Firefighter/EMT

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

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Potential job titles in this career

Fire Engineer, Fire Equipment Operator, Fire Fighter, Fire Management Specialist, Fire Technician (Fire Tech), Firefighter, Forest Fire Suppression Specialist, Forestry Fire Technician (Forestry Fire Tech), Hot Shot, Wildland Firefighter

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.

What will I do?

Rescue victims from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.

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.

Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.

Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.

Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.

Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.

Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.

In this career, it is important to know

Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

It's useful to be good at

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Employment trends

Location	Pay period	2022
Location	Pay period	10%	25%	Median%	75%	90%
United States	Hourly	$14.02	$17.98	$24.85	$34.01	$40.75
United States	Yearly	$29,150	$37,400	$51,680	$70,730	$84,750
Arizona	Hourly	$16.00	$18.22	$22.83	$27.61	$29.61
Arizona	Yearly	$33,280	$37,900	$47,490	$57,430	$61,590

2022 Median%
United States	$24.85 Hourly	$51,680 Yearly
Arizona	$22.83 Hourly	$47,490 Yearly

Employment (2022)

334,200 employees

Projected growth (2022 - 2032)

Slower than average (2% to 3%)

Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)

26,400

* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

What are accelerated programs?

Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

3 year programs

These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

What are concurrent programs?

Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

What are joint programs?

Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

What constitutes a new program?

ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.

What are online programs?

ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?

The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.