Fire chief vs fire prevention officer

The differences between fire chiefs and fire prevention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a fire chief and a fire prevention officer. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $39,069 average annual salary of a fire prevention officer.

The top three skills for a fire chief include fire protection, emergency response and public safety. The most important skills for a fire prevention officer are fire safety, CPR, and hazardous materials.

Fire chief vs fire prevention officer overview

	Fire Chief	Fire Prevention Officer
Yearly salary	$69,961	$39,069
Hourly rate	$33.64	$18.78
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	16,088	95,369
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs fire prevention officer salary

Fire chiefs and fire prevention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Chief	Fire Prevention Officer
Average salary	$69,961	$39,069
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $21,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVR Energy	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire chief and fire prevention officer education

There are a few differences between a fire chief and a fire prevention officer in terms of educational background:

	Fire Chief	Fire Prevention Officer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Fire chief vs fire prevention officer demographics

Here are the differences between fire chiefs' and fire prevention officers' demographics:

	Fire Chief	Fire Prevention Officer
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and fire prevention officer duties and responsibilities

Fire chief example responsibilities.

Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Determine appropriate control techniques and direct firefighting teams during numerous fire, hazardous material releases and medical emergencies.
Respond to fires, medical, HAZMAT, bombs and threat calls.
Maintain and inspect the SCBA equipment.
Conduct departmental assessments in accordance with DoD, standards.
Provide emergency medical care including first-aid and CPR to victims.

Fire prevention officer example responsibilities.

Direct and lead a hands-on approach to resolve a contagious communicable disease within the APG community daycare centers (CDC).
Create & provide educational EHS training programs to newcomers, annual refresher and specialize in-service training.
Train in HAZMAT response and as CPR first responder.
Complete the required fire investigation documentation and reports as set in NFPA 921 and DLA regulations.
Distribute and develop EHS relate material and provide EHS briefings to all levels personnel assign in numerous and vary forums.
Direct aerospace firefighting coverage to include numerous NATO fix-wing aircraft.

Fire chief vs fire prevention officer skills

Common fire chief skills

Fire Protection, 10%
Emergency Response, 8%
Public Safety, 8%
Fire Service, 5%
Fire Suppression, 5%
Emergency Services, 4%

Common fire prevention officer skills

Fire Safety, 13%
CPR, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 6%
Law Enforcement, 6%
Fire Prevention, 6%
Fire Protection, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Fire Chief
Fire Chief vs Fire Prevention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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