The Careers Clusters in a fire station

The Careers Clusters in a fire station
If you’d like to know what it’s like to work in a fire station, find out everything you need to know in this Workplace Spotlight.

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Fire stations are central hubs where emergency services and other workers gather to prepare for and respond to incidents, such as fires, floods, rescue and recovery missions, and other disasters (both natural and man-made). They need to be equipped and ready 24/7, as emergencies can happen at any time. They also work with schools, businesses, and community to spread awareness and recovery strategies for fire and other disasters.

Here are some things you can expect when working at a fire station:

  1. Preparedness is key – you’ll need to be organised and on-the-ball to respond to emergencies at the drop of a hat.
  2. A love of community – emergency service workers are an important part of the community, and work with all kinds of people every day.
  3. It’s not just emergencies – they perform other services too, like fire education and safety training, community and youth engagement, helping out at local events, and more.

Key Outcome

Respond to emergency situations

The key focus of fire stations is to ensure that emergency services workers can respond to calls for help in a timely manner.

Key Tasks

  • Taking calls for help and dispatching workers
  • Performing rescue, assistance, and recovery operations
  • Maintaining trucks and equipment
  • Liaising and educating the public on fire safety

Industry

You can find fire stations in the public administration and safety industry

Fire stations are found in the public administration and safety industry. Fire and emergency services are generally run and funded by the government.

Work Environment

You can expect shift work and on-site work

Shift work  |  Work on-site  |  Jobs in all locations, including metro, regional, and rural  |  Stable job growth

Fires and emergencies can happen any time of the day or night, and so the people working in fire stations need to be ready 24/7. Shift work is very common, though some office-based workers might work more regular hours. There is also lots of opportunity for volunteer-based work if you’re unsure if you want to commit to a role full-time.

A lot of the work will be done either on-site, or travelling out to emergencies, so there is not much opportunity for remote work.

There are fire stations all across the country, from capital cities to tiny rural communities.

The Career Clusters you’ll find in a fire station

People from all Clusters are needed for a fire station to run effectively, and sometimes you might find yourself doing work from across multiple Clusters.

Makers

The Makers in a fire station are there to maintain and repair important equipment, such as fire trucks, oxygen tanks, extinguishers, and other tools. They are also the ones who drive fire trucks and other vehicles (including helicopters and planes) to and from emergencies. Some Makers install fire detection and prevention systems in homes and businesses.

  • Vehicle/Maintenance Mechanics
  • Electricians
  • Truck Drivers/Pilots
Linkers

The Linkers in fire stations are responsible for responding to emergency calls, then dispatching other workers to the site of an emergency. They might also direct people to other helpful services in non-life threatening emergencies, and connect people who have experienced disaster or trauma with specialised help and assistance services.

  • Emergency Services Operators
  • Community Services Workers
Coordinators

Coordinators are the people who are responsible for the behind-the-scenes management of a fire station. They will be ordering new equipment, managing rosters and pay, and hiring new workers. They also facilitate communication between departments and stations, plan community outreach events, and develop disaster prevention and recovery plans.

  • Operational Managers
  • Disaster Management Officers
  • Human Resource Managers
Informers

The Informers in a fire station are out in the community, running outreach and education programs in schools and businesses, teaching people about fire safety. They also help to train new workers and volunteers. Some Informers might gather data and write reports on the environmental, financial, and social impact of disasters and emergencies.

  • Outreach Coordinators
  • Educators/Trainers
  • Researchers
Innovators

The Innovators in fire stations design and engineer new equipment to make firefighting and emergency operations safer and more efficient, and develop new fire safety strategies in consultation with businesses, community, and government. They also help design buildings to ensure they have appropriate fire escapes and exit routes and use fire-safe materials.

  • Mechanical Engineers
  • Fire Strategy Developers
  • Civil Engineers/Architects
Guardians

Guardians in fire stations are responsible for responding to calls for help, performing rescues, putting out fires, and assisting in life-threatening emergencies. They also need people to monitor and support the mental health and wellbeing of workers and community members who go through stress and trauma. Guardians may also help ensure businesses and homes comply with current fire safety guidelines and regulations.

  • Emergency Services Workers
  • Psychologists/Wellbeing Officers
  • Compliance Officers

How do we expect working in a fire station to change in the future?

Unfortunately, the past few years have shown us the devastating effects of climate change and how natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Fire and emergency services are vital to the protection and recovery of communities around the country, and will become even more important as the population grows and disasters worsen.

There are lots of new technologies that help firefighters and other workers do their jobs more safely and efficiently than ever, but people will always be needed to operate machinery, and provide human connection and support for people who have been through disaster.