The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
What REALLY Motivates you? My concern is....
It's with interest that I read many member profiles on this website and it fascinates me to see where people are from, I love looking at the pix and getting a bit of an idea what people look like, their departments, equipment, etc.
However one thing that really concerns me, particularly with the "younger ones" or the newbies to the services, is some of the motivations and reasons for joining the emergency servcies, that I read in many profiles.
Plenty of people have written "They want to save lives", "They like the adrenalin rush" and so on and so on.
My concerns lies with the fact that the harsh reality is that in many, many instances we don't save lives, we don't rescue people- we're often perfroming recoveries, or the medical treatment fails for a multitude of reasons. (I know quite a few first responders and call takers/despatchers that have gone through some horrible times with Critical Incident Stress, inlcuding myself)
As for the adrenalin junkies- by all means enjoy your self, get a kick out of belonging to fantastic "family", but keep the adrenalin at bay. Adrenalin rushes can lead to accdients and potentially dangerous decisions being made.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want to scare people away, but be realistic about what drives you- this is a very, very, very harsh career or hobby choice- don't be blindsided by it.....
Be safe!
However one thing that really concerns me, particularly with the "younger ones" or the newbies to the services, is some of the motivations and reasons for joining the emergency servcies, that I read in many profiles.
Plenty of people have written "They want to save lives", "They like the adrenalin rush" and so on and so on.
My concerns lies with the fact that the harsh reality is that in many, many instances we don't save lives, we don't rescue people- we're often perfroming recoveries, or the medical treatment fails for a multitude of reasons. (I know quite a few first responders and call takers/despatchers that have gone through some horrible times with Critical Incident Stress, inlcuding myself)
As for the adrenalin junkies- by all means enjoy your self, get a kick out of belonging to fantastic "family", but keep the adrenalin at bay. Adrenalin rushes can lead to accdients and potentially dangerous decisions being made.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want to scare people away, but be realistic about what drives you- this is a very, very, very harsh career or hobby choice- don't be blindsided by it.....
Be safe!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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If I don't see something besides "excitement and adrenaline rush", then they can go get their jollies somewhere else.
People who have just been burned out and lost a lifetime of memories aren't wanting to see a bunch of adrenaline junkies high-fiving each other because they had a "big one".
We have to balance our draw to excitement with a geniune desire to help an incident have a positive outcome. If it is only about us and not them, then we're a pretty selfish lot.
So, when someone asks you "why do you do it?" You'd better say something like "it's the excitement of knowing that I could help someone get through a very difficult time".
And keep the high fives for when you get back to the station and the bay doors are down.
IMHO.
Art
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Very well put Art, I have seen a few of our guys get alittle to excited at the scene and that is not where to be getting all hyped up, to many times a news camera will film it and that just does not look well for the Department.
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Permalink Reply by Cory on
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Have you seen fireman vs. policeman ? if you haven't you'll get a good laugh at it there are 10 of them and you can do 1 - 7 then the rest individually on youtube
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Permalink Reply by MadysoNicole [NREMT-B] on
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As a 'newbie' to the services... my father and brother were/are involved in EMS and fire. I didn't join to follow the family. I didn't join for the adrenaline rush, and I didn't join to save people. I joined because it felt like the right thing. I did some ride-a-longs, took some classes, and just fell inlove. The adrenaline, and knowing that I have already helped someone, after two shifts... feels amazing, and I love it even more. It's not the reason I joined.
I feel most people are joining for the glory. Thats my opinion. Firefighters and EMT's are sometimes, not always, considered hero's. I think most people join to be a hero... and not in a good way. Like a status.
Does that make sense?
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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Wow! I thought this post had a died a long time ago, not a case of FIGJAM, but it is good to trawl through the archives and see some of the interesting conversations that have taken place...
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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See Dan, your NOT the only one :)
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Permalink Reply by paul vance on
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The motivation for some ,myself included is as a child I felt compelled to be a fireman dont ask why. We do all the nasty jobs no one else wants, we work long hours for little pay or in some cases no pay, just to hear people bad mouth and belittle the fire service but, when you get the one person who sees you out in town and says thank you it makes everything ok once again. I have lost some and saved some but they were far and few between. I hope that anyone who thinks it is all glory will think again. I do it because...... the answer lies out there somewhere but until I find it I still respond.
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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If you've checked my profile, did you notice that that specific question wasn't answered? It seemed a bit strange that I would have to write things like "I didn't join to save lives", or "I didn't join to be a hero". Easier to leave it out. My answer to the why did you join is still 'me' though - I was available. They needed members. I decided I didn't need a life. Facetious? Who, me?
On the point of people (especially the young male type people) wanting to join for the drama, the saving of life, the adrenalin surge, We try our damndest to downplay anything like that. We strongly point out the never ending training, the large number of 'nothing' calls, the huge commitment we demand from members. Glamour? No. Heroes? No. Tedium? Often. Hurry up and wait? All the time. It scares a few off too!
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Turner on
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Hot guys? In the fire service??? AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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I have to tell you all something in reference to this....I thought that I originally joined because I wanted to give something back to my community....BUT.....To be honest I have received so much more than I could ever hope to get that it is truely unbelievable....The friends I have made...the people I have had the honor to meet and know....and the very special people that are now part of my "Family"...Yes, the Brothers and Sisters that I have had the honor to work with over the years.... I hope some of the younger people coming to join have this same satisfaction someday....To all of you out there wherever you may be...EMS or Fire Service....Paid or Volunteer.....Thanks for the memories...Stay safe all and always remember....KEEP THE FAITH.......Paul
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Permalink Reply by Dominic Giovannone on
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im new to the service and i would like to say that we know somewhat that its not just fire and rescue all the time. i have got to go on several different style calls and im learning thing about each call. when i first wanted to be a firefighter, it was all about helping people and the rush. now more than anything , its the proudness i feel when im on the job. its also the support from my family telling me how proud they are. those things are now what drive me to be the best at the job that i can be. my kids enjoy all the little thing like going to the station to see the trucks. i got a paper my son did in school home yesterday and its asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up. his reply was i used to wanna be a police man or a doctor, but i now wanna join the fire dept. with my dad and be a firefighter. these thing help me do my job
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