Lots of people want to become a firefighter as it is challenging and provides the opportunity to perform an essential public service. As such, prospective firefighters face intense competition for firefighter positions when they become available.

How to become a firefighter varies somewhat from department to department, but general application requirements to enter a training program are to: be 18 years of age or older; have a high level of physical fitness; not to have previously been in trouble with the police.

Among the personal qualities you need are mental alertness, self-discipline, courage, mechanical aptitude, endurance, strength, and a sense of public service. Initiative and good judgment also are extremely important.

Most firefighters have at least a high school diploma, however, the completion of community college courses, or in some cases, an associate degree, in fire science will significantly improve your chances of securing a job. An increasing number of colleges and universities now also offer 2-4 year courses in fire engineering.

Both a written exam and a physical test must be passed prior to being accepted on to a firefighting training program. Around a 100 multiple choice questions make up the written exam, and it covers memory, observation, logic, reasoning and spatial awareness. The primary focus of the physical ability test is agility, upper body strength and endurance. Each task is timed and tests your capacity to endure sustained physical activity.

Should you be accepted on to a training program, you will spend about 600 hours in training, over the course of 12 to 14 weeks, learning how to become a firefighter. A combination of practical training and classroom instruction will see you study how to prevent fires from occurring and spreading and how to rescue people caught up in them. After successfully completing this training, you will be undergo a period of probation at an assigned fire company.

For promotions to higher level positions, you need to acquire expertise in advanced firefighting techniques, building construction, public speaking, management and public relations. Usually, after becoming a firefighter, the first promotion is to engineer, then lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and, finally, chief.

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