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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Part of Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security, in the Emergency and Fire Management Services pathway.

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 33-1021.00

What the work is

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.

On a typical day

  • Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
  • Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
  • Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
  • Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
  • Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
  • Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.

What it pays

$79,450
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $59,930
Experienced workers reach $101,440
  1. $60k10th
  2. $77k25th
  3. $79kMedian
  4. $94k75th
  5. $101k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $59,930, 25th $76,790, Median $79,450, 75th $93,960, 90th $101,440

About 790 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+6.3%

employment change in the Alamo region, 780 to 829 jobs · U.S. +3%

56

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 6,500

780

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 97,200

Typical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award · Experience: Less than 5 years · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Active Listening3.8
  2. Critical Thinking3.8
  3. Social Perceptiveness3.5
  4. Reading Comprehension3.8
  5. Coordination3.8
  6. Speaking3.6
  7. Monitoring3.6
  8. Service Orientation3.5

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less32%
  2. Certificate19%
  3. Some college12%
  4. Associate degree24%
  5. Bachelor's degree13%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

  • San Antonio
  1. Fire Academy

    Degree · Certificate · Online option · Public Service

  2. Fire Science

    Degree · Certificate · Online option · Public Service

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