Patrick,
Sorry about the bad experience...that is not how we do things. We try to de-escalate the incident not make it worse. That should have been a simple "food on the stove"..we reset the alarm, do a simple check to make sure nothing spread and have a nice day. Someone should have stepped in and told the guy to jake it back.
The job is not just sitting around wanting to play hero....a lot of training and being prepared 'cause you just never know. I didn't get into for the benefits...volunteer for the first five years...we really do it in hopes of making a difference for those that need it.....doesn't work out that way all the time but we try. Don't believe it....oh well...those that know...know.
Whoever had the extensive water damage that is plain stupidity and unacceptable.

That really depends on where you work. That applies to both Cops and Firefighters. In my 22 years on the job, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen Fire actually have to go inside a burning building. They spend way more time responding to Accidents/ medical calls. On the other side of the coin, I know of plenty of cops that have been shot at....

Cops and Firefighters don't get paid for what they do daily, but what they might have to do. I personally don't know any firefighter or cop that will not step up when that time comes, whether its going into a building on fire or going into an active shooter scenerio.

Kinda interesting, not often you see the pelican firemen having to defend the bad work of their fellow firefighters and some of the negative comments and perceptions about their profession. Fun isn't it.

I see in the forum a few or perhaps less than a few see fit to criticize the supposed perks of being a fireman, policeman or whatever profession. Unless you walk in the shoes of these fine people who have worked hard to get where they are I would suggest you zip the lip.
Guy.

Probably because you don't see thread, after thread, after thread, after thread about firefighters:

shooting dogs
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/790171-dog-shot-police-holly-hill-recovering.html

or cars full of kids
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/782260-nm-police-open-fire-minivan-full-kids.html

or beating people
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-politics-religion/754152-jasper-police-video.html



and on, and on, and on, and...:rolleyes:

if Vinnie or another firefighter were in trouble my butt would be moving...

I have critters...
and have met my enemy while walking same....
mirrored glasses, hands near holster.....


Rika

Anybody willing to run INTO a burning building that isnt theirs to help others they dont know, will definitely get a few free beers from me.

What time was this? Maybe you interrupted game of thrones or something.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

I'm just kidding. If I could do life over again. I would try for a FD gig. Looks damn interesting.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

I think it depends more on where you live...

No doubt car accidents are more common, they aren't fun either.

FFS, firefighters run into twin towers on 9/11 while everyone else was running out and top floors were burning. :( And those guys died trying to save people.

When Chernobyl blew up, firefighters were first on scene, trying to smother the fire (which was rather futile, but little did they know). They died horrible deaths.
They don't shoot dogs or taze people either.

In my book, they deserve whatever they get paid.

There isnt a shot in hell, that I would defend the behavior of the firefighter in Pat's original post. I'd be the first person to trash anyone that gives a black eye to the profession. I have no tolerance for that. I love being a firefighter. It's something I'm extremely proud of. Like most that do it, Ive developed a deep passion for it. The vast majority of us do it for the love of the job, and not just the perks. You develop a brotherhood you will find nowhere else. Those that dont do it could never understand.

Ive been doing it for twenty five years. I belong to two departments. One for about 25 yrs, the other I joined last year. Im also a State certified fire instructor. My other gig is with the State USAR team, as a search and rescue tech, in which
Ive also became a paid instructor.

The fireman in the original post was a dick no doubt but the reality is that the original poster took on all the liability by resetting the alarm. Silence it, let the dick investigate it and move on.
The vast majority of FD's in the US work 56 hour weeks and the amount of sleep any given company sleeps is incalculable so your blanket statement is a little ignorant unless you can support it with some references. In Denver proper, we have six companies running over 6000 calls a year and will probably top 110000 calls total in the city. Try that sometime and tell me how it feels.
56 hours weekly is seven days a week in most jobs. Concentrating hours is beneficial and more efficient in most instances for both the public and the firemen. Try working a 24 hour stint sometime and tell me how fun you are when you go home.
On pensions, blanket statements again show a lack of facts or understanding.
Having said that, I can't imagine a more fun way to make a living. My life expectancy is 69 years but wouldn't have changed a thing.

here's all I wrote
On balance, it's a really great gig if you can get it. That is ONE reason why so many volunteer for years. So many want that gig. The gig provides ALL kinds of off-time to pursue other ventures.. rental properties, whatever.

What annoys me is this over-played holier than thou crap. Yeah, beepbeep, 9-11-01.. lot of first responders --not just FF's-- hustling like they never had before... the situation was huge. And on flight 93... the few passengers, --normal people just on their way home, or to a customer-- hearing of the situation took the FIGHT to the attackers. ...they took those hi-jacking monkey-butts and drove them (and themselves) into the ground - fast! --Not because their identity predisposed them to take action. ...they would see no hazard pay, or their loved ones again.

Point is, People - of all professions, will step up w/o pay. ...and then those are those guys in far away places making a LOT less, doing MUCH harder work, WHILE people are trying to k'k'kk'KILL them.

So, now, if anyone wants to directly refute my comment being a FF is a Really great gig if you can get it w/o condescending comments about who I'll call if my house is on fire, then let's hear it. All this deflection about 'but look how hard they work' is just that. Plenty of people work harder, in higher risk situations, for a lot less.

Subtext: the OP and others are doing you FF's a favor. That is pointing out that there IS a limit to the good-will people will direct toward first responders. That the days of FF walking on water are numbered. That doesn't mean they aren't useful, appreciated, whatever... Just that the milking of "I'm a FF, put money in this boot, as we snarl traffic - but it's okay that we wander in the road, and slow traffic, we're trained safety specialists... look, suspenders... helmets... " (it's getting old, and annoying, and so gd liberal - coercing others to pay for your supposed causes)

For another example where it's over done; Driving a big ass fire-truck around so a couple of guys can tell me that the inspection stamps on one of my extinguishers is out of date is just stupid on multiple levels. But hey, Good thing there are trained professionals to come along, look at the little needle, in the green zone, and make the risky call that this one, it's stamp-worthy. --then the men from the giant truck blocking customers is happy. --SO Stupid.

You're welcome.

PS, I made it extra ranty, so you could more easily dismiss. :)

Couldn't pass the test?

ooh, nice condescension. But no, back when I was young and (more) stupid I passed the both the written and physical tests, well --Very high scores. But that was the 80's and my "minority' buddy got number#1 ranking ... with lower test scores - low 90%. The hiring goals were solely focused women and minorities - not white males. So I went to college, got my degree; mechanical engineering -now there were some test you couldn't pass. ---zzziiinnnnggg..... :D

Yeah, it's a totally great gig that they get the opportunity to die so your property can be saved.

I really wish that stupid could hurt. I would spare us the ramblings of know-nothings whose cluelessness is so obvious that it's actually physically painful to others.

Alas.

So, this is all based on your 30-year-old butthurt?

Grow up.

Again with the petulant condescension. The butthurt here is from FF's who have their head in the sand.

"Yeah, it's a totally great gig that they get the opportunity to die so your property can be saved." Man, really? You REALLY believe that anyone is willing to die to save my property? Get real. More people die on their commute to work than FF's do trying to save property. Man, you guys REALLY insist on hero worship for anyone in the profession, because you've had deaths due to the profession. -butthurt, indeed.

This
 

That, from informed experience.

btw, what other profession gets so much equipment, so much time for training, and then gets to claim heroism when corners are cut and someone dies? Commercial fishermen? ....no. Maybe if I spin it like Silbers --Yeah, Commercial fishing, it's a totally great gig that they get the opportunity to die so you can have food.
Or, --Yeah, roofers, it's a totally great gig that they get the opportunity to die so your property can have dry spot when it rains.

People here are trying to tell you FF's, don't over-play your status. -it's uglier than one of my posts. :eek: