Entry requirements. It took a total of 2 years after school to get hired st the department at work at now. Note that even volunteering as a fireman may require 110 hours of study in an NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) course, or a course certified by the NFPA. Regardless, for most applicants, becoming a firefighter takes time and commitment. Full paramedic training takes up to 10 times as long as basic EMT training, involving between one and two thousand hours of training. You can take up additional training if you want to stay updated with the latest technologies. Every fire department in South Africa has its own requirements but the basic entry level requirements are: 1. How to become a firefighter. Students can choose from two separate tracks: an associate degree program, which includes general education courses and can serve as a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree, or an applied associate program, which focuses on the major and gets students into the workforce upon graduation. How Long Does It Take to Become a Firefighter in California? You will also be required to pass a background check like the ones policemen undergo. Option 1 Certificate. How Long Does It Take To Become a Firefighter? Here is what you may expect as a timeline. Once you have a high-school degree or GED, it can take anywhere from one day to a year or more to acquire the necessary qualifications to become a firefighter. What does it take to be a firefighter? What fire-fighting position are you seeking? Then waiting for responses, attending interviews, performing follow-up, and awaiting the departments’ decision making process are the other parts. Often, Firefighters attend Fire Academy, which can take several weeks to a few months to complete. Becoming a firefighter is no easy task. They sometimes earn time and a half or "hazard duty" pay. Some fire science colleges also provide EMT training where you learn the basics of CPR. Meet the basic requirements, typically having corrected 20/20 eyesight, a high school diploma, own a clean criminal record and be at least 18 years old (21 in some agencies). Or up to 5 years, if you pursue advanced pre-employment training and experience a longer application process. How do you become a firefighter? The duration is likely to vary from place to place. How much post-secondary training do you plan to pursue to make your candidacy stand out above minimum requirements? Once hired, you’ll probably have to attend some more municipally-required training and go through a probation process, adding 6 months or more before you become a fully confirmed firefighter. EMT certification generally entails several hundred hours of training, depending on the state. When you become a firefighter, you’ll need to get used to long hours and shift work. In this stage, you will have to learn the basics involving the firehouse – and the faster you learn, the sooner you’ll be able to go onto the next step. You will be subject to continuous performance assessments and undergo a formal evaluation after six and 12 months. However, it is a competitive field, with applicants outnumbering job openings by factors of 10 up to 100, depending on the municipality. Some paramedic training programs take about 2 years to complete. Matric 2. It would be very awkward to see that you finished your training when you started getting gray hair. How competitive is the fire-fighting job market in your municipality? A wholetime firefighter is someone who does the job full-time whereas a retained firefighter is on call and only attends the fire station when there’s an emergency. Is it hard to become a firefighter? Some firefighters may be hired sooner, or take longer, than the time it took for this Captain. Pass a physical test 4. In many cases, this will roughly coincide with the period needed to complete the municipally-required post-hiring training at the designated fire academy or NFPA-certified program. Required fields are marked *. The application process itself will take a few months to complete, which includes the time from the beginning of the application process to your call for attending a fire academy. The more work you put into it, the better it will be. How long does it take to become a firefighter? You may also wish to become a volunteer fireman as part of your preparation for professional paid employment as a fire-fighting professional. Why did you become a firefighter? To sum things up nicely, it will take at least 4 years for you to become a firefighter – but not a professional one. 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