Fire Investigators

Although you can’t begin investigating fires on your own, you can still become familiar with the fire safety and science field through a number of activities. First, visit the Fire Prevention and Community Risk Reduction section of the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web site, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention. This source has fire-safety tips, publications, facts about fires, and more. You can also visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s main Web page (http://www.usfa.fema.gov) to find information on topics such as the National Fire Academy, data and statistics, and research. Once you have done some reading on the field, you may want to contact a professional for more information. Your school’s career counselor or a teacher can help arrange for a visit to a local fire department for a tour of the facilities, where you may also have the opportunity to talk with firefighters about their work. An information interview with a fire investigator can also provide you with insights.

Those who are in sixth grade through age 20 can participate in the Learning for Life program (https://www.exploring.org/fire-ems), which is affiliated with Scouting America (formerly known as Boy Scouts of America). Participants in its Fire & EMS Exploring program learn about fire service careers through classroom training and hands-on activities. Both young men and women may participate.