My 10 cents:
I started flying a long time ago, such things like CTC did not exist, some airlines had their "Ab-inito"(now you call it cadets, sounds to "military" for me) programs, mainly for sons of fathers flying already for this airlines. Often it is still the case. Or you needed some political "push", of course from the right party. That's how it was, sometimes still is(not so many ab initio courses remaining now).
This was the cheap way to go into flying. Most of us, me included, had not the connections(or right daddy) to do that. So we had to do it the hard way - working(as you do), saving money for the PPL. Then going on, starting slowly CPL/IRF/ME, aside pulling gliders and on some stage, throwing all the money in the pot and go for 1 month to the states to fly a 40 USD/h Cessna to build hours.
After that, continue working, starting with the frozen ATPL course(I think nowadays you have to do probably other BS like MCC and other useful stuff ^^), keep on working and start to apply to everything that owns something with an engine and has wings.
If you get really lucky you get not hired by one of this crappy operators with one Cessna 340(because you do not know anyone who would open some doors for you) but some medium sized airline invites you for their selection process.
If you pass that(I got lucky here and landed my first airline medium jet job way back with roughly 250 hours piston) you fly for peanuts for a couple of years till you hit at least 3000 hours jet. Then you can start applying, most likely with little luck till you get your first command in your "starter airline". After that, 500 hrs command, providing market situation is good, you might have a chance to improve.
That is just the start of a long pilot journey, after that it got very interesting with a lot of up and downs(and ups, and downs,and.. get what I am trying to say?). I could most likely write a book, will probably do that after my retirement to survive my pension(moneywise).
That is the fate of a lot of pilots, except a few lucky(yes, I say lucky, not the best ones, because that what it is after all) ones that make it into some big carriers(and then life becomes boring again).
I do not say that I do not like my pilot life. I actually really do, have seen a lot of countries, lots of companies(too many, especially some I really could have avoided, not saying names here), lots of experiences. Meet a lot of nice people and some real assholes - unfortunaltey then you have to share a cockpit with them for a lot of hours which is not nice.
All in all the career of a pilot is interesting IF you don't choose to waste your live with some regional carrier and stick with them for ever. In this case it becomes more or less an office job.
If you go on and explore, then there is a lot of risk involved. But it widens your horizon(not always your briefcase though).
Be aware that the choice is risky, you might loose a big chunk of money and never get anything back in return except spending every year more money to renew a typerating and a class 1 medical.
I do not know what a firefighter in a big city makes nowadays, but I assume you will be down on your salary over the first few years till you make captain. Of course there is always a chance to make it into BA(longrange, as the more interesting - for a new pilot - shortrange is A320 only) and then get bored on flying a widebody and do most likely 3 landing a months(if at all, as the captain has to keep up his autoland and CatIII currency and taking away "your" landings). A320 would be a good start for a newbie - lots of sectors, tons of landings in bad European weather. The best school early at the career.
Hard choice. I am not sure, after all what I did and experienced I would really like to become a pilot again.
But if you do, do it step by step, keep your job and look around what comes up. Maybe getting some hints from some flightinstructors about small job openings, stuff like that. This fully integrated courses are a big financial risk and you do not know what comes afterwards. That's for kids with money or some real gamblers.
With 33 you did your fair share of working already and for sure you do not want to depend on someone to give(or maybe not) you a job after course completion.