The fire service profession is not for the faint of heart. It takes a special type of person to be a firefighter with a very particular set of traits. Here are five traits every firefighter needs to be successful on the job.
5 Top Firefighter Traits:
1. Physical Fitness
Not just anyone can be a firefighter. It takes commitment to physical fitness to even qualify for the job. Health and fitness is an essential part of the job for firefighters. Firefighters endure extreme conditions when responding to emergencies while carrying heavy loads of equipment and safety gear. Firefighters’ commitment to physical fitness is just one of the many traits that set them apart.
2. Patience and Tolerance
With the fire service profession comes long hours of sitting around a firehouse with a wide variety of personalities. Successful firefighters must be patient and tolerant to endure long hours in the firehouse with their colleagues. Firefighters may go days on end in the firehouse, spending every hour with the same group of people. Feuds and infighting in firehouses are not an option, so tolerance and patience are keys to success for every firefighter.
3. Dedication
Firefighters are among the most dedicated public servants we have. They are dedicated to their mission to protect the citizens they serve at all cost to themselves and may go days on end without seeing their families. That is a level of professional dedication that few of us can imagine.
4. Great Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential for successful firefighters. Not only do firefighters need to relay critical information while responding to an emergency, they must also be patient listeners and understanding when communicating with distressed citizens.
5. Uncommon Courage
At the end of the day, courage is at the heart of what it takes to be a successful firefighter. As a firefighter, your job is to put the safety of citizens ahead of everything else, including your own safety and well-being. In a fire emergency, you are the only hope for the citizens in mortal danger. If you don’t save them, nobody will, and only the most courageous among us are fit for that sort of responsibility.
Learn more about a firefighter’s job. Read Executive Director Nile Porter’s interview with volunteer firefighter and Firefighters and EMS Fund board member, Kyle Johns here.
