What REALLY Motivates you? My concern is....

It's with interest that I read many member profiles on this website and it fascinates me to see where people are from, I love looking at the pix and getting a bit of an idea what people look like, their departments, equipment, etc.

However one thing that really concerns me, particularly with the "younger ones" or the newbies to the services, is some of the motivations and reasons for joining the emergency servcies, that I read in many profiles.

Plenty of people have written "They want to save lives", "They like the adrenalin rush" and so on and so on.

My concerns lies with the fact that the harsh reality is that in many, many instances we don't save lives, we don't rescue people- we're often perfroming recoveries, or the medical treatment fails for a multitude of reasons. (I know quite a few first responders and call takers/despatchers that have gone through some horrible times with Critical Incident Stress, inlcuding myself)

As for the adrenalin junkies- by all means enjoy your self, get a kick out of belonging to fantastic "family", but keep the adrenalin at bay. Adrenalin rushes can lead to accdients and potentially dangerous decisions being made.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't want to scare people away, but be realistic about what drives you- this is a very, very, very harsh career or hobby choice- don't be blindsided by it.....

Be safe!

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Permalink Reply by Teddy on October 30, 2008 at 9:15pm

Im a fairly new member in the fire service. I always knew I wanted to be a firefighter, but I was unsure as to why. I live close to my station (2-blocks away) and one of the things that attracted me I think was that I loved to see and hear the trucks rolling by going to a call. Once I started, that all changed. I've seen made some of my best friends ever and have realized I came for one thing, but stayed for another. I stay because of BROTHERHOOD! And now that I am getting some time under my belt I'm starting to realize what lutan1 is talking about. When new members around my age join, I always ask them "why?" I dont want to be a jerk but I'm legitimately wondering. And since they are around my same age they tell me the truth. It shocks me that a good deal of them say "Community Service credit for school" or "To put something on my college application" or "So I can write my college essay about the first time I saved a persons life". I've seen death in this job and realize that it is a large part of it so every-time I'm just shocked. Yes, I originally came for the excitement and yes it still is exciting, but I'm in it for more. I dont care about what colleges have to say about it, I dont care if I go to college. I care about my brothers and sisters next to me when were rolling down the street for anything, weather it be a wreck, fire, sick person, anything. I love this job more than anything else in my life. I've seen some action, and been in stressful situations, but that is part of the job isn't it? So if you are truly dedicated to this job then you'd realize that. I LOVE THIS JOB! and I am worried about the future of the fire-service, and of all these people in it just to say "Yeah, I was a firefighter/EMT, now get me into a good school" I want the fire-service to be made up of those selective individuals who are motivated, dedicated, and truly understand what it's about. When someone calls 9-1-1 they expect you to show up when they're in there time of most need. My parents dont support me in my choice over the fire service but I love it too much to leave. I would let down my brothers if I left and that is not an option to me. This is what I was put on this earth to do.

Remember BROTHERHOOD ABOVE ALL ELSE, and stay safe brothers/sisters.

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Permalink Reply by Cory on October 31, 2008 at 8:04am

Nothing exactually with this thread, but when tons say's "plus chicks dig firefighters" I thought he might like the youtube so it was directed at him. Is there a problem ?

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Permalink Reply by Cory on October 31, 2008 at 2:35pm

What motivates me was back in 95 my cousin was on the volunteer dept. I Joined in Feb. 1 of 1999. I would go with him up to the station and wash and wax trucks, ride with him to calls in his POV. We didn't have a cadet program at the time so I did it cause I wanted to, with knowing that I wouldn't ride in a fire truck or ambulance to the call until I turned 18 well actually 18 1/2 cause I had football in the fall of 98 and since we are a small school with a big football program that came first according to the dept and so did school. It was exciting to be there and listen to the call and watch the trucks go out or listen to my scanner. The people who get into this job strictly for excitement or the adrenaline rush do get in for the wrong reason, maybe? Whoever said that there was a certain reason that you had to have in order to get in? I haven't heard of such a thing. To me if the person does the job right, with a good attitude, treats everybody the right way, goes to training to learn. Doesn't pick and choose the calls they go on especially early on in their career as a volunteer, understands what the brotherhood means, and is willing to go the extra mile to do stuff for people even when they don't need to. To me that is what matters, now if they get into the service for excitement and the adrenaline rush, and they have a bad attitude or think they know it all and nobody can mess with them then well yes there is a problem. I was staying at FDNY's Battalion 1, Ladder 1, Engine 7's house and was talking to some of the guys and we talked about why some of the guys were joining and this is some of the problem to. After 9/11 firefighters were really idolized and these guys see that and think man if I was a firefighter that would make me better than people. To me guys that get in it for that reason it is wrong cause they are the ones that go and do stupid crap to make us look bad. Nobody is perfect and a good firefighter are going to screw up from time to time but the guys that puff there chest out and think I'm a firefighter I can do anything and get away with it are the ones that need to be closely monitored and removed if they cannot understand what the fire service is truly about. I know someone put that the people that come into it thinking that they are going to be able to save everybody and that’s not the case. You are 100% correct but what needs to happen is we need to bring them in and tell them this is the way it usually works but you have to go to a full arrest thinking you can save them because if you don't what is your motivation? I think that part of the problem is that we don’t communicate, when someone comes in with attitude and instead of sitting them down and talking to them WE neglect to do our job and inform them. So some of this I believe can be avoided and taken care of if we start off by talking to them about how the fire service really works. And the adrenaline thing here is something that I heard that I thought would be good for people who go to calls all excited and can’t control themselves. Example: If you were a person standing on the street and this might even be good if you are what you do, a firefighter standing there watching another fire department and you see guys coming off the trucks like uncontrolled wild dogs what would you think? Do these guys know what they are doing? Now on the flip side what if you were watching and you seen the firefighters get off the truck in a controlled manor that looked like professionals (which paid or not we all are) and they looked like they knew what they were doing, what would you think? We all want to be considered the second one. I think sometimes we forget to let people know how they should act. Please realize this does not apply to all that have joined the fire service in the past few years.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on October 31, 2008 at 9:16pm

"I didn't have any more than just, "it's fun"."

I think that you've just said it all Barry. It's fun. People can come up with the idealistic reasons, but deep down, we simply enjoy doing it!

Doing fire prevention talks to kids. Joining in on talks with our friends at the Station. Training! The silly sessions after a call. The big structure and/or wildfires. All are fun. The last two? Yes, we enjoy being in the thick of it, doing what we train for, having that adrenalin buzz. Obviously there are some nasty bits, but that's just the price we have to pay for having fun!