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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS
Is it just me or has the commitment of the younger firefighters these days just gone to pot? Now don't get me wrong there are some young guys and gals out there that still go get it but they are a shrinking breed. Out of 20+ applicants to take our last agility test only 5-6 passed the rest just quit because they were tired out. We have a working fire at my volley station and 1 cylinder of air and they are laid out in the yard wipped out and the house is still burning, and one last thing is this, it's all about "me" thing, only looking out for myself instead of whats best for the crew or the dept.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Well, once again, I am sitting here on the left coast, not seeing the reported behavior as you have described. With very few exceptions, every new firefighter recruit that I have had the pleasure to meet at both my department as well as the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy has been nothing less than exemplary in both their attitude and job performance. Now I understand that my department is incredibly difficult to get hired by and that most of the candidates hired the last eight years have had at least a bachelors degree, but still, these new guys are not only sharp but they bring to the table experience from hotshot crews, paramedic ambulances and the trades. What we end up with are new folks that are ensuring a successful future for my department. This all starts with minimum standards that include the CPAT testing and awesome academies like the one in Oxnard, CA. Locating a successful academy is one of the most important things a young firefighter candidate should do to ensure that they develop the proper mind set.
Another key point about all of these firefighters is that they are hungry for the job. Every opportunity is taken advantage of and exploited, as it should be. Complacent firefighters generally speaking don't last long around here and what's cool is that they typically take the weaker members of the academy and make sure that they don't get left behind. This results in some really motivated individuals that I get as rookies at my fire station.
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Permalink Reply by Joel C Kelley on
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Granted, but I am not describing the modern way. Back in the day, there were no SCBA and No nomex hoods. These innovations were met with alot of resistance by the 'old timers'. Today they are SOP. Things change, and we need to be adaptable to that change.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Bradford on
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I agree somewhat. I am 19. My station has five young guys join within a years time. We are all interested in firefighting as a carreer. Three of us are hitting up training left and right. I have been with the department a year and have had well over 150+ hours in training. We are always at work or the station doing maintenance or running calls. We are first on the truck last ones to get on. We are goin till we cant go no more. We may be the few exceptions you talk about, cause ive seen other guys my age in it for the sirens and bragging rights and glory, but this is one of the things im very good at, i enjoy, and what really clicks with me. I will tell you this, somethings wrong if me and my two partners are not there, not packed up, not bein first in the house, and not doin something till that truck gets back to the station. There still is hope. It out there just gotta find them.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Hi Joel Your right but I started in the service using a chemmox breathing equipment that you had to replace the canister that had charcoal in it in order to breath more . Than I went into the Scott SCBA.God Bless You .
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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I have read a few of the responses, from both older and younger firefighters and feel compelled to say many have missed the point.
I am glad to hear that some younger kids are more trained than many in their department. Great kid, but some of you can't run a mile without stopping for a break either.
The new era of unfit firefighters are caused by the culture of today's society. Kids do very little physically these days. Technology has driven our children to be unhealthy children. They play video games instead of spending the entire day outside doing someting physical. The word, hard work for a dollar is non-existant today. Nobody can find kids to do physical labor, like bailing hay, digging a hole, or cutting trees, etc. Many work at McDonalds or Circuit City in the air conditioning. Then they eat junk food and what does that produce? Unfit society! Not just firefighters either. 1 million people died last year from cardiac arrest. The food itself is another problem. It's not as healthy as food from my parents/grand parents era. Less nutrients due to lack of fertile land, toxins, air pollution. Why eat an apple when you can eat apple flavored fruit snack, which has no real apples in it. You could eat almost a whole baske t of apples to match the caloric intake or some of the "junk food". I call it "Overfed and Under-nourished". Now add in that almost everyone in the world is walking around dehydrated, due to overuse of coffee, soda and caffeinated products instead of drinking water like our parents or grandparents did and that is the straw that broke the camels back...
How can anyone expect an un-physically fit, overweight, and dehydrated firefighter, go from an air conditioned office job, who drank ONLY 6 sodas today and respond to a working fire in 80-90 degree heat with a thermal insult of a modern day fire and expect more than one bottle and "whipped"
What you should be planning on is a LODD funeral unless your department, gets on the ball and does some realistic training on health, wellness and personal safety.
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Hello, I couldn't agree with you more.Its very important to your life to stay in great shape.
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Permalink Reply by cole warf on
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Hey, I am what u would call a younger firefighter. however, i want to frown when all ya'll talk about the younger ones. The department that i am on is a volunteer department and when it comes down to it it mostly young guys making the runs. for example we had a working structure fire one morning and it was a quick stop that was next to an apartment building. we had 4 guys there and guess how many were young 3 of em. the oldest one was our assistant chief who drove the truck and he is only 30 so please dont call all young firefighters bad ones. and by the way i have been throught three bottles and on my way for a fourth when i was made to go to rehab
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Borra on
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The NFPA has put so much on us that we can not get down and dirty like we use to.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Actually, somebody found that it was cheaper to mass produce them in Taiwan and China. Boy, my department thought they were a bargain. Complete with action posing and the kung fu grip!
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Permalink Reply by Ray Edwards on
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I believe alot has to do with training and how well you stick to sog's or sop's.Train them well and hold them to high standards and they will become great fire fighters.You must treat them with respect and earn their respect as superiers.Praise them when they do good and assist them when they fail.As a firefighter, if we fail , it could cost a life.You all be safe and God bless
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Cole,
I am in no way picking on the younger firefighter's. If you were to really look into my post, I intervened with how the older personnel(usually management)need to be looking into the situation of over-stressing younger firefighters who do not have the same work ethic, or history as compared to firefighters of the past. Times have changed...
As for your recent fire and operating on four cylinders before rehab, in my opinion is a liability because you may not be able to identify when your internal core is overheating. Many times we see firefighters come out of an attack, dizzy, light-headed, naseau, vomiting or even pass-out with one maybe two cylinders. These were described by the author of this post as "whipped". These medical conditions for the most part are caused from internal stressors on our bodies core temperature. WE ARE OVERHEATED. Mentally no, but physically yes!
I don't care what is on fire, any firefighter who is overworked to the point of heat stress, exhaustion or ultimately cardiac arrest, when not properly rehabbed as required is just poor incident management.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Or counting the number of days to retirement.
Art
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