As a firefighter you have many responsibilities and are looked upon by everyone in the community. Some include fire extinguishment, Extrication, EMS Care and fire prevention.

You must be certified by the state of Minnesota and it is roughly 120hr course or one could get their Fire Science degree. And also you must become EMR or EMT certified.

We are currently paid on call and our wage is $12 per hour but also receive a pension for each year of service provided.

There is great demand for a firefighter job whether it is volunteer or career firefighter. To become a career firefighter it is a bit more competitive for job placement. Almost every paid on call or volunteer department is hiring right now and many career departments are also.

I like the fact that you know you helped someone iIn some way big or small no matter what the call is and it is a very rewarding career.

Being a firefighter can be extremely challenging at times whether physically or mentally. Fires themselves are very stressful and strenuous and many calls you may see something that will stick with you or be very traumatic and that can be challenging mentally.

Don’t give up if looking to go towards a career firefighter path and keep an open mind when joining a department. There are 30 plus people with many different backgrounds.