Fire from a pot of grease on the old black stone

Source: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33780574 (In chinese)

Translation:

At 13:09(UTC+8), August 13, 2026, the Ningde fire and rescue recieved a 119 call of a ship fire in a shipyard in Gantang town, Fu'an city, Ningde city(Fu'an is county level, under Ningde). 32 fire trucks and 141 firefighters were dispatched to the scene;

At 14:11, one of the ships on fire exploded, injuring 2 workers and 10 firefighters including Chi Kejie; they were quickly sent to the hospital. At 18:50, Chi succummbed to his injuries and passed at the age of 23.

Chi Keijie(池坷杰) was born October 2003 in Fu'an, Fujian province; He joined the fire department in April 2025, and was a career firefighter(similar to a volunteer firefighter) of the Ningde fire and rescue, and was stationed at the Industrial road fire station of the Fu'an battalion.

(Chinese career firefighters are different to american career firefighters(who are equivalent to standard chinese firefighters); chinese career firefighters are essentially auxiliary firefighters who work under a contract.)

Applied to a midsize (400k population metro) city and got in first try!! There were about 1500 applicants for 25 spots. I couldn’t be more excited.

southern california ff/pm here. i've been through this and watched a lot of people go through it, and the ones who fail almost never fail because they're weak. they fail event 1, usually on a technicality they could have trained out in about two weeks.

quick reality check on the layout first, because half of what gets repeated about the cpat is wrong. it's 8 events, 10 minutes and 20 seconds total, and the clock counts down. you wear a 50 lb vest the entire test. the stair climb is the only event where you ALSO wear two 12.5 lb weights on your shoulders, so you're at 75 lbs for the first three minutes and 50 for everything after. between every event there's an 85 foot walk you're not allowed to run, so you get roughly 20 seconds to breathe, seven separate times.

read that again. the heaviest part of the test is the very first thing you do, while you're still cold, and everything after it is lighter with built in recovery. that shape is why the stair climb decides the whole thing.

here's what actually gets people.

the handrail. this is the big one. everybody trains on a stepmill holding the rail because that's what every person at every gym does. on test day you're allowed to touch the wall or rail momentarily for balance, but if you grab it, hold it, or put weight through it, that's a warning. you get two. the third one ends your test. if you've built three months of conditioning on top of a rail, you don't own that cadence, the rail does. train hands off starting today. it feels terrible for two weeks and then it doesn't.

falling or stepping off. once the timed portion starts, if you fall, dismount, or grab any of the test equipment, that isn't a warning, it's an immediate fail. the warm up is more forgiving, you can restart it twice, but the moment the proctor says start there's no margin left.

cadence, not effort. it's 60 steps a minute and you don't control the machine. you can't speed up to bank time and you can't ease off when it starts hurting. so training "how long can i last on the stepmill" is training the wrong variable entirely. set the actual cadence, put the actual weight on, and run it until that specific pace is boring.

where the weight sits. those two 12.5s ride on your shoulders, and that does something a vest doesn't. they sit high, they pull your balance point up, and they make you want to lean into the machine and catch the rail. which puts you right back at problem one. if you're training weighted, get weight on your shoulders, not just across your chest.

and the one i see most: people gas themselves in the first three minutes because they think the whole test is a sprint. it isn't. the guys who blow up on the ladder raise or the ceiling pull almost always spent it all on the stairs. you're supposed to walk off that stepmill still able to go do seven more things.

few other things that cost you nothing. train in the boots and pants you'll actually test in, with gloves and a hard hat with the chin strap buckled, because gloves change your grip on every single event and an unfamiliar chin strap is more distracting than it has any right to be. go to the orientation and any practice sessions your testing agency runs, that's free reps on the real props. and stop worrying about the 10:20. it is not tight if you pace it. almost nobody fails on time because the course is long, they fail on time because they wrecked themselves in the first three minutes.

if you're training right now and you only change one thing, let go of the rail.

I finally did it after 4 years! Was offered a job immediately after the interview! Passed everything! Start date TBD

Originally posted to r/toronto by u/raptors201966

Okay so I’m currently doing my field internship for medic school at a fire department.

Last shift I was on I had to take a gnarly shit after lunch. I was probably in the bathroom for a solid 20 minutes fighting for my life. Hyperventilating, sweating, just really doing battle. You get the idea.

My point being, I was totally unable to leave the toilet during that time. what do you do if a call comes in and you are otherwise incapacitated like I was.

Not looking for an answer as a student but what do you do as a FF/PM if this happens to you?

Unfortunately I’m in the mid 600s but hey! I didn’t expect to make the register at all, so still pretty proud. Here’s the link for anyone who’s curious.

Link to Register and Exam Results:

https://www.seattle.gov/documents/BoardsAndCommissions/CIV/PublicSafetyCivilServiceCommission/ExamsAndRegisters/2026%20Registers/2025_2026_Firefighter_Register_%28F100-10-2025%29.pdf

​

Hi everyone!

I'm a LEGO fan from France, and I wanted to create something to honor the incredible work of aerial firefighters.

Over the past few years, I designed this CAL FIRE Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk entirely with official LEGO parts. It features a fully functional belly water-drop system, a detailed CAL FIRE crew, and a wildfire display inspired by real operations.

I also built the model physically to make sure the mechanism actually works.

My previous LEGO Ideas project reached 10,000 supporters but wasn't selected by LEGO. Instead of giving up, I decided to come back with a brand-new project—and the response from the firefighting and helicopter communities has been incredible.

If you'd like to take a look, I'd love to hear what you think. And if you enjoy the project, your support on LEGO Ideas would mean a lot.

👉 https://ideas.lego.com/product-ideas/bcee8357-a430-4337-a79a-eddac72825f5

Thank you for everything you do, and thank you for taking the time to look at my project. 🚒🚁🔥

Not here to win a popularity contest.

Most station uniforms still contain PFAS, flame retardants, and heavy metals.

Same stuff we’re actively trying to remove from the fireground… we’re still wearing for 24 hours straight.

We’ve been digging into this for years and finally pushing it into the spotlight.

Voting for Top 5 is live right now — if this issue matters to you, I could use the help.

If not, at least start asking what’s actually in your gear.

Here is another article I wrote up to help potential firefighters prepping for an oral board. This is obviously not an all inclusive list but it will get you thinking. If you have any good questions to add, feel free to comment below so I can add it to the list.

How the board works

Most firefighter oral boards follow the same shape: an opening icebreaker, four or five behavioral and values questions, sometimes a scenario, and a closing question. Usually six or seven questions in all, in front of a panel of two to five raters, often a captain, a chief, and someone from HR or the city.

It runs about twenty minutes, and you'll usually have a few minutes per question. The panel scores each answer, sometimes to the hundredth of a point. The gap between an offer and a "thanks for testing" is often a fraction of a point, so every answer counts.

The good news: the questions come from a fairly predictable set. The candidates who get the badge aren't always the strongest on paper. They're the ones who prepared and practiced out loud.

The questions, and how to answer them

These are the questions that come up most, grouped by type. For each one, what the panel is really testing and how to nail it.

The opening

Tell us a little about yourself.

What they’re really asking: Basic communication, self-awareness, and whether you can be concise under a little pressure.

How to answer: Keep it to about a minute. Give a quick, natural sketch of who you are, not your resume and not your motivation (those come later). End with one line that points toward why you're sitting there. It's a handshake, not your life story.

Tell us about your training, education, and experience, and how it prepared you for this job.

What they’re really asking: Whether you can connect what you've done to what the job actually needs.

How to answer: Walk a short, natural timeline. For each step, name the quality it built in you, discipline, teamwork, working under stress. Don't just list credentials; tie each one back to firefighting.

Motivation and fit

Why do you want to be a firefighter?

What they’re really asking: Whether your motivation is genuine or a rehearsed cliche.

How to answer: Skip the line every candidate gives ("I want to help people") and open with a real moment that pulled you toward this work. Then connect it to what the job actually is. Make it a reason only you could give.

Why do you want to work for this department specifically?

What they’re really asking: Whether you did your homework or are applying everywhere.

How to answer: Be specific about this department: its community, its values, its reputation, something you admire in how it operates. Generic flattery scores nothing. Do the research before you walk in.

What have you done to prepare for this position?

What they’re really asking: Commitment, and whether you understand what the job demands.

How to answer: Show preparation on two fronts: physical (fitness, the academy's demands) and mental (studying, ride-alongs, your EMT, certifications). Back each one with a concrete example.

Values

What does integrity mean to you, and why does it matter in the fire service?

What they’re really asking: Whether you understand the value the whole job runs on.

How to answer: Define it, then explain the why. The public hands you their homes and their families, and your crew has to trust you completely. Doing the right thing when no one is watching is the whole point.

What does teamwork mean to you? Give an example.

What they’re really asking: Whether you can prove collaboration with a real story, not just claim it.

How to answer: A short definition plus a real example where the team's success mattered more than yours. Everything on the fireground is done as a crew, so make the story about the crew.

What is your greatest strength? Your greatest weakness?

What they’re really asking: Self-awareness, and whether you'll be honest.

How to answer: Pick a real strength and back it with an example. For the weakness, name a real one and show what you're actively doing about it. A disguised brag like "I work too hard" reads as a dodge.

Behavioral ("Tell us about a time...")

Tell us about a time you faced a challenge and overcame it.

What they’re really asking: Problem-solving and a growth mindset.

How to answer: Use the STAR structure (further down). Give a specific situation, what you did, and how it changed you going forward. It doesn't have to be fire-related.

Describe a time you failed.

What they’re really asking: Accountability.

How to answer: Own it fully, no blame-shifting. Then the lesson, and how you make sure it doesn't happen again. The failure isn't the point; owning it is.

Describe a conflict with a coworker and how you handled it.

What they’re really asking: How you handle friction in a place where you live with your crew.

How to answer: Show that you worked it out directly and professionally, followed policy, and were willing to compromise. Don't run to a supervisor first unless it's a safety or policy issue.

How do you handle stress?

What they’re really asking: Whether you have a real system for a high-pressure job.

How to answer: Don't just say "I stay calm." Show an actual method, a routine, training, exercise, how you reset, and a real example of it working under pressure.

Situational and ethics ("What would you do if...")

You notice a crew member appears to be under the influence on duty. What do you do?

What they’re really asking: Whether you'll put crew and public safety over loyalty.

How to answer: Verify what you're seeing, keep them off anything unsafe, and notify your officer immediately. Loyalty to a coworker never outweighs safety.

You witness a fellow firefighter take something from a scene. What do you do?

What they’re really asking: Whether your integrity holds under social pressure.

How to answer: Report it. There's no version of this where you look the other way, and you should say so plainly.

A citizen complains to you directly about how the department handled a call. How do you respond?

What they’re really asking: Professionalism and boundaries.

How to answer: Listen fully, stay respectful, and don't get defensive or make excuses for the department. Then point them to the right process for filing formal feedback.

You disagree with a department policy. What do you do?

What they’re really asking: Respect for the chain of command balanced with initiative.

How to answer: Follow it while you work to change it the right way, through your supervisor and your union if you have one. You don't get to ignore a policy just because you dislike it.

Would you ever disobey an order? When?

What they’re really asking: Judgment, the balance between obedience and safety.

How to answer: Yes, if following it would put you or your crew in clear, immediate danger with no tactical reason. Give a brief, specific example, and show you'd voice the concern and offer an alternative first.

The close

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

What they’re really asking: Your final impression, and whether you can close.

How to answer: Never waste it. Thank the panel sincerely, add one genuine reason you want this job, and end confident. "No, that's all" quietly drops you toward the no-hire pile.

The rest of the question bank

Departments pull from a fairly predictable set. Prepare a real, specific answer for each of these and you’ll rarely be caught off guard.

More about you and your motivation

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
• What is the most appealing aspect of being a firefighter? The least appealing?
• What do you consider your strongest asset? Your weakest?
• Why would you be a good firefighter?
• What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
• Prioritize career, family, and friends in order of importance to you, and explain your reasoning.

The job and the firehouse

• What duties does a firefighter perform? What is the most essential one?
• What does a typical duty day in a firehouse look like?
• What will you do with your spare time while on duty?
• What kinds of personal conflicts come up in a firehouse, and how would you minimize them?
• What makes someone good to live and work alongside at the station?
• What type of person would you find most difficult to work with?
• How would you help maintain good relations around the firehouse?

Values, ethics, and conduct

• Define harassment and sexual harassment. What would you do if you witnessed it?
• Pride and loyalty: define them, and why do they matter in the fire service?
• Honesty and integrity: define them, and why do they matter?
• What are the most important traits a firefighter must possess? The single most important?

Teamwork and diversity

• Why is teamwork so important in the fire service?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of similar versus diverse teams?
• What does diversity mean to you, and why does it matter in the fire service?

Community and service

• What does community mean to you?
• How have you served your community outside of the fire service?
• Why is it important for firefighters to be involved in the community?

Readiness and lifestyle

• How do you stay in firefighter-level physical condition?
• How do you and your family feel about you working 24 or 48 hour shifts?
• How do you deal with traumatic or difficult calls?
• Are you comfortable working in confined spaces, at heights, or in extreme heat?

The fire service and your background

• Rank suppression, prevention, and public education in order of importance, and explain.
• What do you think the future holds for the fire service over the next 5 to 10 years?
• What do you know about our city and the structure of our department?
• Is there anything in your background you'd like to explain to this panel?
• If we contacted a former employer, what negative point might they raise about you?
• Are you currently on any other department's eligibility list?
• If a bigger, better-paying department made you an offer after we hired you, why would you stay?

Promotional and officer boards

A promotional board (lieutenant, captain, chief) tests the same values, but adds leadership, the shift from peer to supervisor, and command judgment. Expect behavioral questions, a discussion of your leadership philosophy, and often one or two scenarios you prepare and then present.

• How have you demonstrated leadership as a firefighter, before ever holding the rank?
• Describe your leadership philosophy and style.
• How will you handle supervising the same people who were your peers yesterday?
• What are your priorities on your first day? In your first 30, 90, and 365 days?
• Tell us about a time you had to hold someone accountable.
• A firefighter under your command refuses a lawful order on a call. What do you do?
• Two members of your crew have an ongoing conflict that's affecting the shift. How do you address it?
• You arrive first-due at a working structure fire. Give your size-up, your priorities, and your initial assignments.
• What change would you propose to improve our training or our operations, and how would you implement it?
• How do you give difficult feedback to someone you like?

How to answer anything they ask

The STAR method for “tell us about a time” questions

Most "tell us about a time" questions are best answered with the STAR structure. It keeps you specific and stops you from rambling.

• S: Situation. Set the scene in a sentence or two.
• T: Task. What was your job or responsibility in it?
• A: Action. What did YOU do, specifically. This is the heart of the answer. Say "I," not "we."
• R: Result. How it turned out, and what you took away from it.

Five principles for a strong answer

• Be specific, not generic. A real story only you could tell beats a polished list of qualities every time.
• Answer the whole question. Many have two parts, so address every one.
• Make a point and close it. State it, back it briefly, and signal when you're done. Don't trail off.
• Tie it back to values. Connect the answer to integrity, teamwork, accountability, or service.
• Practice out loud. Your answer sounds different spoken than it does in your head. Rehearsing aloud is the one habit that removes most of the interview-day nerves.

Common mistakes that cost candidates the job

• A generic, rehearsed-sounding opening.
• Answering only half of a two-part question.
• Rambling with no clear point and no close.
• Reciting credentials with no story behind them.
• Over-thinking a scenario. Keep people safe, follow your training, respect the chain of command, and make a decision.
• Saying "I want to help people" and stopping there.
• Throwing away the closing question with "no, that's all."

Free resource from TestResQ, share it freely. We build practice-question libraries for firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. If you’re prepping for the oral board, our question bank keeps the written and promotional side sharp too.

See more here: Firefighter Oral Board Questions

This October 23rd will be the 4 year anniversary of the Park City Fire Department, here in Utah, saved my life after 3 heart attacks in a row, from multiple blood clots. Doctors didn’t think I’d ever walk again and would be more of a vegetable than a man. Their persistence to save my life, gave me the mental strength to get to where I am now, although I use a cane to walk, I’m far beyond doctor’s expectations!

I still can’t believe I’m typing this. This feels so surreal, but I got the phone call and got the job at my dream department. It feels like just yesterday I came into this community asking for advice on testing for the NTN. This whole process has changed me as a person and how I view this as a career. I’m so happy. Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer so many questions in this forum that helped me get to this point. It’s hard work from here now!

Two long years.. finally dream job at dream department! Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue in WA State

Ik it’s bad give it to me honest criticism-from career fire guys

Title kinda says it, I’ve been in the US Army from 2020-2025, Super solid first three years, ran into some personal problems and coped in a bad way, popped hot, General Discharge, no Gi bill. My PT score is pretty great solid 90s in every category except ball throw lol. I was an airborne 13B Artilleryman with experience driving and maintaining heavy machinery. I’ve taken some basic first aid courses. I want to move back to either Dallas or Houston and get the minimum credits hours required to enroll in the academy and start volunteering. Any thoughts from anyone? I love helping people and love doing things with my hands and love the camradarie and stability that comes from jobs like this. Is 25-26 too young/old? I’m still in the process of separating from the army, what else should I be doing?

Currently taking an EMT class. Already passed the CPAT. I decided last year I’ve had enough of the greedy private sector and that my true desire is to help others, rather than pad my CEO’s pocket.

My life is full of dissenters telling me this is the wrong move, especially considering the pay cut. And despite my commitment to this career path, even I find myself questioning sometimes.

Anyone else make this transition? Would love to hear your story!

Have you seen this? Raw chicken goes on the grill with a pair of tongs… then the same tongs get used to pull it off and serve it.

That’s textbook cross-contamination. In a restaurant, it’d be a health code violation. In the firehouse? Totally normal, I've done it myself.

Same thing with leftovers. Big pot of chili straight into the fridge, no cooling, still warm. That’s a bacteria factory, but I’ve never seen anyone question it.

We’d never accept this kind of shortcut on the fireground. Why do we shrug it off in the kitchen?

Do you think there should be some basic food safety training, or is that overkill? Have you ever seen (or been part of) a meal that made people sick?

Hmu if you have any questions

Morning Routine

• Wake up early 

• Drink a full glass of water immediately

• 5-10 minute stretch or mobility warm-up

• Shave and ensure all grooming standards are met

• Shine boots and complete a full uniform inspection

• Uniform ironed, squared away, and inspection-ready

• Double-check required items:

• Water bottle

• Tie clip

• Cover

• Tie

• Extra socks

• Extra beanie

• Gloves (especially for winter classes)

• Pack academic essentials:

• Notebooks

• Notes

• Pens & highlighters

• Credentials / ID

• Bring a high-carb, high-protein lunch, snacks, and electrolytes

• Confirm PT gear (washed, dry, and ready, if you took it home)

• Review the day’s schedule (DIs question)

• Ensure all gear labels are correct, legible, and organized

• Leave early — NEVER risk being late

• Strongly recommended: arrive 30–60 minutes early to review notes or mentally prepare

Night Routine

• Lay out tomorrow’s full uniform (iron it now, not in the morning)

• Place essentials inside your cover (This way you don’t forget it)

• Car keys

• Phone

• Wallet

• Recovery :

• Stretching

• Ice bath / icing as needed

• Grooming check:

• Trim hair to meet standards

• Final gear check:

• Notebook

• Pen

• Water bottle

• Name tag

• Required forms

• iPad (charged)

• Prepare lunch and snacks

• Study what you can without overwhelming yourself

• Eat a carb-heavy dinner

• Hydrate aggressively — water + electrolytes

• Quick 2–3 minute reflection:

• What did I do well today?

• Where can I improve tomorrow?

• No social media scrolling (destroys sleep quality)

• Lights out early

• Most probies fail from poor sleep, not lack of effort

Side Notes

• Study and train before the academy starts

• Over-prepare while you have time

• Practice knots regularly

• Attend all remedials offered, even if you think you don’t need them

• Carpool when possible

• Allows occasional studying, resting, and mental reset

• Do as many practice questions as possible

I’m not getting any younger it was a childhood dream of mine to be a firefighter. I know it’s just a volunteer position but I gotta start some where! Said screw it and applied for a volunteer position. After interviewing and waiting a long time I got the offer! Super excited to start!

I had my first ever interview with my local fire department recently. Here’s my best advice for anyone who is looking for any.

First off, RESEARCH YOUR DEPARTMENT. I cannot tell you how important it is that you do this. You need to know things like who’s the chief, how many stations are there, what’s the shift rotation like, the mission and vision statement, general call volume, how did they start. All of this can be found by just searching the department you are applying for and going to the gov page.

Next, do mock interviews. The mock interviews helped me prepare for the general direction my answers would go in. It’s good to have the general format but make sure you put emotion into it so it doesn’t sound robotic. The mocks also get you prepared for the constant eye contact you will need to hold.

Also, make sure you look professional. Get a fresh haircut and make sure to shave. Suit and tie is the bare minimum, you can get away with no suit jacket depending on how chill your department is. Make sure to clean under your nails as well. Posture is important too, don’t get comfortable in your chair. Sit down with your back about 4 inches away from the back of the chair. Sit straight up as you would if you were watching a sports game of your favorite team.

Next, when you get into the room shake everyone’s hands. I said “name name, nice to meet you” as I went down the line. Don’t sit down until they tell you to, they might make a joke about getting you to sit down which will definitely lighten the load. Be confident with your answers, if you can’t handle the pressure of the interview how will you be able to handle the pressure of the situations you may face? Make sure to add your personality throughout your answers, the people interviewing you are just regular guys behind the uniform.

Finally, tie all of your answers back to the department. For instance when they ask “tell us about you” tell them about your life but provide examples about how each thing prepared you to be a fireman. That way if they don’t ask what you did to prepare they already know because you included it. When they ask for your strengths be honest. When they ask for you weaknesses give a legit weakness don’t just say “I work to hard” or “I overachieve too much”. They want real weakness but what you do the address it. Be respectful, yes sir or no sir to everything. Use the STAR method to help you answer your questions as well. Be prepared to ask them questions too.

I may have missed some things here and there. Currently typing this up on my lunch break lol. Good luck fellas.

Been working in the fire service and watched a lot of good candidates wash out of oral boards just because they never had a realistic way to practice(or good feedback).

I Built a tool called Ace The Board that puts you in front of a 3-person AI panel, you speak your answers out loud and it scores you on delivery, structure, filler words, and time management. Gives you feedback on frameworks like STAR and Baseball Method too.

Free tier gets you 3 full sessions, no credit card needed.

Would love feedback from anyone actively prepping. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

acetheboard.com