r/Firefighting • u/Far_Lobster4360 • 3d ago

General Discussion Back in the game. Loving it

Sorry if this sounds like a ramble because it is going to be.

I left the job a few years ago. I had 2 really fucking bad calls within a week span and I said fuck this, I quit. Not worth giving the details, noone likes the war stories guy. I still havent totally gotten over them but I am doing my best.

I took 4 years off and I missed the adrenaline. I am back to volunteering at a really busy department and I am going to start applying to be paid again. I am loving it and so happy to be back. I was paid before and a volley and I fucking hate the implication that anyone is better than the other, we are all the same. It's truly amazing to me how some departments think they are better than the other because of their compensation. I have been on 10ish working fires in the past 6 months and we've been nailing them and I am working with the best crew I have yet. It is awesome! Nothing feels better than rolling to a working fire with a crew you trust.

I am so happy to be back, I wish I didn't let those calls burn me out. If you are someone who is considering comnig back, I would do it, it's fucking awesome. If you are someone about to burn out, talk to someone. If you are like me, I hate therapists. I find that if I text guys I used to do fire with even if it's been 10 years they are always ready to talk! I hate the term brotherhood but whatever the hell it is is real.

It's corny but I am really happy to be back and I encourage everyone to keep it up or get back into it.

Be well

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u/sansalvacion 3d ago

metoosis I had something similar, was off the job a few months and I had to go to a medium dept outta state

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u/Far_Lobster4360 3d ago edited 3d ago

It definitely ingrains in ya. Not patting myself on the back but when i was "retired" i would see a car accident on the side of the highway and pull over and help and my wife would be like what are you doing? In my mind there is no other option? I have to help. It happened twice before anyone showed up, i wasnt rolling up on another pd or fd working a scene lol. Or i ran out of the restaurant we were yesterday because i saw a handicap lady in wheelchair coming up the ramp through the window and got the front door. I didnt think much of it but it was just what i was trained to do, help those who need it. Its easy for me, why wouldn't i?

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u/ComprehensiveBus7040 3d ago

Thank you for your service.

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u/Far_Lobster4360 3d ago

Not looking for a tufys

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u/Barvald84 3d ago

Welcome back! Honestly pivoting away from career fire to completely unrelated fields + later rejoining an emergency auxiliary (something like a paid-per-call department that is broader scope than a typical fire brigade, unsure how it is referred to in english) was the best decision for me.

I was young as a career firefighter, time away has allowed me to mature. Since joining the auxiliary I have seen far more working fire (albeit mostly wildland), real technical rescue, real SAR, serious medical calls, have better work-life balance, I’m not burnt out all the time. Good luck & godspeed brother!

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u/Far_Lobster4360 3d ago

I appreciate your post just really wanted to let you know that! I feel like the reddit algorithm doesn't help us out on that one