消防部门的基础知识，如何成为消防员以及如何加入消防部门
People are introduced to the fire service in a variety of ways: some discover this career field in high school through vocational programs that focus on fire and EMS certifications; some work to enter the field afteryears of military experiencein which firefighting or damage control were a large part of their duties, and others have ties to the public safety field through family or friends. These groups have “insider knowledge” that a potential firefighter learning of the career field through a job fair or an Internet posting might not have. Recruiters often say this insider knowledge is not essential to securing a job in the public safety field. However, navigating a complex application process involving interviews, certification requirements, and a new vocabulary of words like “CPAT” and “HAZMAT” without a strong support system can make fantastic candidates overwhelmed and change their minds about becoming firefighters. This article is the first in a series that will explain what the fire service is and how the system works. It will also explore what it takes to make it through the application process and be a successful newcomer in this career field.
什么是消防服务？
Fire service organizations are very tight-knit with a family-like work culture.历史andtradition对于塑造这个行业至关重要。重要的是要注意，尽管人们自文明开始以来一直在扑灭大火，但没有人会以消防员的激情，决心和创新来做到这一点。这来自自我牺牲和社区服务的骄傲。这是由于人们在一生中最糟糕的日子里看到人们，并竭尽所能为他们提供更好的事情：customer serviceat its finest.
The fire service industry has evolved frombucket brigades, where people would stand in a line and pass buckets of water to each other to pour on the fire, to the development of fire trucks capable of delivering more than 1,000 gallons of water a minute to extinguish blazes and make environments safe to rescue people. Thegear firefighters wear和policies随之而来的是随着时间的推移。这些改进是基于科学创新和挽救更多生命和财产的愿望。当您学习有关消防服务的细节时188博金宝体育1or in your interview preparation, you will learn about the influence insurance companies had on this process,每年有多少消防员死于职责，为什么他们死亡，以及为使社区和消防员更安全的工作和环境而不断采取的措施。这些元素表明了为什么许多人说这个职业是一个呼唤，而不仅仅是一份工作。
消防服务如何结构化？
与其他行业相比，消防服务的一个令人惊讶的要素是它的组织结构。对于美国的大部分地区，尤其是在农村地区，许多消防机会是无偿的，这意味着志愿者。Some are a combination of paid and volunteer. They are called combination departments. Departments that are called “career” are the ones with all paid positions. Your ability to pursue unpaid work is something you will want to determine early on in your application process. Be sure you are clear on the type of position you are choosing to pursue prior to submitting applications and travelling for testing or interviews.
除了各个部门的结构外，每个机构，地区或州可能都有不同的要求，他们希望他们的消防员开会以释放该领域的工作。这些认证和标准中的一些与驾驶有关。您可能会看到单词EVOCor DPO listed as requirements. Some of them have to do with meeting basic firefighting skill and safety requirements. There is a national standard for these elements from the国家消防局（NFPA）,但这些标准不是联邦或州法律s. Because of this, you may see a wide variety of expectations if you are looking at applying to many departments across the country. In a future article, we will go into greater detail about the different types of certifications, what they mean, and how you can earn them. Just know at this point that if you are looking for consistency across all fire departments, you will not find it. It is important to be flexible and keep an open mind as youexplore job postings across the country。
我如何申请成为消防员？
您如何申请？这是一个很好的问题！经过大量的研究和准备。申请过程的第一步是研究消防员的工作。您可以阅读杂志，在线查看，关注本系列。然后，找到一个目前正在招聘的部门。招聘过程窗口通常是消防员申请期间的短距离，因此，保持对您最感兴趣的地方的监视至关重要。每周检查他们的人力资源（HR）和消防部门特定网站和社交媒体帐户。有一些人力资源部门提出要获取您的姓名和信息，以便在过程打开时可以与您联系。不要依靠它作为您唯一的信息来源。 Follow up yourself. You can call or e-mail departments and ask for dates, however HR will often refer you to the Web sites or social media for updated information.
Getting on the Job: Before the Testing Starts
When you see a process open up, apply immediately! Fill out all of the information in the application even if you attach a resume. Use correct punctuation and capitalization. Add in your requested work experience and give descriptions of the jobs you have done. It makes a difference if your descriptions are detailed and mention items such as “customer service,” “attention to detail,” and “teamwork” even if you have no firefighting-related experience. Many departments do not expect to hire people with firefighting experience. They do, however, expect to hire people who can get along with others, complete projects, overcome adversity, show safety consciousness, and exhibit punctuality.
接下来发生什么？
消防部门职位的总招聘过程可能需要几个月到一年以上。处理初始申请后，将进行审查，接下来发生的事情将由特定地区的人力资源过程确定。一些通常的组件是书面测试，身体能力测试，面板访谈以及对消防队长的采访。不要不知所措！有一些方法可以为每个步骤做准备，而且通常有足够的时间来做到这一点。Next we will go over the certifications you may see in job listings and take a deeper dive into what they actually are and whether or not they can benefit your application process。This will also show you the wide variety of jobs and responsibilities firefighters have and give you a better picture of your future potential career field. In the meantime,查看美国各地的消防员职位发布看看可能很合适！
Mandy Georgeis a lieutenant in the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department. She is a training officer who works with a strong team to facilitate the training needs of a 500-member department of sworn and civilian personnel. She has a master’s degree in emergency and disaster management, a master’s degree in professional writing, and an associate’s degree in emergency medical services. She is also a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP).
