Fire Boss

Unless you’re a mole, it’s unnatural to spend your days beneath the earth’s surface, enveloped in darkness amid creepy-crawlies and cave dwellers. For that reason, mining is considered one of the world’s most dangerous professions. Never mind that humankind was made to walk on top of the earth; Miners make their living crawling beneath it, risking their lives in order to extract coal and other minerals with which to fuel and enrich life above ground.

Because mining is so dangerous, mines need people to keep Miners safe. As a Fire Boss, you’re one of those people.

A major byproduct of underground mining is gas, including methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, just to name a few. Because many of these gases are flammable, explosive, poisonous, or suffocating, your primary job as a Fire Boss is screening mines for their presence, monitoring underground air quality to make sure it’s safe.

The first person to enter a mine before and in between shifts, the Fire Boss is charged with verifying its safety before mining crews commence work, and with maintaining detailed records that catalog the condition of the mine in accordance with state and federal regulations. If and when you find noxious or explosive gas, you address it; potential solutions include pumping air into the mine to dilute the gas, sealing off dangerous portions of the mine to isolate the gas, and installing ventilating fans to clear the gas.

The person who’s ultimately in charge of granting or denying mine access, you’re kind of like the Health Inspector of the mining industry: When the coal “kitchen” is dirty, you condemn it!