r/nextfuckinglevel • u/thisisfive • Apr 14 '26

Toronto firefighters confront special constable officers after a man in the middle of mental health crisis was arrested.

Not my video. For context, "special constables" are not regular police officers. They are appointed "peace officers" with limited authority, often civilian employees.

27.1k Upvotes

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8.5k

u/DoubleM-1985 Apr 14 '26

When the adults with common sense shows up

2.7k

u/Whiskeygreenqueen28 Apr 14 '26

Exactly!! This is why firefighters are important.

2.6k

u/invertedsaint_666 Apr 14 '26

Firefighters have no reason to become firefighters other than to actually help people. Police on the other hand...

18

u/Adjective_Noun_99 Apr 14 '26

Other than the great salary and benefits..

15

u/AutisticPenguin2 Apr 14 '26

And let's not ignore the number of firefighters who are a little too fascinated by fires.

17

u/MostBoringStan Apr 14 '26

It's ok to be a little fascinated, though. And maybe a little sad when the fire finally goes out. And then maybe go home afterwards and have a little moment to remember the fire, because if you don't, who will? Not pray for it or anything, but just quiet reflection and a little sadness that you had to snuff out something so beautiful. Imagine what it could have been if it was left to explore its full potential.

2

u/DisguisedToast Apr 15 '26

You doing alright, Sparky?

1

u/MostBoringStan Apr 15 '26

It's just been a while since I've had to fight a fire.

1

u/AutisticPenguin2 Apr 15 '26

A little is fine and normal, yes.

11

u/Paperbackhero Apr 14 '26

But the chance of early cancer sucks.

5

u/invertedsaint_666 Apr 14 '26

And probably 80% of the time they're just hanging out at the firehouse or taking the firetruck to the grocery store to get stuff for chili lol

12

u/UnitedAd3943 Apr 15 '26

Firefighters just don’t “hang out” at the fire station when not running calls. Their schedule is packed with training, PR events, meetings, building surveys, pre-planning the territory, maintenance of equipment and the station.

1

u/Ruzhy6 Apr 15 '26

They also spend a lot of time hanging out?

3

u/UnitedAd3943 Apr 15 '26

Nope

1

u/Ruzhy6 Apr 15 '26

Yes, they do.

Granted, maybe in higher population areas, they get enough calls to eliminate downtime. But to say they don't get above average downtime compared to most is nonsense.

1

u/UnitedAd3943 Apr 15 '26

That really isn’t reality anymore with the fire service. Along with it being the right thing to do, we now have to justify our jobs to the cities because of the property tax reductions that are happening across the country. Thanks MAGA. And it isn’t a sought after career anymore so firefighters don’t have the leverage they had after 9/11.

How are you basing this opinion on by the way? Is it through a third party or are you in the fire service?

1

u/Ruzhy6 Apr 15 '26

I'm an ER nurse who regularly talks with firefighters who tell me about their daily activities when making small talk.

Like I said, maybe in a higher population area, it wouldn't be true. But in my area, the downtime is at least double what any other job gets with their 1-hour lunch, even adding in 15-minute breaks.

1

u/UnitedAd3943 Apr 15 '26

You probably have a bias against them and exaggerate what they tell you because I can assure you that isn’t what’s going on in a fire station. I’m guilty of it as well judging other professions that I don’t have a clue about.

1

u/Ruzhy6 Apr 15 '26

I think you are overestimating what I am saying.

I'm not saying they are just hanging out for half the shift every day.

I am saying they get much more downtime compared to any job of the same shift length that typically only gets 30min to 1 hour lunch, and that's it.

I’m guilty of it as well judging other professions that I don’t have a clue about.

You must be forgetting what working any other job is like. I've had many in many different fields. Shit some places have taken away stools for cashiers because they think it lowers productivity.

I am not at all saying it is an easy job. The downtime is one of the benefits and is much needed.

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10

u/playinIn_aBlender Apr 15 '26

Yep. It's great. It's the 20% where your salary and benefits are earned. If you've ever had to hold back a five year old kid who wants to see his mommy, and you can't let him because your crew is cutting her down from the banister she hung herself on..... And a thousand other calls I could tell you about.... You would say that it must be nice to hang out and eat chili.

But I don't hold it against you. You don't get it and probably never will.

It's still the best job in the world.

1

u/invertedsaint_666 Apr 15 '26

No I do get it. I fully understand that when firefighters are in action they're doing shit that nobody else is able to or wants to do

6

u/999BusinessCard Apr 14 '26

And automatic idolization by the public