Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

I am looking at going into being a firefighter. I know that one must complete their EMT1 and EMT2 before applying. Any one have any info that could help me in my pursuit?

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

I am an EMT http://www.nremt.org/about/nremt_news.asp and a volunteer firefighter. I respond to 200 - 300 calls annually, 75% of which are medical in nature.

A firefighter/EMT should be in excellent physical condition and be able to handle stressful situations well. I enjoy the medical calls the most, though it is often a thankless job. Having said that, there are those times when I know I have made the difference between life and death - and that is very rewarding in it'self.

The primary reasons I did not seek fultime employment as an EMT/Firefighter is:

1. Salary I would take a substaincial cut in pay - at least for the first ten years.

2. Hours There is a temptation to work double shifts to make up for the pay-scale, and I am not willing to spend 96 hrs per week away from my family. (while I do this now at times, it is not normal to my schedule)

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

Thanks for the info. Alot of the firefighters make very decent money here. They make a TON more than I do now. I know some people that make 6 figures doing it, but some have been in it for their career. I do not see it as a paycheck. I see it as changing lives-at best, but obviously pay is important. The job can also supply a good pension. As far as physical shape goes I have been working out for about 4 months and have gained alot of muscle. At first I focused on losing fat then went into gaining muscle. Still got a ways to go, but I am well on my way there. Again I know some that do it and love it and I believe that I would be good at it. Again thanks for the info.

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

Yes indeed - helping people is a reward unto it'self. And I do know it's true there are good benefits and even great pay in some parts of the country... around here not so much.

If you have Firefighter I and II and EMT-B you would start at about $27,000 here. That is also about the national median. If you have EMT-P it adds another $4,000.

Just one teeny tiny word of caution... IMO - the storybook image of the heroic Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technian that everyone loves and is greatful to see is overrated. It can often be a thankless job. Some people deal with stress and illness by becoming angry, or hurling insults at a wellmeaning EMT. In the case of Firefighting, it is common for the public to critque and broadcast what they think the department did wrong. This is all expected and there is always a support group in the department, But it can take it's toll - especially when those working the scene know they were putting out 110%.

Again don't take this as a discouraging word - just an expectation to take in account. You sound like you have the right motives. Please keep us imformed about your developing interest in this.

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

Again thanks for the words. One thing that sticks out to me is when my wife was in her car wreck and was stuck in the car with her foot falling off and the unborn child with no fetil signs or movement the firefighters were calm and helped us out and changed my life actually. That is what I want to be

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

Wow! God has a way of using our experiences to shape and direct our lives.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

My husband is the Assistant Fire Chief here in our town. He's been a volunteer firefighter for over 37 years now. Right now Walt is not certified to run EMT, but he has been in the past for many, many years.

Must be something that gets in your blood and just will not let you go. I can share with you horror stories of some of the accidents that Walt has worked. I can tell you story after story of fires they've fought. I can't begin to tell you how many Christmases, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Easters, and other holidays were interrupted by the fire or rescue tone going off.

Right now, because of the aneurism, Walt is not allowed to even get on a firetruck. But it doesn't matter. He is STILL a firefighter. He goes up to the station to do paperwork or to fill air bottles or to run the radio. Anything he can do to help. And if the media is involved in a scene, they do call Walt out to deal with them. He keeps saying that he should just retire. But every time I think he's really going to do it, he just can't. It's what he loves.

I got a good dose of why he loves this so much during his time in the hospital. If you think that the church becomes your "family", you haven't seen anything yet! Those firefighters and EMT's do it better than any church I've ever seen. They ARE family to each other. There is a bond there that cannot be broken. I think that's what keeps him going back over and over :)

Re: Any Firemen/women here on AFF?
 

Thanks for the encouraging words and also the glimpse into the life. I will take it all into consideration.