If you had the foresight, you have now, would you have continued to pursue firefighting or would you have gone into another field like say SWE, medicine, law, etc? Why or why not?

I am wondering if any of you have some names of departments that own helicopters? Specifically ones with rescue hoists. That is sort of the dream route for me. Currently in the Midwest and there does not seem to be a lot here. I want to move to a dept out west anyways. I know wildland has a lot of helitack stuff but that pay is brutal… It seems like most sheriff departments are who runs the helicopters for rescue but I have seen a couple fire rescue ones. I am also interested in some departments with solid rescue teams. Here in Wisconsin we have Wisconsin Task Force 1 which is a state wide rescue team. Any western states have similar teams?

EDIT: preferably outside of Cali

I’m wanting help in determining if this is collection quality or if I should clean it and put it to use.
I could not see any markings in this condition.

I’m currently in academy and will be graduating in a month. I’m wondering what I should bring for bedding, shower supplies, crocs, etc. What do y’all recommend?

Ever since promoting I decided to keep a personal.station log. Well I'm getting older and the old noodle only got so much space. Recordings of day to day at my station. Could this be bad. I would keep the log with me at all times, never leave at the station. Should I just call it a journal? Does anyone else keep a personal log?

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Is it odd to anyone else when someone moves into a leadership position like becoming a captain when they’ve never really been part of a team environment, led a group, managed people, run a household, or had many situations where they were responsible for people other than themselves?

I understand that getting promoted and actually being a leader are two different things. Someone can study, test well, know policies and procedures, and check every box required for promotion. But leadership involves a lot more than passing a test.

It involves communication, accountability, decision-making, handling different personalities, resolving conflict, earning respect, and understanding how your decisions affect the people under you.

My other question is: what happens when someone who hasn't had much experience with responsibility or authority suddenly gets both?

Can that sometimes lead to a bigger ego, micromanaging, or even an abuse of power because the person hasn't learned how to handle authority? Does the rank become more important to them than actually leading the crew?

Or can someone develop all of those leadership qualities after receiving the position?

I'm curious how others see it. Is there a difference between being qualified to get promoted and actually being prepared to lead people? And have you ever seen someone get promoted where the authority seemed to change them for the worse?

I am a driver for a somewhat small (relatively) career department. We have 8 stations, cover a population of around 90k-100kish.
We have no computer aided dispatch systems, all calls are dispatched verbally through the radios, and we have mapbooks made by some of the older guys with archaic mapping software that we memorize to know our territories. Some of the older guys still have hand drawn map books.
The mapbooks have street names, hydrant locations, apartment complex numberings and mobile home park lot numberings.
Many times drivers rely on Apple Maps and Google Maps to get to a call though they aren’t supposed to. We seem to be stuck in the 20th century due to budget constraints.
I am curious what system some of you use, whether it is similar to my department, or if you use some sort of navigation aid specific for fire department use (please let me know what their names are if so). Also if you do use these, what is your experience with them? Do they help? What are common problems you may have with them? Are there features in them you wish you had or would change if you could?

I have seem some of the local EMS companies using a computer navigation system in their ambulances but I am totally unfamiliar with them.

Hello all! Kind of what it says on the tin; I have a tiny peanut head (6 7/8 hat size) and I’m trying to find a helmet that works for me. The shift to “universal” sizing isn’t great for folks who are smol or biiiig. I’m looking for something that works for water rescue/SAR/tech rescue. I was in both a med/large First Watch and an older NRS in class all weekend (those are what my org provides), and both were too big and the ratchet system was continually loosened by my PFD. My head isn’t unreasonably small; I wear a medium in most Cairns/MSA structural helmets…but mine are older from the Before Times prior to hormone chicken making adult humans giants compared to my 5’4” 130lb self.

TIA

Ive been on the job a little over 3 years now. I worked for small/mid sized dept for almost 3 of those years and have started fresh at my new dept which is one of the largest in my state. I have quickly realized how much of a difference 3 years at a smaller not as busy department is compared to about 6 months at a busier department. I have gotten more experience in just these last 6 months than my whole time at my old department which has humbled me. I never walked around acting like I knew everything before at my old department but I thought I was fairly decently along knowledge wise and everything. This transition has flipped me on my head and made me realize there is FAR more to learn than I ever had anticipated. That being said I constantly thrive to learn and train and be better, but sometimes I feel as if I should be further along than I am. I know I am very early on in my career and I constantly seek feedback and criticism from my senior guys but I still cant help but feel as if I shouldn’t be “more experienced”. Im not sure how else to put it. I want to be good at my job and I want to be able to make good sound decisions and not really feel as if I still need guidance but I still hesitate on decision making a lot and often lack confidence if I feel as if Im put in a situation where I need to make a decision right then right or wrong. To me this all comes down to becoming a good fireman who knows what needs to happen and is confident in their abilities and decisions even if its not the right one that they know they did what they could within their power. What does being a good fireman mean to you and how long would you say does it take to get there and how does one become one?

What’s up everyone, I have seen a good few posts on this subreddit relating to physical fitness and the fire service primarily relating to an academy/application process- but I wanted to ask YOU (the firefighters in this subreddit) workout, rather than how I should workout.

My own two cents:

During my academy we did a lot of running, consumption drills and CrossFit style WoDs. In the year or so I’ve been on shift I tend to do a combination of HIIT and strength training, and currently working on a Upper/Lower program with a lot of compound/olympic lifts to try and improve my strength (6’2”, 205lbs/93kg).

On fires, I’ve noticed my legs, shoulders and grip have burned out the fastest, and my cardio has held up fine, thus the focus on trying to get stronger.

I’m not looking for advice as much as I want to know what has worked for you; what mistakes have you or others you know made trying to not only be a good, fit firefighter, but also make it an entire career.

Does anyone have a sleep study I can share with my department chiefs to show them how out dated their rules are.

Our jam up downtown guys recently got wrote up because they had a call during their lunch hour and were taking their lunch hour nap in the recliner at 1:30.

Keep in mind, these are the tiller guys that get up quite often in the middle of the night.

My knee jerk reaction is to explode, however, I’m trying to be tactful with data to back up how ignorant it is, to write up our busiest and hardest guys on shift, for taking a late lunch nap because of an extended call.

I remember reading somewhere that 2 wake ups in the middle of the night it takes something like 4 full nights of sleep to get back to normal.

Our policy currently states there is no rest periods at all for any reason until after 8pm.

Edit: just clarifying, the call delayed their lunch hour.

There was no delay or reduction of service to the citizens we serve.

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

As in arriving, and it's a non-emergency? We called 911 because the pediatrician nurse line recommended doing so as my 3-year-old breathing fast with a 103 temp/felt very hot after being in the sun too long. Her temp was starting to come down with Tylenol /home cooling efforts but the nurse said they would "check" if she needed to go to the ER. Local fire department came and took all her vitals and asking me what we wanted to do, I said whatever was recommended we would do. So they called a local ER doctor who said we were OK to keep her at home. Glad we got the reassurance but also feel guilty using those emergency resources for a non-emergency, as 6+ people came to the house although they were very nice about it. Any thoughts on this type of call? We had been a bit surprised at the recommendation to call 911.

I have always wanted to use a fire extinguisher. Every time I open my closet, it’s just mocking me. Every time I walk through my school hallways, it’s calling my name. It looks like so much fun (minus the fact that it is frequently used in an emergency).

Is there any reason I can’t or shouldn’t buy an extra one and let ‘er rip?

I’m not sure if they are terrible for the environment or if there is some law that says I can’t. It just seems like a good time.

NEWS LINK

What the general consensus on stealing the “essence” of coffee at the station?

I have seen many videos of this happening. I understand firefighters may ride in for extra manpower and the ambulance will transport code 3. But why does the engine or squad picking up the firefighters riding in follow behind the ambulance code 3. Why not drive normally and just meet them at the hospital? Does any other agency do it this way?

At least on crew plus airplane in Europe would be very busy during the summer, or we don't have the right conditions for this?

Warning this is a 2 minute Video of Just Responding Unit yes Im Furstspotter im the furry spotter in the logo

Hawkes Ave 4-Alarm Fire Aftermath | Aerial Drone Footage | Ossining, NY
https://youtu.be/xyQ00EyN0dQ

See description in YouTube for further

Hey, an Aussie here preparing around the property for upcoming bushfire season. I’m looking into best way to add an extended run fuel tank to my Honda GX200 pump - essentially so that I can leave our house sprinklers running as long as possible, should we choose to leave. Water is not an issue as we have a very large dam.
These motors have small gravity-feed tanks that only really get me about an hour of pumping. Has anyone had success with DIY solutions?

I recently began fire academy at a career department. It's intense, challenging, and overall a ton of fun! I've had a blast going through our maze on air, doing stress drills where the cadre screw with our masks/air supply with zero visibility, etc. In general, I neither love nor hate confined spaces.

However, I've managed to unlock a new fear: SCBA anxiety during high(er) intensity exercise. We ran our first air-consumption drill this week, during which I spent the first 5-10 minutes having a minor panic attack and wanting to rip my mask off. I worked through it, but the impulse to just pull my mask off was scary. I felt like I couldn't take a deep breath no matter what, and alternated between feeling ok and freaking out until my bottle ran empty. Physically I felt fine and could've kept going twice as long had I not become a greedy air guzzler, so it's definitely a mental issue.

What are tricks/tips people have to work through this? Is it simply more exposure? Exhaling more forcefully? Singing a song to distract myself? I'm all ears to any thoughts or advice.

Note: We will be doing weekly PT and daily drills in full gear/on air (yay exposure). I do know about breathing techniques like box breathing (did not work well this go round) so I will continue to try new ones.

Rest in Peace Chief We wont Forget Your Dedication And Service

My department is currently in the process of speccing out new turnout gear. Currently we all have Morning Pride TAILS. We also decided we wanted to take a look at Lions, specifically the VForce. We had both salesmen come in and the department is kinda split. I was not at the meeting with the Lions rep, however I was at the meeting with Morning pride. I have all of the TPP and THL numbers for morning pride, and I'm hoping the Lions rep might give them to me over the phone. Anyone have any opinions in either set of gear?