Firefighters and Firebuffs

[David4223]

A Firefighter's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God
Wherever flames may rage
Give me strength to save some life
Whatever be its age
Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person from
the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert
and hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out

I want to fill my calling
and to give the best in me
to guide my friend and neighbor
and to protect their property

And if according to my fate
I am to lose my life
Please bless with your protecting hand
My children and my wife

 

[jelvenko]

That's cool. Is your friend going to be career or volunteer? I'm volunteer.

I think he's going to be career.

 

[California Dreamin']

I'm going to go career if parmedicine doesn't work out.

Note: they changed that prayer to spouse at the end. I don't have a wife.

 

[California Dreamin']

CF character bunker gear is now available.

I suggested it in December and it was approved.

 

[Tipid93]

My dad's a firefighter at North Richalend Hills Texas, and he has every toy that has to do with firemen you can think of! we even have a fireman cookie jar that talks and hje says "If you can't stand the heat get out of the cookie jar!"

 

[California Dreamin']

Haha, that's awesome!

 

[candid_chick007]

my friend is going to become a fire fighter...hes sooooo cute....i might just be tempted to start a fire so he can rescue me....or better yet...maybe i'll get myself stuck up a tree....then he can rescue me.

 

[Law of Loud]

I'm looking to go into this myself, though my goal is to become a career firefighter, which is an extremely difficult position to obtain. This summer I'm looking to serve on a contract wildland fire hand crew, which should make me a FFT-2 as well as a qualified wildland firefighter, additionally proving that I've no problems with either flames or smoke. Next year, I'd like to get onto one of my state's DNR crews, working on a brush engine, which is a logical step-up for somebody with experience in hand crews (I'd know how to fight with hand tools, all they'd need to teach me is how to fight with water). Take that for a few years and get myself into an officer position, and then push myself to get hired by a city. Another option I'm considering is to migrate eastwards of where I currently live and become a volunteer firefighter (hopefully for Eastside Fire and Rescue, but maybe elsewhere). I'm currently enrolled at a community college, and I'm taking an Associates Degree in Fire Science.

But, right now I'm working myself out for that wildland fire position. I'm not quite in the physical shape I should be (I'm not quick enough... I can carry the weight and do the work, but I'm not much above the required time for the pack test... and I really need to work that. I have little doubt that post my first fire, I'd have beat myself into good shape... but as you might imagine, I want to show up prepared. But yeah... so, lots of hiking right now. I practice with a 60lbs pack (1/3 heavier than it needs to be) as well as 2.5lbs of weight on each of my ankles... hopefully that'll make the 45lbs in the pack test feel pretty light, and the ankle weights give me a great opportunity to not even notice my legs. In fact, I'm working with those ankle weights about 24/7 now.

 

[California Dreamin']

I applied to work for DNR this summer, never heard from them.

I was a volunteer FF and got voted out, only for being female, so now hoping to join another fire dept. but they are really, really, really hard to get into...

I was thinking of going to paramedic school in September, but just started a well-paying job yesterday and never heard from the school yet (deadline was Feb. 28 for applications, I applied in November).

This job is an intense 4 weeks of training and there's a test every week with a requirement of 80%... one re-write is allowed and I got 79% on test #1!!!!!

 

[Law of Loud]

I applied to work for DNR this summer, never heard from them.

To get a job on one of the wildland fire crews, you really kind of need to drop off your application in person, and talk to the person who'd be hiring you. Call them repeatedly, keep your name fresh in their mind. Any sort of firefighting job is competitive, and wildland is no exception.

Just curious, you were talking about Washington State DNR, or some other state?

 

[California Dreamin']

No, I live in Canada.

 

[LadyNRA]

I was a firefighter back in the 70's. Heavy suburban/industrial environment. I'm still a firebuff. Not firefighting anymore. My health does not allow me to participate as much as I'd love to on some days. Now, I just have my memories and the occasional bit of fiction written.

 

[LadyNRA]

heh, don't be too excited.. once you see an accident scene.. you'll never forget your first one..

Or your first "roast" for that matter!

 

[California Dreamin']

Yeah, I was discriminated against and was kicked out of the fire department I was with, back in February...

I have the physical test for a different fire department on Monday, June 26, my birthday.

 

[LadyNRA]

Yeah, I was discriminated against and was kicked out of the fire department I was with, back in February...

I have the physical test for a different fire department on Monday, June 26, my birthday.

Bummer. It's harder for departments to disciminate against women in the US though that doesn't mean they don't figure out other ways to get rid of you. Pity that such games are still played. In volunteer departments they don't have enough "manpower" as it is (for most places anyway) and any "body" should be welcome. There are always jobs that a weaker individual can handle nad it's up to the chiefs to utilize people based on their strengths (I'm talking volunteer departments, not paid departments where everyone has to be prepared to do everything).

 

[California Dreamin']

I had more training than the chief did in the fire department that discriminated me. They were very desperate for members. I was there more than a year.

Normally they vote after 3 months of membership but they didn't with me because they needed me a lot.

Then they decided to have a vote for whatever reason, didn't tell anyone in advance, so pretty much no one showed up. The roles changed in January, and the new Deputy Chief hated me (well, his wife does not like women in the fire department-jealous) and I have a feeling she was at the vote.

 

[ByLoveAndGrace]

I'm neither but my dad's a firefighter... has been for twenty years.

 

[LadyNRA]

I had more training than the chief did in the fire department that discriminated me. They were very desperate for members. I was there more than a year.

Normally they vote after 3 months of membership but they didn't with me because they needed me a lot.

Then they decided to have a vote for whatever reason, didn't tell anyone in advance, so pretty much no one showed up. The roles changed in January, and the new Deputy Chief hated me (well, his wife does not like women in the fire department-jealous) and I have a feeling she was at the vote.

You shouldn't have those problems with a paid job. Well, they'll exist but they'll have a harder time playing games.

 

[California Dreamin']

It wasn't paid.