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3E751 Career Guide

Air Force

3E751: Fire Protection Specialist

Career transition guide for Air Force Fire Protection Specialist (3E751)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 3E751 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Firefighter

$60K
High matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

State Firefighter CertificationEmergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification

Fire Inspector

$70K
High matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Fire Inspector (CFI) certificationKnowledge of local building codes

Emergency Management Specialist

$75K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certificationFEMA Incident Command System (ICS) certificationsGrant writing

Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Technician

$65K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

HAZWOPER certificationSpecialized training in chemical handling and containment

Safety Manager

$80K
Moderate matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certificationOSHA regulations expertiseIndustry-specific safety knowledge

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 3E751 training built — and where they transfer.

Rapid Prioritization

In emergency situations, you quickly assess the severity of the situation, identify immediate threats to life and property, and determine the order in which actions must be taken to mitigate risk and save lives.

The ability to rapidly assess situations, triage tasks, and determine the most critical actions needed in a fast-paced environment translates to roles where quick decision-making under pressure is essential.

Situational Awareness

You maintain constant awareness of the environment, including the location of personnel, the spread of fire, potential hazards, and the structural integrity of buildings, adapting your strategy as conditions change.

This heightened awareness and ability to anticipate potential problems makes you adept at understanding complex situations and proactively responding to changes.

Team Synchronization

As part of a fire fighting team, you coordinate your actions with others, ensuring seamless execution of tasks, clear communication, and mutual support, often under high-stress conditions where lives depend on effective teamwork.

Your experience working in sync with a team toward a common goal makes you an excellent collaborator, capable of coordinating efforts and communicating effectively within a team environment.

Procedural Compliance

You adhere to strict protocols and safety regulations when responding to emergencies, operating equipment, and handling hazardous materials. This ensures the safety of yourself, your team, and the public while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Your dedication to following procedures and regulations makes you an ideal candidate for roles requiring consistent adherence to standards and protocols, ensuring quality and safety.

After-Action Analysis

You participate in post-incident reviews, analyzing the effectiveness of the response, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes to enhance future performance and safety.

Your experience in analyzing past events to identify areas for improvement translates into the ability to critically evaluate processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement effective solutions.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Emergency Management Specialist

SOC 11-9161.00

You've been planning and executing emergency responses. You're skilled in hazard mitigation, risk assessment, and coordinating resources during crises, so you're well-equipped to develop and implement emergency management plans for communities or organizations.

Industrial Safety Specialist

SOC 25-1042.00

You've been inspecting facilities for fire hazards and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. This experience easily translates to industrial settings where you can identify and mitigate risks to maintain a safe working environment.

Insurance Risk Surveyor

SOC 13-2071.00

You've been assessing fire risks and determining safety deficiencies. You can leverage this expertise to assess properties for insurance companies, evaluating potential risks and recommending mitigation strategies.

Construction Site Safety Manager

SOC 47-4111.00

Your experience in fire prevention, hazard identification, and emergency response makes you a great fit. You already know how to implement safety protocols, conduct inspections, and ensure compliance with regulations, keeping construction sites safe and efficient.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Fire Protection Apprentice Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX

672 training hours16 weeksUp to 9 semester hours recommended

Topics Covered

  • Fire Behavior and Combustion
  • Fire Suppression Systems
  • Rescue Techniques
  • Hazardous Materials Response
  • Aircraft Firefighting
  • Structural Firefighting
  • Fire Prevention and Inspection
  • Emergency Medical Response

Certification Pathways

Ready to Certify

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Firefighter I & II

Partial Coverage

Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)60% covered

In-depth knowledge of NFPA codes and standards, insurance perspectives, and legal aspects of fire protection.

Hazardous Materials Technician70% covered

Specifics on advanced chemical identification, in-depth decontamination procedures, and incident command strategies per OSHA/EPA regulations.

OSHA 30-Hour General Industry40% covered

Broader and deeper coverage of general industry safety standards beyond fire-specific scenarios.

Recommended Next Certifications

Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM)Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO)Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Structural Firefighting Apparatus (e.g., pumper trucks, ladder trucks)Commercial fire engines and ladder trucks (e.g., those manufactured by Pierce, Rosenbauer)
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles (e.g., Oshkosh Striker)Airport fire trucks (e.g., Oshkosh Striker, Rosenbauer Panther)
Jaws of Life (hydraulic rescue tools)Hydraulic rescue tools (e.g., manufactured by Holmatro, Hurst Jaws of Life)
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)SCBA (e.g., MSA, Scott Safety)
Fire Alarm Control Panels (FACP) (e.g., Notifier, Simplex)Commercial fire alarm systems (e.g., Siemens, Johnson Controls)
Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Detection Equipment (e.g., MultiRAE)HAZMAT detectors and multi-gas meters (e.g., RAE Systems, Dräger)
Incident Command System (ICS) software (e.g., used during emergency response)Emergency management software (e.g., Veoci, WebEOC)
Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC)Commercial thermal imaging cameras (e.g., FLIR, Seek Thermal)

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