What do the circled signs mean? I know FDC is the fire department connection. The sign under that is max pump in pressure.

Someone said it means you guys aren't supposed to enter the building to fight a fire. If that's the case, doesn't it completely defeat the purpose of the FDC and standpipe being live?

What do we all think of this? Seems pretty nuts to me. They are actively getting in the way of wildlands guys as they do their job out there. I dont think this should be allowed or encouraged. Firefighting is a lot more important than .... risking 20 guys dressed exactly like firefighters crossing the Canadian border?

So not to long ago I made a post about how terrible I slept at the fire station and have tried multiple different things to try and make my sleep better. I recently tried a weighted blanket for one night. We woke up for a call at 3 am and I decided to to try out the blanket that night. Usually most of us cant go back to sleep after waking up from a call like that later in the morning. It took me a while but when I finally did go back to sleep I slept past shift change and that has never happened. Years of searching just to discover a weighted bink bink would solve it.

For my dept the Chief designated August to test the hoses. He also designated Sept to Nov for hydrant testing. Some of the guys don't like testing hoses because of the heat but at the end of the day, its part of our job. We start early right after morning check offs so the weather is tolerable.

Just completed confined space and aced a test 💪🏾

I’m 18 right now soon to be 19 and I have my pre service firefighting degree.

What’s a good job to work before I get hired on? For example I recently put in a request to work with St. John Ambulance.

Any suggestions on jobs I can get with an EMR licence as well? What jobs did you have before you became a firefighter?

Hello there folks, I’m a 15yo Explorer and was recently able to pickup a radio strap for free through my program and was just wondering one thing, what is this extra strap/ piece and what does it do, I don’t know what it’s called so I wasn’t able to research it so I turned here for help! (I’m holding it in the picture)

Looking for guys who work on 48/96 departments. Our department is researching it and would love people to talk to. Please pm me if you can!

Hey there. Paramedic here. I have a fitness test at the volly station I'm joining tomorrow. I have very minimal experience working at a fire department. I'm joining to gain more certs and to see if I enjoy the other side of public safety. Any tips on being the new guy? Things that can help me be a good member of my station? The service I'm joining does QRS- but I'm under the impression that I'll be there only paramedic there. Any good ideas for QRS?

I know it's a super broad question. Thanks everyone.

Good afternoon, at my base we have a 2004 Spartan Gladiator Classi truck. The cabin won't rise. Is there any support for where the air relay is? Does it have a spacer? Does it have something to do with it since a nut is lost? Any help is appreciated.

I come from a fire department that went full time only pretty recently which in turn lost a lot of the experienced part timers and variety with experience. Now i dont have much issue with the department itself or my peers. But i feel i cannot rely on shift training being sufficient to train me to be on par with conduct unbecoming/get after it firemen.

Im really ready to become that and can identify several weaknesses i need to improve on.

Fitness is something im getting in order, and honestly i feel i have come up to par with fitness. I swim and i weight lift regularly. To heat train ive picked up running and its pretty damn hot where im at. Its mostly nutrition i am very lacking in. I drink about a gallon of water a day but im struggling eating simple things at work because i simply dont know/think about what to bring to work. I can tell if i eat better i will gain some more weight and be less of a string bean.

I can recognize i am the new guy who hasnt had a lot of life experience prior to this job when it comes to cooking/house life. I came from a pretty harsh family which made cooking a problem haha. But it also translates to me not having a lot of role model figures to teach me how to take things apart and put things back together. Which is something im having a hard time trying to keep up with with my limited experience on the job.

Fundamentals are not hammered in for me. My department is very big on doing trainings on things that dont happen often and it is expected of crews to take advantage of training fundamentals together. Ive been moved stations and a platoon a couple times since starting and my crew i think has a good base at this point where i am and we do trainings on those fundamentals way more than my other crews did which has bitten me in the ass. Im using every resource i can at work and its working out well my crews been amazing. But i really want to become a true fireman and i am struggling to feel like im adequately trained at this stage of my career because i find myself slipping up on those basic fundamental things.

To cut to the chase i really want to know what things you do on your own to become confident you can perform on the fire ground with your crew no matter the task such as podcasts, Youtube channels, specific workout splits/focuses, health advice etc.

I would love to hear some advice from all around the board right now.

A new Mississippi law is making all new people hired on for police/fire to put in 35 years of service before they are eligible for their retirement, and no cost of living adjustment.

When a state senator was asked about how it’ll affect recruiting “They can do something else.”

Their state usually ranks at the bottom of rankings, so residents of other states near the bottom can still say, "Thank God for Mississippi.”

Curios.

I'm hoping to become a firefighter. In situations where I'm not wearing a SCBA, but there's still smoke or ash around, I think something like this would be a good idea to wear to help prevent inhaling some of the toxic shit in the air. Has anyone tried this before?

A little context to start. It might be a long read. I am a “probie” currently going through an online EMT program. Me and the 4 other probies spend M-F 8-5 at the training center/station doing our course work and helping as needed/asked. Our training chief (who is currently in charge of us) told us our only job is to continue like that, and clean the building we are in. We understand this to also mean the training bay and tower.

One firefighter came in one Saturday off shift to get a workout in. This guy is known to be pretty hard on probies and sometimes a bit too much. He noticed the trash cans were full in the training bay. Trash cans that we emptied on Friday and got filled from a large police training that took place Friday night (it’s a shared FD/PD facility). On Monday at 0815, he storms into our classroom and yells at us about the trash being full and he tells us he “took care of it.” Knowing the guy, we go out and investigate to find he dumped the trash cans all over the ground and stuffed some in our lockers in the training bay. He was again off shift this morning and was there for an OT recruiting event, so he came in just before he left.

Cleaning has always been an end of day task for us for the past 6 months, including during our time in the academy.

Is this behavior normal? Is this seen as a normal way to address such a small issue that we weren’t even aware of? Most people in our department (~130 people) don’t act this way.

What's up guys, my Dept. just got a new mid-mount platform 100' ladder. I was trained on a 105' rear-mount platform ladder. I know there's gonna be a learning curve on the transition, but for the truckies out here, what differences on set-up can I look forward to?

I am not confident about my abilities wearing an SCBA. I feel I use my air too quickly. I go from a full tank to the bell going off in 15:33 while climbing stairs at a moderate pace. I want to improve. If you have any suggestions let me hear them. I am fairly new to fire service.

Hiya, my apartment building burnt for 14 hours last week and I was only just able to access my flat to recover valuables. My apartment itself wasn't damaged by fire but it was affected by the flooding / smoke and now everything smells like BBQ.

I understand that the smell & smoke particles are incredibly difficult to get out and I'm planning on getting rid of most of my clothes and items. However, for the sentimental pieces (like my hand-knit, 100% wool jumpers, or my childhood stuffed animal) does anyone have an idea of how much professional (ozone?) treatment would cost? I'm worried about carcinogens and the smell of burnt beef following me forever. Also, are beauty products like moisturizers safe to use?

I did not have contents insurance as I had only moved in the week before the fire and hadn't gotten round to finishing the insurance application. I'm based in the UK.

Has anyone not from Florida used Ricky Rescue website to take their Fire Officer 1 course? I live in a state where Fire Officer is not a separate certification, but you need a certificate from an officer 1 course as a prerequisite for some other courses, like Safety Officer, certain command classes, etc. Thanks in advance.

My first assignment was on an engine with a truck and medic unit.
The Captain was old-school. The Engineer; so lazy the other shifts would tape a $5 bill on the end of the dipstick, knowing he’d never check the oil. They never wanted to leave the station, and bitched about going on calls.

I showed up wide-eyed, eager, ready to learn. By my third shift, I realized I was on my own. The truck crew hated these guys so much they’d leave the station just to avoid them.

So I trained myself. Pulled hose in the app room, bedded it myself. Ladders, SCBA drills, reps on everything. Six months later, I came out #1 on my test, and those two knuckleheads tried to take credit for it.

But here’s the thing: the best lesson I got came from that same Captain during my evaluation. He told me:
“Pick your role models carefully, because that’s who you’ll end up like.”

Ahead of his time. Today people say you’re the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Same truth.

Parting wisdom:

• You can survive a bad assignment with the right mindset.
• People will always try to take credit for what they don't deserve.

• Sometimes the best lessons come from the worst places.

  Did you work for one of these guys, or did you learn an unexpected lesson?

I am a 23f who got her Emt license in 2021. Worked for a fire department that did 48/96, and also worked as an ER Tech in a level 1. I struggled a lot while working for the fire department. Not sleeping, the male dominated comradery (they weren’t the warmest/ most welcoming bunch to a 20 year old girl.) The more intense calls were difficult for me to process, I’m naturally sensitive and empathetic. I’d also like to add that I was in the room when my mom was getting coded and then died when I was 11, so the triggers were real. I didn’t like being the bitch, especially doing things for grown men (ie coffee making, waxing the engine, etc) it didn’t sit right with me. However my dream from a young young age was to be a firefighter. I am extremely fit and determined. I’ve ran marathons, have a lot of muscle mass and low body fat, and am hungry as fuck for meaning and a good ass challenge. I’d also like to add for context that ems came easily to me. I loved learning it and I developed a real passion for the work. I was often told by peers that I did well and stayed extremely collected during chaos. I stopped working for the FD because it was so hard on me mentally. Those 48s would often turn into 72s, no sleep. Rough. I then worked in the ER and I learned so much and overall enjoyed it, but was still unsure if emergency med was for me given my sensitive nature and the trigger response from my nervous system given what I saw with my own mom/ life. Time has passed and I’ve been doing service industry things and finishing a psych degree to have in my back pocket and a long term plan of being a therapist. However, I still have a fire and a hunger to finish what I started and become a FF/PM. It’s something that constantly eats at me. The bad assery, the commitment to service, the purpose and meaning the job provides. It calls me but I already have some proof that it goes against my personality? I need yalls opinions. Ty.