Fire Engineer Job Description
In today's firefighting services, there are many opportunities that go beyond just fire suppression. For those persons with an interest in a more managerial or leading position, the job of a fire engineer could satisfy their career aspirations.
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Description
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Fire engineers have various roles within a fire department structure. They will have a hand in many areas of science, technology, psychology, physiology, management and even law.
Responsibilities
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As each department is different, the job responsibilities of a fire engineer will vary. Some possible duties may include designing fire detection and alarm systems, designing escape routes, firefighting, and maintenance of fire apparatus. A fire engineer may also handle the finances of the department, act as a expert witness in court cases, and lead or teach courses to both civilian and other emergency personnel.
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Requirements
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The position of fire engineer is open to both men and women. Not every fire department will require a college degree, especially volunteer departments. However, many fire engineers have a degree in science, technology, business or one of the social sciences.
Check with individual fire departments for any specific requirements they may have.
Training
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If a degree is required to work in a specific fire department, either a 2 or 4-year degree is sufficient. Many colleges and universities now offer specific fire engineering programs, while others lump them into "fire and emergency services management" programs.
If a degree is not required, fire engineers will be trained on the job for their individual fire department, and will follow the preset protocols.
Skills Useful to the Job
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A fire engineer should have the ability to think and stay calm in stressful situations. He should be able to work as a member of a team and be ready to do a variety of tasks.
Fire engineers must understand the nature and characteristics of fires and how they originate. This includes knowing how to detect, control and extinguish fires, as well as knowing how they spread, and the products produced from combustion. Fire engineers should be able to anticipate behaviors of materials, machines, apparatus, and structures.
This is by no means an exhaustive list as each fire department will have specific duties assigned to the fire engineers.
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