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Your personal experiences
What's the best , worst, hair on the back of your neck standing up call out you have experienced to date?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dave Harvey on
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It's a wonderful feeling when someone shows you real gratitude for doing your job. Most don't and seem to have an attitude that says, 'well it's your job to do it, that's what you get paid, for'. Whilst we don't look for or ask for any thanks, we Are just doing our jobs but it's a great pick me up when it does happen.
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Years ago we got a 'shout' (call) to a meat processing factory on fire with the added complications of thermal cladding/sandwich composite cladding. This was in the days before we in the UK were taught about backdraughts. I was B.A. (breathing apparatus) team leader of a team of 4, the brief was to enter the building by a 1st floor doorway accessed by stone steps from the ground floor, recce' the 1st compartment aprox 25ft by 20ft report to the B.A. Entry Control Officer by hand held radio then make our way to the far door, another recce' and fight any fire on the far side of the door if any. We got into the 1st compartment and were half way across when thick brown smoke started pouring in from the far door and was swirling around. Then it was sucked backed out, then puffed in again. Remember we knew nothing about backdraughts then! I just trusted my instinct something was very, very wrong and ordered my team out. We got to exit door and I reported by hand held radio our experience. We were told to stay in the doorway but on the outside of the building and report regularly. Fortunately one of my teams 'Low-pressure' whistle sounded so we went back to the Entry Control Officer waiting at his B.A. entry board some 50ft away from the building. Just as we had made it back I heard a loud rumble like a train thundering through. I turned in time to see a jet of horizontal flame about 10ft long roar out of the very doorway we were standing in just seconds before. What had caused it was an officer on a ladder platform and decided to drop pathing slabs and rocks down through the roof to vertical ventilate to aid us. That caused the backdraught
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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Amen to that Ralph. I could write a book full of good, bad, funny, tragic, etc. calls that I've been on. Some that I hope I'll never forget, some that I wish I could forget. Stay safe!
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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i had a problem with my heart on the job. i had no idea that day would be my last as a FF. i miss the camraderie, friends i used to do everything with, the joking "sigh"-the BS, the fires, the rescues-everything. i miss the job very much...so i teach now and enjoy watching the youngsters achieving their dreams. i get nice letters from time to time after classess
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Salinger on
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Worst would have to be returning to a burnt out area after a massive bushfire tore through it. I had only seen it before the fire and during the fire while on night shift. I was with the family and just told them i had to get out of the area for a while, made me feel physically sick. Took me a good 12 months to get over those fires and i know there are many of us that are still struggling with it.
Best would be the thanks we got for saving homes and lives during those same fires.
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Permalink Reply by John Dobson on
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Agree also
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Thanks Dave for the concern, I am better and getting over it. I can't see it anymore and I know it happened. Just moving on, I did the best I could and I can live with that.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Armstrong on
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Best for me was when me and my partner went into a second floor apt. while underneath was a textile and seamstress shop fully involved.When we wentin you couldn't see a half inch in front of your mask and we kicked the door in and dropped to our knees and my partner put his hands on a body and we drug him out and he was unconscious but they revived him.He was a mentally handicapped fellow so I don't know if he even knew what had happened but it felt good to save a life.
worst was a head on MVC and the driver was out but the wife was deceased and I was with the guy as he was (and well understood why) yelling to the car to his wife that was also pregnant to not die.It was very emotional and stuck with me for awhile but I worked through talking to people.
funniest was an MVC and when we got there it was two guys and a girl out of the car and up the road and the girl was in her bra and underwear.Not sur what caused the accident?!?!?!
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Enyart on
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I agree. almost got ran over I believe around 1992 in Florida. Interstate MVA had cones out this guy comes flying up breaks sqalling and piling the cones up in front of his carstopped about three feet from me. He would have had me between his car and my heavy rescue unit.
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