Firefighter

Firefighter

arringnl

32 Years Experience

Goose Creek, SC

Male, 54

Currently serving Jasper County Fire Rescue in south Carolina along with Charleston County EMS.

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486 Questions

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Last Answer on June 29, 2022

Best Rated

do vol. firefighters have to do physical endurance test and if so what types should i train for to get ready for the Acdemy ?

Asked by ... about 9 years ago

generally no but it depends on the department requirement.

Why did you decide to become a firefighter?

Asked by Carrie over 9 years ago

1. There was an instilled desire to help others which probably came from being active with Boy Scouts and a Explorer with our police dept. I obtained my EMT which led into firefighting.

2. Working a 3rd day can be taxing even if you don't run a calls it is the mental wear of the 24 hr shift that is the most tiring. Holidays, Birthdays, school activities with your kids sometimes have to be missed due to working which can be frustrating.

3. There are numerous hazards from fires, collapses and car accidents. We are in dangerous locations as you may have witnessed on the news of a firefighter fall into a roof while fighting a fire. We have been killed while working in the street at accidents. So it is difficult to point your finger at the most dangerous things that we come across.

4. We do not have Sgts we have Engineers. These positions are obtained by time on the job, testing both written and practical exams.

5. Become an EMT first and volunteer with a Fire dept or Rescue Squad in your area.

6. The satisfaction of helping others and knowing that they call you when they know that you will take care of their problems.

7. Probably saving a 2 yr. old that had fallen in a pool and we brought him back.

8. I do not have a particular specialty since we are all trained to do the same but I guess you could say that I enjoy EMS the most.

9. Changes in Construction- Things burn faster and hotter, Increased EMS responses with no increase in resources, and increased cost of equipment makes it hard to obtain.

10. Study. Workout, Sleep, Run Calls.

Do you find that crews take longer to leave the station for medicals than for fires? According to some studies done on the DCFD and FDNY, this happens because medical calls are less exciting. What's your take?

Asked by 1738 almost 9 years ago

Anything coming out of DCFD tends to be flawed. EMS typically takes a min more only because you can't jump into per se bunker pants. But our dept has a 1 min to get out during the day and 2 min at night. But maybe the thinking of when it comes to fires they double in size in min, Unlike medical calls are not always life threatening and speed is not of the essence compared to fires. So it is a mindset only.

Do volunteer firefighters usually have less training and experience compared to career ones?

Asked by Alec almost 9 years ago

The training is the same usually. But sometimes it comes down to available training time. Career FF train just about every day for at least 2 hrs generally. Volunteers have fulltime jobs that they have and training times are limited. Volunteers do take the same curriculm as career although

in a fire would a solid wall made of stacked 2x4's be safer than a traditional wall of 16" studs with sheet rock/plywood

Asked by jleslie48 over 9 years ago

Tends to dues to the greater thickness of wood. Modern construction uses less wood and more synthetics that makes the fire spread dues to smaller amounts of surface depth thus burns faster.

can a fire fighter work 24/7 if they wanted to ?

Asked by Damian smith over 8 years ago

Compensated no, it is a violation of Fair Labor and Standards. you can only work so many hours in a week.

n your opinion do think vol. firefighters ages 17 - 18 who are still in high school school should be allowed to respond to a call during school hours ? or at least carry pagers on them in school?

Asked by ... about 9 years ago

Unfortunately with economics being such you may have to do that but I feel that a community should put public safery first in staffing depts. i am not in favor of either of these because teenagers tend to lack that maturity of being able to do both activities. But as said it is dependent on the communities needs.