Are you fresh out of high school, and looking for work? Or do you currently have a job, but you're looking forward to doing something adventurous and and noble at the same time? Well, perhaps you'd like to be a firefighter! As a fireman, you'll be fighting active fires and preventing them at the same time, as well as respond to medical emergencies during accidents and disasters. If you're planning to take the entrance firefighter exam this year, read on to learn about the major sections or components of the written firefighter exam.
Reading Comprehension
According to the US labor department, around 300,000 people work
as professional firefighters in the country, and more than 90% of these work
for the local fire department. The entrance firefighter exam is generally the first step towards the hiring process for
firemen, that's after filing an application.
One of the most common sections or subject areas of the examination is Reading Comprehension, where question sets and passages test the examinee's ability to fully understand and interpret what they read.
Verbal
Expression
Firefighters save a lot of lives, and they save millions (if not billions) of dollars a year in property damage too. But, before one becomes a full-pledged fireman, he or she must pass the entrance firefighter exam, which includes a section called Verbal Expression! In this section, a series of questions test the individual's spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.
Observation and Memory
In this crucial segment of the entrance firefighter exam, there are diagrams, maps and passages that the individual has to study for a certain period of time, and the questions must be answered from memory!
Spatial Orientation
In this section, the individual has to answer questions which test their ability to navigate and visualize floor plans, illustrations and maps.
Reasoning and Judgement
In this part of the examination, there are a series of questions which ask the individual to make decisions using sound judgment and logical reasoning, but are based on real-life situations or scenarios.
Mathematics
In this section, the examinee answers high-school level math questions that include geometry and algebra.
Mechanical Aptitude
In this part of the exam, the individual answers questions about firefighting-related tools and machines.
If you're dead-serious about becoming a firefighter, perhaps the fastest way to learn about the ins and outs of firefighting would be to talk to a member of your local fire department. By talking to them, you'll eventually learn that all firemen undergo post-secondary training via technical school, college or at the firefighting academy.
But, how much do firemen get
paid? Well, according to current data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the average fireman gets paid US$24.45 per hour, or US$50, 850 annually. If
you're lucky enough to live in the Los Angeles County area, what's amazing is
that rookie firemen there get paid a whopping US$63, 216 annually!
