Firefighters

People in this career often have these skills:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

People in this career often have talent in:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Response Orientation - The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
• Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
• Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
• Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
• Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Rescue people from hazardous situations.
• Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
• Locate fires or fire danger areas.
• Assess characteristics of fires.
• Relay information about incidents or emergencies to personnel using phones or two-way radios.
• Respond to emergencies to provide assistance.

• Operate firefighting equipment.
• Examine debris to obtain information about causes of fires.
• Prepare hoses or water supplies to fight fires.
• Request emergency personnel.
• Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities.
• Patrol natural areas to ensure safety or enforce regulations.
• Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to respond to incidents.
• Demonstrate activity techniques or equipment use.
• Attend training to learn new skills or update knowledge.
• Maintain professional knowledge or certifications.
• Prepare investigation or incident reports.
• Participate in physical training to maintain fitness.
• Protect property from fire or water damage.
• Educate the public about fire safety or prevention.
• Maintain fire fighting tools or equipment.
• Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with fire regulations.
• Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.

• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

• Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

• Commercial Divers

• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

• Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

• Ship Engineers