There is always a lot of competition for firefighting positions because most departments only require that you are 18 years of age and have a high school diploma. Firefighters have a very low turnover rate because people do not usually leave unless they retire or are transferred. It is also hard for the fire departments to hire as many people as they would like to have due to funding from the city. One good thing about being a fire fighter in Virginia is the pay. Upon completion of training and exams you will more than likely be on a probation period determined by the fire department you work for.
Fire fighters work in many different conditions.
Most of the time will be spent at the fire station, but when a call comes in you may be required to be on your feet for very long periods. Projecting myself ten to fifteen years down the road, I would like to become an officer and work in fire prevention and investigation. The City of Hampton has an accelerant detection K-9 that travels from city to city to sniff out possible arson. There is a lot of training that comes along with having a K-9 for fire investigation. First and foremost, you must go to school for fire investigation.