If you live in a rural area, then you probably know that some fire departments in local towns are built almost entirely of volunteer firemen. This is a great way for the town to save money, and they can actually double their savings by also purchasing used fire apparatus. While safety is definitely the most important factor at the end of the day, it wouldn’t hurt to also be able to save a few bucks in the process. If you are thinking about volunteering as a fireman in your local town, then there are a few facts that you need to know before you continue.
The first thing that you need to realize when you are a volunteer fireman is that you are not going to get the same pay as the actual firemen in your town. In fact, you aren’t going to get paid at all for your services. This is basically a way for you to give back to the community, and it helps the town tremendously because they get some extra fire safety without having to pay for it. When a town is able to hire volunteers or purchase used fire apparatus, it helps to make sure that they aren’t going to go over budget at the end of the day.
An interesting statistic that you may not know about is that around 70% of all the firefighters in the United States are volunteers. This means that many towns and cities are not even paying for their firefighters. When you combine volunteer firefighters with used fire apparatus, it is easy to see how so many towns are saving so much money in the long run. Accidents are going to happen, but it’s nice to be able to fight against the accidents related to fire at a low price.
All you have to do to become a volunteer firefighter is get an application from your local station. They will not accept everyone, but they are usually willing to accept someone who wants to work for free. The main thing that you need to remember is that being a fireman is a rather labor intensive job. You need to be in great condition if you are going to be able to fight fires on a regular basis because this kind of job is going to take a lot out of you.
Since you are not going to be paid for your work, you need to make sure that you have your priorities in order. You are probably going to have another job, so it’s important to remember that the other job is what is paying the bills at the end of the day. There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect your friends and family from fires for no pay, but you need to make sure that you are still getting paid from your other place of employment. There will be plenty of people who are able to show you how to use the used fire apparatus, so don’t hesitate if you think that you would like to learn how to prevent serious fires in your local town.
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