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Researched by Kristi T.
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Fire fighters
There are about 9,000 firefighters in Washington State. Firefighters
are like heroes. Firefighters are people who often risk their own lives
for the lives of others. The fire department is one of the most important
organizations in a community. Approximately every 2.6 seconds a fire is
started. Approximately every 19.8 seconds a fire is put out in the world.
Without fire fighters no home, store, school, hospital, or other building
would be safe!
Fire departments also help in many other types of emergencies in addition to fires. They help victims of disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. They might also help injured people in traffic accidents or train wrecks.
Sometimes firemen help prevent fires by teaching classes about fire safety or doing inspections to make sure people are following fire safety laws.
After a fire the fire department does a thorough investigation trying
to determine what (or who) caused the fire. If it was not a natural
cause, then fire detectives try to determine who set the fire intentionally.
This crime is called arson. Arsonists almost always go to prison
for many years.
History
Until the 1800’s fire often destroyed an entire settlement because there was no good way to put it out. When a fire broke out, all the community members would run to the scene, form a line, fill buckets and pass them down the line to the fire, and throw the water on the flames. This did not work well!
Benjamin Franklin was one of the first American firefighters. The first
known woman firefighter was Molly Williams. She was known to be "as good
a fire lady as many of the boys". She was the best woman firefighter in
her time.
Who Does What
Fire fighters are people who fight fires and risk their lives any day for the lives of others.
The Fire Captain is one of the most important people in the firefighting
world. A fire captain teaches and prepares new firefighters for large fires.
They also oversee the way big fires are handled. They decide whether or
not things need to happen.
The fire chief is the highest ranked person in the field when a firefight
is occurring.
An Assistant Fire Chief is the backup for the real Fire chief. He also helps out as a fire fighter.
There are two main types of firefighting units. Ladder companies have huge trucks with extending ladders. The ladders on the trucks can extend to about the eighth story. Some may go higher, but not usually. An Engineer drives the 1st vehicle on a long fire engine. Tillers are people who make sure that the 2nd vehicle on a long fire truck stays in line with the 1st. The ladder company has to ventilate the building after the fire is put out. First they use axes to break the windows. If it needs to be ventilated even more, then they use chainsaws to cut holes in the sides and on the roof of the building. The reason they have to ventilate the building is because the fire creates heat and gas fumes. If they didn’t ventilate the building then the heat and gas fumes would build up and create another fire.
Engine companies have trucks with huge pumps that can throw water hundreds of feet to put out fires. The first thing that engine companies are usually concerned with, is the flame spilling out the sides of the building. If that happens then they’re most concerned with keeping the flames from spreading.
A fire fighter, to sum it all up, risks their lives to save others from fires and such.
The Fire Prevention Unit specializes in preventing fires. They search and inspect buildings for signs of things that may cause a fire, such as gas near heaters or a rag near a stove.
If you are a volunteer firefighter then you get paid nothing but food
and drinks while fighting a fire.
AVERAGE YEARLY SALARIES
Who
Minimum
Maximum
Assistant fire chief $48,391
$60,197
Battalion chief $50,164
$ 62,309
Deputy chief
$52,174
$ 65,112
Engineer
$35,090
$44,310
Fire captain
$58,156
$74,749
Fire Lieutenant $38,875
$46,327
Fire prevention $37,142
$46,798
Firefighter
$29,310
$39,477
Fire chief
$57,160
$74,749
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