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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
Other titles employers use
Engine Boss · Fire Battalion Chief · Fire Captain · Fire Chief · Fire Lieutenant · Fire Marshal · Fire Prevention Chief · Fire Suppression Captain
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
- Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
- Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
- Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
- Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
- Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, practical and organizing work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.2 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.2 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.2 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 32%
- A certificate or some college 30%
- A two-year degree 24%
- A four-year degree 10%
- A master's degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Geographic information system
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 8,870
- Job openings each year
- 600
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 11.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 8,870 | 600 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 8,780 | 580 | 8.1% |
| California | 6,100 | 390 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 4,550 | 300 | 9.1% |
| New York | 4,070 | 70 | 20.4% |
| Illinois | 3,980 | 250 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 3,770 | 260 | 13.2% |
| Ohio | 2,950 | 180 | 2.8% |
| Washington | 2,600 | 210 | 12.6% |
| Louisiana | 2,420 | 150 | 5.2% |
| Virginia | 2,350 | 150 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 2,220 | 150 | 9.4% |
| Tennessee | 2,060 | 140 | 13.2% |
| Michigan | 1,820 | 110 | −2.2% |
| Missouri | 1,820 | 120 | 4.6% |
| Colorado | 1,720 | 120 | 14.7% |
| Kentucky | 1,530 | 100 | 5.5% |
| Kansas | 1,470 | 90 | 5.8% |
| Mississippi | 1,450 | 90 | 6.6% |
| Massachusetts | 1,380 | 90 | 4.5% |
| Minnesota | 1,380 | 90 | 4.5% |
| South Carolina | 1,330 | 90 | 9.9% |
| Arizona | 1,310 | 80 | 3.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,280 | 80 | 3.2% |
| Indiana | 1,230 | 80 | 3.4% |
| Oklahoma | 1,170 | 80 | 10.4% |
| Connecticut | 1,060 | 70 | 10.4% |
| Nevada | 1,060 | 70 | 8.2% |
| Alabama | 990 | 60 | 5.3% |
| New Jersey | 980 | 60 | 1.0% |
| Utah | 950 | 70 | 20.3% |
| Rhode Island | 920 | 60 | 2.2% |
| Arkansas | 860 | 60 | 4.9% |
| Wisconsin | 860 | 50 | 2.4% |
| New Mexico | 830 | 60 | 9.2% |
| Oregon | 780 | 50 | 13.0% |
| Iowa | 690 | 50 | 7.8% |
| Maine | 500 | 30 | 2.0% |
| Idaho | 430 | 30 | 4.9% |
| New Hampshire | 430 | 30 | 7.5% |
| Nebraska | 340 | 20 | 3.0% |
| Montana | 240 | 20 | 14.3% |
| Wyoming | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Alaska | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| North Dakota | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| West Virginia | 130 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 110 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Delaware | 70 | 0 | 16.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Eastern Kentucky University
- Degrees each year
- 68
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 39
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Fayetteville State University
- Degrees each year
- 37
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- Degrees each year
- 36
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Degrees each year
- 33
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $7,000
Oregon State University
- Degrees each year
- 155
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Degrees each year
- 129
- Admit rate
- 30%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of New Haven
- Degrees each year
- 25
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $32,000