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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 Zeke Harman on
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Just by reading a few comments to me it is like an old saying "different strokes for different fowlks" When i was 16 i joined the department and i have been running calls since then i mean some places call it "jr firefighters" some places call it "explorers" grant it I have learned a lot the past 6 years and starting out young was the way to go. You also have to put in mind that kids today don't want to join something they are going to have to work at esspically when it is volunteer I mean not stepping on any toes if a young person is willing to join the department to do the grunt work as in wash trucks sit in on training and different things like that why not let them call themselves firefighters. At the same time I see the point where you are coming from and pretty much you were to be seen and not heard that is good but now days to get your next generation of firefighters let them call themselves what ever as long as they are devoted to it and it keeps them out of trouble and it makes them want to keep striving to A. be a firefighter, B. Be as good as the older guys on the department to prove themselves. I am just a vollie and thats the way i see it lol.
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I agree
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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One of my favorite jokes...
"What's the difference between boy scouts and firefighters?"
Adult Supervision...
Hope your staying dry chief!
TCSS, CBz
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Permalink Reply by Michael A. Pimental on
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I agree with you. The title of firefighter is earned! People don't want to pay there dues for anything anymore. What about tradition? i also believe there should be some tradition taught. People or kids just want to walk through the door get gear handed to them run into a fire and get on the news being called a hero. This does not obtain to everyone some still just enjoy doing what they can to help others. They learn the traditions, go to training, do their jobs without looking for publisity, but only to go home to their family. Ok so i started to ramble on just to say I agree your not a firefighter until you have your certification.
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Permalink Reply by Daniel H Skelton on
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guys like you drive jr's or expolers out of the dept. we have a hard enough time getting younger members in the dept with out all this. its up the the chief or who ever in in charge of the expolers to set the table, makeing sure they understand there job in the dept, and what they can do.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Guys like who? The OP from 2008, or the poster before yours?
Yeah, it is up to the chief, but there are also nice federal laws applying to minors which seem to get bypassed in the name of "training". There seem to be some weak chiefs out there who don't understand that concept.
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