r/Firefighting • u/Launch_Rockface • Jul 10 '25

General Discussion Unpopular Opinions In the Fire Service

I am curious what other peoples unpopular opinions of the fire service are? I know there are alot of things we are doing or trying to do to improve the fire service as far as training and wellness, but I also know alot of it is just not that great in my opinion.

78 Upvotes

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174

u/rogersrangers55 Jul 11 '25

We aren’t needed for 80% of the calls we are called for and I’m tired of pretending we are. We also should be more proactive towards making people realize this.

74

u/BrianKindly 200 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress Jul 11 '25

I’m glad to hear I’m not the only person screaming this from the fucking roof tops.

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“My tooth hurts and I need to go to the hospital”

We need to start asking them if their legs are also broken, they don’t have a vehicle, or anyone to call. Fuck, download uber…

48

u/rogersrangers55 Jul 11 '25

We shout the system is broken (healthcare) and shout we are here to help. Yet all we are doing is greatly contributing to the broken system itself.

18

u/BrianKindly 200 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress Jul 11 '25

10000% - I often wonder if Medicare/Medicaid wouldn't need all these cuts if we wouldn't be dragging so much bullshit to the ER. Unnecessary ambulance bill followed by and unnecessary hospital bill, all for most things that could be handled by an primary doctor or even urgent care.

9

u/Mediocre_Daikon6935 Jul 11 '25

Until primary care is held accountable for not being able to see patients, nothing will be done.

6

u/Careful_Reason_9992 Jul 11 '25

Its hard when there aren’t enough doctors because med school is stupid expensive, and reimbursement rates for medicare/medicaid are shit. Most primary care docs spend 5-10 minutes with a patient before having to move on to the next. A bigger part of the problem is too many people these days are fat, stupid, and lazy. Fat cuz they eat like shit. Stupid cuz they won’t educate themselves on their shitty diet and the effects that causes on their health. And lazy cuz they won’t exercise. I’m sure that’s oversimplified but its in the ballpark.

3

u/tamman2000 Jul 11 '25

Cost of education isn't what limits the supply of doctors. That's a degree that makes it really easy to pay off loans... What limits the supply of doctors is that the limit on the number of residencies the AMA will support in any year. Basically the doctor's organization (think of it like a union) determines how many new doctors can get their last level of training to become board certified so they can keep their pay up.

There's a movement to increase their numbers for the good of the patients, but a bunch of greedy fucks fight that movement for their own wallets.

(My dad was a medical school professor/neuropharmacology researcher. You're largely getting his take on this as remembered by me)

1

u/Mediocre_Daikon6935 Jul 11 '25

I would argue a bigger problem is primary care pay is crap, compared to other specialties.

Thus making doctors not want to go into that field.

Additionally, primary care has been eaten by “health systems”, because administrative regulations have basically made independent practice if not impossible, difficult. Meanwhile, there are almost no regulations on them actually being able to provide any care at that location. 

1

u/DeathToPennies Jul 11 '25

For sure dude our healthcare system is in the shitter because of people who need healthcare

1

u/Careful_Reason_9992 Jul 13 '25

They wouldn’t need nearly as much healthcare if they took care of themselves

6

u/rogersrangers55 Jul 11 '25

Yes! We are using resources for things that could be handled by a student with a stethoscope and a BP cuff.

10

u/BrianKindly 200 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress Jul 11 '25

Yep, and every single one is wearing our people down, especially in the middle of the night, decreasing their mental readiness for an actual medical emergency of serious fire.

15

u/djakeca Jul 11 '25

Many people have free healthcare and they access it by going to the ER for everything and never paying when the bill is due.

12

u/hezuschristos Jul 11 '25

Call volumes drive job numbers. Not saying it’s right, but chief sometimes chase call volume to justify current and/or more staffing.

15

u/HanjobSolo69 Recliner Operator Jul 11 '25

This. I sometimes dream of a city or county that starts doing "tough love" with citizens. Im talking aggressive public education about when to call 911 and straight up refusing care for obvious bullshit medicals. Even some fire alarms we don't need to be there. Call a plumber or HVAC guy not us.

10

u/317PEB Jul 11 '25

I regularly tell people they are free to go the ER but I am not getting them an Ambulance. We also now have social workers at our disposal, they are worth their weight in gold

10

u/HanjobSolo69 Recliner Operator Jul 11 '25

I never got in trouble but I had a Captain give me a talk about "professionalism" because I was passive aggressive with a family that had 3 cars in the driveway and able bodied people that could have driven grandpa to the hospital at anytime but decided to call at 10pm

14

u/317PEB Jul 11 '25

Imagine the dude with hanjobsolo69 as a user name getting talked to about professionalism.

9

u/rogersrangers55 Jul 11 '25

No one with any authority seems to understand that the word no doesn’t have to be mean. It can be a simple this isn’t appropriate because xyZ. We’re professionals not assholes.

I even argue that requiring me to head to toe assess these people to ensure that no is a safe choice makes me a better medic then loading them up and transporting assuming it’s all bullshit

2

u/317PEB Jul 11 '25

I tell people regularly they can go tot the ER but I am not getting them an Ambulance. Also we have social workers on call who are worth their weight in gold

5

u/Careful_Reason_9992 Jul 11 '25

It never ceases to amaze me the dumb shit that people will call an ambulance for these days. I miss the days when people were tough.

2

u/Fly_throwaway37 Jul 11 '25

See said unpopular

2

u/HalliganHooligan FF/EMT Jul 11 '25

Thank the brass across the nation that has placed departments’ call volume as a metric for value.

1

u/Skallywaagg Jul 13 '25

Boom.

My favorite line is “I practice Emergency Medicine, and this isn’t an emergency.”