What Do Municipal Firefighters Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Municipal Firefighters control and extinguish municipal fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts. They also search burning buildings to locate fire victims.

Other tasks include:

• Rescue victims from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
• Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons.
• Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
• Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
• Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.

We asked Municipal Firefighters how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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83% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 88% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Municipal Firefighters clean and maintain fire stations and fire fighting equipment and apparatus. They participate in physical training activities to maintain a high level of physical fitness.

A typical day for a Municipal Firefighter will also include:

• Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
• Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
• Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls.
• Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.

We asked some Municipal Firefighters a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	60% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	46% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	49% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	46% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	13% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	36% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Municipal Firefighters also participate in fire drills and demonstrations of fire fighting techniques. They may also participate in courses, seminars and conferences, and study fire science literature, to learn firefighting techniques.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Municipal Firefighters Lay hose lines and connect them to water supplies. They might also Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.

In addition, they Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.

To some Municipal Firefighters, it is also their responsibility to Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Municipal Firefighter, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/protective-service/firefighters.htm

http://www.iaff.org/

http://www.i-women.org/

http://www.nfpa.org/