listener is a must, especially when you are going to be dealing with a variety of personalities in the field.

Knowing the proper ways to handle an angry or panicking citizen, using radios to relay vital information to your crew, incident commands, claiming frightened patients and victims, consoling distraught family members or coworkers, relaying critical patient information to paramedics, nurses, and doctors are part of the job. 

You will also be placed in a position where you need to example and enforce the fire code to business owners, enlightening residents as to what their tax dollars are paying for. Each of these needs to be done in a calm, intelligent and professional manner. If you are incapable of doing so, it could lead to severe consequences in the long run. 

Not everyone has solid communication skills, but this is a skill that can be improved and has to be improved. If you want to be a part of this career but also be a functional and successful firefighter. In today’s firefighter service, communication and the way people communicate are quickly changing. Communication is not solely verbal writing communication is just as important. 

These days, people are communicating through emails and social media posts in an increasing amount of time. The way people communicate through technology is different every day, so it is essential to remain on top of this change. Whether it is writing a report or communicating through email or other technology, having professionally written communication skills will be an essential skill for this job. 

Physical fitness

One of the most critical factors of the job requires firefighters to have above-average strength and agility. Several job functions cannot be performed without maintaining a proper level of fitness health. Fitness and health is a crucial aspect of this job, and it must become a critical part of your lifestyle if you are planning to become a firefighter. 

Firefighters experience a physically demanding job with irregular hours that can lead to intense physical strain. A firefighter will need to pass both a medical and physical exam to prove their capability to perform under pressure. Firefighters need to be strong enough to remove victims or carry heavy gear and agile enough to maneuver tight spaces. Firefighters undergo a specialized training regimen and physical fitness to get the most out of any body type. Regardless of your natural physical attributes, a firefighter needs the physical skills the job requires. 

Adaptability skills

Adaptability means you are finding a way to change alongside your environment and overcome a variety of challenges, whether those are living challenges or stressful situations. As a firefighter, you will experience a constant change around you, from the environment you work in, those you work side by side with, to the career itself. 

It’s crucial to seamlessly adapt to new people, settings and changing circumstances, and the shifting conditions under which you perform your job. When one of your paths is blocked, you need to rapidly find other venues and navigate yourself and the crew intelligently through an obstacle to accomplish your goals at hand. 

That also includes the capability to work under pressure and perform your job duties under a variety of urgent, life-threatening, and incredibly stressful situations. The ability to retain a clear presence of mind under pressure is a crucial aspect of being known as adaptable. 

Flexibility

Like any other skill set on this list, you will need to be flexible while you are out in the field or the firehouse. You need to be able to sleep in any area, eat anything, do any job under any circumstances, function as a member of the team, and make an effort in any group dynamic. It is crucial to work around any pet peeves and issues you have with those around you and not burden those you are working with side by side with specific needs. 

If you are not capable of flexibility and instead remain high maintenance, could end up in several disputes. They tend to have issues with specific things or pet peeves. These types of people not only have a difficult time themselves but can make it hard for everyone else on the team. As a firefighter, you need to make some sacrifices and compromises by having the willingness to live and work dynamically. 

Mechanical skills

While you do not need to become an expert mechanic to become a firefighter, it’s crucial to acquire some basic mechanical knowledge. If you have no experience with turning a wrench or know how a house is built. These are all essential skills you will need to learn, and understanding the basics of how things work is crucial. 

The better the mechanical aptitude you have, the more you can contribute to the team. It also shows that you are creative and have problem-solving skills that can assist with discovering ways to accomplish goals or mitigate potential disasters. If you lack any desire to understand how the world around you works, such as how a car starts when you turn the key and why it moves when you place pressure on the pedal, you are going to have a hard time being a firefighter. 

This line of work requires a variety of skills and tools. These tools can be powerful tools or hand tools. Having the necessary experience to use these tools and understand the task you are performing with these tools, and understanding how the tool itself works are essential. As a firefighter, you will need to be skilled in a variety of areas. You need to understand a wide range of concepts and master plenty of skills that require mechanical aptitude. 

Problem-Solving skills

A skill like this goes hand-in-hand with being adaptable. You need to be capable of changing your perspective and deal with everything thrown your way. Having the capability to recognize, analyze, overcome any obstacle in your path. Firefighters need to learn how to take in every piece of information. That will allow them to use the resources available to them, make logical plans, and weigh the cost and benefits. 

There may be times when you need to substitute for malfunction equipment, come up with a plan for compensating for too much weight on an unstable staircase, or come up with a way to get through or around a blocked exit. The more experience and knowledge you have with every factor of firefighting, the better it will be for your problem-solving skills in stressful moments. 

Teamwork Skills

Teamwork is a critical skill for most career paths, and as a firefighter, you will be a part of a team.

Being a team player and understanding the team dynamic is one of the most crucial things you could do. That means there will be others who are relying on you to do your part of the job and do it well. When someone is incapable of meeting these standards, the entire team suffers. That could potentially endanger your entire team in a critical moment. 

Your goals will not be achieved most efficiently unless the whole team is capable of working together. When a single person fails to perform their side of the job, the entire team starts to collapse in cohesion. The task you are required to fulfill may not be something you enjoy, but it is always crucial to accomplish them in the end. Your teammates are going to always rely on you to finish the job. 

Teamwork will apply to almost every aspect of your career as a firefighter. People who prefer to be isolated will never understand the concept of teamwork and become too self-absorbed to be true team players, hurting the entire team.  

Visualization skills

While this may be a skill you were not expecting to have as a firefighter, it is no less crucial than the rest of them. Visualization is a more organized method of using your imagination. It is an essential aspect in getting you out of a burning building or others to safety. 

Firefighters are required to identify figures, objects, and sources among the many distracting elements around them. They need to swiftly compare patterns in their surrounding area. They must also be capable of knowing their current location in a building, in relation to their fellow teammates, to potential dangers and the exits. 

Visualizing three-dimensionally in a stressful situation is a skill that comes from a lot of practice and experience to master. 

First Aid

At times, firefighters and paramedics need to work together. Some local regulations even state that a firefighter may need to take on both roles. For instance, plenty of jurisdictions in the US say firefighters need to be certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as paramedics or EMTs. You also need to go through formal medical training and pass the national exam. 

Even with a job title like a firefighter, there will be times when you are called in to assist paramedics and the police in dealing with emergencies unrelated to fires. Firefighters have the tools, equipment, and skills to tear down doors, walk into structurally unsafe buildings, and rescue auto-accident victims trapped in smashed vehicles. There will be times where you reach the injured parties first, so expert knowledge on first aid techniques such as CPR and victim stabilization is critical.

Conclusion

Firefighters are required to have a well-rounded set of skills to survive through the intensity that comes from this job. Each day their life is placed in grave danger, and knowing the right skills can help them make it out alive. That is especially true if they are escorting people out of a burning building and need to do so in a safe and orderly manner. If you are planning to go into a firefighting career, then make sure you brush up on these skills.

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