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Fire fighter skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical fire fighter skills. We ranked the top skills for fire fighters based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 6.8% of fire fighter resumes contained cpr as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a fire fighter needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 fire fighter skills for your resume and career

1. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how fire fighters use cpr:
  • Fire and Building Inspector * Developed Department Community CPR Class * Maintained Department false alarm nuisance alarm files and billing system
  • Interacted frequently with the public during fire safety inspections and during fire safety & CPR classes that I taught.

2. Public Safety

Public safety can be defined as the well-being or protection of a community, citizen, or nation as a whole. There are 4 basic elements that come under public safety namely: national security, border policy, countering crime, and emergency management.

Here's how fire fighters use public safety:
  • Perform firefighting operations, including regular drills, handling emergency responses, and ensuring public safety.
  • Maintain patient/scene/crew/public safety while responding and performing duties at emergency incident scenes.

3. Non-Emergency Calls

Non-emergency calls are calls that do not require immediate attention or intervention. They are simply a request for police, fire or rescue service that does not present a life or death situation. In this case, the local non-emergency number should be used if immediate dispatch of the police is not required.

Here's how fire fighters use non-emergency calls:
  • Provide customer service, education and respond to emergency and non-emergency calls.
  • Articulate radio transmissions during emergency and non-emergency calls.

4. Fire Prevention

Fire prevention skills are essential to investigate buildings to review that all local, state and federal fire regulations are followed. Apart from obtaining a certification from the NFPA, you should develop skills including the ability to communicate clearly, and an understanding of how fire prevention equipment and fire alarms work.

Here's how fire fighters use fire prevention:
  • Participated in fire and life safety inspection activities and other fire prevention and public education activities as assigned.
  • Provide medical emergency service and fire prevention, often under extreme situations and emergency pressures.

5. Fire Suppression

Fire suppression is the term used to describe any group of engineering systems designed to put out the fire in a building in the event of its unfortunate occurrence. Fire suppression systems are built to detect fire outbreaks and prevent them from escalating. The system usually comes with an alarm to alert residents so the fire can be extinguished on time before it spreads out.

Here's how fire fighters use fire suppression:
  • Perform Fire Suppression and Emergency medical duties* Supervise other firefighters and volunteers* Help conduct shift training and fire hydrant maintenance
  • Received continuous service training including operation of a variety of fire suppression tools and rescue/protective equipment.

6. Hazmat

Hazmat is a combination of the words ‘hazardous' and ‘material'. The meaning of this word is found in the integration of the aforementioned words -- which is dangerous or toxic material.

Here's how fire fighters use hazmat:
  • Tasked with testing SCBA, centrifugal pump systems, foam induction systems, structural gear inspections and HAZMAT equipment.
  • Increased graduation numbers of HAZMAT program by25% after informing author of online HAZMAT training program glitch.

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7. Responder

Here's how fire fighters use responder:
  • Certified in first responder and Emergency medical technician basic.
  • Completed certification for Medical First Responder.

8. EMS

Emergency Medical Services, also known as EMS, is an emergency medical response system that provides stabilization and urgent preclinical and on-site treatment for serious illness and injury, as well as the transportation of patients who are unable to transport themselves to a definite health care center. The main objective of EMS is to provide emergency medical treatment to those who need urgent medical attention and to properly treat the patient's condition and transport them to a suitable health center or medical facility.

Here's how fire fighters use ems:
  • Operated as an emergency medical technician, and fire fighter level 2, for EMS and Fire operations following department protocols.
  • Respond to Fire and Rescue calls, work with children to teach fire safety, attend weekly fire and ems drills.

9. Medical Care

Here's how fire fighters use medical care:
  • Assessed injuries, administer emergency medical care, and extricated trapped individuals.
  • Provide protection and emergency medical care to community.

10. Emergency Response

Here's how fire fighters use emergency response:
  • Applied firefighting techniques and emergency response procedures on a daily basis to ensure safety and security of civilians.
  • Respond to hazardous material incidents as an instrumental member of the hazardous materials emergency response unit.

11. Firefighting

Here's how fire fighters use firefighting:
  • Provided Air Force with fire protection and prevention service* Trained Airmen in firefighting duties* Provided emergency medical support.
  • Served as a Firefighter assigned to drive and operate firefighting vehicles of significant complexity.

12. Emergency Situations

Here's how fire fighters use emergency situations:
  • Provide complete back up to the Lead Paramedic efficiently and respond effectively in emergency situations.
  • Analyze emergency situations to establish lifesaving medical priorities without advanced medical advice or direction.

13. Motor Vehicle Accidents

Here's how fire fighters use motor vehicle accidents:
  • Facilitate safe traffic patterns surrounding motor vehicle accidents.
  • Job Duties Include: Respond to motor vehicle accidents (MVA), structure fires and any sounding alarms.

14. Life Support

Life support is a machine or equipment often used by the hospital for patients with severe conditions, such as those in the Intensive Care Unit or ICU. It is developed to provide short-term support to help patients have enough time to treat or recover from a severe health concern. It is typically a mechanical ventilation tool for patients who has difficulty in breathing. The life support can last for about a month or so, but if the patient is unconscious, it might be lower.

Here's how fire fighters use life support:
  • Provide basic life support during medical emergencies on scene and en route to the hospital.
  • Assist motor vehicle accident patients to provide first aid and basic life support.

15. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how fire fighters use patient care:
  • Provide direct patient care including assessments, stabilization, utilization of appropriate equipment and determination regarding transfer of care.
  • Summit County, Ohio Field paramedic responsible for responding to 911 calls for fires and medical emergencies providing immediate patient care.
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List of fire fighter skills to add to your resume

Fire fighter skills

The most important skills for a fire fighter resume and required skills for a fire fighter to have include:

  • CPR
  • Public Safety
  • Non-Emergency Calls
  • Fire Prevention
  • Fire Suppression
  • Hazmat
  • Responder
  • EMS
  • Medical Care
  • Emergency Response
  • Firefighting
  • Emergency Situations
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Life Support
  • Patient Care
  • SCBA
  • Fire Service
  • EMT-B
  • Medical Services
  • Medical Emergencies
  • Medical Calls
  • Fire Alarms
  • Fire Safety
  • NFPA
  • Rescue Operations
  • Public Education
  • Haz-mat
  • Incident Command
  • Fire Apparatus
  • Fire Equipment
  • Fire Calls
  • Advanced Life Support
  • Emergency Vehicle
  • Rescue Equipment
  • BLS
  • Medical Treatment
  • Physical Fitness
  • Fire Hazards
  • Fire Trucks
  • Resuscitation
  • Fire Academy
  • Medical Assistance
  • Fire Station
  • Emergency Services
  • IV
  • Fire Drills
  • Climb Ladders
  • Fire Line
  • Alertness

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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