How to Become an AUSTRALIAN FIREFIGHTER

the Role of a FIrefighter

Although you have probably already reviewed the different ways that you might become a firefighter in Australia, most applicants make the mistake of defining the “role” in relatively general terms. The fire services in Australia are viewed in three ways:

• Urban and salaried.
• Rural and volunteer (with some salaried options).
• Government land with both salaried and volunteer opportunities.

It is fair to say that each Australian firefighter group or organisation has its own mission, culture, history, and goals. Thus, potential Australian firefighters have to consider these things, as they begin to select the ideal working environment for their needs. You need to consider whether you want to work in a rural area or urban landscape, in a full or part time capacity.

Remember too that most firefighters are not going to “just” fight fires. Most of the groups identified above are part of bigger groups and communities. Thus, you might be working to educate citizens and children about fire safety, or you might help committees to determine the best ways to reduce risk or to prevent fires in the first place. Australian firefighters are also called upon to do things such as:

• Inspecting the aftermath of bush or structure fires;
• Inspect buildings for safety and giving official approval;
• Working in rescue operations for incidents such as auto accidents, marine disasters or even rural/outback issues;
• There may even be a call for disaster response in certain firefighting jobs as well.

This all implies that a lot of skill and experience is required. Fortunately, all Australian firefighting organisations do have an educational period in which their fighters are trained, but you still need that “extra” something. What is that extra something? Well, most successful Australian firefighters tell you that this can include a range of things, such as:

• Enjoying being part of a team.
• Having a strong commitment to the community.
• Being agreeable to constant and ongoing training.
• Working directly with the public in many different ways, such as education, training, and preparedness.
• Being focused on preservation of wildlife and natural habitats.
• Being able to operate independently, but to also quickly follow orders from a higher authority figure.
• To remain calm in any sort of crisis or emergency situation.

Does this sound like you? If so, you are probably a good candidate for employment as a firefighter of some kind in Australia. Let’s move into some of the more specific requirements.