...Hot. Flames everywhere. Smoke fills the building. You hear the crack of the flames around you, but you stay calm. You sweep the building looking for anyone trapped, and find no one. You run out of the building that everyone is running from, only to run right back in. That's a day in the life of a firefighter. Since the age of five or six, I have wanted to be a firefighter. I'm not actually sure why, it's just something that always interested me. The more I think about it now, the more I realize how close I am to becoming one. Three more years and I could be the rookie at a fire station. This job would be ideal for me because of the type of work I would be doing, the scheduling of the job, and the pay. As a firefighter, I would be doing...
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... As far back as I can remember I wanted to be a firefighter. I recall as a kid watching the big red fire trucks go racing by with their light and sirens blaring. On the back were these big, burly looking men. They were hanging on to the back of the trucks, one arm hanging on to the rails and the other arm waving to us. I would watch in awe at these firefighters with there funny looking boots, coats, and helmets running into buildings that other people were running out of. Fire and smoke billowing out of every nook and cranny of a building. These men didn’t care what the dangers were. Their job was to rescue people and put the fire out. I thought firefighters were the epitome of bravery. As I grew older, the lure of the being a firefighter did not go away. But there were other, more viable options for me to have as a career. Getting a job on the fire department is extremely hard. The test is extremely competitive and there are thousands of people that want the same as I did. To become a firefighter. I took the first civil service test and did pretty well. But I knew my scores weren’t good enough to get a job offer. So off to college and find a job. After settling in to my job, I figured this was going to be my future. A suit and tie kind of of guy. That was OK with me. I was making a good living and was looking to marry my high school sweetheart. I started to put the thought of becoming a firefighter further and further from my mind. In the spring...
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...James Parker Fire Technology Mr. Armstrong 11-06-2015 LINDA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT The original fire station was opened in 1948 followed by the delivery of their first fire engine in September of 1949. It was located at 1286 scales Ave. The majority of the building was constructed by the firemen, and in 1983 Linda fire protection district more than doubled its size with the annexation of the Arboga area. They originally protected 25 square miles and now protected 52 square miles. With the growth, Linda fire station 2 was constructed later in 1983 at 1595 Broadway road. The core values of the Linda fire protection is to provide that all members of the district operate with a common set of values. To understand that they exist to serve the needs of the public and recognize that the members of the district are the most valuable asset by treating others with dignity and respect. Also to participate in training and development opportunities to enable every member to become an excellent performer and prepare for a plan of change. Their mission statement is to provide the highest level of service to the residents and the vistors of the district in the delivery of emergency and prevention services, thereby reducing the loss of life and property damage due to fire medical and other emergencies. The services that they provide are EMS, basic life support, wildland fire, structure fire, swift water rescue, hazmat and some confined space. There special operations consisting...
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...Teamwork, determination, hard work, and the instinct to survive. What do these things have to do with anything? It has everything to do when anyone is a firefighter. They need all of those traits in order to even be considered as a firefighter, moreover if they do not have those qualities they will not be accepted or if they are accepted and they still do not have those qualities they will get others killed. As a matter of fact the role of being a firefighter requires great endurance for training and in field duties,the education is a EMT degree and a great sense of teamwork. If they do not then they are not fit for the job. The education to be a firefighter is not excessive but they still need a basic education. "Firefighters need at least...
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...A Firefighters Point of View DeVry University Linda G Stegall February 15, 2015 The discussion over a volunteer fire department becoming a paid fire department or a combination fire department has been going on in many different areas of North Carolina. Out of these three who is better, who can answer their calls better, and who performs better. As a member of The Wingate Volunteer Fire Department for twenty five years I am very partial to the volunteer side. I know the need for protection from all the different types of departments but it is my decision to side with the combination fire department. When talking about a volunteer fire department, “We are not just a bunch of guys standing around waiting on the pager to go off!” Most of us volunteers work full time jobs and run calls when we can. We have trained and continue to train once if not twice a week. The state of North Carolina sets training objectives that all firefighters paid or volunteer must meet. In order for any firefighter to go into a burning structure of any kind they must be firefighter one certified. “Firefighting is a highly competitive field (Lawrence, nd).” “Most departments only require a high school diploma or an equivalent such as a GED, also require a drug screening and a background check plus a valid driver’s license and live within the service area of the department (Volunteer Fireman, nd).” “In the state of North Carolina each volunteer fire department must maintain a list of firefighters who...
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...Javan Pruett Introduction to Fire Prevention and Public Education What it Means to be a Firefighter 2-25-2015 People choose the careers they do for a variety of reasons. Some of those are money, enjoyment of the job, or the opportunities their profession affords them, such as traveling. I do feel that it is important for you to choose your profession and not the other way around, or for a parent to choose it for you. I chose to pursue a career in the fire service for many reasons. When I was a child I wanted to be a firefighter to ride on the big red truck. After 15 years in the fire service I have a much better idea of what it means to be a firefighter. Being a firefighter comes with something that you must be very diligent to protect, and that is the trust of the public. No other profession is as trusted as we are. That is one of the things that we can have a little pride in. Having the desire to be a firefighter hopefully means that you have a desire to help the people in your community. A big part of that means that we not only help them in the time of their emergency but also that we be proactive in helping them from having accidents in the first place. On the internal side, being a firefighter is very rewarding because of the relationship built between firefighters. Firefighters tend to develop closer friendships with not only their coworkers, but also their families tend to grow closer to each other than in other professions also...
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...Remembering A Fallen Dallas Firefighter Being a firefighter is difficult as it takes a lot of courage and pride to go out and save people life. My uncle, Chris Pham, was a Dallas firefighter who risked his life every day saving people from the fire. He was very passionate about his job and I could never forget the things he has done for the family and the Dallas community. During my 13th birthday party, my uncle came over to my house and gave me my own personal laptop. “Happy Birthday Kenny!, here is your own personal laptop that you always wanted”, he said, that was the last time I ever saw him before he died. Five days after my birthday, my family received news that my uncle had passed away from a heart attack. His death shook the whole...
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...School Tagum City In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master in Public Administration OWEN S LIMOS May 2016 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Rationale Not many new research mention the lives of the firefighters. Hero, a word we all associate with accolades of praise upon an individual who has done a selfless or exemplary act. A word defined by dictionary standards as: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. Heroes range from policemen and school teachers to parents and firefighters. Few other professions meet the criteria of hero more than firefighter. Not only do they spend countless hours away from their family, but they put their lives on the line each and every day.(Cross,2014) Those who decide to become Firefighters are special kind of people, and are considered to be among the bravest. Whenever there are disasters, explosions, fires, Accidents, calamities, they are there to help. Firefighters enter structures where people are running away from, saving lives while risking their own. The firefighters today not only fight fires, but function as paramedics as well. Firefighters go into rigorous training, there is a dreadfully long list of skills they need to have. They must have these skills: mental alertness, self-discipline, courage, mechanical aptitude, endurance, strength, and decision making skills. It is a career that has very...
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...When we all started our carrers as firefighters wheatear we knew it or not we were all at the mercey of those more experienced at the station. While this typically what you would expect to see at the fire station it can definatily be a double edged sord. While rookie firefighters get the opputunity to be guided in the right the direction by the more seasoned firefighters the opposite is also true, and can lead the rookie down the wrong path. This can be attributed to a lot of reasons including: the seasoned firefighter has been taught the wrong path themselves, they may not have the patentece to guide a rookieor are have poor teaching skills, and of course they may just not care. Barring the last example(because we all know we work at a good station) the other examples can be detrimental to the new firefighter succeeding. A lot of what we do in the fire service can only be perfected through experience. Tring new ways to accomplish a small task is the firefighter way. Much of the basics of what we do in the fire service is learned at a fire school but is taught as general information with the understanding that each induvudal department, station and shft have their own way to handle fireground activities. This is a completely acceptable practice, it is part of the captains job to gage their crews skills abilities as well as have an understanding of their still alarm territory and target hazards. When a rookie firefighter first comes to the station sometimes it is easy to...
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...from our mistakes and improving upon them each day. We learned a great lesson in life on June 18, 2007. On this day in history America lost 9 great “Fire Heroes” to a structure fire in Charleston, South Carolina. The fire started at approximately 7:00 p.m. in the locking dock area of a mattress showroom and warehouse. Charleston firefighters arrived on the scene just three minutes after the alarm, followed soon by firefighters from the St. Andrews Public Service District . From 1979 to 2002 there were over 180 fire fighter deaths from Structural collapse. In more recent times, between 1990 and Augusta 2010, 43 fire fighters deaths have been associated with structural collapses. In a scientific study conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) entitled Trends in Firefighter Fatalities Due to Structural Collapse, 1979-2002, it was found that firefighter deaths in residential buildings have more than tripled in the last decade compared to the previous decades (1994-2002: 33 deaths; 1983-1992: 9 deaths) (Brassal, Evans 2002). Are firefighters and other fire professionals missing the evidence needed to curve the potential for firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse? Structural collapses are not always the cause of death, but may have been contributing factors that lead to the cause of death. Can training, better building practices, pre-plans and changing structural building laws decrease the risk for fire fighters? Risk Analysis and concerns regarding...
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...-------------------------About this Piece------------------------ Paddy Brown There is more to being a hero than merely having the courage to run into a burning building. That is what firefighters are paid to do – it’s just one aspect of their chosen occupation. To me, a true hero is someone who people look up to, a person you might pattern your own life after. Someone who is dedicated, sincere, passionate, inspiring. One who cares about people and puts others before themselves. In doing research for this drawing a name that kept popping up was Paddy Brown. Whether it was in conversation with fellow firefighters, or seeing his name in print or searching the net, the one name that always seemed to appear was Paddy Brown. Captain Brown lost his life on September 11, 2001 along with 342 members of the Fire Department of New York. This image of Paddy Brown is a tribute to all who made the ultimate sacrifice while attempting to save others on that tragic day. One of the many quotes to describe the character of Paddy Brown was best expressed by a retired FDNY member. He said, “Paddy had a chestful of medals, and he wore them with a modest heart”. It is only fitting that the image I chose to draw represents a true-life, everyday hero who touched many lives in many ways. That was Captain Patrick J. Brown. [pic] Captain Patrick J. Brown FDNY Patrick...
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...Local Firefighters Are Furloughed Even though the city needs more money, firefighters do not deserve furloughs because they do not make much money and most have to work second jobs. It is imperative to department morale that they receive adequate monetary compensation, without relying on a second job. Furloughs Firefighters do not deserve furloughs. Local firefighters are on 24-hour shifts in an A, B, and C block schedule. There were two furlough days during the year, on specified holidays. This meant whether or not the firefighter was working on that specified holiday he or she would not be paid for it. Morale Furloughs had a detrimental effect on morale in the department. No one wants to work and not be paid for it. The furlough also made the people in the department believe that their hard work was not appreciated, and unneeded. It is unfortunate that short lived fixes, such as layoffs and furloughs are becoming the norm and are negatively affecting morale and the quality of service (Duggan, Lewis, & Milluzzi, 2010). Causes Strain Firefighters often have to work two jobs. People in the emergency service industry do not join this field for money. The majority of firefighters at the City of Charleston work at the fire department full time, and work another job part-time. They work two jobs out of necessity, not from the enjoyment of working two jobs. Most people do not want to work a 24-hour shift to have to go straight to another job without the ability...
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...Charleston 9 Firefighters References: A. [List reference details] B. [List reference details] Purpose The purpose thorough a pre-emergency & emergency incident risk management plan (pre-planning, accountability, IMS, RIT, rehab, PIAR etc.) would have provided protection for the fire fighters and officers of the Charleston Fire Department. Background On June 18, 2007, nine career fire fighters (all males, ages 27 – 56) died when they became disoriented and ran out of air in rapidly deteriorating conditions inside a burning commercial furniture showroom and warehouse facility. The first arriving engine company found a rapidly growing fire at the enclosed loading dock connecting the showroom to the warehouse. The Assistant Chief entered the main showroom entrance at the front of the structure but did not find any signs of fire or smoke in the main showroom. During the early stages of the fire in the two latter locations, the fire spread was slowed by the limited supply of fresh air. This under-ventilation led to generation of a large mass of pyrolyzed and only partially oxidized effluent. The smoke and combustible gases flowed into the interstitial space below the roof and above the suspended ceiling of the main retail showroom. As this space filled with unburned fuel, the hot smoke also seeped through the suspended ceiling into the main showroom and formed a hot smoke layer below the suspended ceiling. Up to this time, the extent of fire spread into the interstitial...
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...Interview Summary Police officers and firefighters do a lot more than just save kittens from trees. Their day to day jobs are incredibly taxing on them due to their life saving efforts. Each day, these civil servants go to work knowing they may not come home for the greater good of others. I had the privilege of interviewing James Younger, an everyday hero of the Cary Fire Protection District. One of my first questions to James was, what kind of leader do you think you are in the community you serve and protect? James believes that as a firefighter you lead in many different ways. Firefighters lead with their actions and not just their words. One thing that stood out to me as the interview continued was what he said about trying lead by example and not by the age old saying “do as I say, not as I do”. Along with this, James believes to think of himself as a sponge. That may sound odd but he says this because he tries to soak up as much knowledge as...
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...RECRUITMENT & RETENTION OF THE VOLUNTEER:: RECRUITMENT & RETENTION OF THE VOLUNTEER THE MISSING PIECE OF THE FIRE SERVICE THE MISSING PIECE OF THE FIRE SERVICE August 15, 2002 Prepared By: Franklin Woodrow Wilson II Lieutenant, Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 HISTORY OF THE FIRE SERVICE ......................................................................... 4 RECRUITMENT ........................................................................................................ 6 MARKETING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ............................................................... 6 ISSUES AND DIVERSITY CHALLENGES ............................................................... 7 CRITICAL AREAS TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT ............................................ 9 COMMUNITY .................................................................................................... 9 SELF ESTEEM ................................................................................................. 10 NEEDS ............................................................................................................ 10 PHILOSOPHY ........
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