Most embarassing moment in the fire service.

What was the most embarassing moment you've had in the fire service. Mine came recently. I was helping out another dept in the area after tornados had hit, I was riding in the rear seat on the first out engine to a structure fire. Well we get on scene and I go to get out of the engine and not being used to that engine I missed the step and landed flat on my backside. Of course ther were a couple of dozen people to see my graceful fall, they were out cleaning up after the tornados. I got up, put on my SCBA and made a beeline for the interior of the house. I'm sure that everyone has had moments when they wanted to crawl away and hide, or at least get inside of a burning structure to hide their embarassment.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on April 18, 2009 at 9:04pm

WE RESPONDED TO A CAT IN A TREE, I CALLED FOR A INCH AND A HALF LINE, THE OWNER OF THE CAT HEARD ME, SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T THINK OTHERS A LISTENING, BY THE WAY I WAS ON A LADDER TRUCK LOL

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on April 18, 2009 at 9:31pm

Haha we never respond to those and we have yet to see a cat skeleton in or under a tree.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Brooks on April 18, 2009 at 10:10pm

The old foot in mouth syndrome....been there done that, have the reprimand to go with it. WE tend to be our own worst enemies.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on April 18, 2009 at 10:49pm

EVEN THOUGH I WAS KIDDING AROUND, I HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON TO MAKE SURE I KNOW WHO IS STANDING AROUND BEFORE OPENING MY MOUTH AGAIN

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by SgaFemaleFirefighter on April 19, 2009 at 12:34am

Mine would have to be my very first day in training. They taught me the basics of catching a hydrant, so, i jump off the truck, grab the wrench and the line and take off for the hydrant.. running full speed, eyes on the prize..... run smack into and fall over the hydrant i'm trying to hook... 2 years later, it still haunts me.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Schander on April 19, 2009 at 12:48am

Capt. we use the pre-piped deck gun w/ the smooth bore nozzle. LOL

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Truckie Jay on April 21, 2009 at 4:38pm

Getting out of the Engine at a structure fire. First the pack didn't completely unlock in the seat and then the seat belt snagged around the bottle valve so I was literally hanging there suspended in mid air momentarily.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on April 21, 2009 at 4:48pm

Mine had to be my very first call out. A simple EMS call. As the newbie I was in charge of taking vitals. Easy enough I thought. So I get the pulse, I put the b/p cuff on and pump it up...it blows off...so I do it again...same result. My old grizzled captain (sorry Steve) is standing behind me and says "Maybe if the cuff wasn't inside out it would work better....

I think every ounce of blood rushed to my head!

NEVER did that again!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on April 21, 2009 at 5:10pm

I wish I could have seen that. LOL

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sune Schønnemann on April 21, 2009 at 5:24pm

I had been a firefighter for about a year and a half, and I joined a new department..
Had to go to some kinda of introduction-course where you learn about the organisation, first aid and so on.
We had to learn how to use different kinds of hand-extinguishers and so on.
One of the lessons was a fire in an oil drum, and we simple had to put a fireblanket over this (and pull it of right away, so the oil didn't cool off, and the next guy could go try)..
Well, I had done this a million times before.. Only this time I forgot not to stand with my head over the oil drum when removing the fireblanket.
Started pulling it of, got a huge fireball in the face, dropped the blanket so it fell half into the drum, and then I quickly pulled it out - spilling burning fuel all over my self..

John - You are not the only one - On our HAZMAT truck we have something like a staircase coming out of the side, when opening the door to the crew-cab, so it's easy to get out in the HAZMAT-suit..
Once the stair in the drivers side was not working, so we were told only to use the one that was working..
Only one of the guys forgot it...... Very amusing for the rest of us ;-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sheri Caelwaerts on April 21, 2009 at 7:07pm

I forgot an esential piece of gear for almost all female firefighters....in January....in Wisconsin...for a structure fire. It wasn't bad until we were on our way back to the station in our equiptment van that I realized it. I was also the only female on the department. I was trying to get a jacket (which I also forgot somehow) from my then fiance, who kept asking me why I needed his jacket. Finally I was forced to yell "Because I forgot my bra!!" I think I heard all the guys heads whip around, and two claim to have gotten "whiplash" from it. Needless to say, I kept my turnout on until we arrived back to the station and I was the last to leave!!! Also, NEVER have made that mistake again!!! Looking back....funny. While it was going on....mortifying!!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Teia Kenyon on April 21, 2009 at 8:52pm

Mine would have to be when we went on a carbon monixide detector going off I went to step out of the engine with full SCBA on I missed the step and fell into a snowbank I couldn't stand up so I had to crawl out fortunitley only a couple of people saw that.