Firefighter Resume Template for MS Word

Your resume is one of the most important documents you’ll ever create. Its main purpose is to provide hiring managers with an overview of your skills and your potential for fitting in their organization. Before you meet the hiring committee face to face, the members should already have an idea of your personality and skill set simply by looking over your resume. When you’re ready to impress, let our firefighter resume template for Word help you land that coveted interview. Also, follow our tips for writing an outstanding summary statement, skills, work history and education section.

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Think of your summary as a brief outline of your most significant attributes. The statement should be intriguing enough to keep the hiring manager’s attention without exaggerating any qualifications.

Refer to the firefighter resume template for Word for examples of what to include in your summary. Describe your skills in three sentences or three bullet points using strong adjectives like “accomplished” and “seasoned.” Be sure to include the following:

• Number of years on the job and positions you’ve held

• Strengths you bring to the workplace

• A summary of your overall qualifications

Note the following examples:

Example 1

Seasoned search-and-rescue fire paramedic with 15 years’ experience. Exceptional judgment, sound resiliency and innovative problem-solving skills. Distinctive ability to maintain composure in difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Example 2

Experienced municipal firefighter with more than 10 years on the job. Active listener who cooperates well with colleagues and attends compassionately to fire victims. Thorough knowledge of best practices for municipal departments and exemplary reaction time in sensitive situations.

Example 3

Physically fit probationary firefighter with excellent evaluations throughout training. Top of the class in knowledge of public safety and security as well as operation monitoring. Strong coordination and reaction time during routine training exercises.

Example 4

Forest firefighter:

• Five years of experience

• Certified in search and rescue

• Exceptional collaborator

The skills section allows you to sell yourself to the hiring committee with the outstanding skills you bring to the job. Keep your list honest and unexaggerated (just like in your summary statement), but demonstrate your most prominent strengths. The strengths you highlight should reflect the desired traits listed in the job description. Use the exact words from the job listing to get your resume to the top of the application pile on the chief’s desk. For additional help, see our firefighter resume template for Word and the following tips:

• Use a bulleted list and keep it to eight or less

• Outline hard skills such as technological proficiency and soft skills such as “adaptability in changing environments”

• Describe your strengths with strong adjectives such as effective, adept and sound

Important skills for the position include the following:

• Exceptional problem-solving skills

• Excellent collaboration with colleagues and clients

• Well versed in safety policies and procedures

• Substantial knowledge of firehouse equipment and maintenance protocol

• Extensive training in search and rescue best practices

• Exemplary physical condition

The work history section expounds upon the points you made in the summary statement and skills sections. You should start with your current job and list all other employment in reverse chronological order, using present tense for a current position and past tense for all others. See our firefighter resume template for Word for additional examples, and be sure to do the following:

• Give specific details of your position and the company, such as job title, company name and years worked

• Describe your duties with a one-line story listing actions you took and the results of those actions, using numbers whenever possible

• Brag about your accomplishments, but don’t embellish them

Here is an example work history section:

• Reduced municipal fires by 2 percent through fire safety presentations at citywide events

• Supervised three probationary firefighters during their initial training

• Installed fire alarms in 50 low-income residences, increasing awareness and safety

• Coordinated fire safety training in all the Dallas Independent School District elementary schools

An education section’s importance will vary with each job and employer. This section includes all training that’s relevant to the job. List your high school diploma only if the job doesn’t require a college degree, but list any colleges you graduated from. If you started at one school and finished at another, only specify the one where you completed your degree. For additional details, see our firefighter resume template for Word, and be sure to follow these guidelines:

• Indicate the certificate(s) or diploma(s) you’ve received

• Include job-specific training or internships you’ve completed

• Specify the training school or university and its location

An education section might look like this:

Example 1:

Certificate of Achievement in Fire Service Technology – 2012

Fire Training Academy – San Antonio, TX

High School Diploma – 2010

J.F. Kennedy High School – San Antonio, TX

Example 2:

Certificate in Fire Science – 2001

LA Fire Academy – Los Angeles, CA

High School Diploma – 2000

J.M. Louden High School – Los Angeles, CA