Employment

Employment in the Fire Service is expected to grow by 19 percent over the 2008-2018 decade, which is faster than average for all occupations. Most job growth will stem from volunteer fire fighting positions being converted to paid positions. In recent years, it has become more difficult for volunteer fire departments to recruit and retain volunteers, perhaps because of the considerable amount of training and time commitment required.

Furthermore, a trend toward more people living in and around cities has increased the demand for firefighters. When areas develop and become more densely populated, many volunteer fire departments will transition to combination (part career and part volunteer) or fully paid staffs.