🔥 The Fire Service: Risk, Reward, and a Career Built to Last

WorkLifeFuture: Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation

🎇 Happy Tuesday!

Over the years, I've had many good friends build long, rewarding careers in the fire service. My friend Alex rose all the way to chief. My friend Dewey (you met him in the "Two Lines" issue a few weeks back) spent his career fighting fires while building a thriving family business on his days off.

And the next generation is coming along. Two of my son's Class of 2024 football teammates spent two years in junior college and went straight into the fire service. Today they're full-time firefighter/paramedics in California earning more than $80,000 a year. Just two years out of high school, they're earning a solid living in careers that offer excellent benefits, opportunities for advancement, and work that matters.

I've got enormous admiration for these people. It's not easy work, and it's certainly not for everyone. But in an era when parents are worrying about which careers AI might eliminate, the fire service deserves a serious look. It checks several of the boxes from the six questions I suggested for evaluating careers last month: you have to show up, the work runs on judgment and trust, and it opens more than one path forward.

AI, drones, and robotics will change firefighting, just as they're changing everything else. (As I wrote a few weeks ago, no hands-on career is automatically robot-proof.) But I don't see machines replacing the people who climb the ladders, carry injured patients, make life-or-death decisions, and comfort families on the worst nights of their lives.

The fire service offers a rare combination: stability, flexibility, camaraderie, and meaningful work.

Many career firefighters work 24-hour shifts followed by 48 or 72 hours off. Others, including Salt Lake City Fire, work 48 hours on and 96 off. Either schedule means extended stretches of time away from the station.

That flexibility can be a tremendous advantage. Many of my firefighter friends built second careers in home appraisal, construction, pool maintenance, and real estate. Dewey built a successful family business. Some firefighters use those days to raise families, pursue education, or simply enjoy life.

There's a catch, of course. Those long shifts can mean interrupted sleep, physically demanding calls, and exhaustion, so days off sometimes become recovery days. And working holidays, birthdays, and weekends isn't always easy on a family. Still, for the right person, it's an attractive lifestyle.

And departments across the country are hiring. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 355,300 paid firefighters worked in the United States in 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4% through 2035, with about 26,800 job openings annually, largely as people retire or leave the profession. That's not explosive growth, but it's a steady stream of opportunities in a profession that communities depend on.

Once they're in, firefighters tend to stay. In all my years, I can't think of a single firefighter I've known who left the job before retirement unless an injury forced them out. That's one person's experience, not a statistic. But it says a lot about both the security of the work and how much the people doing it value it.

And there's something else: the camaraderie. Firefighters eat together, train together, and occasionally risk their lives together. Salt Lake City Fire puts it beautifully: "Before we are firefighters we are people."

There’s no sugarcoating this: firefighting is dangerous, and those dangers don't end when the flames are extinguished.

Firefighters encounter extreme heat, collapsing structures, hazardous chemicals, unpredictable people, and situations that can turn deadly in seconds.

The long-term health consequences concern me as well. I've watched several firefighter friends deal with the physical toll of long careers. Knees, backs, shoulders, and other parts of the body don't always recover from decades of heavy lifting and hard work.

The CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health identifies cancer, heart disease, hearing loss, and other occupational hazards as serious concerns. Research has linked firefighting with increased risks of certain cancers, particularly from exposure to smoke and toxic chemicals.

Then there's the emotional burden. Firefighters routinely witness trauma, death, and human suffering. Sleep disruption and repeated stressful experiences can take a psychological toll. Fortunately, more departments are investing in peer support and mental health programs.

And here's something prospective firefighters should understand: most emergency calls aren't fires. Medical emergencies account for much of the work. This is as much a career in caring for people as it is a career fighting flames.

📌 What this means for your family: The career offers meaningful rewards, but those rewards come with real physical, emotional, and family sacrifices. Understand both sides before committing.

Here's the good news: you don't need a four-year degree to become a firefighter.

The BLS identifies a high school diploma or equivalent, emergency medical training, and fire academy instruction as the usual foundations. Most applicants also need to pass written examinations, physical testing, interviews, and medical screening.

EMT certification is a common entry point. Paramedic training can make candidates more competitive and open higher-paying positions.

Requirements vary considerably. Salt Lake City Fire doesn't require prior EMT certification for entry-level applicants and will pay for the training after hiring. Other departments expect candidates to arrive with certifications already completed.

Community colleges offer excellent pathways into EMT training, paramedicine, and fire science. Some candidates attend a fire academy before applying, while others receive academy training after being hired.

But don't mistake an accessible educational pathway for an easy hiring process. Getting hired can be fiercely competitive. Departments may receive far more qualified applicants than they have openings. Candidates face rigorous testing, background checks, physical standards, interviews, and sometimes lengthy waits between hiring cycles.

Certifications alone won't get you hired, either. The fire service values attitude, judgment, humility, work ethic, and the ability to function as part of a team. Nobody wants an arrogant hotshot when lives are on the line. Departments need people who listen, learn, take responsibility, and put the crew ahead of themselves.

Relationships matter, too. Getting to know firefighters, volunteering where opportunities exist, participating in department programs, and seeking mentorship can help young applicants understand the profession and become stronger candidates. That isn't about having an insider pull strings; it's about demonstrating commitment and learning from people who've earned their place.

My advice? Start those conversations early, prepare seriously, and apply broadly. As with most careers, getting the first job may be the hardest step.

The national median firefighter salary was $59,280 in May 2025, according to the BLS. But geography, certifications, overtime, and years of service make an enormous difference.

Consider these published compensation examples:

These are published salary scales, not necessarily starting offers, and do not include all possible overtime or benefits.

Beyond base salary, many departments offer healthcare, paid leave, certification incentives, and tuition assistance. Salt Lake City, for example, offers up to $4,000 annually in tuition reimbursement.

Retirement benefits may be an even bigger advantage. Many public fire departments participate in defined-benefit pension systems that provide retirement income based on factors such as service years, age, and compensation. The specific formulas, employee contributions, and eligibility requirements vary, and not every department offers the same arrangement. But for a young person thinking about a 25- or 30-year career, retirement benefits can be an important part of the financial equation.

The promotional ladder is another attraction. Firefighters can advance to engineer, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, and eventually senior departmental leadership, depending on the department's structure. A bachelor's degree can become valuable, and is sometimes required, for higher-level positions.

Imagine beginning work at 20 or 22, earning a good living, and completing a bachelor's degree over time with help from your employer. It's a different order of operations than the traditional college-first route, and as I've written before, the goal isn't to rank paths. It's to know they exist.

Here's a question worth asking your emerging adult:

"What matters most to you in a career: the work itself, the people you work with, the schedule, the income, or the difference you make?"

There's no single right answer. But understanding those priorities can tell you a great deal about whether a career like firefighting might fit.

If your kid is interested, encourage them to visit a local firehouse, talk with working firefighters, and learn about the hiring process. Call ahead, and don't be surprised if the crew has to leave in the middle of your visit.

I've had a small taste of it myself, and I loved every minute. I went on two ride-alongs with Dewey: an overnight at the firehouse, pulling on a headset as the siren wailed through a late-night run to an emergency, and watching the calm courage of his crew up close. If a department near you offers ride-alongs, ask about one. It might be the best career research your kid ever does.

Other departments host discovery days, another great way to get a feel for the job. My niece, Ava, attended one in Portland, Oregon, and really enjoyed it.

There's one last thing I find telling about the fire service.

At least five of my firefighter friends followed their fathers into the profession. They grew up knowing what the work demanded, what it cost, and what it gave back. And they chose it anyway. That says something about the profession that no salary chart or employment forecast can capture.

I admire that kind of commitment. These are people who train hard, look after one another, and answer the call when the rest of us need help. For the right young person, it's a remarkable way to build a life.

If you know a parent whose kid is drawn to public service, hands-on work, or an alternative to the four-year college path, please forward this issue their way: worklifefuture.com/subscribe.

🍻 Here's to Alex, Dewey, and everyone else who answers the call.

Barry

P.S. Does your family have firefighters or other first responders in the tree? I'd love to hear what drew them to the work. Hit reply and tell me: [email protected].

I used Symbolic.ai to research, check my drafts, and fact check this issue. I’m proud to work for the firm and what we’re doing with AI for journalistic integrity.

WorkLifeFuture: Guidance for parents supporting emerging adults in the age of AI & automation

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