Hey, guys I'm Nicole Aaron for YouniversityTV and today we're going to find out what it takes to be a firefighter. Let's go inside. Firefighter Captain Ken Wooldridge loves coming to work every day. 

 I really enjoy coming to work. A lot of people don't like coming to work, but I really look forward, even though I'm away from my family for twenty four hours, I really look forward to coming to work because it's always something different. 

 Everybody knows that firefighters fight fires, but they do so much more. For instance, they care for the injured and perform fire prevention activities. 

 We do a great many things other than just fight fire. Firefighters are, in many municipalities, the first level of emergency medical care. 

 Some departments across the country cross train their firefighters as EMT?s. 

 More and more fire departments now are starting to get into the emergency medical services business. And that accounts for, you know, a good percentage of our calls. 

 In most departments, firefighters work a twenty-four hour shift and are off for forty-eight hours. Because they are spending so much time in the firehouse, it's like a home away from home. 

 We've got all the comforts of home away from home. Cable TV. 

 Cool. 

 We've got the recliners so we can relax in the evenings. 

 Before you can put a stop to fires, you'll need to have at least a high school diploma and proper training. 

 Four hundred and eighty hours of firefighter training. Once you get that training under your belt you take a state test, and that certifies you as a firefighter in whatever state you're working in. 

 Your training isn't over once you pass the test. You will continue learning and training throughout your career. 

 We are required by law to keep up with so many hours of training and education every year to recertify our licenses. 

 There are unfortunate events that occur around the country. Therefore, there is a need for firefighters everywhere. 

 The larger cities and municipalities have paid departments. But when you get out, like in the rural areas of the country, and the smaller towns, most of those departments are volunteer. 

 You can expect a lot of competition for jobs. People who are in top physical condition and have a high mechanical aptitude are expected to have the best chances. 

 The job outlook for firefighting I think looks really good. There are always people retiring, we have a system in most departments where after about twenty-five years, twenty to twenty five years, you're eligible to retire. 

 Once you stop the fire, you can start making a decent salary. 

 The median salary of a firefighter nationwide as of 2009 is approximately forty three thousand dollars to start. 

 So, what does it take to be a great firefighter? Being physically fit, self-disciplined, courageous and a strong mental discipline. 

 We've got to be mentally fit meaning that, there's a lot of things that we see out there that can affect us. I'd be lying to you if I said that I haven't been to calls where I wasn't affected by something that I saw. 

 Time for me to suit up. Ready to go fight fires. See you next time. 

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