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Fire Officer Supervisor

Public Sector

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Public Safety & Defence

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
  2. 2Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
  3. 3Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
  4. 4Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
  5. 5Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
  6. 6Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
  7. 7Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
  8. 8Evaluate the performance of assigned firefighting personnel.
  9. 9Direct the training of firefighters, assigning of instructors to training classes, and providing of supervisors with reports on training progress and status.
  10. 10Perform maintenance and minor repairs on firefighting equipment, including vehicles, and write and submit proposals to modify, replace, and repair equipment.
  11. 11Schedule employee work assignments and set work priorities.
  12. 12Inspect and test new and existing fire protection systems, fire detection systems, and fire safety equipment to ensure that they are operating properly.
  13. 13Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
  14. 14Participate in creating fire safety guidelines and evacuation schemes for nonresidential buildings.
  15. 15Maintain required maps and records.
  16. 16Drive crew carriers to transport firefighters to fire sites.
  17. 17Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.
  18. 18Evaluate fire station procedures to ensure efficiency and enforcement of departmental regulations.
  19. 19Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
  20. 20Recommend personnel actions related to disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves of absence, and grievances.
  21. 21Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
  22. 22Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
  23. 23Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
  24. 24Recommend equipment modifications or new equipment purchases.
  25. 25Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Chief
  • Captain
  • Crew Boss
  • Crew Chief
  • Fire Chief
  • Lieutenant
  • Squad Boss
  • Engine Boss
  • Fire Captain
  • Fire Marshal

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Public Safety and Security94%
  • Customer and Personal Service87%
  • Education and Training82%
  • Building and Construction81%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Administration and Management80%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language79%

    English

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentOften
  • Time spent sittingA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Deploy and monitor drones for aerial surveillance and assessment of fire situations.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

32%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Firefighter (Bomba)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org