what? firefighting?

Question

Robert p says:
firemen have an easy job, they do very little but lead you to believe that there job is very difficult,,
the days of the hero fireman running into a burning building are well gone,, its crew and patient safety,,
and the sleep for most of their night shift,,
over paid and under used if you ask me,,
should get them to clean up the highway when they are quiet or something similar


Isn't it true that
cops stop people who break the law
paramedics/doctors take care of people when they are finaly in a safe enviorment
and firefighters do pretty much EVERYTHING else
ex: car crashes, somebody stuck up a tree, a burning building, floods, Frozen homes, somebody impaled in some way, body part stuck in some way, AND MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE??????????????????

Answer 1

First off, I'd just like to say that paramedics don't wait to begin patient care until the patient is in a safe environment. I've worked cardiac arrests right there with the FD, next to a burning house, with embers all around me, etc. I doubt anyone would call that a "safe" environment. Most of the time, we go into questionable neighborhoods to "unknown medical" calls without police backup, because that's our job.

All of us in emergency services have our particular job, and we do it well. It doesn't do any good to shoot each other down. Hey, we're all in this together.

Answer 2

Okay, yes a perk of the "job" is that you get to clean house, do paperwork, and bore yourself to sleep on occasion, but look at the otherside. A vast majority are volunteers---not paid at all to wear that 50+ lbs of gear any day of the year (even July) to drag hose, tools, and generators to cut someone out of their car who wrecked on the interstate while trying to send a text msg! Yes, most of the firefighters out there are adrenaline junkies waiting to brag that they're a firefighter like it's anything glamorous anymore, but they do do the job, that too many stuck up boys, aren't willing to break their nails for. They go through mind numbing classes on fire sprinkler systems (Oh, my God how stupid!), and back breaking physical tests like dragging a life sized 200lb dummy while blindfolded, on hands and knees, breathing through an SCBA, in a maze, following a hose line, while also draggin 20+ lb tools. So, to answer if firefighter have an easy "job"- NO they don't. The down time they do have makes up for all the weekend training sessions away from home, little league games missed, and BBQ's interupted by the pager going off for a fender bender.
And the dangers? No, it's not likely that a firefighter will get injured in a burning building anymore, but it's very likely they'll get spit in the face by an HIV infected crack head or vomited on by a drunk! Also, when was the last time you ever heard of someone thanking a firefighter for anything. They thank the cop and thank the paramedics but the firefighter EMT's are generally forgotten. For all that I think those volunteers deserve to sit on their butts and brag!

Answer 3

Nobody can say something like that unless they have done it themselves. It's by far one of the hardest jobs. Not only are you saving people all day, but you're also putting up with idiots all the time. You know the people that leave a cigerette burning and refuse to let the firemen in the house to make sure everythings alright. THAT HAPPENS EVERYDAY! I completely agree with you. Take care :)

ps. Most firefighters are volunteers.

Answer 4

Fire Fighting is still listed as the most dangerous career in the world. True, not every call we respond to is life threatening, but every time we respond we do put our lives at some level of risk.
It's not a job where productivity enters into the formula of success. Even in quiet fire districts, fire fighters risk exposure to heat, dangerous materials, and the products of combustion (most of which are lethal, these days due to plastics and synthetics.)