If you can, and you're willing and able, consider volunteering for your local volunteer department if there's one near by.
You don't need to be the fittest or the strongest (though some fitness is essential), it's much more important these days for a fire service be reflective of the community it serves[1] (NSFW minor adult themes, headphones recommended).
That means more women firefighters, firefighters of colour, short firefighters, tall firefighters, tiny firefighters, stocky firefighters, LGBTQ+ firefighters, religious firefighters, English-second-language firefighters, even techy firefighters, help reflect the community in which they serve.
(And I include our paramedic/EMT brothers and sisters in the word 'firefighter' here, who are just as vital as us).
All of those skills and life experiences are valuable in the fire service today.
If you can, and you're willing and able, consider volunteering for your local volunteer department if there's one near by.
You don't need to be the fittest or the strongest (though some fitness is essential), it's much more important these days for a fire service be reflective of the community it serves[1] (NSFW minor adult themes, headphones recommended).
That means more women firefighters, firefighters of colour, short firefighters, tall firefighters, tiny firefighters, stocky firefighters, LGBTQ+ firefighters, religious firefighters, English-second-language firefighters, even techy firefighters, help reflect the community in which they serve.
(And I include our paramedic/EMT brothers and sisters in the word 'firefighter' here, who are just as vital as us).
All of those skills and life experiences are valuable in the fire service today.
[1] https://www.ted.com/talks/bronnie_mackintosh_how_diversity_i...