The fire service profession has changed significantly over the past few decades. Since 1985 fire incidents have dropped by 50%. Firefighters are doing a lot less fire fighting than they used to. For the past 40 years, the number of fires in the United States has decreased significantly.
In 1977, when the National Fire Protection Association began tracking the number of fires in the United States, there were 3.3 million fire emergencies. In 2013 that number dropped all the way down to 1.2 million. But even with the decline in fire emergencies, the number of firefighters in the United States has increased by 30% since 1985 to 327,000.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for firefighters is expected to increase by 7% by 2026. Granted, the majority of firefighter positions are either part-time or volunteer but there is still a high demand for experienced firefighters in cities across the United States.
A study conducted by FireRescue1 analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data and job board postings and came up with a list of the top cities and states that are hiring firefighters. Here are the top states and cities hiring firefighters according to the study.
Top states for hiring firefighters
- Texas
- California
- Florida
- Washington
- Arizona
Top cities hiring firefighters
- Los Angeles
- Phoenix
- Dallas/ Fort Worth
- Seattle
- Clearwater, FL
While demand for firefighters is on the rise, the fire service profession remains highly competitive for firefighters. Only a fraction of the 327,000 firefighter positions in the United States are full-time. Those aspiring toward a profession in the fire service will continue to have to make themselves stand out from the pack if they want a full-time career as a firefighter.
