It’s an extremely competitive field, and difficult to get into.
There’s no upper age limit but you’ve got to be in excellent physical condition.
For most fire brigades, it’s a three-stage process.
You’ve got to pass a challenging written exam, as well as an oral interview and a series of physical tests
And, of course, we’ve got to understand the science of fire, how it reacts with different chemical compounds, and how it behaves.
In that sense, I suppose another important skill is the ability to stay calm when things seem like they are falling apart.