Fire Technology: Professional Firefighter

Transcription

1 Fire Technology: Professional Firefighter Fall 2004 Occupational Employment Outlook Prepared by: Sunnary Thong Date: FA04-Fire Technology: Professional Fire Fighter-doc

2 According to the Labor Market Information Division s (LMID), occupational employment projection forecasts California s employment to grow at an annual rate of about 18 percent for the annual period 1 California s 2003 employment of approximately 145 million is expected to exceed 15 million by the end of The projections for jobs that are comparable to Chaffey Colleges proposed Fire Technology Program (Professional Firefighter) are inclusive of fire fighter, fire protection & safety technician, fire fighting & prevention supervisor, etc Based on the California Occupational Guide, Fire Fighters must be emotionally and physically fit and be able to work under stressful and physically demanding situations Applicants must usually pass a written test, an oral interview, a physical abilities test, medical evaluations, and a background investigation Those who get the highest scores have the best chances for a job Community college courses in fire science may help the applicant to obtain a higher score in the written examination and the interview 3 Advancement in most fire agencies is by competitive exam A Fire Fighter seeking a promotion is often required to participate in college or continuing education programs to keep current with the latest concepts and procedures related to fire suppression, medical training, and management techniques 4 Additional skills such as Emergency Medical Technician or Fire Science certification may be the basis for additional compensation The 2003 County Snapshots report for San Bernardino County indicates the trade, transportation and utilities, and government industries provided four out of ten jobs in the MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) 5 Government, which is the second largest industry employer, makes up nearly 20 percent (212,400) of the total employment, with local government payrolls accounting for 80 percent (168,800) The governmental employment classifications that are most likely to have the most significant job gains are Police and Sheriff s Patrol Officers, Correctional Officers and Jailers, Fire Fighters, and Recreation Workers According to the County Snapshots report, for the annual period there will be a projected 600 additional Fire Fighter job openings and the annual number of job openings will be 86 Table 1 shows the three largest growth industries in the annual period, these industries include services, government, and retail trade, based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 6 Table 1: Largest Projected Growth Industries San Bernardino County Industries Percent Growth Job Growth Services 302% 39,700 Government 242% 25,400 Retail Trade 199% 19,900 1 The US Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics (LMID) 2 The State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) 3 A Labor Day Briefing for California 4 Occupational Guide: Labor Market Information (LMID) 5 County Snapshots 2003 : San Bernardino 6 Inland Empire Economic Quarterly Report, October

3 Table 2 illustrates San Bernardino County s occupations in fire fighting and prevention workers growth projections for the annual period When comparing the percentage in change for the year, jobs related to fire fighters are expected to grow by at least twenty percent Jobs that are related to fire inspectors are expected to grow by at least eleven percent The median annual earnings for these occupations ranges from $36,230 to $44,250 The minimum education level required for such employment in this field is a high school diploma or some college Table 2: San Bernardino County Long-Term Occupational Projections Occupational Title Change Percent Change Median Annual Earnings Education & Training Levels Fire Fighters % $36,230 High School/Some College Fire Inspectors % $44,250 High School/Some College Table 3 list California s occupational projections for the annual period The expected difference in percentage change for the year is projected to increase by less than 1% The minimum education usually requires a high school diploma and some on the job training or work experience The short term (two years) projections for occupations related to fire fighting have less job gains when compared to long term projections (ten years) Table 3: California Short-Term Occupational Projections Occupational Title Change Percent Change Median Hourly Wages Education & Training Levels Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers 28,400 28, % N/A On the job training Fire Fighters 27,100 27, % $2626 On the job training Fire Inspectors and Investigators 1,100 1, % $3067 Work Experience 3

4 In San Bernardino County the total number of new homes and new communities being built has increased dramatically With the growing demand of housing and construction of new communities rising around San Bernardino County, the need exists to establish and build new fire stations to support and serve the growing population According to the Inland Empire Economic Quarterly Report, San Bernardino County s sales of new homes has increased by 365%, adding an additional 7,872 units when compared with the previous year 6 A report published by SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) indicates the projected population of San Bernardino County will increase by 597% for the annual period 8 The report also indicates that for the annual period of , San Bernardino County will add an additional 232,900 residents to it s growing population Furthermore, a report by the City of Palo Alto stated that the average number of population served per fire station for the City of Palo Alto was around 12,000 residents 7 This was seen as an increase in the population served from the previous year If this same model is duplicated for the San Bernardino County population, there would be a projected need for at least 19 new fire stations to serve San Bernardino County alone by 2005 This translates into at least 285 more Fighter Fighters needed for San Bernardino County Figure 1 displays the increase in population for San Bernardino County based on ten year increments Figure 1: San Bernardino County Population ( ) ,709, ,418, , , Year , , , , , , , , , ,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 1,800,000 Population 6 Inland Empire Economic Quarterly Report, October City of Palo Alto Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2003: Annual Report on City Government Performance 8 SCAG (Southern California Associations of Governments) County Population Projections 4

5 As the projected data illustrates, careers related to Fire Technology will increase and the demand and need for employees in this field will grow considerably in the years to come The necessity of specific courses and programs to help train and educate the projected demand of this type of occupation is apparent This is even more apparent in San Bernardino County with land developers seeing a need to develop and create new subdivisions of communities With the increase in new homes and housing sprouting up at a rapid rate, the need will exist to have fire stations along with Fire Fighters to serve the growing population Community colleges, vocational & technical schools, and other occupational institutions should offer specific courses and training to help support the increasing demand of employment in Fire Technology Currently, there are only seven education facilities that provide training for Firefighting in the entire San Bernardino County 9 Chaffey College is planning to offer the Fire Technology Program and will be one of only eight educational training providers (70 educational training providers total) in and around San Bernardino County to offer Fire Technology training and education 9 Workforce Training Directory 2004 for San Bernardino County: Education and Training Provides Good Jobs 5