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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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"WELL CHRIS I DONT THINK YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE GRAMMER AND SPELLING ERRORS FROM ME". No, but perhaps you should. Why not use upper and lower case instead of shouting?
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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Paul. . . It seems you didn't read my comment very clearly. I definitely HAVE put myself through it. I AM A FIREFIGHTER too. I HAVE been through the heat & the flames so yes I do understand. I have put over 30 years of blood, sweat & tears into my VFD. For part of that time, I couldn't even be considered a Jr firefighter because girls couldn't be firefighters or even fire department members at all so I was an Auxiliary member. But I eventially did become a member and I EARNED my card and my title. I earned my title of Safety Officer.
I am #4 on the senority list @ my station but my card says the same thing as others who earned their title a year ago. It says VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. No, they don't have the level of experience I have because I have had over 20 years to accumulate my experience and my training. Some of them have never been inside a burning building other than in training. Some of them have never been on a HazMat incident. Thank God, some of them have never smelled burning flesh but they are firefighters.
There are MANY LEVELS of firefighter. Some levels are much more advanced than others. Perhaps that is the real issue, that we don't go around calling folks by their training & experience, we use firefighter as a general term for those who don't have rank such as Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief or Chief, Inspector or Marshall. I'm sure there are many other titles as well but those are used in my FD.
AS I SAID . . jrs & associates are "MEMBERS" but they often put a lot of sweat equity in as well. So AGAIN to those of you who feel they are NOT firefighters WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST we call people who in your words have not been through the heat & the flames? Are we working toward a scarlet letter on their chest?
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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Okay well heres my question to you personally i do consider myself a firefighter. Right now im 17 and in around 6 months i will be hitting 18. Ive been in my volunteer company since i turned 16, about a year and a half now. Ive taken several training course including weeks of firefighter one and i do plan on continue my training as well to move on to become a career when im finished with high school and college. Ive also done some things that go beyond the call for my company such as getting some severally needed turnout gear, helping us get more on track with some of our equipment and gaining our company alot more need positive PR. I also rank as #2 in calls responded to behind the head chief (well actually me and another FF are in 2nd were tied). So in you opinion would i be considered a firefighter or just a jr until i hit 18. Im not trying to argue with you in any way im just asking your personal opinion?
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Permalink Reply by Robbie Snow on
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It sounds to me for someone who claims not to be requesting a pat on the back, they sure did post A LOT of things that they have done in their career. And maybe someone didn't learn while being an explorer or jr fireman that being a fireman means being in a brotherhood. Maybe an explorer doesnt run into a burning building or cut open a door and pull an injured person from a wreckage, but he/she brings their butt up to the house to do all the work that no one else in the fire house wants to do everytime something needs to be washed or put up or whatever else. and if that dont sound like a brother, then what does ? So yeah I think after a certain extent an explorer or jr fireman IS A FIREMAN ! And for someone who claims to "just want to do my job, help people and come home to my family the next day," it sure does sound like your doing a lot of griping ! Or I don't know, "maybe it's just me."
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Permalink Reply by Timothy D. Stone Jr on
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When I was an explorer, I worked my butt off. I ran more calls then over half of my dept. In fact there was only one person that ran more than me. I was givin my first set of turn out gear when I was an explorer. I had taken and passed Mod 1 while I was an explorer. I went in my first house fire while I was an Explorer. I may of not had a pager but I bought my own radio. I spent more time at that dept then the chief. And yes i called my self a FireFighter...so tell me why I didnt have the right to.
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All I gotta say about the issue of Paid or not being real firefighters is that we are both firefighters we both risk our lifes to save ppl. but its takes a lot of balls to do it with out getting paid lol But I would love to get paid for doing what I love.
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Permalink Reply by Lieutenant A. Sampler on
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Wow this has been a hot topic, but I can see what Chris is trying to say, for instance it is like a Med Student, when he first starts med school he or she isn't considered a Doctor, it is a title that is worked hard for and achieved through hard work and dedication. So what I think he is getting at is UNTIL a state certification or course is attended and passed to achieve the title as FIREFIGHTER, that you are considered a explorer,cadet, or Jr Firefighter but still an important factor to a good department.
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Permalink Reply by anne potter on
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They are your next generation of fireman.. Young teenagers proud of being something don't find that to often.. So what who are they hurting.... These kids are working hard I hope in becoming fireman.. Negative feedback from the adults could lead to quiting.. See you, see you self a a employer which is sad being a fireman is more than a job,maybe that is why you can not see these kids as being a good thing to the future of firefighting,,,
Oh yea that last part on your post .. Why would you go and write something like that. It is a forum place a post and ride it out.. Get the answers for which people feel is the answer.... Asfar as spelling and gramma don't worry I am probally right up there for lousy spelling,but this is not a english class it for fun and for getting a bunch of people together who don't know each other to learn different things....
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Permalink Reply by Damon Dyer on
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I had some that rolled hose , changed air bottles , got water and attended nearly all the meetings . There are firefighters that won't do all that .
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Permalink Reply by Firefighter/EMT on
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I have to agree with the post, I know i have only been involved with the fire department for 3 years, but when i started i had to start at the bottom and until i got training in and some calls under my belt, i didnt even want to consider myself a firefighter, i mean ur a junior and explorer for a reason i mean it would be like a security guard calling himself a police officer, just cause he knows stuff and what not doesnt make him the same as a police officer does it?....I mean it seems anymore nobody wants to start at the bottom everyone wants to be at the top from the begining, My department has a few juniors and we call them junios and thats what they r, they arent allowed to ride on any of the engines and they r limited with what they can do, so how does that count as being a firefighter, and i mean i think having juniors and explorers are a great thing, i mean they r the future of Fire/EMS....but i just think its kinda a smack in the face when some 15 or 16yr comes in and the next day you hear them going around to there friends saying how they r firefighters, i mean how is it the day before they werent but now they r and they didnt even do anything different. I also work for a local EMS, and we have an explorer post, and yes they spend alot of time running with the crews and studying things, and yea they might know some things that others may not, but that doesnt make them EMT's or Medic's...so i just feel that if ur a junior or explorer be proud of that and call urself that, and in time you will work ur way up and get the training u need to call urself a firefighter, but hey this is all just my opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Joey "BigShow" De Piano on
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It comes to each Dept. and its members allowing things to be said that shouldn't, what i mean is simple if someone anyone claims to be a fire Fighter cop or ems for whatever reason if we as a person or group or dept turn a blind eye to it while knowing full well that individual is nothing they claim to be then shame on us , when you join and go through the ranks of any emergency field you are treated and expected to do act and be and do certain things if you do more great if you do less you hear it case closed. If you have a big mouth explorer or junior claiming to be what he/she is not by earning the right we have then you need to ashut them down by making a spectacle of theat person point out they have not earned it, make a point they have not paid their dues, and pin them down with your skills and education in our field. This entire topic reminds me of something I went through years ago when I graduated Marine boot camp I came home with a huge chip on my shoulder and anytime I saw kids my age wearing fatigues and making suggestion they were a soldier I flipped out but when my Sgt. took me aside and explained that what I know these people will never know that is my weapon to embarrass them into shutting up, simply put be it a M16 and how it works or a master stream off a tower with a curtain you know more cause you earned it put the juniors , explorers and probies in their place, cause you can bet your butts if you do not and they carry that arrogance on they become the ones who you can not train and start these clicks to cause problems just like we had to these guys and girls who have not earned the right yet need to know and be affraid that running of the mouth means 30 days vacation
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