"Our service is both dangerous and difficult" - these words from one famous song concern not only law enforcement officers, but also firefighters. According to US statistics, firefighters die three times more often than police officers. The incident on September 11, 2011 claimed the lives of 348 firefighters, and during the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the brave guys who arrived first on the spot died in the hundreds. I wonder how much a firefighter gets when he risks his life to save others? Let's do a little research and compare the situation in our country and the United States.
Difficulties at work
Some people may think that the work of a firefighter does not require much physical or mental effort. Dangerous situations are rare, there may be one or two cases in the whole month. But in reality this is not so at all. Forto become a real lifeguard, you need to know a lot of things:
- The first thing firefighters do when a fire breaks out is to evacuate people. Acting in a coordinated manner, each member of the fire brigade performs its function: someone straightens the sleeves, someone directs the trunks to the fire, others put forward the ladder and remove people from the upper floors and roofs. Several people go inside the fire to assess the situation and identify victims.
- On average, a fire truck arrives at an incident in five minutes. Ambulance - in 15-20 minutes. If there are casu alties on site who need urgent medical attention, firefighters will provide it. Each team member should know the basics of first aid in all situations.
- Excellent physical preparation. Uniforms and equipment weigh a lot. In order to be able to handle it quickly, you need to train a lot. Therefore, firefighters are the best runners, strongmen and swimmers.
The price of salvation
As in America, so with us, firefighters, in addition to their main duty - fighting fire, perform a number of other rescue functions during accidents or natural disasters. It is estimated that over a 10 year period of service, a firefighter is at risk of injury an average of 765 times. How much does a firefighter in Moscow get for his courage?
According to reports of vacancies, in the capital a firefighter can count on 30-35 thousand per month. Naturally, the amount of salary will depend on the experience and skills that the rescuer will receive during operations. In the fire services there are vacancies not only for firefighters, but also for mechanics,electricians, dispatchers.
Find out how much a fire inspector earns in Moscow. His salary is about 60 thousand rubles. Let's compare the incomes of people of related professions in graph 1. The highest salary is received by the heads of fire safety systems.
In other regions of Russia
To find out how much a firefighter in Russia earns per month, you need to turn to statistics. According to a study conducted by the author, over the past 12 months, wages have not changed and remained at the level of 22.5 thousand rubles per month. This is the average data for Russia.
Let's consider the level of wages by regions.
As you can see on the graph, the highest salaries are received by the rescuers of the Kemerovo region. The firemen of the Far North also have a high level of income.
The income of a firefighter depends on many nuances:
- minimum wage;
- long service bonus;
- northern or regional coefficients;
- prizes;
- other hardship allowances.
Wages have improved over the past five years. Salaries have become more commensurate with the risk and complexity of the profession.
Like America
How much does a firefighter get in America? After all, this is a country with a completely different standard of living. The rescue service there is built on a slightly different principle. Ambulances are stationed at the base along with firefighters. Atthere are no rescue services in hospitals. After the reform of the 2000s, all ambulance employees are on the staff of the fire station.
But that's not all. If you calculate how much a firefighter in the United States receives, it turns out that many of them do not receive a salary at all. And all because they volunteer for a fire or a natural disaster. This practice is universally applied in all states of America.
According to statistics, there are more than one million firefighters in the US. But there are 200,000 professionals among them. The rest - volunteers work in different areas, but in cases of emergency they are called up for service. Such a system is explained by an economic factor. A huge team does not need to be constantly maintained and paid a salary, and when the need arises, mobilization is carried out under the slogan "Together we are strong." This method saves small regions thousands of dollars.
Pay little?
Despite the fact that the profession of a firefighter in America is very prestigious, they receive little. For example, let's take New York and find out how much a firefighter gets there. The average salary of a simple middle-level worker is $ 29,000 per year, and for firefighters - $ 33,000. That is, slightly above average.
In the regions, the salary of a simple firefighter for the year is $ 25,000 plus a package of benefits. The head with the rank of captain already receives $32,000, the head of the brigade - $60,000. There is an option to retire for years of service if you have more than 25 years of service. Men leave firefighter job at age 48years.
How to become a firefighter in America
As mentioned earlier, in small towns, almost all able-bodied men become firefighters in emergency situations. But at the same time, there are special educational institutions that train personnel from school. The state allocates money for grants for students who want to devote themselves to the cause of lifeguards. There are many preparatory courses, schools and extracurricular activities.
After school, those wishing to become firefighters must take a special course, which consists of two parts: theoretical and practical. In the first part, students study such sciences as medicine, physics, construction and architecture. In the second, the emphasis is on physical fitness.
In the process of work, firefighters regularly take tests and write control.
How to become a firefighter in Russia
In Russia, the easiest way to become a fireman is after serving in the army. At fire stations, special courses are held, according to the results of which they can be accepted into the state. But for this to happen, you need to work as a trainee for a year. In 12 months, a firefighter needs to master a lot of knowledge. He is present at the educational process, studies the theory and methodological recommendations. Then he is put on guard for a day, but at the same time a trained firefighter is necessarily attached to him. After a successful "trial", the trainee is sent to the training center for three months, where he needs to learn all the necessary disciplines and successfully pass the exams.
Primary or secondaryprofessional education of a firefighter can be obtained at the Technical Fire and Rescue College No. 57 in Moscow. Higher education provided:
- Academy of the State Fire Service EMERCOM of Russia;
- St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service EMERCOM of Russia;
- Ivanovo Institute of the State Fire Service EMERCOM of Russia;
- Ural State Fire Service Institute of the State Fire Service EMERCOM of Russia.
Conclusions
So, we found out how much firefighters get in Russia and America. Comparing these data, we can say that a Russian rescuer works for $400 per month, and an American one for $2,000. At the same time, the prestige of the US fire department is so great that many are willing to work there for free. In Russia, they go to the fire service after the army or after graduating from specialized educational institutions. Rescuers in our country have benefits and retire earlier than others.
