Volunteer Firefighters

At our dept. you are allowed to go on calls if your 18 years old or older and have your basic classes. Has anyboby ever made fun of you for being a volunteer. Because when i was in senior year of high school last year i had a few people come to me and say firemen want be, and ask why. and i tell them its not for the fame or glory its to help others in need.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Thomas on September 22, 2008 at 7:59am

I think everyone who started at a volunteer will get some hell from their friends, families, etc. It takes a different type person to run into situations where those other people have nightmares about. They chasitize the unknown. Most people don't know what its like to feel the heat or get woke up at 3 AM to probably never make it back again. I caught so much hell from my family and friends in high school that I almost changed my mind but I stuck with it and if it wasn't working two separate accidents, one while in high school and one the summer after, that killed mutual friends of mine and the people who gave me crap for being a volunteer that they started seeing the tragedy we see everyday and began to respect the idea more. After 15 years of still being in the fire service I am glad that I didn't let them change my mind for me.

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Permalink Reply by Damon Dyer on September 22, 2008 at 8:06am

This is the way it should be but there is always some haters out there . Some of my best friends are career and i would not trade them for the world . We even have a few career on our volunteer dept. .

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Permalink Reply by Darrell Underwood on September 22, 2008 at 8:31am

:et those that say you are not a firefighter soend a weekend in firefighter safety and survival. You train as hard as the paid firefighters, most of the time we train with them. We fight fires with our city firefighters. The only difference between them and us is we are fighting fires 365 days a year instead of 24 hrs every three days.

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Permalink Reply by Moose on September 22, 2008 at 9:39am

"There is no bigger heart than that of a Volunteer..."

We are here to help our neighbors and friends, and we do so without pay. Do not let anyone make fun of what you do. Stand up and be proud. We are ALL firefighters like the cartoon above states, regardless of race, color, sex, or paid status.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Thomas on September 22, 2008 at 10:14am

Why even bring the paid vs. volunteer issue into this?? EVERY firefighter does the same job 24/7/365...nothing more nothing less.

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Permalink Reply by turk182 on September 22, 2008 at 11:24am

The way I look at it is if anyone makes fun of you for volunteering to help people they are either morons or just jeaslous because they are to selfish to do it them selves.

If volunteering to help people makes you happy and you love fire fighting keep doing.

Fire fighting is a calling and it does not matter if you are volly or paid we are one family and as the site says one firefighter nation. I will ever take it further and say one emergency service family do not let people drive you from what you love to do.

One day when they need help and they see you standing there ready to help them they will no longer pick on you so much.