A Day In The Life Of A Firefighter - FFG

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About the Author: Hi! I'm Chris Hunt, a former firefighter from Orange County, California. After a work-related injury, I retired from the fire service. With 7+ years of hands-on experience and specialized knowledge of combustible materials, I have personally researched and compiled the information presented here.Please note that the content reflects my personal opinions and should not be considered professional advice. I do not guarantee the quality or performance of any products featured. Before using the site, please review the website’s Disclaimer and Terms and Conditions.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (without additional cost or expense to you).

Table of Contents

Morning Routine
Daily Activities
Night Time Activities and Shift Close
A Great Video
Final Thoughts

If you’re considering becoming a firefighter, you might be interested in what to expect from the job. We’ve put together this “day in the life” article to discover what firefighters do during shifts.

You might be surprised to find a firefighter’s day is very busy. You need a lot of discipline and professionalism, and you need to be punctual.

Check out these routines you might be doing on the job every day.

Firefighter Dressing up

Morning Routine

Overview: Mornings usually involve shift changeover, equipment checks, and group breakfast.

It’s important to note that different fire departments do things differently. So this may be ‘typical,’ but it’s not the experience of every firefighter.

Firefighters usually do 24-hour shifts at their stations. This schedule means they’re working long hours away from their families. But, the other people they work with quickly become family. So let’s begin at the start of the shift and work out way upwards…

7 am – Shift Starts & Changeover

It seems many firefighters’ shifts start around 7 am. Still, there’s no consistency here – just anecdotally, it appears that many fire departments set up their schedule that way.

Almost universally, a shift will begin with a changeover. This changeover is when the person ending their schedule will debrief the person about to begin.

For example, they might pass on some critical information about things going on at the moment and any vital information about the rig (that big red truck and everything on it) or something about operating procedures.

A larger unit may have a formal morning meeting, including a discussion of assigned roles (“riding assignments”) for the day or any pre-arranged events that will take place. Smaller units with fewer firefighters are likely to do a more informal changeover.

7.30am – 8am – Equipment Check

It may seem overkill, but firefighters take daily equipment checks very seriously. This checking includes everything on the truck (sirens, horns, fuel levels, oil levels, hoses, firefighting pumps, equipment, etc.) to ensure it’s clean, functional, and ready for use at a moment’s notice.

Next, you’ll need to check your protective equipment to ensure it’s in working order (full tank of oxygen, etc.). Finally, you must complete the paperwork to show that you have gone through the equipment checklist to ensure everything is in order.

8am – 8.30am – Breakfast

One of the nice things about being a firefighter is that you’ll usually eat a prepared meal with your crew. For example, one or two crew members might be assigned to cooking duty for the morning while others do an equipment check.

Eating together is one of the core bonding components of the fire brigade and one that we think is an excellent part of the job.

Daily Activities

Overview: Daily activities include medical call-outs, fire call-outs, public relations, education, upskill training, and working out.

During the day, there is usually a mix of different activities. They execute these activities in triage, meaning that the most critical action takes precedence.

For example, if there’s a medical call-out, the firefighters must put everything down to attend the call-out. But if there isn’t a current call-out, the firefighters move down the list to do other tasks that still need to be done but are less urgent.

Here are some everyday activities you might do during your shift.

Medical Call Outs

Firefighters in the United States often double up as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Therefore, you’ll at least be required to get basic EMT training, and someone on shift will likely have more extensive training.

In larger cities, there may be a dedicated paramedic unit. At the same time, in smaller or more rural regions, firefighters may be the first line of defense for emergency cardiac arrests, car crash injuries, and so forth while waiting for ambulances to come from farther abroad.

Another common reason firefighters go to medical emergencies is to provide the strength required for lifting and carrying larger patients. If a paramedic unit needs some muscle, they might call the fire department for backup.

You might find that you have just as many medical call-outs as fire calls.

Firefighters training

Fire Call Outs

Fire call-outs are, of course, the core business of fire departments. But they’re not all about raging infernos.

There will be many false calls. For example, perhaps a customer in the local Walmart smells an electrical burn, or a fire starts on someone’s stove.

However, it turns out the fuse broke, or the fire is out by the time you arrive on the scene. Sometimes a smoke alarm at the cinema might go off, and while it’s a false alarm, you might be required to turn up to secure the scene. Unfortunately, these fraudulent calls happen all the time.

Another type of call you might attend is a backup for another station. For example, if a complex is large enough, you might be called to the scene, even if it’s in a neighboring jurisdiction. Often you’ll end up sitting in the truck waiting for the all-clear to return to the station.

Car crashes will often require a firefighter call out, especially if there are fluid spills on the road.

And then, of course, there are the action calls. A candle set a sofa alight at 3 am. It’s your job to ensure everyone gets out of the building alive. Someone left their clothes to dry over the space heater, and suddenly their third-floor flat is up in flames.

You might need to rescue them with a fire escape ladder. Or a laundromat’s clothes dryer got clogged with lint which sparked and burned through the shop.

School Visits

Schools may organize a visit to the station. Many fire stations have dedicated lesson plans for teaching fire safety at the station. For example, you might show the kids what to do if a fire catches, how to create a fire safety checklist for their home, or how to prevent wildfires.

Once that’s done, you get to do the fun stuff – let the kids sit in the truck, show them the equipment on the back of the car, teach them how to check a smoke alarm, and even explain to them what it’s like in the day of the life of a firefighter!

Public Relations Events

Public education is about getting the people in your community more aware of preventing and dealing with fires.

For example, you might have to attend a seminar at a local business, answer emails and phone calls, or do an interview with your local newspaper.

Another example is attending a local county fair to demonstrate how (and when) to use a home fire extinguisher or remind people to change the batteries on their smoke detectors.

Some fire departments might offer fire extinguisher recharging for a fee, which often happens on an on-call basis.

Here is Oak Ridge Fire Department doing an excellent public relations demonstration on just how fast fire spreads in a living room:

Chores

Someone has to keep the station clean! So there’s a good chance you’ll be assigned your fair share of chores each shift. That might be to clean the kitchen, vacuum the public areas, scour the bathrooms, or cook for your crew.

In addition, there is periodic maintenance of equipment that might keep you busy monthly.

Working Out

Yes, firefighters often get to work out on the job. However, staying fit and healthy when fighting a fire would be best. You’ve got a lot of heavy equipment, you’re in a high-stress situation, and you expose yourself to scorching temperatures.

So fitness isn’t just a choice – it’s a necessity. So most fire stations have a home gym and workout equipment, and you’ll probably get to work out with your crew daily.

Ongoing Upskilling & Training

Training is never-ending for firefighters. And many will take ongoing courses to help with career advancement or upskilling. Formal training includes keeping up with advanced life support, EMT, and other first-aid training certifications.

There is always ongoing upskilling and training in fire rescue. For example, if your fire station is in an industrial area, you might require specialized training in industrial fires; if you want to get promoted to another position on your truck, you might need the right tickets for that, too.

If you’re not doing your chores or on call, your chief might expect you to be pursuing further education on your laptop at the station.

Another common type of training is group or team training. You might have regular activities designed to help build trust and rapport within the team.

Night Time Activities and Shift Close

Overview: While you might try to get some sleep, the evening is a period for many call-outs for residential fires.

The daily activities like call-outs to car accidents, fires, and medical emergencies may continue throughout the night. Late evening (4 pm to 8 pm) is a prevalent day for residential house fires.

But firefighters will often attempt to follow a routine during their night shifts that might follow the following steps:

7 pm – Dinner

As with breakfast, dinner is often (but not always) a team activity. Eating together can help team bonding and ensure everyone has a good rapport. In addition, you might have the job of cooking or doing the dishes at the end.

Unfortunately, eating together isn’t always possible, primarily when a call out inconveniently occurs around dinner time.

8 pm – Cleaning and Packing Equipment

While changeover isn’t going to occur for another 11 hours, you might want to ensure all the equipment is put back where it belongs after a day on the job and is clean and tidy for the next crew in the morning. If you don’t do it now, you’ll have to wake up an extra hour early to do it then!

9 pm – Team Bonding

Some team bonding time might occur before bed. Maybe you’ll decide to watch a movie together, play board games, or work on that jigsaw puzzle in the corner.

10.30 pm – Sleep (Or try to!)

While it’s true that firefighters get to sleep and still get paid, it’s not quite that simple. Their sleep is never as good while they are on call. They aren’t in their standard bed at home cuddling up to their partner, and part of their brain is always on alert, waiting for that siren call.

But, once chores finish, they eat dinner, and the equipment is ready for the changeover in the morning, your average firefighter will likely attempt to get some shuteye and hope to have a quiet night.

If it’s peak residential fire season – December and January – when people use more electricity, have their Christmas lights up, and burn candles, there will be a few calls throughout the night.

7 am – Changeover

When it’s time to end your shift, you’ll probably have to do a final check-in with the people replacing you. For example, you might have essential details about an ongoing fire incident, recent truck issues, or a new rule that your chief has asked you to pass on to the next crew.

Once the changeover finishes, you’re off for another 24 or 48 hours – get some rest before it all starts again.

A Great Video

If you want to learn more, here’s a great video of a journalist doing a ‘day in the life documentary with a fire crew in Toronto:

Final Thoughts

We want to reiterate that we aren’t firefighters. We hope this explanation has helped clear some things up. If you’re interested in becoming a firefighter, we think that’s awesome. Did you know we have some other resources you might like just for you?

Here are some great articles we’ve put together for aspiring firefighters: