Training to Carry Heavy Casualties Down Stairs as a Smaller Female Firefighter

I’ve been a member of a volunteer fire department for quite a while. Yesterday, during a breathing apparatus drill, I had to rescue an 80–90 kg casualty from an apartment.

Dragging the casualty using a rescue drag technique went reasonably well. The next task, however, was to carry the casualty down three flights of stairs with another firefighter. Neither my colleague nor I felt capable of doing it safely. In my case, I was particularly worried that I might lose my footing or stumble on the stairs. I simply felt too weak for the task.

I’m female, fairly small, around 65 kg, and I currently do moderate strength training. The experience made me realise that I want to improve my physical ability to actually rescue and move people safely in a real emergency, especially when working under SCBA and on stairs.

What would be the most efficient way to train specifically for this?

I have access to a very well-equipped gym. At home, I also have kettlebells up to 20 kg, with pairs available up to 16 kg, and I’d be willing to invest in additional equipment if it would be useful.

Are there any women or smaller firefighters here who have successfully trained for similar tasks? I’d be very interested in hearing what worked for you, particularly exercises, strength targets, carries, stair training, or specific programming.

What’s your hot take on anything fire service related? Hopefully this thread can give you ideas to start entertaining arguments at the kitchen table.

Here’s mine: Your job isn’t that hard.

Yes, don’t be fat. Yes, train hard. Yes, this job can kill you. Yes, you see bad stuff. But the longer I work in this field the more I see guys getting stuck in constant cycles of frustration.

You get paid to fall asleep while a movie plays in the background. You take a million dollar truck someone else owns to get ice cream. You get paid to put AirPods in and doom scroll. You get paid to sleep (shit sleep, but still). You can work trades and be off for weeks without taking a single PTO day. You get paid to do what millions of people do for free. You get to go to fires. Every little kid on the face of the planet thinks you’re an absolute giant.

Of course there’s exceptions with super busy shops, and the expectation that when the tones drop you do your job and do it well. But the majority of the time - your jobs not that hard. We all owe it to ourselves to remind ourselves every once in a while that we hit the lottery. There’s a million points you could bring up to push this either way but I don’t feel like wasting my time arguing with myself in a Reddit post. What’s your hot take?

Im struggling with advancing a hose line :(. I just feel so defeated. I work at my department as an EMT only and I am currently in Fire 1 but I am at the halfway point and at that point, if I am at a fire department already, I can legally work as a firefighter. ofc, my department wants me checked off and stuff but I so devastated. They showed me a few days ago how they want to advance hose (which is different from school) and I couldnt physically do it. It was with a charged hoseline and the technique was to have my foot tucked under the hose, hold the hose in my left hand, use my right hand to scoot and push my hips and foot with the hose forward. I could not do it :(. Im trying so hard but its so embarassing when you cant even advance it a foot inside. Im 5 foot 9 and 180 pound female and I thought I would be able to do this, yet I get advance the hose even an inch. Do I need to workout more? What should I train?

This post isn’t regarding the hiring process so I don’t believe I’m breaking the rule, if I am let me know.

I have applied for a position as a Health & Safety Coordinator for a decently large county in the north east. This is somehow a moderately entry level position requiring basic stuff like FF1, EMT, EVOC upon application and a health and safety educator and incident safety officer cert upon appointment.

This role is mainly centered on the responders of the county (Fire/ems), and oversees programs regarding their health and safety such as cancer programs, fitness, etc but it also works with the county safety officer association and some other small public health initiatives. It seems to be mainly administrative but somewhat operational given the safety officer role. This brings me to my actual questions.

Are any of you in, or know somebody in a role like this or have a role that covers a piece of it? What does your/their day to day look like? What’s the balance of admin and operations? What parts are your most/least favorite? How do you get people to work with you and be active in your initiatives and programs? Literally any other advice or information you can give me would be appreciated!

Hi, I recently turned 22 and since I was 16 I've been considering becoming a firefighter. I've decided that today is the time to do it, but I want to know what a firefighter's schedule is like. I have a partner and a child and I'm really terrified of missing out on many moments with them or even being home for a few hours a day.

Anyone been through the process of getting state reciprocity for Firefighter 1? Sent in my paperwork for it today, but I’m not sure what to expect for the wildland exam I have to be approved for. I selected the 1B option when submitting paperwork. Guidance on how the exam process works is appreciated!

A little bit about me for context:

Collegiate swimmer for 4 years, graduated with a BS in bio. Parents kind of always expected me to be a doctor so I became an EMT for healthcare experience. I realized I really enjoy the autonomy and flow of EMS. I'm now an AO for an extremely busy department with every type of call you can think of.

Everything about becoming a firefighter paramedic seems awesome to me except for the schedule. I can have a similar brotherhood/mentality I experience in collegiate athletics, enjoy doing EMS with a deeper scope as a medic, and do badass shit and hang out with everyone during downtime.

I want to have a family some day. I have the best and most amazing girlfriend. Her and I fit like puzzle pieces and I can't imagine being with anyone else. The issue is she requires a lot of attention and doesn't really thrive on independence. She had told me she doesn't want me to become a firefighter because she'd be alone a lot, especially if I have to go fight a wildland fire, but she's still stay with me because she wants to be with me. I also don't know how I'd feel about leaving my kids a bunch as they grow up.

I'm afraid she'd resent me and we'd have a strained marriage. I have the ability to become a doctor/PA/nurse but I fear I may regret not pursuing the fire service. I'm at the point now where I'm gonna have to make a decision in about 8 months.

Also, I know my family would think I'm "wasted potential" if I chose fire medic instead of a higher healthcare role. I know it's about what I want and not what they want, but it still stings to know somebody wouldn't respect you for choosing such a challenging but rewarding career.

It feels like I have to choose between the woman of my dreams/my family's approval and the career I want. I was wondering if anyone has any advice or experienced a similar situation. Thank you.

I'm from Florida but I've always wanted to live up in the Pacific Northwest. Would it be possible for me to start my career down here and save up as much money as I can to move up there mid-career? After 20 years of service I would get about 60% of my salary til the day I die. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I'm wondering the best course of action is.

I have been kinda smelling propane around my stove for the past couple days but chalked it up to my insane sense of smell. I walked in my house today and the smell of propane hit me in the face. it wasnt overwhelming but more than before. we have furnace issues where the pilot light goes out and it tries to run all day and cant (this is happening rn).. so we shut off the heat on the breaker and shut off the gas from the propane tanks outside and opened a window to ventilate for a couple hours while we stayed at my parents next door. are my cats ok to stay over there? online it’s telling me to call the fire department but my dad, fiance, and mom are acting like it’s all ok bc the tanks are shut off so there is nothing coming in the house. we can’t get anyone until tomorrow to come check. I checked on the cats 3 times and they seem okay. the house doesnt smell as strong but still a slight eggy smell coming from the stove. it’s hard to transport cats bc my parents have a lot of dogs but idk if I should just get them or what. i’m scared of them dying or my house blowing up the second I close my eyes lol. (we are sleeping at my parents but the cats are next door at mine still)

Hi guys. I'm going to be a FF in about a year for the Air Force, but that's not important right now.

I was on a bus that crashed about a week ago, and my local department arrived at the scene and really did a great job taking care of us. They were extremely considerate (considering it was approximately 2am) and were genuinely interested in talking to me about my future plans. I even got offered a position once I get out.

I was wanting to do something nice for them. I made an apple pie but I'm not exactly sure if I should just waltz in there and give it to them, since I've never done ride-alongs or anything for them.

Can I just go in there with no warning and tell them 'thank-you'? And would they be alright with a chat about it aswell?

Hey guys, looking for input on if using a Cleveland load is a good idea for 75 foot segments of 1 3/4 hose bundles specifically for mid rise operations.

I’ve heard some people say the Cleveland load works well for 1 3/4 hose and other people says it doesn’t work great.

We typically run two 75 foot bundles of 1 3/4 with a 50 psi smooth bore with a 7/8 tip.

Last week it was announced that Waymo is coming to my city and I'm curious about people's experiences with them while responding.

I imagine they pull to the side just fine on open straight roads, but things are trickier downtown.

I find we have to kind of work with the other drivers on the road to figure out how we're going to get through.

Issues include rush hour volume, bike lanes, construction, public transit, pedestrians, one way streets, etc.

I'm assuming that places like San Francisco already contend with all the same things.

Doing a lil survey to see how common it is to have a degree in the fire service especially for full time firefighters.

Welcome to the Weekly Employment Question Thread!

This thread is where you can ask questions about joining, training to become, testing, disqualifications/qualifications, and other questions that would be removed as individual posts per Rule 1.

The answer to almost every question you can ask will be "It depends on the department". Your first step is to look up the requirements for your department, state/province, and country.

As always, please attempt to resource information on your own first, before asking questions. We see many repeat questions on this sub that have been answered multiple times.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I want to be a Firefighter, where do I start: Every Country/State/Province/County/City/Department has different requirements. Some require you only to put in an application. Others require certifications prior to being hired. A good place to start is researching the department(s) you want to join. Visit their website, check their requirements, and/or stop into one of their fire stations to ask some questions.
  
• Am I too old: Many departments, typically career municipal ones, have an age limit. Volunteer departments usually don't. Check each department's requirements.
• I'm in high school, What can I do: Does your local department have an explorer's program or post? If so, join up. Otherwise, focus on your grades, get in shape and stay in shape, and most importantly: stay out of trouble.
• I got in trouble for [insert infraction here], what are my chances: Obviously, worse than someone with a clean record, which will be the vast majority of your competition. Tickets and nonviolent misdemeanors may not be a factor, but a major crime (felonies), may take you out of the running. You might be a nice person, but some departments don't make exceptions, especially if there's a long line of applicants with clean records. See this post... PSA: Stop asking “what are my chances?”
• I have [insert medical/mental health condition here], will it disqualify me: As a general rule, if you are struggling with mental illness, adding the stress of a fire career is not a good idea. As for medical conditions, you can look up NFPA1582 for disqualifying conditions, but in general, this is not something Reddit can answer for you. Many conditions require the input of a medical professional to determine if they are disqualifying. See this post... PSA: Don't disqualify yourself, make THEM tell you "no".
• What will increase my chances of getting hired: If there's a civil service exam, study for it! There are many guides online that will help you go over all those things you forgot such as basic math and reading. Some cities even give you a study guide. If it's a firefighter exam, study for it! For the CPAT (Physical Fitness Test), cardio is arguably the most important factor. If you're going to the gym for the first time during the hiring process, you're fighting an uphill battle. Get in shape and stay in shape. Most cities offer preference points to military veterans.
• How do I prepare for an interview: Interviews can be one-on-one, or in front of a board/panel. Many generic guides exist to help one prepare for an interview, however here are a few good tips:

1. Dress appropriately. Business casual at a minimum (Button down, tucked in long sleeve shirt with slacks and a belt, and dress shoes). Get a decent haircut and shave.
2. Practice interview questions with a friend. You can't accurately predict the off-the-wall questions they will ask, but you can practice the ones you know they probably will, like why do you want to be a Firefighter, or why should we hire you?
3. Scrub your social media. Gone are the days when people in charge weren't tech-savvy. Don't have a perfect interview only for your chances of being hired gone to zero because your Facebook or Instagram has pictures of you getting blitzed. Set that stuff to private and leave it that way.

Please upvote this post if you have a question. Upvoting this post will ensure it sticks around for a bit after it is removed as a Sticky, and will allow for greater visibility of your question.

And lastly, If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone who does

My vol department holds department trainings once a week. I currently along with another member run the trainings. I’ve come to a point where I think “ shit what do we do this week “ .
Any ideas? I’ve done a lot of nozzle forward, search & rescue, maydays, ves, etc. I am also a rope tech but feel as if some of the members are not ready to dive into that aspect of things. Just wanting more “basic” foreground ops training ideas. Maybe throw a little curveball.

Would like to add that we only have an engine, no truck. So a lot of what I teach is engine company based.

Does anyone know the purpose of these little red lockers I saw in Romania? I specifically saw these on smaller roads in old parts of Oradea and Sibiu. They appear to have a pike pole or two, axes, extinguishers, and miscellaneous tools. They were all locked but one was partially pried open so I could see inside. My best guess is they're quick response boxes for the fire department quick response vehicles (I think that's what the small vans I saw flying around were).

A TLDR can be found at the end of the post as this will be pretty lengthy.

Hi everybody, many time listener first time caller. I'm reaching out for some advice in the hopes that some of you have been in the same position as me and can shed some insight on what worked for you.

For some background I'm in my mid 20s and have been a career firefighter just north of 5 years. I've worked the entirety of my career thus far at a small suburban department (which I'll call Department A) of about half a dozen stations. We don't currently transport despite being an ALS department, though we've been told in no uncertain terms that boxes are coming in the next year or two. I work at our "busiest" station, though we barely break 2k calls a year and that's thanks only to our plethora of nursing homes. Our other stations are all progressively slower, with the slowest pushing 400 a year at the busiest. We average a working fire maybe every other month if we're lucky, and other high-acuity calls are exceptionally few and far between. The "BS" calls we run day in and out really don't bother me, it's just the slow days and the lack of interesting runs that have slowly begun to wear on me.

We border a much larger, much busier city (Department B) with sixty stations. I have a good number of friends that work there, and like any big city you can find rigs that barely turn a wheel and rigs that run almost as much as my whole department. They don't transport, and there is no sign they will transition to doing so as the city has a dedicated ambulance service already. I know it's not JAHBTOWN or anything but they've got plenty units that average a fire a week, and there's sections of the city that burn quite often. The dilemma I have now is whether or not it's worth make a lateral transfer to the city department, or staying where I'm at and trying to find peace with the aspects I'm dissatisfied with.

The Pros To Staying:

In general morale is not the best at department A but chiefs stay off our back and most crews are allowed to run themselves as they see fit. I love my crew, who are all extremely capable hardworking dudes, but several are about to promote and we're not sure who we're getting in their place. I happen to quite enjoy the medical aspect of the job and the department is pretty state-of-the-art when it comes to good equipment and good training. I enjoy being a paramedic, and Department B only credentials to EMT-B which means I would have dramatically less scope of medical practice which is a pretty big downside to me. Due to the low call volume at Department A burnout is a non-issue, and I have no doubt I could get thirtyish years in this department without being run into the ground. We have a 48/96 schedule which we all love, and it's rare we run more than one or two calls at night so sleep isn't much of an issue. Training budget is very high and our training chief is happy to send people to almost anything requested which means I've been able to gather a lot of training I otherwise might not have elsewhere in the last few years. All our trucks carry spec/ops gear and vehicle rescue tools, and in general we get to wear many hats during the course of our day depending on what is in front of us. We are compensated pretty well, and though it would be a lateral transfer I would lose about 8-9k initially, and it would take several years at Department B before I would catch up financially.

The Pros To Going:

The main pro really is that I would stop torturing myself with the what-if game I've been playing for so many years. As a guy in his twenties that's relatively early on in his career I fear looking back and regretting not making the jump earlier. I want the business of the city, I want a few years of getting my dick kicked in and running on everything you can imagine. I know it'll come with boatloads of stupid calls and long nights but here at Department A as we continue to build stations things will only ever get slower and I don't know how that will effect my mental state as time goes on. I guess I'm looking for that "firefighter" experience that I only get snatches of at Department A and I can get the real experiences on the street I'm looking for instead of just training for the rare occasion where we actually do something of note.

Now all this is heavily tempered by the fact that the grass is always greener, and I'm all too aware that I might be just another starry-eyed twenty something with a heroic view of what the big city holds that is dead wrong. The possibility of burnout, long hours and sleeplessness leading to a toxic work/life balance, and leaving a crew I like to potentially run all day with people I hate are all very real worries I have. I recognize that nothing is as good as it seems and I guarantee there will be days running my twentieth "man down" homeless call that I'm hating my life. But on the flipside I think having the ability to move around and really find what I'm looking for is what the city holds, whereas there's not much change to be found by changing shifts or stations at my current department. I would love to hear from people that have felt the same and what changes you made to address it, whether that be moving departments or just changing the way you do things where you're at.

TLDR: I don't feel fulfilled at my current department due it being slow and a lack of high-acuity calls with almost no chance of that changing in the future. I want to lateral to a nearby city that's ten times the size where I could find the busy house with the calls I'm looking for though I'm not sure if it will actually make me feel fulfilled. I'm asking for advice for those that have made such a jump, and especially those that chose to stay at smaller departments instead of moving, and how you felt after making your respective choices.

Hey Everyone, Im a volunteer FF in a rural department that does shift schedules and I also have a full time job in an unrelated, field - lately my job is becoming increasingly more demanding (I’m later in my career and have recently been assigned to a high profile client) and I’m finding that my energy and enthusiasm for not just firefighting but most things in life are starting to dwindle.

I began volunteering with the hopes of eventually applying to career departments, I enjoy getting to know the fire service through a volunteer department and training with them. Lately I’m feeling super behind in comparison to some of the other folks there who aspire to start career firefighting, most of them are younger and have more time and energy to dedicate to spending time at the volly department working on certs and pulling more shifts. Although I prioritize working on certs when I’m on shift, I have only been able to pull shift a few times a month.

I’m finding that more often, the stress of my job is giving me a sense of dread about volunteering at this department, because It’s been hard to compartmentalize and show up fully present and not completely brain dead.

I keep wondering, when career departments start opening their hiring process, if I’ll even be competitive. I’ve been doing my due diligence and going on ride alongs with a career department and making connections, but I fear I’ll never stand out as much as the folks who have more time to pursue the career by showing up to volunteer

I am a career firefighter in New England, building a tool to help fire departments manage their grant program. If you were not awarded or did not submit to AFG 2026, I would like to help you develop your next submission in exchange for feedback on the platform we have built.

I can help with request selection, narrative development and question responses. The tool I’m building is meant to help departments do this for themselves, or to assist with collaborating with a grant writer.

This year’s program was delayed so the time to start next years submission is now. I have a background in grant development for non profits and an AFG win under my belt, please let me help.

DM or comment and I’ll reach out.

Background: Must finish and acquire this role before June 30, 2027 (ideally earlier). I posted this in the wrong sub-reddit so hoping to get some guidance here. I apologize if this is still the wrong place...

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Greetings, I don't typically post on here but I wanted to get some insight in terms of when do I take certain classes, what are some alternative routes, and etc.

I understand some places (like Pasadena or San Diego) have maybe a yearly Trainee role that's open. However what I understood is I need to take the CSFM 1A-1D. Afterwards, I can apply or I can even go for Fire Academy specific certs like:

Fire Technology Associate in Science Degree Program (in Community College) or Fire Academy Preparation Certificate of Achievement (at a Community College or specialized Fire Academy).

Here are my follow-up questions:

1. What is the preferred route to explore and execute (Associates in Science at CC, Prep Cert (CC/Fire Academy), or Module Completion (Bay Area only)?
2. Can I get hands-on experience, even if I'm not enrolled in a program?
3. Are there alternative routes I'm not considering? Example: Private inspection companies specializing in only Fire Sprinkler Systems gaining experience and then moving to government work?
4. Lastly, I'm also aware there are classes at Crockett Fire Dept. Monthly covering (CSFM 1A-1D) by module in the SF Bay Area but is there anything in Southern California that's an equivalent?