The fire Scene is not a smoke a thon!

i am part of Angelina river volunteer fire department. i have been with them for about a year now. and one thing that i have noticed is that our fire men take WAY to many smoke breaks during meetings and on scene. being a smoker myself i understand that it gets stressful out there, but one person shouldnt stop the entire meeting for everone to.smoke a cigarette.. thats ridiculus.. what are some of yalls views and opinions about this?

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Permalink Reply by Moose on July 8, 2011 at 11:22am

We conduct our meetings without any breaks and the smokers seem to be ok with that. Granted, there is always a mad rush to the outside after the adjournment is called!!!

Our assistant chief smokes, our squad captain smokes and a few others but they make it the entire 1 1/2 hours of the meeting without asking for a smoke break.
Fire classes are different. It seems that the smokers attack the instructor the first night and beg him to have numerous breaks for nicotine application, so for the rest of us we have to wait every hour for 15 minutes while the smokers rush outside. Meantime we dont get out of class untill 10:30 11:00pm and home by 11:30 midnight...thats late for those of us up at 4:30am for work!!!

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 8, 2011 at 11:33am

our meetings dont even have a set time limit it just goes on untill there is nothing else that needs to be said and then after the meeting we still have to di checks, fuel ups, sometimes we have to rack hose or wash hose if there has been a fire.within the last day or so.. but our meetings consist of about 8 smoke breaks while ill only take maybe two anai dont usually call a break i just excuse myself and go to the back.. but pisses me off even more than that is when guys will light up in the room with the doors.closed and ash on the floor!! im usually the one who sqeeps the floor voluntarily! but i dont usually get home untill 11 or 12 and i have college homework to finish usually.. ahouldnt be a problem in ther fall tho ive opted to take a a class on mondays now and my chief has told me we can have a personal meeting to go over all the stuff the next night..

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 8, 2011 at 11:03pm

what is wrong with me smoking if our meetings get stopped for EVERYONE ELSE to go out and smoke.. the problem isnt with me its all of us as a group

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Permalink Reply by 3vk33w32w7pfq on July 8, 2011 at 11:10pm

We have started to have an issue with smokers on our dept. Ihave made it clear that there is to be no smoking on scene verbally and with a written policy. We have a job to do and we eat enough smoke and chemicals, smokers are going to have to wait til they are back in there own vehicle or property to light up, it's our village ordinance .besides it just doesn't look professional. can you imagine going to the dentist and having him light up just as he starts to do a root canal?

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 8, 2011 at 11:18pm

the subject came up when we were writing our.guidelines and they decided that all the rigs have been smoked in. and they also decided that when on big fires they set up a sort of smokers lounge away from the scene.. and if its a huge fire like we had the other day that weny on for about 4 days straight and burned.roughly 4200 acres.. you smoked in your down time or whenever you get a chance.. i have to admit on that fire i quickly became a heavy smoker on.scene because all that was going on it was so.atressfull.

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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on July 9, 2011 at 10:47pm

Why do you stop the meeting & who cares if they smoke at a fire scene?

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 9, 2011 at 10:51pm

i dont stop the meetings and i dont care. i just posted this to aee what every one elae thinks

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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on July 10, 2011 at 7:08pm

and they also decided that when on big fires they set up a sort of smokers lounge away from the scene
I prefer the beer garden personally. Can take a bit longer to set up, but well worth it. In summer, we'll inlcude umbrellas and get a load of sand delivered and soak our feet in buckets of water....

You're shitting me right? They seriously are that addicted, that your department has to go to these lengths????

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 10, 2011 at 7:37pm

i wish i was playing with yall but im not

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on July 10, 2011 at 7:59pm

Seems priorities are compromised there.....no wonder there is a tough time recruiting juniors.

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Permalink Reply by Cody Martin on July 10, 2011 at 8:04pm

there is some personal issues that need to be solved deffinatly.

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Permalink Reply by capcityff on July 10, 2011 at 9:04pm

I'm thinking the same thing. If you already put the fire out then do whatever you want. Same with medicals, if the run is over and you're outside and smoke something before heading back that's fine by me. It doesn't hinder your job performance.