Retrieved from [Firerescue1.com]Firerescue1.com website on 7/7/2015
Oct 9, 2012
By Tony Vitalie
Oct 9, 2012
By Tony Vitalie
The first question that anyone considering a career as a firefighter asks themselves is, "Do I want to be a firefighter?" This is usually an easy question to answer. One considers the job, often over glamorizing it in the process, and decides whether or not they can see themselves in that position and wearing the uniform.
One should always then ask themselves an even more important follow-up question: "Should I be a firefighter?" It is imperative that firefighter candidates understand the difference between, "want" and "should" very early on in their pursuit of the career.
Just because you may want something, does not mean you are cut out for it. Wanting to do something does not mean you will be good at it, even after spending time trying to master it. We’ve all seen the American Idol tryouts.
There is no shortage of people who want to be pop stars, but when they step in front of the judges, it becomes quickly and often painfully apparent which ones have potential and should pursue their dreams, and which ones should abandon their dream for a new one. We are not all cut out to be pop stars and we are not all cut out to be in the fire service.
So once you have answered "yes," to the question, "Do I want to be a firefighter", ask yourself the next, much tougher question, "Should I?" Here are 5 things to seriously consider while answering that important follow-up question:
So once you have answered "yes," to the question, "Do I want to be a firefighter", ask yourself the next, much tougher question, "Should I?" Here are 5 things to seriously consider while answering that important follow-up question:
1. Am I "wired" for the job? Everyone has natural talents, predispositions and abilities that help them to excel at different things. We all have natural weaknesses too, which cause us to struggle in certain areas. Being a good firefighter requires a certain skillset that some are naturally suited for, while others simply are not. The best firefighters are those who have the ability to maintain their composure while, multi-tasking and thinking on their feet in the face of life and death emergencies.
They must be able to organize a great deal of information in a short period of time under extreme mental, physical and psychological conditions. People who have a history of not handling stress well, or are prone to overreact (for example, have ever had a panic attack), do not make good firefighters. Do you thrive under pressure and stress or do you get flustered and crack?
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