Firefighters, the brave individuals who keep people and properties safe from fire, respond to medical calls as well as fire calls. They follow orders, obey the law, and risk their lives to do their jobs. However, within the firefighter community, there are many roles and job titles that firefighters accomplish.
Most firefighters, whether civilian or military, are exposed to AFFF occupationally, regardless of their job title. The following are the firefighting jobs in the U.S. by degree of responsibility:
- Fire engineer: Fire engineers design and advise on new buildings and buildings undergoing refurbishment concerning fire safety measures. Their purpose is to help protect life, property, and the environment from the risk of fire and to help ensure projects meet industry codes and legislative requirements.
- Fire lieutenant: A job as a fire lieutenant entails coordinating daily activities at the firehouse. Furthermore, in between emergency calls, they organize and monitor the maintenance of the equipment and trucks, chores around the fire station, and safety training sessions. A fire lieutenant is also in charge of training new employees and evaluating the staff's performance. They report to the fire captain.
- Fire captain: Captains are firefighters who have worked for the fire department for at least ten years. They take a special test to become eligible to be promoted from firefighter to captain. Captains are responsible for the other firefighters around them. They are also in charge of a fire station, and they provide directions when the fire crew responds to an emergency.
- Battalion fire chief: A battalion fire chief is at heart a firefighter, but they have many more responsibilities than just putting out a fire. The fire department's battalion chiefs supervise all assigned personnel and also plan and coordinate a wide range of programs. Fire suppression, fire prevention, inspections, firefighter training, and maintenance of the equipment and facilities within a battalion are all usually the fire chief's responsibilities.
- Assistant fire chief: The role of the assistant fire chief is to assist in planning, directing, and reviewing the activities of the fire department, including fire suppression, hazardous material mitigation, fire prevention, life safety code compliance, public safety education, emergency medical services, emergency management, and administrative support services. They are supervised by the fire chief.
- Deputy fire chief: The deputy fire chief performs a wide variety of technical, administrative, and supervisory work in planning, organizing, and implementing fire prevention, suppression, and medical services to prevent or minimize the loss of life and property due to fire. The deputy fire chief is in charge of fire station operations, fire suppression, rescue, and training in a supervisory role under the direction of the fire chief.
- Fire chief: A fire chief is the head of the fire department, managing a team of firefighters, supervising their activities, and performing fire and rescue duties. Fire chiefs coordinate fire control, overseeing the team as they perform rescues and address medical emergencies. A fire chief is typically appointed by the authority overseeing the running of the fire department, such as the mayor in the case of a municipal fire department.
Because they have to use AFFF to extinguish fires stemming from combustible and flammable liquids and gases, firefighters are inevitably exposed to the PFAS in the fire suppressant. Except for fire engineers, all types of firefighting jobs imply AFFF exposure to a certain degree. If you are or were a civilian or military firefighter, were exposed to AFFF, and now struggle with a disease, we encourage you to contact us, as we can help you determine whether you are entitled to compensation from the liable manufacturers of the firefighting foam.
Atraxia Law can efficiently help you file your AFFF exposure claim
With over 35 years of experience in evaluating toxic exposure and personal injury claims, our expert team is ready to help you find out whether you are eligible to file a claim as a civilian or military firefighter who worked with AFFF. The only documents we will request are your employment or military records and your medical records with your diagnosis. Eligible firefighters will be put in touch with a reliable, specialized attorney.