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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.

Related: Fire Inspectors & Investigators Fire-Prevention & Protection Engineers Firefighters First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers Forest Fire Inspectors & Prevention Specialists

Industries: Government

Summary
Details

Maintain required maps and records.
Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
Schedule employee work assignments and set work priorities.
Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.
Inspect and test new and existing fire protection systems, fire detection systems, and fire safety equipment to ensure that they are operating properly.
Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
Direct the training of firefighters, assigning of instructors to training classes, and providing of supervisors with reports on training progress and status.
Drive crew carriers to transport firefighters to fire sites.
Perform maintenance and minor repairs on firefighting equipment, including vehicles, and write and submit proposals to modify, replace, and repair equipment.
Recommend personnel actions related to disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves of absence, and grievances.
Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.
Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
Evaluate fire station procedures to ensure efficiency and enforcement of departmental regulations.
Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
Participate in creating fire safety guidelines and evacuation schemes for nonresidential buildings.
Evaluate the performance of assigned firefighting personnel.
Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.
Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
Recommend equipment modifications or new equipment purchases.
Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.
Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.

Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

Postsecondary certificate

Work Experience

Less than 5 years work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

125640/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

60.41/hr

Currently Employed

2,600

Yearly Projected Openings

210

Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:

Initiative
Self-Confidence
Leadership Orientation
Adaptability
Perseverance
Stress Tolerance

Acoustic sensors
Agricultural tractors
Air bags for loading
Air exhausters
All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
Anemometers
Armored recovery vehicle
Binoculars
Bolt cutters
Busses
Cargo trucks
Claw hammer
Desktop computers
Digital camcorders or video cameras
Electrocardiography EKG units
Electronic blood pressure units
Fans
Fire escape equipment
Fire extinguishers
Fire fighting chemical truck
Fire fighting ladder truck
Fire fighting water tank truck
Fire fighting watercraft
Fire hoses or nozzles
Fire pump sets
Fire retardant apparel
Fire suppression hand tools
Flares
Flatbed trailers
Gas generators
Geological compasses
Global positioning system GPS receiver
Glucose monitors or meters
Goggles
Hard hats
Hazardous material protective apparel
Hazardous material protective footwear
Heat tracing equipment
Intubation laryngoscopes
Ladders
Life rings
Life vests or preservers
Lighters
Manlift or personnel lift
Medical acoustic stethoscopes
Medical gas cylinders or related devices
Mercury blood pressure units
Metal cutters
Minivans or vans
Mobile medical service intravenous IV kits
Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
Mobile medical services basket stretchers
Mobile medical services cervical or extrication collars
Mobile medical services first aid kits
Mobile medical services litter
Mobile medical services spine boards
Mobile medical services suction antichoke devices
Mowers
Multi gas monitors
Notebook computers
Nylon rope
Personal computers
Pneumatic hammer
Power saws
Protective gloves
Pry bars
Psychrometers
Pulse oximeter units
Rescue truck
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
Respirators
Resuscitation masks
Safety glasses
Safety harnesses or belts
Safety helmets
Saws
Shovels
Sledge hammer
Specialty wrenches
Surface thermometers
Track bulldozers
Two way radios
Utility knives
Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies
Weather stations
Wheel chocks
Wheel nut or lug wrench
Winches

Analytical or scientific software
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Geographic information system
Helpdesk or call center software
Internet browser software
Map creation software
Office suite software
Presentation software
Project management software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

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