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How did your parents react?
What was your parents reaction when you first told them you wanted to join the Fire Service and/or the EMS Field? Did they back you? How old were you? Was it the right choice for you?
Was/ is it your "dream career" or was it a spur of the moment idea to join? Were you thinking about it for awhile before joining?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James snapp on
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I don't remember I was about 7 or 8
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Permalink Reply by Timothy D. Stone Jr on
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My dad told me I should join. I had talked about it since I was about 10 years old. My mom loves the medical field and with over 900 medical calls a year and about 50 to 60 fires I think I like the medical side of it too lol.
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Permalink Reply by Devan Mills on
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my dad was a fireman for 20 years when i had first came to him and talk to him about me becoming a member of the brotherhood he did not like the idea. he told me "son i have seen so much death and hurt that i said i never wanted my son to be a fireman, and to this day i still dont" i of course had this oh that wont happen to me ill be fine mentality when i first joined, then myself and my fellow brothers experienced the ultimate pain in the fire service. we lost our long time friend and captain, after that my mind set changed but i still love the department and the work that we do it is noble god bless you my brothers and sisters stay safe
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Permalink Reply by Verle L Rademacher on
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I started as a wild land firefighter at the age of 15 fighting fires for the county, by the time I was 19 I was working as a US Forest Service Helitack Firefighter.
My dad was the one that worried the most as he had seen his mother burn and he had put her out at the age of 11. I always wondered why he was always at the station when we got back from a fire. I finally figured it out when I asked my Nephew who is a fire fighter, as he told me that when he got back in from calls when he worked for the forest service that dad was there waiting for him. He just wanted to make sure we made it home safe.
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Permalink Reply by Rod Irvine on
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I joined as a volunteer at the tender age of 16 , to be honest my mum hated the idea of her boy doing this kind of work even now after 14 years service between the paid staff and volunteer staff she still doesnt like it now that i have kids of my own she worries about what situations im putting myself into , My dad is also a fireman with 20 years service as a volly and he was so proud that i decided to do it too. I believe that what i am doin is the absolute best for me , I love my job and every day that i do it brings me so much pride that im doin something to help the wider community that i live in . as my wife says she is proud of the fact that i am doing the job that is just right for me and she couldnt see me doing anything else ... Im actually a trained mechanic and panel beater but i never saw that as what i truely wanted to do .
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Webster on
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My younger brother tried to get me to join the volunteer department for about a year. I always said that I had better things to do (parties, play softball, etc). Then one day there was a barn fire and I was bitten by the bug. My dad seemed indifferent, but my mother was worried since both of her sons were now on the fire department. Twelve years later I am hired at another fire department that neighbors the department my brother works at. "Don't worry Mom, we are on two different departments" I tell her. The next three weeks, we fight three structure fires together (different assignments of course). But today I can see her facebook page occasionally, and I can read both pride and worry in her words. I didn't realize till after joining the fire department 20 years ago this January that it would be such a dream job for me.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Needing one's parent's approval isn't something that an adult should be worrying about, if one is then there are deeper problems at hand.
Pointing out that my parents could have a reaction regardless, is presumptious on your part and more than a bit condescending, given that you yourself are only a child.
As for my parent's reaction; I have no control how they will react about something and I am not going to make MY life decisions based on how they may or may not react. It's actually what being an adult is about. Worrying about parental reaction is something a child worries about.
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Permalink Reply by Herb Genelly III on
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The OP said nothing about "needing" her parents approval. She was simply asking about their response to an adult decision to go into the fire-service. And some adults actually respect their parents wisdom because the value their input.
If I was deciding to go into a particular line of work my parents had been in, not asking them would be asinine. But its asking....not following.
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Herb,
And in my first response my point was that as an adult (in my opinion) it is not relevant what one's parents reaction may be. Which I further elucidated upon in my second response.
It almost seems as though you're suggesting that since I make my own decisions without regard to my parent's opinion or reaction that I don't/wouldn't value their wisdom. I really don't think you have any grounds to make such a statement, even broadly. Unless you were a helicopter parent who was overly involved in their child's life and decisions, then I can understand you making that comment about parently wisdom, value their input, etc.
Again, my point was that this post is relevant to children/young adults (the OP is a junior "firefighter") and that to me, my parent's reaction was (and still is) irrelevant. As an adult I make my own decisions.
No one said anything about asking a parent's opinion, only what their reaction was, and that is something that children (mostly) are concerned about. I don't believe I or the OP said anything about asking a parent that was, or had been, in that particular line of work.
Also, the OP is redundant in that there is already a 'discussion' on whether or not a parent would want their child to become a firefighter. Essentially the same question simply worded differently.
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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Dad backed me. Mom thought it was "Oh so dangerous!" Then I was told I was wasting my time on a low-paying job (EMS was first). It was low pay but not a waste of time.
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Permalink Reply by Phoenix on
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At the age of 16 when I told my parents I was joining the fire service they were very supportive and I think very proud. It was always and still is my "dream job". My mom said she figured this was coming, since the time I was able to walk, everytime I heard a fire engine siren, I would run to the window and start to drool.
I personally don't remember the drooling part but if mom said it happened....it must have happened.
When I was about 8 yrs old, I saw a firefighter die in the middle of my street. He was the tiller on a ladder truck, the truck hit a dip in the road, he got bounced out of his seat and landed on his head and neck. He was killed instantly. I stood next to this complete stranger and cried. My father said he knew right then firefighting was more than just a job to me. I'm tearing up right now thinking about that day.
Even after 27 years, I still get as excited as I did on my 1st call. When those tones drop....everything else goes into slow motion.
It's not a job.....it's a calling.
"Braithre Thar Gach Ni" "Brotherhood Above All"
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Permalink Reply by Brian Moyer on
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As a young child I always wanted to be a fireman or cop. When I was 15 we had a electrical fire at our house and our local volunteer dept got there in what seemed like just a few minutes and did an amazing job, that's when I knew the fire service was for me. Joined that same local VFD when I turned 16 and my parents were worried as they should be but they were also proud I decided to do something that can help people and safe lifes. They along with my wife now have been very supportive!
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