all over the country wherever people live and wherever they go they are in danger they and their property two are in danger of attack by two enemies that may strike without warning what i mean  they are there is fire together they destroy many lives and cost millions of dollars for preventing and fighting fire and crime we had special departments in every community there are thousands of persons in fire and police work and recruits are constantly being added to the ranks but only those with certain qualifications are accepted for instance to become a fireman and most municipal departments i candidate must first take a civil service examination for physical and mental fitness those who pass are placed on an eligible list in the order of their marks from this list the fire commissioner selects men for special training under the drill master who supervises the school for probationary firemen there is very little book work in this school the emphasis is on learning by doing first the candidates must  become familiar with the things used in fighting fire they study the various types of hose coupling and the street hydrants installed in their city they learn the purpose and proper use of many tools and how to meet special problem such as handling electrical wiring safely first aid to is a very important part of a fireman's training but it is in the strenuous practice trail that the probationary fireman finds out if he is really suited for the work in these sections then are put through the same actions that they may experience in a real fire getting hoses into a building called for top speed yet safety precautions must be observed nowadays the use of pump here ladders in a fire is an unusual occurrence but the firemen must prepare by practice to meet any emergency team work is the firefighters byword it is essential in nearly everything they do teamwork is especially noticeable in handling the life net which is moved quickly to catch a dummy representing a person leaping from a burning building skillful use of the net i saved many lives training in the firemen school is all of my head by real experience in fire companies and whether a probationary is accepted as a permanent fireman depends on his company record as well as his fire school record but being appointed doesn't mean the training is completed while waiting for call then have practice drills including a so called brain drain in which they test each other on the location of streets and there is action and adventure in fire service but most of it is just plain physical hardship under dangerous conditions it calls for young men with good health mental alertness and a willingness to risk personal injury even though in protecting the lives and property of others all the fireman's duties are essentially the same no matter where he is employed the nature of the police officers work depending on what force he belongs to and his specific assignments there are numerous types of law enforcement agencies including village county state and city police there are also various federal agencies but comparatively few persons are employed in federal police work city forces employ the largest number of men and it is here that all typical major police activities are found protracted patrolling is one of the major activities officers are assigned districts or beats which they patrol on foot or by motor a patrol man's job is to observe everything the people the buildings and the vehicles he is on the lookout for possible violations and for conditions which may endanger the safety of people or property critic regulation is another major police activity calling for the efforts of many officers but this work includes much more than directing traffic some officers are assigned to accident prevention or traffic engineering work investigation of traffic conditions to find out where signal lights and other control devices are needed is one phase of this job other policemen specialize in accident investigation in telling countless duties and gathering evidence and disposing of cases of criminal investigation another major activity requires the employment of many detectives or plain clothes men with special skills and knowledge for solving various types of crime some detectives concentrate on investigating burglaries collecting evidence and information to aid in finding and prosecuting the guilty person's blood burglary is just one of many different types of crime the detective bureau of every large police force has other specialists trained to handle such crimes as homicide forgery arson automobile five shoplifting and so on i'll tell you late in criminal investigation is the crime detection laboratory scientific methods for solving crimes are employed the experts in the lab cooperate with detectives and uniformed police in many ways here a chemist is applying acid to a firearm serial number which was defaced by the criminals firearm identification experts use comparison microscope to check bullets recovered from bodies or it seams of crimes with test bullets fired from confiscated firearms experts with those found at crime scenes and here too is another major activity utilizing and keeping track of thousands of records on fingerprints complaints reports arrests warrants and other essential material civilians as well as officers are engaged in this work in some police departments the records are kept close to the central communication equipment the us necessary information is near at hand when complaints and reports come in or when messages are sent by teletype full and already ota stations and patrol boats or to other law enforcement agencies the operation and maintenance of communication equipment is one of many  police service requiring special training guiding children into good citizenship is a primary aim of modern police work crime prevention which deals mainly with juvenile problems calls for the assignment of police women as well as policemen it requires a thorough understanding of the laws affecting children and ways to cooperate with parents schools and social agenc physical and educational requirements for entering police work depend on the type of force its location and administration civil service entrance examinations are required by most city and state forces are usually appointed or elected to the f b i has the highest entrance requirements of all in order to qualify as a special agent and applicant must be a graduate of a law school an expert an accountant or have had a constructive type of law enforcement experience nevertheless the f b i has a long waiting list of eligible men ready to take the intensive course of training for thi in other police forces there is a great need for persons with training superior to that gained in most in service police schools several universities now offer courses in police science and administration for those who wish to make police service a career and certainly police work offers a splendid opportunity for a worthwhile career only through the employment of persons with regard to the training and the criminally stolen life and property be reduced crime must be fought just this fire is fought by those who are suited to and trained for the job if you are interested in fire or police service investigate the one you wish to enter find out what the requirements are and make plans to make them devoting yourself to the public welfare by answering fire or police service would be an admirable choice as your life