Everyone knows that attending college means more responsibilities and takes more dedication. Besides Fire Fighting or Emergency responses, there are many career possibilities with your degree from the college or university that you are currently attending or about to graduate from. After you have earned your degree, you are rewarded with an extra incentive pay each month. See our Firefighter Wages & Benefits.
Below are just some ways your degree qualifies you for alternate fire fighting career paths.
| With a career in |
Pursue a career in |
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Computer Science
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- Administration
- Chief, Captain
- Inspector, Operations
- Emergency Services
- Training
- Services
- Fiscal
- Personnel Services
- Management Information Services
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- Biology
- Chemistry
- Nursing
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- Arson Investigative Services
- Haz-mat Team
- Emergency Medical Services
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- Administration
- Media Relations
- Dispatch
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- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
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- Community Relations/Public Education
- Personnel Services
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- Training
- Health and Safety
- Community Relations/Public Education
- Haz-mat Team
- Technical Rescue Team
- Recruiting
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- Aircraft Fire Fighting
- Technical Rescue Team
- Building Inspection and Construction Services
- Haz-mat
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- Arson Investigative Services
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Obtain your high school diploma or get your GED certificate
Graduating from high school or receiving your GED certificate is a necessity to become a San Antonio Firefighter. Your high school academics play a huge role not only for college but in applying and succeeding into the Fire Department. Prepare for the Fire Department as if you are preparing for college.
Maintain a clean record
A felony-free criminal background, good driving record, and clean personal background are required. You picture is taken and included with your portfolio during your process. The SAFD sets out to hire candidates that will surpass others and uphold the honor and integrity of the San Antonio Fire dept. This may mean being a better role model to your siblings, a friend, a co-worker, and the community. SAFD only hires applicants that they believe will be trustworthy public servants. When you think that no one notices you, they do.
Become involved in your community
The SAFD and its members are here to serve the City of San Antonio. You don’t have to wait to become a Firefighter to start helping others! You can volunteer for so many things such as Habitat for Humanity, your church, school, or just contact any local volunteer organization and get involved! Utilizing your time well, and taking the initiative goes a long way. One good deed deserves another.
Visit a San Antonio Fire station
Visit with the men and women of the Fire Department. Gain insight from the Paramedics and Firefighters as to what a life as a 24 hour hero is really like. Ask questions about their daily lives in the station: Do they still train? What’s dinner like for them? How many calls a night did they have recently? Do they miss home a lot? How does it feel to have a second family away from home? Take a tour, see a fire engine up close and ask what the tools are used for. Taking interest in things around you can open doors to many possibilities.
Additional Academic Info
Fire fighting is one career that will show you how Math, Science, and Physics all interact together in real-life situations! Try to gain as much knowledge about these subjects as you can. Reading comprehension is especially important, as there will be times that you will have to read and comprehend essential life saving info in a short amount of time. Being a Firefighter means a lifetime of learning.
We have Firefighters that used their time off from work to become Pilots, CPA’s, RN’s, Engineers, Lawyers, and some have even gone to Medical School after being a Firefighter!