did you ever wish you had a different job?

i was just wondering if anyone had ever had a moment where the would want a different job. like when you couldn't save a little kid with cpr did you ever wish you had a desk job? your average 9-5? I guess this would be when the stress of the job got to you or something.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecah Baker on January 1, 2009 at 5:59pm
oh ya i thought about it when i lost 3 girls in a MVC i couldn't do any thing for them....but i stuck it out... some times you loose some but then it worth it when you have a little kid run up to you on a fire or in school and they tell every one that you are their hero cause you tought them how to get out of a house fire or call 911 cause their mommy is hurt...in the long run you will touch more lives....so stick with it.....

Becca
Permalink Reply by John Perry on January 1, 2009 at 6:20pm
5th generation firefighter from upstate NY. I made my mind up, when I was 5yrs old. My grandfather came in one christmas morning cover in Ice. That is when I knew I was going to be a Firefighter. Stay safe John
Permalink Reply by Tony P on January 1, 2009 at 7:25pm
A good question Jess, just to get people thinking. Some of the answers are simple bravado, others give a view of a person who's been there. Others show results of the other downside of the 'job' - those who have had to cope with the politics and the style of financial worries of the US fire services. We have money issues, but because our FRS is so big at least we don't have small-town politicians to worry about!

I don't do this as a career, but it's now all I do - full time volunteer firefighter is what I put myself down as! Did I ever want to be a career FF? No, never really occured to me - as a child I wanted to be in the Army, I grew and they wouldn't take me, I grew some more and had a career then got conscripted. Oh well.

I like the way you worded the question, "ever had a moment ", in other words not seriously thought of giving it away, but just that brief moment. I think a lot of us might have thought "damn, why am I doing/seeing this?", then almost immediately "because someone has to, and I can". Some people might say (nobody here has) that as a Junior, why the doubts. But even as a junior you are exposed to the downside; your FD has one of those nasty happenings, you're part of it, you feel it. So has this happened? If so, you have a lot of friends here you could talk to, as well as at your FD. If not it was simply a good thought for a thread!
Permalink Reply by Chuckles on January 1, 2009 at 9:50pm
I have worked several different jobs prior to the fire service, I would have to say this is the best job out there. Also I have been on medical leave since October 1st and I am dying to get back at it. Lots of us had said not working would be great but the truth is it sucks big time when you can't do anything when the tones hit. SO no I don't wish I have a different job.
Smoke EaterPermalink Reply by Smoke Eater on January 2, 2009 at 3:37am
I would love to be a career firefighter but I make too much money at my current job. Besides my wife worries about me now when the pager goes off. Just imagine if she didn't know what kind of calls I was on. She would be worried till I got home from my shift!!! LOL

Stay safe!!!
Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on January 2, 2009 at 9:30am
In a word: NO!
If you are going to be in this business-and it IS a business, no matter if it's career or volunteer-then you have to push your mind beyond all of the bads things to the good things.
There has to be a pay off for seeing all of the heartache and despair as you go about your duties as a public servant.
If you are already dwelling on the "stress", then I'm afraid a promising career may be cut very short.
It's only stress if you don't manage it. If you convince yourself that you can't reinvigorate your mental health, then stress will indeed eat you up.
The only way that I would ever give up my involvement is when I am no longer breathing.
And you can't say something like that if you are "stressed out".
TCSS.
Art
Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on January 2, 2009 at 11:09am
Nope, I'm not even going to attempt Guitar Hero.
I bought the Rock Band version for my daughters, and they haven't gotten tired of it yet.
They were still rocking out at 03:00 this morning.

The only problem is that they only have 3 Wii controllers, so they are searching for a bass player.
If you have a Wii controller and can handle 5 color-coded buttons, you're invited.

I did get the girls kazoos as stocking stuffers. They are a lot less expensive than Guitar Hero, and listening to the kazoo duet of "Jingle Bells" for the 17th time on Christmas morning was hilarious.

My wife apparently failed "Kazoo Music Appriciation", as she was not nearly so amused as were the girls and I.
Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 2, 2009 at 12:30pm
Yes I do. I make good money at my current job, but money isn't everything. I'm a volunteer Firefighter, but wish I could do it full time. Unfortunately, I'm 35 and that's too old to start as a full time Firefighter. My Dad was full time and I should have gotten into the field a long time ago.
Permalink Reply by Ricky on January 2, 2009 at 12:43pm
Ryan, if you think 35 is too old then you give up too easily.
I was 42 when I started my "full time career" after 10 years as a volunteer. I took a $7500.00 pay cut also, just to do what I love. There are days when I want to tell the white shirts to bite me, but I will retire from this profession. I too, wish I had started my career sooner, but it happened then for a reason.
Be safe, and never give up.
Oh yeah, to answer the topic question, not for a minute!
Permalink Reply by Chris on January 2, 2009 at 4:05pm
IDK... I guess i just love my job. I have never really wanted to do anything else.
Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on January 2, 2009 at 4:36pm
The only time I wished I had a different job, was when I wasn't doing this one. There are days when it's tough; the cancer patient surrounded by her kids at the park, who just doesn't want to go to the hospital anymore, but has to; the child injured in an mvc who is afraid and wondering why his mother is on a backboard; the single parent who just lost her home at Christmas time; the multiple fatalities all under 20 in one mvc... but you know what? No matter what, I am still happy to have this job. I am still happy to at least have the opportunity to try to help make the situation better.

Bst job in the world, stress or not.
Permalink Reply by Jose L. Gonzalez on January 2, 2009 at 6:00pm
I had a desk job for almost half my life and NO, i couldn't think of a better job than this. Even when the stress level is at its peak, the only thing I ever regret is not having joined earlier in my life. what I have come to realize, is that even when you have the "worst" call, you have ways of pulling through. My brothers on "A" shift here, had one such incident this week involving a 9yr in a fire. It suffices to say that things didn't turn out the way they would have hoped. I can't speak for them, but in general, I don't believe either of them will be switching their bunkers for a suit and tie anytime soon. Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes you wish things didn't get "hairy" but that's probably one of the characteristics of the job that attracted us to it.

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