A firefighter’s daily schedule involves more than responding to emergency calls. You could expect firefighters to constantly be in training, doing chores around the firehouse, and even leading public events. So, exactly, what do firefighters do besides fighting fires? Find out more about the daily life of a firefighter below.
Chores in the Firehouse
Many firehouses require firefighters to live there for at least 1/3 of their career. While living at the fire station, firefighters are required to treat it like any other home. Since they eat, sleep, and train there, they need to do chores.
What Do Firefighters Do Besides Fighting Fires?
Some captains may assign roles off the bat, but others might have a sign-up sheet for each chore, such as sweeping, washing dishes, and smaller tasks like painting siding. Firefighters have a lot of downtime, so completing daily tasks can help keep everyone busy.
Training With Coworkers
Training is a massive part of being a firefighter. Many spend their time looking for ways to enhance their skills and knowledge in physical and mental training. During the physical portion of training, workers will come together to work out and attend fitness classes.
A good portion of the training even involves skill building. To ensure that workers know what equipment to use and how to get out of a burning building safely, they attend workshops on this subject. Additionally, they read up on other things like fire safety trends.
Inspecting and Maintaining Their Gear
During downtime, workers may take the time to inspect their firefighter safety gear. By examining safety gear, firefighters can check that their equipment is in good shape and still works. Workers spend time fixing fire hydrants, hose nozzles, and other things like the fire engine. This is something they’ll do throughout the year.
What Do Firefighters Do Besides Fighting Fires?
Filling Out Event Reports
In between emergency calls, firefighters are required to fill out event reports. These reports take time to complete and detail every event they respond to. Each event recording could take a firefighter about 15 to 30 minutes a day, but they could spend close to 6 hours on reports.
What Do Firefighters Do Besides Fighting Fires?
What Do Firefighters Do Besides Fighting Fires? – Leading a Public Event
A firefighter’s schedule may include time when they go out into the community to give assemblies for safety awareness week and involve themselves with volunteering. Sometimes, they’ll even lead tours of the fire station to provide community members a chance to see what an actual firehouse looks like.
Now that you have a better idea of what firefighters do besides respond to emergency calls, take the time to get to know your local fire department today. If you’re considering a career in fire safety, reach out and network with local firefighters. They’ll tell you more about what happens at the fire station between emergency calls.
