BROOKLYN firefighter and $1 million “Survivor” winner Tom Westman says his training as one of the Bravest helped turn him into one of the Richest.

“I almost feel I had an unfair advantage, being a member of the FDNY,” the 41-year-old lieutenant said yesterday on his first day back on the job at Ladder 108 in Williamsburg since he became “Survivor: Palau” champ on May 15.

“Had I had 19 other NYC firemen against me, I would have had a lot more trouble,” said Westman, who was welcomed back by cheering colleagues who had decorated the kitchen with fishing nets and paper fish in honor of his victory on the tropical island.

“The accountant has let me know, yes, you do have to go back to work,” the new millionaire joked.

“I love this job,” he told a crush of reporters who asked if he intended to retire this summer when he reaches the 20-years-on-the-job milestone. He said he has not yet made a decision.

Westman and his wife plan to use some of his winnings to put their three kids through college and fix up their Long Island home.

And he’ll be shopping for a gift for the firehouse that loyally cheered him on, “whether it’s a big screen TV or a cappuccino maker, I certainly do owe them something,” he said.

On his first day back, Westman was among the smokeaters who responded to a blaze in a brownstone on Van Buren Street.

“This is the thing that reminds you what it’s all about,” he said afterwards. “You forget about the winnings and the competition and you focus. You’re razor sharp and focused on this.”