Question:
I have seen so much interest on these boards about this profession that I decided it was time we dedicated a thread to it. I think it's an amazing and noble profession. I don't see myself doing it, maybe a police officer, but I am always looking to learn about other jobs. So go ahead talk about it. What you need to do in order to get the job? For those who have the job what is your life style like?
Answer:
I can't say from first hand, I'm a volunteer fire fighter/fire police. But I have 2 brothers that are professionals.
My one brother is a fire fighter/ EMT-B at a refinery as part of their fire department. He had to get his Fire Fighter I and II national certifications. Pump Operations I and II, Aerial Operations I and EMT-B before he could start. In PA it's hard to find a full time fire fighting job with out being an EMT also. His shifts are on a sliding scale, and are 12 hours long. It's usually 3 12 hour days and then 3 days off.
My other brother is a EMT-B for a local fire company. He is also a vol. fire fighter, but only works as an EMT. His shift is a lot more "normal". He works 6am to 6pm M-F. He works with 1 paid EMT on the BLS Unit and 1 paid Paramedic one the ALS unit. After 6pm the fire companies volunteers run the BLS unit with 1 paid medic on the ALS unit.
Now one of my close friends in a Paramedic, or a EMT-P. His shifts are either 24 or 36 hour shifts. He basically has 1 24/36hr shift and then 3 days off. When he runs a 36hr shift the last 12 hours are covered by a backup medic. They do this just in case you had a very busy first 24 hours so you can get some rest.
Here in PA you even need to have certifications to run for a volunteer company, which I know is not so true in some of the surrounding states. A lot of the paid professionals around here all started out in a volunteer organization where they received their training and took their certifications. Then later they decided to do it professional. This is really the best way to do it because you can see if this is something you would like to do with no strings attached. So see a lot of things that will make you stomach turn, and some people can not handle it. And that is totally OK.
~3e3c3e
Answer:
Fire Fighting= http://www.vdfp.state.va.us/firefighter.htm
Paramedic= http://www.nwo-paramedics.info/main_..._Paramedic.htm
These are two sites I have come across about these careers. I have done some research for school.
Answer:
Being a wildland fire person, I don't know much about structure firefighting, but I almost enrolled as a resident at a volunteer department last fall. I backed out at the last moment because the program had its problems. A few people in the program had quit; the chief was pushing people way too hard, etc. The main thing that I learned from spending a week at the station was that 99% of a firefighter's job is medical emergencies. You will train to be a firefighter, but most actual calls will be for medical.
That being said, I feel that anyone who wants to be a structural/medical person really needs to be dedicated to it, and needs to realize that you will pretty much be kissing a "normal" life goodbye. But, I really admire people who do it and are serious about it.
On a side note, if anyone is interested in wildland fire, just ask me. I'll try to answer questions if I can.
Answer:
3e3c3e: interesting stuff man.
I guess that the only interesting thing that i can add here, is that i co-founded a company that just released training software that is used for training firefighters and EMT's. (as well as many other professions, but the company it grew out of has it's background in firefighter training).
Funtimes.
Answer:
Originally Posted by rockin4theking The main thing that I learned from spending a week at the station was that 99% of a firefighter's job is medical emergencies. You will train to be a firefighter, but most actual calls will be for medical. This is very true. The number of actual fire decreases every year. My station for example had 1200 calls last year. 700 where medical, 200 accidents, 50 rescues, 50 brush/garbage fire, 5 building fires, and 195 AFA (automatic fire alarms). Most of the calls that I run on are accidents, since the medics and EMTs handle most EMS calls.
In Philadelphia the Fire Commissioner decided to close 4 ladder and 4 engine companies in the city, and add 40 new EMS units. He says that they must do this because the number of fires have decreased and the number of EMS calls has increase greatly.
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/art...Id=46&id=31912
~3e3c3e
Answer:
i learned that most firefighter injuries and accidents at structure fires are due to lack of experience, which is directly correlated to success of fire prevention efforts. @_@
scary stuff. I know more about firefighter rescue than i ever wanted to, i think.
(i've run through three courses over and over (several times a day) for the last six months).
I could probably teach a course.
Answer:
What's the name of your company by the way? We use a lot of training software out our fire company, just was wondering if we ever used some of yours
~3e3c3e
Answer:
Originally Posted by Saxophone I have seen so much interest on these boards about this profession that I decided it was time we dedicated a thread to it. I think it's an amazing and noble profession. I don't see myself doing it, maybe a police officer, but I am always looking to learn about other jobs. So go ahead talk about it. What you need to do in order to get the job? For those who have the job what is your life style like?
I'm a full time sworn police officer and love the job. I work (3) 12 hour shifts, and have 4 days off in a row. It's like a mini vacation everytime I go on days off. The work is not that hard, it just takes a lot of common sense. Some things to consider before becoming a cop:
1. Court: You may have to go to court on your days off.
2. Overtime: It's nice to get that extra pay, but you're also sacrificing your sleep and/or time with your friends/family.
3. Dirty: Most of the people you'll come in contact with are the scum of the earth. Some are extremely dirty (transients), and some may have contageous diseases.
If you're interested in this profession, there are a few things you need to look at.
1. Background: have you ever been in trouble with the law before?
2. Academics: believe it or not, it takes a lot more brains to do this job than it takes bronze.
3. Pschycological/Faith: how well grounded are you in your faith? You faith will be challenged to its fullest by the people and things you deal with on the job.
4. Physical: Get in shape, not only for the Police Academy, but also for the job, it's a lifetime fitness you have to maintain in order to survive.
As far as being a firefighter, my father-in-law is and has been a firefighter for over 32 years. Depending on where you live and what shift rotations you work, the job can take you away from your family for consecutive days at a time. You will also find that most firefighters in municipalities (cities) don't respond much to fire calls, as they are far and few in between, most of their calls are medical aids. Can you handle dealing with blood and guts, and dead bodies? I don't mean to sound crude, but that's the truth of the matter.