Firefighter And Paramedic

How I Got The Job

My Education: BA, Sociology

My Prior Experience: I served in the Marine Corps and trained as an emergency medical technician.

My Job Profile

My Company: A hook and ladder company.

Job/Career Overview: Our main objective as firefighters is to save people's lives and property from a variety of hazards. When the alarm sounds we get dressed very quickly and get on the trucks. We drive to the house that is on fire. The firemen on the ladder trucks go inside the house and search for trapped victims. The engine truck pulls off fire hoses and gets them in position to spray water on the fire.

We also respond to medical emergencies. If someone is feeling sick, we respond and help them until the paramedics arrive. 90% of all fire fighters are EMTs (emergency medical techs) and we assess the situation and stabilize the patient. We can stop bleeding, provide oxygen, and perform CPR.

We also respond to auto accidents. Sometimes, when two or more cars crash, the metal crunches so that we cannot open the doors to the car. When this happens we can't get inside to provide the necessary medical attention to the person trapped within. We use a special tool called the "Jaws Of Life" to cut through the mangled metal and rescue the person inside.

When we are not on emergency calls, we are usually doing house work at the fire station. We also train on a regular basis. We get to cook lunch and dinner and eat together as a group. I love being a firefighter because I get to help people, work with fun tools and also be part of a firefighter brotherhood.