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Explorers/Jr’s Calling them selves Fire Fighters?
Maybe I am the only one who sees it this way but am I the only one who gets rubbed the wrong way when these young kids who are on an explorer post. walk around claiming to be fire fighters. I mean don’t get me wrong I think explorer posts are a great program. I used to belong to one, and it helped me a lot. But you but your butt, if any of the members of the department heard an explorer refer to them selves as a fire fighter and not an explorer that your butt would be walking out of the station looking like an idiot in front of the entire department.
When I was an explorer, we didn’t get pagers or billboard T shirts with the department name. We were there to be seen and not heard. We were there to clean trucks, hand jack hose, clean the bay, incident reports ETC…. and if you proved that you were willing to shut up and learn maybe get to do some structural drills, auto extrication training, and class room training.
Yet when did the title of fire fighter just start getting passed around. I work for a paid department. I spent 14 weeks in the academy, I’ve spent the past 5 ½ years working 24on 24off training my butt off, running master alarms, EMS calls, auto accidents, and working fires. I did my one year probationary period cleaning toilets, mopping floors, stand-bys in the alarm room, stuck on OT during the holidays when every one else was at home with there family’s. I have earned my right along with many other great men and women to be called fire fighter, and half the time when people ask me what I do, I just tell them I work on the base, and leave it at that. I don’t want my back patted and told how good of a job I do. I don’t want people coming up to me and thanking me every Sept. 11th. I just want to go do my job, help people and come home to my family the next day. I don’t know maybe it’s just me.
I know this is probably going to make a lot of the posters mad cause from the grammer and spelling errors I see in most of these posts I would be willing to say about half the people who post on here are kids. So how do you feel about it?
When I was an explorer, we didn’t get pagers or billboard T shirts with the department name. We were there to be seen and not heard. We were there to clean trucks, hand jack hose, clean the bay, incident reports ETC…. and if you proved that you were willing to shut up and learn maybe get to do some structural drills, auto extrication training, and class room training.
Yet when did the title of fire fighter just start getting passed around. I work for a paid department. I spent 14 weeks in the academy, I’ve spent the past 5 ½ years working 24on 24off training my butt off, running master alarms, EMS calls, auto accidents, and working fires. I did my one year probationary period cleaning toilets, mopping floors, stand-bys in the alarm room, stuck on OT during the holidays when every one else was at home with there family’s. I have earned my right along with many other great men and women to be called fire fighter, and half the time when people ask me what I do, I just tell them I work on the base, and leave it at that. I don’t want my back patted and told how good of a job I do. I don’t want people coming up to me and thanking me every Sept. 11th. I just want to go do my job, help people and come home to my family the next day. I don’t know maybe it’s just me.
I know this is probably going to make a lot of the posters mad cause from the grammer and spelling errors I see in most of these posts I would be willing to say about half the people who post on here are kids. So how do you feel about it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Unfortunately, the 'read' and 'thiink' parts often seem to be missing. I get the feeling that many posters look at the title of a thread and just jump in. Some seem to read the title and original post but ignore all following posts. Some few read what's been happening, then make a considered poat of their own. Such is life I suppose.
The other day I suggested to a friend that he delete a thread he started because of just this problem. People seemed to have read the title and that was it - the fact that it was a joke thread aimed at a couple of argument starting threads was totally missed by most posters. So I'll second your motion Christopher - Read, Think, Post.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher on
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Don't forget every one needs to shut up and color too. Hahaha
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Permalink Reply by Royce Terry on
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In our post alot of the firemen refer to us as firefighters we may not be them but we can do everything pretty much as a firefighter can do except for a few things. We can go on all calls if we our cleared by the advisors and have our 6 hour cource.
Even firefighters call our new explorers probe.
And its been going on this way since we started our post
And surprisingly pretty much all the old guys like us so theres a plus.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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I tend to agree....I also have "issues" with people that join a department and call themselves "firefighters"...If you look...they haven't had squat for training...just join...? Our Chief confronted one "probie" in reference to training...He informed him that he wasn't a "Firefighter" but merely a member of an organization...and also told him point blank that if by the end of his 1 year probation he didn't have at least FF1 in that the recommendation would be to NOT accept him as a full regular member of the department....reality orientation set in......As for the comment about "70 year olds that direct traffic.....I would be careful with that one....many of these "senior" Firefighters have done more than their share for both their departments and the Fire Service in general than any of the "Young Guns" have or will ever do....Give them their due.....That's my look at it...take it for what it is worth....Stay safe and remember to keep the faith.......Paul
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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I do agree with you, but I was told when I first got on, that the older guys have put their time in.
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Permalink Reply by Ni on
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You know I'm not really sure how to respond to this.
Honestly, Lets face the facts here in cold hard truth.
Explorers are boy scouts that want to 'explorer' the possibility of a career.
Lets put this into perspective.
I was an explorer with a Sheriff's Department.
I actually wrote speeding tickets (under the direction and supervision of an officer of course)
Help in the Conducting searches of Vehicles and homes, and
Wrote out Arrest reports and Testified before the arraignment judge (Where I was you were arraigned and bail set when you were booked)
Did any of that give me the right to call myself a Deputy or a Police officer?
No. It didn't.
So take that as you will and apply it to the fire service.
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Permalink Reply by Cory on
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It might be me but it almost sounds like Some junior, explore, or cadet firefighters have went into a fire, if that is the case wow, I wouldn't want to be in charge of that department, if something happens to those young men and women watch out. Cause here comes the lawyers. I do agree they can be a big help on the fire ground but if they are close to the structure on fire I have to disagree with that, LDH has been laid and hooked up and everything else that is exterior and not close to the house is done they shouldn't be any closer to the structure than the IC unless the IC due to manpower is close to the structure then they should stage back and watch and if there is more than one talk to between each other and what they think and later on when the IC isn't busy ask the questions they have and the IC should talk to them and explain what they have done and why. Next have they been threw the art of reading smoke class ? If not I suggest you go through it, it’s a great class. Have they been threw a fire behavior class? Have they been threw a building construction class? If they have that is great but just because you have been threw classes doesn't mean anything until you are on the fire ground and can truly understand what it means, certs are a piece of paper, being able to apply them is priceless. And it’s not like this process happens over night. Just because a firefighter aspires to be a Fire Chief you don't call him or her Chief do you ? Sorry I kinda got off the beaten path.
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Permalink Reply by Capt. Tom on
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Chris,
Here is a different point of view. I like to be treated with a reasonable amount of respect. I am assuming you do also. I do not demand respect that I have not earned, nor do I require others to earn my respect before I offer it. When I see another Officer from my Department or especially a neighboring Department out in public, I address them as "Chief", "Captain", or "Lieutenant". They have earned that respect by nature of their progression through the ranks. By extension I also respect the commitment that these young men and women (which you classify as 'kids") have demonstrated by putting their time into learning the value of giving of themselves for a higher purpose. I respect the fact that they take a lot of abuse, do a lot of grunt work, and are treated rather poorly by some "Senior Firefighters". I address them by name until they have shown me they have earned the title of "Jr. Firefighter". I do not call them "probie", "junior", or any other term which could have negative connotations unless they make a mistake they know better than to make, and when I do that it is generally with a slight smile and they take the hint with good humor.
Keep in mind that these youngsters don't have to be here, they WANT to be here. Their friends don't know what sacrifices these young people make, or the rewards they feel for their efforts. Why would I, as someone who cares about the growth and longevity of my Department, want to discourage these youngsters from learning and growing and being prepared to step into a functional role when they reach the magic age? That would be poor planning on my part, would it not?
We have had several Juniors step into a functional, mature, and useful roles within a very short time after reaching the magic age just because of their experience and training as Juniors.
My experience is that treating others with respect only helps you earn their respect. When you have their respect, the training and coaching go much easier.
Make no mistake, in my Department they are strictly "Junior Firefighters", but once in a while an Officer might slip and call one simply a "firefighter" as a subtle way of acknowledging a job well done or some other action of note.
As ye have sown, so shall ye reap,
Lt. Tom
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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I was going to compare this with JROTC and the military. A cadet is just that. A high school student who has shown a great interest in a military future and has gone that extra step by "enlisting"(enrolling) in classes to further that goal. Yet I would never even think about calling those persons Marine, Sailor etc..
What has turned off about this, is that there are 15 y/o on this forum who who complain about PPE not fitting. I want a badge, pager and portable radio. Even though they've only had a few hours of training and have never been in a live burn bldg.
The title of firefighter is something that has to be earned.Maybe your dept. recognizes a Jr as a FF. But don't expect me or my dept to call you one. I have nothing but respect for you time, energy and talent that you are giving to your community. But wait until you have FF1 before calling yourself a firefighter.
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Lt. I think he is talking about the Cadets or explores or Juniors, calling themselves in the public to people that they are firefighters and leaving out cadet or explore or junior. I don't think he has the intensions of down grading them by any means. I could be wrong but that is my take on what he has said.
Have good one and stay safe.
Cory
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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So we only call people who do fire attack fire fighters? What do you suggest we call other people who work hard on an incident or fire scene and put as much time & effort into their department as the people who don air packs & make entry?
I have been a member of a VFD for over 20 yrs. I haven't drug a hose in a long time, so does that make me not a fire fighter?
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I doubt that is what has been said, do you think that a cadet police officer is a cop? no they are a cadet, they are earning there title as cop if they go all the way threw and get hired as a reserve or full time or part time paid. Is a cop that sits behind a desk after 20 years still get called a cop yes cause he or she has put her time in. I have a hard time with someone running around and overstating there title, does an Assistant Chief introduce themself as a Chief to someone they don't know ? No they don't because if they did then that would make the person they are talking to think they are the Chief of the dept. So I believe that title have been put in place for a reason way before any of us got hired or put on a dept. in one form or another. And they were put in for a reason. I would believe that if someone calls a Cadet a firefighter there is probably a reason for it but I don't think they need to go around calling themself a firefighter and overstating themself thats my opinion.
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