How to Become a Firefighter in Mississippi
Firefighters play an important role in society. Not only do they come to the rescue when fires break out, but they also provide assistance to police and medical personnel when accidents or tragedies occur. You must meet many requirements to become a firefighter in Mississippi.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Graduate from high school or earn your GED. Having a diploma or your GED is one of the requirements to be certified. While knowledge of fire science is important as a firefighter, the state of Mississippi wants to ensure that all firefighters have some type of general education in the fields of math, English, history and science.
-
2
Find employment through a local fire department. Most of the training offered for firefighters in Mississippi is through the Mississippi State Fire Academy. They will not accept you into any of their training classes or programs without sponsorship from a municipal or county fire department within the state of Mississippi. Most fire departments are aware of this and will hire you on as long as you agree to work for them after completing your training.
-
-
3
Pass the physical test. Before you can begin a training program you must pass the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT). This ensures that you are physically able to perform the tasks required during the training programs as well as in your job as a firefighter.
-
4
Attend a training class or program. Most training programs and classes are coordinated by the Mississippi State Fire Academy. They offer various classes and programs year-round at their facilities. Depending upon the actual length of your training, you may be required to stay on-site in the academy's dorms.
-
5
Get emergency care training. Firefighters are often the first ones on the scene of an accident, thus they must be trained in providing emergency care until emergency medical personnel can arrive. This is why emergency care training is required to become certified. While you can take advanced classes and training to increase your skills and the care you can provide, you should know CPR and basic first aid.
-
6
Ace the written exam. It is given at completion of your training program with the academy even though the test is actually through the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board (MSCB). They are the state organization responsible for officially certifying firefighters. Once you are certified as a firefighter in Mississippi, you remain certified until you are no longer employed with a fire department in Mississippi for 2 or more consecutive years.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Volunteer, auxiliary and other firefighters who are not paid for their work do not have to be certified by the MSCB.
If you have been a firefighter in the state of Mississippi since before 1991, you are grandfathered in and not required to meet the MSCB requirements.
The MSCB does recognize firefighting training programs offered at community colleges in the state of Mississippi as providing sufficient training. East Central Community College, Meridian Community College and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offer programs that lead to an applied associate degree in fire science. If you choose to go through their program and successfully graduate, you can become certified without training at the Mississippi State Fire Academy as long as you provide a copy of your diploma, official transcripts and proof of employment with a fire department in the state.
To become a certified firefighter in Mississippi, you must be at least 21 years of age.
Although you can petition for an exception to be made, you can't become a certified firefighter in the state of Mississippi if you have a felony conviction.
