Why is a college degree needed for the firefighting career?
Answer Just to be a firefighter usually doesn’t require a degree at all. On our department (volunteer), all we require is a high school diploma/GED. Most career departments also only require a high school education for an entry level position. They often do offer pay bonuses for higher education, as well as extra points on promotional exams. There are several reasons for this: One, it takes a certain amount of self-discipline to obtain degrees, and that demonstrates an ability and willingness to learn. In the fire service we are always learning, since the job is always changing and evolving. A hundred years ago, the most hazardous thing in a structure was the smoke coming off the wood that was burning. Now, there are chemicals that can kill you in an ordinary house fire. For example, if the freon in a refrigerator burns, it creates phosgene gas, very toxic and deadly. With the advent of technology and plastics, we as firefighters have to keep up with all the changes in the way fire bur
