Ask a Firefighter anything

486 Questions

Last Answer on June 29, 2022

You're an EMT also right? When you have a patient, how do you decide when to put an EKG monitor on someone?

Asked by Bob over 10 years ago

Yes, that is how I got started. We have protocals established by the State and by the doctor who is responsible for the EMS system that we operate under. With these protocals it breaks down to such things as treatments and procedures we do for Diabetics etc. Any complaint of chest pain, respiratory issues always dictate the obtaining of a EKG strip on the patients. We also go a step further by performing a 12 led ekg which looks at multiple sides of the heart.

845 Votes

Im sorry for asking so many questions, I doing a project on hero's, what kind of training exercises do you have to do to qualify as a firefighter and continue doing while your not saving peoples lives

Asked by Peyton Franklin over 10 years ago

To be successful you have to be in shape. I personally aren;t as in as good a shape as 20 yrs ago. But cardiovascular such as jogging, tread mill, anything that can increase your heart rate sufficiently every 3rd day for 30 min or greater is ideal. Healthy eating is a big plus. Some departments do have obstacle courses that measure strength but more so endurance. You can be in a fire for sometime, grabbing heavy objects, pulling hose in limited areas in hot temperature so you need to be able to be proficiant in doing this.

839 Votes

So you wanna be a Firefighter?

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How can I find out how many fires my local fire house responds to? Just a newbie about to take my Firefighter Trainee entry exam, Is there any tips you can think of for taking the test?

Asked by Tanner about 10 years ago

Math skills, there are numerous study guides are out there and they all contain the same info. Contact your local dept for the call volume they will give it to you.

838 Votes

EMT Question: If you show up to a medical (non-trauma) emergency, how do you decide when to transport the patient?

Asked by 433 over 10 years ago

First off if they want us to take them to the hospital. A patient can not refuse transport if they are a minor and no parent or legal guardian is around, individual that is mentally challenged or for instance suffering from a stroke and can not inforrm us of person, time or place, and then also under the influence of alcohol and or drugs. Otherwise we don't always take everyone to the hospital. When to transport is usually done immediately for two reasons, number one is that they have a medical issue that needs to be addressed and the other is to free up the unit for another call. A lot of systems are no utilizing first response medical squads and are if the condition warrants treating the patient such as a diabetic needing "sweetened" up and does not need to be transported to the hospital.

837 Votes

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(Continued)

Is this illegal? In the chaos of an emergency, a smoky room, or both, people might mistake this for a sign that is saying there is no exit behind the door. (You can't see the actual exit door, there's another door first). Thank you.

Asked by Yosef over 10 years ago

Any time an exist sign is lefting leaving any confusion it will be considered out of code or basically yes, illegal. If should be pointed out to the fire dept for the correction by the Fire Marshal. There shall always be a clear and understanding sign that has specifics of size of sign, color and size of the signs fonts to be within code regulations.

830 Votes

My question is "what is the most rewarding part about being a fire fighter and why".

Asked by Peyton over 10 years ago

It is knowing that when people are in dire need they know that if they call the fire department they will know what to do or who they need to call to take care of their problem. Fire departments are a valuable resource that I have been honored to be part of the team.

819 Votes

I recently saw an episode of "Lie to Me" that was all about rookie hazing in fire departments. Is hazing prevalent, and if so, what kinds of hazing did have you seen in your department?

Asked by smoke 'em over 10 years ago

Yes hazing does occur, but unfortunately some firefighters don't know where to draw the line. What I have done in the past was when we had a new guy that was being trainined we would have them go look for such things as a 'Sky Hook" which doesn't exist or we would have them try to push start a rotary saw, under the pretense that what would he do if the cord snapped. But yes it is still occuring but not to any extreme.

816 Votes

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Firefighter

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

You're an EMT also right? When you have a patient, how do you decide when to put an EKG monitor on someone?

Im sorry for asking so many questions, I doing a project on hero's, what kind of training exercises do you have to do to qualify as a firefighter and continue doing while your not saving peoples lives

So you wanna be a Firefighter?

How can I find out how many fires my local fire house responds to? Just a newbie about to take my Firefighter Trainee entry exam, Is there any tips you can think of for taking the test?

EMT Question: If you show up to a medical (non-trauma) emergency, how do you decide when to transport the patient?

Also on Jobstr...

(Continued)

Is this illegal? In the chaos of an emergency, a smoky room, or both, people might mistake this for a sign that is saying there is no exit behind the door. (You can't see the actual exit door, there's another door first). Thank you.

My question is "what is the most rewarding part about being a fire fighter and why".

I recently saw an episode of "Lie to Me" that was all about rookie hazing in fire departments. Is hazing prevalent, and if so, what kinds of hazing did have you seen in your department?

Firefighter

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

You're an EMT also right? When you have a patient, how do you decide when to put an EKG monitor on someone?

Im sorry for asking so many questions, I doing a project on hero's, what kind of training exercises do you have to do to qualify as a firefighter and continue doing while your not saving peoples lives

So you wanna be a Firefighter?

How can I find out how many fires my local fire house responds to? Just a newbie about to take my Firefighter Trainee entry exam, Is there any tips you can think of for taking the test?

EMT Question: If you show up to a medical (non-trauma) emergency, how do you decide when to transport the patient?

Also on Jobstr...

(Continued)Is this illegal? In the chaos of an emergency, a smoky room, or both, people might mistake this for a sign that is saying there is no exit behind the door. (You can't see the actual exit door, there's another door first). Thank you.

My question is "what is the most rewarding part about being a fire fighter and why".

I recently saw an episode of "Lie to Me" that was all about rookie hazing in fire departments. Is hazing prevalent, and if so, what kinds of hazing did have you seen in your department?

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(Continued)

Is this illegal? In the chaos of an emergency, a smoky room, or both, people might mistake this for a sign that is saying there is no exit behind the door. (You can't see the actual exit door, there's another door first). Thank you.