The firefighter service is one of the most diverse and challenging professions today. There are a lot of reasons that inspires men and women to enter this service – as volunteers and as career employees. You have to prepare yourself to cope with situations that range from structure fires to hazardous chemical spills and almost any imaginable emergency situation. These skills may be needed at any time of day, seven days a week, in any kind of weather and very often under potentially stressful and emotional circumstances.Whether a volunteer or career employee, they are here for two basic purposes. The first is to prevent fires or other disasters from occurring. This is achieved through fire prevention, inspections and fire safety education. Secondly, if prevention fails, they are here to control fire emergencies. This is done through education, training, pre-incident planning, more training, state-of-the-art equipment, and more training. This profession is not for everyone. You need more than just a desire to help people. You need courage and dedication, assertiveness, and a willingness to learn new skills and face new challenges. Also you need to have time, for training, meetings and other duties. Firefighter service is not for meek or timid, or for those who lose control during time of crisis.The bottom line in this job is measured by the loss of life, pain and suffering, and property damage they have prevented or reduced. They are here and prepared for one reason: to prevent citizens. The personal rewards and satisfaction received from the fire service are often beyond description. There is a sense of accomplishment after controlling a building fire, compassion for accident victims, and fulfillment in teaching fire safety.