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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS
Is it just me or has the commitment of the younger firefighters these days just gone to pot? Now don't get me wrong there are some young guys and gals out there that still go get it but they are a shrinking breed. Out of 20+ applicants to take our last agility test only 5-6 passed the rest just quit because they were tired out. We have a working fire at my volley station and 1 cylinder of air and they are laid out in the yard wipped out and the house is still burning, and one last thing is this, it's all about "me" thing, only looking out for myself instead of whats best for the crew or the dept.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Rodgers on
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Bravo XChief.....
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Permalink Reply by Erin T. on
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Oh man you are so right on this one. I think that there are a lot of youngsters who get into it for the sake of getting into it. I got into it because there is something deep inside me that I didh't put there. God put it there. I also believe that these youngsters don't realize what they are getting themselves into when they sign up. I took my Fire academy in the state of Idaho where I was drilling in 20 degree weather with snow on the ground apparatus, ladders and the like. It takes a lot of committment.
Erin
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Permalink Reply by matthew gerhart on
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well about the ''all me'' thing is because the "ME" genaration does not know what selflessness is . the are greedy and just want money. they have never had to go out and work and the parents just bought them video games so they sat at home and got fat. but yet they get through the cracks, i think that most departments need to do a personality test, so we can weed out the lazy selfish people that just want to ride the big red truck with the flashing lights. departments need to stop hiring in the masses and just look for quilaty. it is a 50/50 deal here. but the only real firefighters you will find are the ones who grew up in the service thru a family member. i am a 4th genaration fireman, i understood what it was about and knew i had to be in shape to be on a truck company or engine company. i have been doing it for 15 years worked in a big deoartment then went to a small department. i saw these new age firefighters come in and leave as fast as they got there cause they realized it was lot of work. so we just need to keep our heads up and get thru it and keep some good ones in there. be safe yall and rememeber every one goes home.
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Permalink Reply by Joel C Kelley on
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Let's throw another spin into this:
A lot of old timers still say that they knew when it was getting too hot inside when their ears started to burn. This meant no nomex hoods, no BA, etc. They talk about the good old days as they hack up their lungs from too much inhaled toxins and tobacco smoke, and a lot of the things they did on firegrounds would get them kicked off a call today. The old timers have proven mostly through mortality that there is a better way to do things, and we owe it to them to work smarter, not harder. Yes, there will always be hard work associated with our job, but every time we make it less work to accomplish the same goal, we extend our lives and create a safer work environment. So at the same time we idolize the old timers, we need to look to the new blood as a source of innovation that might help us do our job with less risk.
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Permalink Reply by KL-R66C on
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I am a young one I think compared to I suppose; but, I do not and will not and never have back down until i reach my absolutely limits. every one fo us has a limit, it's just how much are you willing to persevere to reach that limit and to do all you possibly can to get a job done. I'm very blessed to have a great crew i work with. We've got 10 guys at our house and as sister companies, we absolutely key into each other's thoughts and ideas every set. After 10 years of being in teh fire service now, I don't feel teh rpessure to prove anything to anyone, it all comes natural b/c it's what i do, it's what I love doing, we don't stop until the jobs is done and our limits have been busted at teh seams.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon Hennigs on
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The fire service on the Volunteer side is on that long slide down, the average age of a volunteer fire fighter is creeping up, my department's average is 41yrs old. Out of 10 new members 2 will make the grade and they are only looking for the training and expierence so they can apply for a full time position some where else. There average length of service is 5 years at best and then they move on. They respond when it doesn't interfere with what they have gone on in there lives, I have actually heard some say they didn't make the call because they were eating dinner, I've had several older volunteers try to quit because there wife threatened divorce them if they left one more family function for a ems or fire call. The work ethic of todays youth is non existant in this area and this is an agriculteral community. If anyone has the answer I sure would love to have it
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you are one of the few that have got thru. over the years you will see what is going on. i pat you on the back, but when you climb thru the ranks and throw 2 in the fire. this happend 3 years ago to me on a scene i had to young guys that was wanting to fight a room in content from outside the building cause they did not want to get dirty. now come on get real i told them to get and there and fight or get fired. that was very selfish of them. so i threw them in. so when you see that on a daily basis you begin to wounder, what do we have here.
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you got that right, the little boys and girls are here for them do the shift and go home. it hurts i am a 4th genaration fireman. i knew before i went in that it was alot of work hard work that is. but what can you say to kids who have always played video games while mommy and daddy do it all.
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selfish selfish selfish is all i have to say about those folks, but what are they going to do if noone showes up at their house they will bitch till sunday. all you have to do is say, if it was my house or loved one i whould want someone to show up at my house. always put youself in someone elses shoes. i once saw a cheif sent out four alerts 0n a flooding call and when noone still showed up, but myself and 2 others, he called a station meeting at 2am. a few more showed up, but after it was said and done 15 vollies got fired for being selfish and picking and choosing calls. the best thing i ever saw. i have been paid and a vollie, but i treat it all the same. cause those people pay a fire tax for you to show up. so you need to help the customer, that is what it is customer service. and another word is empithy(i think that is how you spell it), the abilty to put yourself in someones shoes to share what they are going thru. iw wish you luck.
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Permalink Reply by Brittanee Deeringer on
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hello....im one of the "youngsters" you are talking about and I do have to work for what I want. I have more training on our department than most of our members. We are a Volunteer Department so there is more one on one time and its quite a commitment.. we have 13 members on our department 14 including me.. BUT the reason we have the Cadet *explorer* program is to show "us" what it is like. and you guys are stereotyping all of us together WE ARENT ALL THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by YAVONNE RELYEA on
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Nobody wants to do it anymore because of all the politics and BS that you have to go through these days.The different states have different policies they have to follow and some states you don't have the agility test. They need to do away with it and have yearly physicals to make sure they are fit. I also noticed after all the 20yrs i was a firefighter/emt-d, that the personnel are for themselves and that's how they die. Policies do need to change and it will take all the firefighters out there to make this change, to make sure everone is treated as a family organization and not just think about themselves.
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