Will AI replace firefighters?
Updated
Firefighters score 15 of 100 for AI exposure. 77% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 3% today and speed up another 20%.
- 3% AI can do it
- 20% AI helps
- 77% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 89% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 30 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 23 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare written reports that detail specifics of fire incidents. Incident report drafting from notes is strong LLM work. | 70% AI can do it |
| Inform and educate the public on fire prevention. AI can draft materials; delivering talks is in person. | 40% AI helps |
| Train new employees to control and suppress fires. Hands on skills teaching is human; AI builds lesson plans. | 30% AI helps |
| Inspect buildings for fire hazards and compliance with fire prevention ordinances, testing and checking smoke alarms and fire suppression equipment as necessary. Physical testing on site; AI helps with code and paperwork. | 30% AI helps |
| Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios. Live radio reports are human; AI only helps log. | 22% AI helps |
| Maintain contact with fire dispatchers at all times to notify them of the need for additional firefighters and supplies, or to detail any difficulties encountered. Radio contact with dispatch; AI could assist logging. | 20% AI helps |
| Maintain knowledge of current firefighting practices by participating in drills and by attending seminars, conventions, and conferences. In person seminars are human; AI aids study materials. | 20% AI helps |
| Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger. On site physical inspection for lingering danger. | 12% Needs a person |
| Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents. Responding to calls is physical and dispatch driven. | 10% Needs a person |
| Patrol burned areas after fires to locate and eliminate hot spots that may restart fires. Walking burned areas to find hot spots is physical. | 10% Needs a person |
Show the other 20 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls. Live coordination with police at scenes is human. | 10% Needs a person |
| Take action to contain any hazardous chemicals that could catch fire, leak, or spill. Physical hazmat containment at spill sites is dangerous work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties. Physical movement through fire environments; AI offers little help. | 8% Needs a person |
| Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment. Driving and operating apparatus is physical work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Search to locate fire survivors. Physical searching in smoke and debris, human senses needed. | 6% Needs a person |
| Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards. Physical rescue in fire and water hazards needs human presence. | 5% Needs a person |
| Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters. Forcible entry with tools is physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires. Directing hoses onto fires is physical and live. | 5% Needs a person |
| Operate pumps connected to high-pressure hoses. Operating pumps and hoses is physical equipment work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Collaborate with other firefighters as a member of a firefighting crew. Crew teamwork in live emergencies is human work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Protect property from water and smoke, using waterproof salvage covers, smoke ejectors, and deodorants. Physical protection of property with covers and ejectors. | 5% Needs a person |
| Orient self in relation to fire, using compass and map, and collect supplies and equipment dropped by parachute. Navigation and parachute supply recovery are physical tasks. | 5% Needs a person |
| Participate in fire drills and demonstrations of fire fighting techniques. In person drills are physical practice sessions. | 4% Needs a person |
| Salvage property by removing broken glass, pumping out water, and ventilating buildings to remove smoke. Physical salvage work removing glass and pumping water. | 4% Needs a person |
| Clean and maintain fire stations and fire fighting equipment and apparatus. Cleaning and maintaining equipment is physical labor. | 4% Needs a person |
| Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures. Ladder work and climbing are physical tasks. | 3% Needs a person |
| Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons or provide emergency medical care such as basic or advanced life support. Direct medical care on patients is physical and urgent. | 3% Needs a person |
| Extinguish flames and embers to suppress fires, using shovels or engine- or hand-driven water or chemical pumps. Physical extinguishing with shovels and pumps. | 3% Needs a person |
| Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus. Physical dressing and gear checks, no real AI role. | 2% Needs a person |
| Participate in physical training activities to maintain a high level of physical fitness. Physical fitness training is entirely physical. | 2% Needs a person |
How firefighters compare
All occupations (923)
Protective service (26)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $59,280 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 345,990 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +3.7% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Hold NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II certification
- Hold EMT certification for emergency medical care
- Write and check incident reports in Microsoft Word
- Run smoke alarm and suppression system tests on site
- Deliver fire prevention talks to schools and residents
- Log dispatch radio traffic and supply requests in Excel
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about firefighters and AI
Will firefighters be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly drafting incident reports and public fire prevention materials. Fire scenes, ladder work and patient care stay with crews because they need a person on site.
Which firefighter tasks is AI taking over?
Incident report writing is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 70, because AI can turn crew notes into structured reports in Microsoft Word. Drafting fire prevention handouts scores 40 and training lesson plans score 30, since AI can produce the first draft in Microsoft PowerPoint or Word.
Which firefighter tasks stay human?
Extinguishing flames with pumps, climbing ladders and giving first aid or CPR each score 3 for exposure. These tasks need a person on site moving equipment, climbing structures and treating patients. About 77% of this job's task weight stays human.
How can firefighters stay valuable as AI spreads?
Keep the parts of the job that happen on site. Hold EMT and fire inspector credentials, run smoke alarm and suppression tests, and deliver fire prevention talks. Use AI for the first draft of incident reports in Microsoft Word, then check every fact before filing.
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