Fire Safety Technicians

Employers

Most fire safety technicians are employed by public or private fire departments and the rest work for large corporations that oversee the design and operation of fire-prevention systems. Insurance companies hire fire safety technicians to survey the facilities they insure and to perform research, testing, and analysis. Fire safety technicians and fire protection engineers work in various levels of government and in branches of the armed services, where they help develop and enforce building and fire-prevention codes. Fire safety technicians also are employed by fire equipment and systems manufacturing companies, hospitals and health care facilities, industrial and chemical companies, testing and certifying laboratories, transportation companies, and universities and colleges.

Starting Out

Graduates of two-year programs in technical colleges, community colleges, or technical institutes usually secure jobs before they graduate. They are hired by company recruiters sent to school career services offices, which arrange interviews for graduating students. The placement officers or fire science instructors usually keep contacts open to help place their current graduates.

Some schools have cooperative work-study programs where students study part time and work part time for pay. Employers who participate in cooperative programs provide experience in different tasks so the student learns about various aspects of the job. Cooperating employers often hire students in such programs for permanent jobs.

Some students may find jobs in fire departments that are large enough to need special technicians outside the ranks of regular firefighters. Others may choose to become firefighters and advance to technical positions.

Some fire departments place new employees on probation, a period during which they are intensively trained. After training is completed, they may be assigned to specific duties.

Apprentices are typically placed in jobs after they complete their training. They can learn about new positions through their unions and by visiting the Web sites of prospective employers.

In some small communities, applicants may enter through on-the-job training as volunteer firefighters or by direct application for such an appointment.