To move up the ladder and be considered for top firefighter jobs, resume expert Kim Isaacs says it helps to have a resume that sparks the interest of hiring managers. Whether you’re writing a new firefighter resume or updating an old one after a few years off the job market, we have some writing tips to help you get started.
Start your resume with a brief firefighter resume objective or career summary that conveys your passion for the job as well as the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that make you the ideal candidate. Recruiters will be particularly interested in knowing if you’re a team player, what training you’ve had, and if you’re physically and mentally fit. Your career summary can be a short paragraph or a list of three or four bulleted sentences.
For more resume writing tips, view this sample firefighter resume that Isaacs created below.
Firefighter Resume
LUKE JOHNSON
Sometown, TX 55555 | (555) 555-5555 | lj@somedomain.com
State-Certified Firefighter & EMT Paramedic
- Passionate about protecting lives and property through dedicated service performing firefighting, first-responder, emergency-medical and fire-prevention duties.
- Deeply committed to supporting team members in daily station tasks, drills and fire alarms.
- Physically fit (Ironman triathlete); community-minded (volunteer in school and community safety, medical, emergency-preparedness and fire-prevention programs); and current on all required training.
Education & Credentials
ABC COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Sometown, TX) Associate of Fire Science
Texas State-Certified Firefighter I / II l Nationally Certified First Responder (CFP)
NREMT-P Certification (National Registry Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic)
Valid Class B Exempt Driver’s License with Clean Driving Record, Drug Screen and Background Check
Professional Experience
SOMETOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT (Sometown, TX)
Firefighter & EMT, 2013 to Present
Respond to fire alarms and emergency calls to protect lives and property. Assess conditions and act quickly to extinguish fires, rescue victims and administer life-saving medical interventions.
- Responded to hundreds of traffic accidents, vehicle fires, brush fires and structural fires in homes, apartment complexes and commercial buildings.
- Worked with team and other first responders to gain control of emergency scenes; combat fires; perform victim search and rescue; treat the injured; and avert further injuries by keeping bystanders out of danger.
- Prevented loss of life following epic flooding in Sometown as a member of swiftwater rescue team.
- Honored with “Hero Award” by Mayor Osborne for establishing Fallen Firefighters, a charitable fund supporting families of firefighters injured or killed in the line of the duty. Raised $200K+ to date.
- Placed second in command of Sometown’s league drill, coordinating town-wide drill involving 4 other jurisdictions and 100+ firefighters. Led training exercise simulating a multi-alarm fire scenario that provided valuable insights used to improve emergency preparedness.
- Participated in fire-prevention programs and fire-safety education in local schools.
- Assisted fellow teammates with ongoing upkeep of equipment and facilities.
Specialized Training & Activities
Enthusiastically participate in training and continuing education covering topics including:
- Vehicle Fires & Extrications
- Chemical & Magnesium Fires
- Structural & High-Rise Fires
- Brush, Wildland & Forest Fires
- HAZMAT Handling
- Hostile Fire Events
- Mass Casualty Events
- Dispatch Operations
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- Swiftwater & Confined Space Rescues
- Firefighter Assist & Search Team (FAST)
- Rapid Intervention Team (RIT)
Volunteerism & Activities (2013 to Present):
- Director, Fallen Firefighters
- CPR & First Aid Instructor, American Red Cross
- Volunteer Fire Safety Trainer at local schools
- Ironman Triathlete & CrossFit® Enthusiast
Looking for a firefighter resume PDF? Download the firefighter resume template in Word, add your information, and save it as a PDF for a sleek, professional look.
Remember to adapt the resume for your specific situation. If you’re creating a firefighter resume with no experience, for example, you may want to put any specialized training or activities right under your education section and save the professional experience section for last. A volunteer firefighter resume still needs all the same elements, but you can swap the professional experience section for a section devoted to volunteerism.
As a firefighter, you can expect to earn a median wage of about $60,530 per year, depending on where you’re located. If you want to see what the median firefighter pay is for your location, search Monster’s Salary Tools.
Is your firefighter resume ready to go? You can search for firefighter jobs on Monster. You might also want to search for jobs in these high-demand locations:
Need More Help With Your Firefighter Resume?
Light a fire under your job search with a well-written, optimized firefighter resume. Not sure if yours would pass inspection? You can submit it to the resume experts at Monster to get a second opinion. We’ll evaluate your resume’s content, keywords, and structure and send you tips for how to make it even better. Let Monster lend a helping hand to your career.
