With safety being a priority today, the fire management industry has opened up doors for those providing disaster management services, offering lucrative salaries and job opportunities, says Shaheen Khan
Almost everyone is getting conscious about safety. There is a rise in demand to ensure safety norms at various big events and public gathering. Hence, a career in firefighting has a bright future. It is one of the hardest and most challenging professions. It is an imposing field as it deals with risking one’s life to preserve others’ from fire outbreaks or disasters and helps one comprehend the developments of fire. It also deals with diluting the causality which occurs on day-to day-basis by allowing safety measure and increasing the standard of living.
Engineers design and mount the fire systems which helps them diminish the consequences of fire. They use the principles of engineering and sciences to defend people from risky scenarios.
Scope
Firefighters can work in a Government or private organisation. They can also get engaged in other businesses such as chemical or combustible products manufacturing or companies like petroleum refineries, textiles, fertilisers, etc. The possibility is enormous in the field of chemicals, handling bottling plants etc.
Skills required
Communication skills: Firefighters must be capable of communicating in crisis situations to other emergency-response teams.
Courage: Firefighters’ everyday job duty includes risky situations like arriving at a fiery building.
Decision-making skills: Firefighters must be intelligent to make quick and keen decisions in case of emergency. The ability to make noble judgments under pressure can possibly save someone’s life.
Physical strength: Firefighters must be robust enough to transport important instruments and move wreckage at a disaster site. They must also be capable of moving victims who are injured or cannot walk.
Work Scenario
As per the National Fire Protection Association, around 69 per cent of fire divisions are operated completely by volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters share similar responsibilities as professional firefighters and account for the majority of firefighters in numerous areas.
At entry-level, firefighters get a few months of exercise at fire academies run by the fire department or by the state. Through classroom teaching and hands-on training, recruiters study firefighting and fire-prevention methods, narrow building codes, and emergency medical techniques. They also study how to fight fires with normal equipment, comprising axes, chain saws, fire extinguishers, and ladders. After joining a fire academy, firefighters must customarily complete a provisional period.
Some fire departments have qualified internship programmes that last up to four years. These programmes aggregate technical training with on-the-job-training beneath the direction of qualified firefighters. In addition to joining in training programmes accompanied by local or state fire divisions and agencies, some firefighters join centralised training sessions supported by the National Fire Academy. These exercise sessions address topics comprising anti-arson methods, disaster awareness, dangerous materials control, and community fire safety and education.
Injuries and illnesses: Firefighters face a lot of injuries as they frequently meet risky situations like crumpling floors and walls, rush-hour traffic accidents, and overexposure to flames and smoke. Thus, it is must for the engineers to wear defensive gear for their safety.
Work schedule: Most firefighters work 24-hour shifts on sense of duty and are off the subsequent 48 or 72 hours. Some firefighters grind 10/14 shifts, which means 10 hours at work and 14 hours off. When battling forest and wild land fires, firefighters may work for lengthy periods. For example, the 2016 Uttarakhand Forest Fire Siege took almost a month of constant effort by National Disaster Response Force and firefighters to stop.
Practical training is pre-arranged as per industry standards. Substantial importance is given to hands-on training in this course. Aspirants need to do on-the-job training in numerous firms for which study center helps the contenders so that their placements can be done properly after accomplishment of the curriculum with hands-on training experience.
Job profile
A course in firefighting management could mould one for various career opportunities like fire safety officer, fire safety instructor, fire safety engineers, design engineer fire protection, estimation engineer fire protection, fire alarm technician and fire protection technician.
Eligibility
Firefighters normally want a high school diploma and training in substitute medical services. Potential firefighters must pass written and psychological tests with a personal interview which is followed by a practical training at a fire academy, with a grasp on an emergency medical specialist certification. The entry-level education required to become a firefighter is a high school diploma or alike. Those who have studied trauma care are required to achieve the emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.
Certifications
Firefighters must be certified as emergency medical technicians at the EM-Basic level. Some fire sub-divisions need firefighters to be proficient as an EMT-Paramedic. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) endorses EMTs and paramedics. Both levels of NREMT authorisation need finishing an exercise or education programme and passing the nationwide exam.
Some states have compulsory or charitable firefighter training and certification programmes. The National Fire Academy also offers an Executive Fire Officer certification. To be eligible for the post of fire officer, firefighters must be a graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
Remuneration
Fire safety management is one of the highly waged careers in India as well as overseas. In India, entry level salaries vary between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Outside India, it varies between Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 per month. Salary for fire safety specialists differ by industry and knowledge level. Those working in more hazardous industrial organisations like oil and gas mining companies, chemical companies etc earn far high salary.
Where to study
Council of Education and Development Programmes (CEDP Skill Institute), Mumbai
National Academy of Fire and Safety Engineering, Nagpur
Institute of Fire and Safety Management Dehradun
National Institute of fire Engineering & Safety Management, Jaipur
(The writer is the founder director of CEDP Skill Institute, Mumbai).