If you love your community and want to work to give back to your neighborhood, becoming a firefighter or a police officer can be a great way to protect and serve those around you. If you’re new to serving your community, it can be hard to decide what type of position makes the most sense for your schedule and goals. Here, Erich Squire explains how to choose between firefighting and serving as a police officer when it come stop figuring out the best way to give back.
Table of Contents
Consider Your Career Goals
In many areas, firefighters work on a volunteer basis while maintaining standard 9-5 jobs, while police officers work full-time protecting their communities. If you’re interested in working as a volunteer, it may make more sense to get started as a volunteer firefighter. If you’re interested in making full-time career change, working as a police officer may make more sense.
Think About Your Interests
Firefighters often go long periods of time without a call, especially in small communities. In larger communities, firefighters tend to see more action. Police officers, on the other hand, are regularly cruising and making their presence known to keep communities safe. If you’re interested in a job that keeps you on the go, working as a police officer may be a better fit than working as a firefighter.
Learn About Your Risk Tolerance
It’s important to consider how much risk you feel comfortable with in your job to decide whether working as a police officer or a firefighter is a better fit for your career. Far more police officers than firefighters die in the line of duty every year. Working as a police officer has become less dangerous over time. Stress management is an important part of enjoying your job, so it’s a good idea to consider your own stress tolerance before choosing your service career path.
Salary
Work as both a police officer and a (non-volunteer) firefighter can offer great benefits and a livable salary. The salary for public service professions can differ largely from one community to another, so it’s important to check the salary for each profession in your area as you’re working to decide which option is the best fit for you.
Day-To-Day Tasks
While it’s easy to get caught up in the Hollywood idea of what working as a police officer or a firefighter entails, it’s also important to consider what your day-to-day life will look like as you work a shift in either capacity. Police officers tend to work with citizens who are not happy to see them, while firefighters often walk into dangerous situations where they work to save the day. Both jobs are very important, but police officers may need to develop a thick skin to manage certain public opinions, according to Erich K Squire.