Mistakes made

We've got the forget your helmet thread, and we have the forget anything thread. So how about another 'be honest' thread?

What mistake have you made? Let's keep it light-hearted, talk about silly things.

Me? I once read out loud the incident address from my pager while on route. Problem being I read the address from a previous call and that's where we went... Thankfully we were the third vehicle out and it was a false alarm. Still, very embarrasing and not something I intend to do ever again! To make sure it doesn't happen again I now delete messages from my pager as soon as the incident is over!

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on May 10, 2009 at 11:34pm

I forgot my overhaul thong once...we couldn't start overhaul until I went back to the station and put it on.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on May 10, 2009 at 11:37pm

OK Ben, I have to ask. But remember, I'm from a different country to you, so please be gentle!

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on May 10, 2009 at 11:40pm

Tony, had something similar. Got a call for a fire downtown. I went in route in my duty rig code 3. When I came to the first stop light I went to the right thinking the fire was North of the station. So here I go sirens blaring and everyone pulling over for me only to realize after I went a couple of blocks that I should have gone South on main street. So I pulled a Uwee, and went back the other way passing all those cars that had just pulled over for me going the other way. I was so embarrassed. Especially, when I got to where the call was and everything was ok and no fire. False alarm. My crew who was about to leave the station commented about that they had seen me go one way and then the other. I told them I was taking the long way there so the fire would have more time to get going and thus they would have something to do. LOL
I could never admit to them Ide made a mistake. LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Dylan Blake Zachary on May 10, 2009 at 11:47pm

well mine happened earlier today it was a bad call and didnt need other people besides us firefighters and the paramedics getting the way. so these two guys come and are like hey we know that guy what happened. i couldnt think of hepa laws cause i was more worried about the call. so i said according to uh FEMA laws i cant tell you.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on May 10, 2009 at 11:49pm

"Overhaul thong" is my standard response to the "What do you carry in your turnout gear pockets" thread that seems to start anew every couple of weeks. Overhaul thongs are related to those equally fictional "Tincture of Drywall" shots to which a "well-armed" FFN member refers.

I took the "silly things" request pretty literally there, I guess.

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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on May 10, 2009 at 11:59pm

Not something I've done, but administered the "chat" with that person afterwards...

Me and my team is doing interior attack in a house that's blowin and goin pretty good. I know the trucks hooked to a hydrant cause I caught the plug on the way in. So we're about 10 mins into this fire when all of a sudden i hear "WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" (you guessed it, primer pump) I think to myself no big deal, pressures good and we still got water so we truck on. After the fire's out I asked the pump op why he felt the need to pull the primer on a hydrant. I get told that "I had to cause the water wasn't coming to the truck" to which I pondered how 25 inches of pull can get water faster than 40 pounds of pressure coming from the hydrant. So I mentioned that with 900 feet of 3 inch on the ground you're not gonna have water in 3 seconds.

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Permalink Reply by Cody W. Nelson on May 11, 2009 at 12:04am

We have several other duties we perfrom besides firefighting and medical calls. We flow test/maintain hydrants in our territories, perform business safety surveys and do public educaton. During my probationary year, we were getting out early this particular morning and it was my job to gather the hydrant kit and make sure we had plenty of mineral oil in the can. The next morning I got up and placed all the supplies on the engine before cooking breakfast. We loaded up and as we were rolling out the door, dispatch calls us and sends us on structure fire. We have a policy that does not allow us to dress out in our turnout gear while rolling down the road. So we respond and I jump out of the truck. I had forgot my turnout pants. So I got to watch another probie fight MY first, first due fire. To make matters worse, I also forgot to tie the hydrant kit to the tailboard and we lost that entire kit. For 2 years, my nickname was "ratchet strap."

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Permalink Reply by Michael Vito on May 11, 2009 at 2:58am

me, while I was inside trying to fight the fire at a school library. I broke a wrong window in my left in which I thought would vent.... but in a hallway? The other firefighter from a different unit saw in which I didn't saw at first. He just open the windows to my right. And it vented outside the building. The smoke subsided saw the fire where it coming from and knocked it down. The following day, the school administrator was not happy with the broken window. Good thing because of the smoke, nobody saw me did it. Only the chief and my own unit knows that I did it. And good thing it never went out "the house." As newbie back then, those where the time to learn from it.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on May 11, 2009 at 3:14am

Literally was fine - I was just getting worried there :)

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Permalink Reply by elmer john panther jr. on August 7, 2009 at 11:21pm

our assistant chief doesn't hardly go to any medical trainings so he gets pretty wound up when we get toned out.he doesnt know how to remain calm under pressure so we get toned out to a medical call the poor guy gets excited takes off from the fire station lights and sirens blaring, going to save a life,only to find out hes going half a mile in the wrong direction . wetried to tell him but he had his super hero cape on that day .we still laugh at him.

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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on August 8, 2009 at 4:20am

When I first joined the department before I had any formal or in-house training, I was being issued turnout gear. The equipment supervisor gave me a full set which he thought were the right size, and had me try them on. I said the coat and pants fit fine, but the boots were way too small. I didn't know you had to take your shoes off first. There were 5 guys standing there.

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Permalink Reply by Deanna on August 8, 2009 at 8:51am

somedays I think I just leave my brain at home. I have pulled up my bunker pants with my suspenders in between my feet, I have put my nomex on backwards, I have tried to put my gloves on the wrong hands. The worst is my lack of grace. I have the super ability to trip over thin air!!!! the funniest is watching me get into a truck. I am vertically challenged to say the least I think I need a step stool just to get in the engine. The one that tops it all is forgetting to unbuckle the seatbelt and trying to get out of the truck..I have many of those cuss under my breath moments, but everyone else gets a good chuckle ;-)