Volunteer FireFighter as an extra-curricular

[premedbrah]

I'm curious if anyone could provide a brief overview of their experience as a Volunteer Fire Fighter. Would you recommend it? I am very interested, and I'm currently planning to take a Fire Science course in the next couple months before starting my EMT-B this summer. Any information would be awesome, thanks!

For what it's worth I am already currently doing Clinical Volunteering/ Scribing, so this would just be something based on interest and wanting to serve my community.

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[fancymylotus]

@Fireman

 

[Fireman]

I'm curious if anyone could provide a brief overview of their experience as a Volunteer Fire Fighter. Would you recommend it? I am very interested, and I'm currently planning to take a Fire Science course in the next couple months before starting my EMT-B this summer. Any information would be awesome, thanks!

For what it's worth I am already currently doing Clinical Volunteering/ Scribing, so this would just be something based on interest and wanting to serve my community.

Volunteering can be a big commitment, time wise and financially. The days of showing up and having someone show you how to squirt water are over. Most volunteers are required to have the same level training as paid professional fire fighters. As well as thorough and exhaustive background checks. This isn't to talk you out of it, because it's a great thing to do for your community, and it can be a lot of fun, I just want you to know what you're looking at as far as commitment. Weekly drills, weekly required ride out times, etc.

Fire Science classes are fun, they aren't typically very hard classes, but they are pretty informative. However, if you don't plan to do anything in the fire world, they would largely be a waste of time as they are very fire centric and don't really delve into "real" science all that much. There is a lot of fire planning aspects to them, as well as code knowledge. Again, not trying to talk you out of it, just think you should be informed. If nothing else they'll be some easy A's to boost your GPA and they are "science" classes.

Get your EMT, do some part time work on an ambulance and talk to some FF's on calls and see what the requirements are locally to volunteer as they are different pretty much everywhere. Also many departments require an EMT even for volunteers.

If you have any other questions about the fire service or classes let me know.

 

[ridethecliche]

I went through fireschool as a junior.

It taught me what fear really was and I ended up doing a lot of volunteer stuff but never answered calls. It gave me so much freaking respect for first responders.

 

[fancymylotus]

Serious Q:

Can I be a firefighter

 

[Sandmeezy]

Serious Q:

Can I be a firefighter

If you really really really believe in yourself, anything can happen. You could also ask Genie 😛

But on a more serious note, you'd have to attend fireschool, although idk if you want to do any more school after having gone through Dental school.

 

[Fireman]

Serious Q:

Can I be a firefighter

serious answer: NO

you couldn't lift the hoes..when they're wet 😉

 

[Fireman]

I went through fireschool as a junior.

It taught me what fear really was and I ended up doing a lot of volunteer stuff but never answered calls. It gave me so much freaking respect for first responders.

What about "fireschool" taught you what fear really was?

 

[Fireman]

This was just a busy day in November.. 😀

About 6:30 am

Noonish

This was a training burn from 3-6:30 pm or so

And a strip and burn around midnight that night

If you're an adrenaline junky, it's not a bad gig.

 

[fancymylotus]

If you really really really believe in yourself, anything can happen. You could also ask Genie 😛

But on a more serious note, you'd have to attend fireschool, although idk if you want to do any more school after having gone through Dental school.

Mostly a not serious Q, dental school sucked the life out of me. Now I am a grouchy jerk most of the time, IRL

serious answer: NO

you couldn't lift the hoes..when they're wet 😉

pfft. I could do your job better than you can. Car fires? No problem!

 

[Fireman]

pfft. I could do your job better than you can. Car fires? No problem!

You can't even strike a match 😛

 

[ridethecliche]

What about "fireschool" taught you what fear really was?

Fire school was fine, but answering live calls made me paralyzed that I'd screw it up. I realized that it was a big weakness of mine and I spent a lot of time working on it. I wish I could do a redo now.

 

[Fireman]

Fire school was fine, but answering live calls made me paralyzed that I'd screw it up. I realized that it was a big weakness of mine and I spent a lot of time working on it. I wish I could do a redo now.

Gotcha. I remember my first call and what a bumbling fool I was. Full arrest on a 70 y/o male. I was 18 and had ZERO experience and pretty much just stood their frozen. The medic asked me to strip a line for her and I grabbed the bag and stared at it. Someone yanked it out of my hands and told me to start doing compressions. Once I started that I was good. But that first call was so bad. Now I barely have to think when I walk into most calls, everything is second nature, of course the crazies where I live like to throw a wrench in the mix now and then. Nothing will grind you to a halt like a pissed off homeboy with a gun in your face telling you if you don't save his homie you're going to die too.

The training can be intense for people too. I've taught at academies and am on several training cadres for my department, and I've seen some grown ass men come out of some training props in tears on more than one occasion. The mass confidence maze usually gets people the worst. I don't know if you remember that, or did it, but it's basically where they put you on air, and blind fold you and send you through a maze where you have to take your bottle on and off and search and find your way out. It can be freaky. And we usually do ours with live fire to amp it up a bit.

 

[ridethecliche]

Gotcha. I remember my first call and what a bumbling fool I was. Full arrest on a 70 y/o male. I was 18 and had ZERO experience and pretty much just stood their frozen. The medic asked me to strip a line for her and I grabbed the bag and stared at it. Someone yanked it out of my hands and told me to start doing compressions. Once I started that I was good. But that first call was so bad. Now I barely have to think when I walk into most calls, everything is second nature, of course the crazies where I live like to throw a wrench in the mix now and then. Nothing will grind you to a halt like a pissed off homeboy with a gun in your face telling you if you don't save his homie you're going to die too.

The training can be intense for people too. I've taught at academies and am on several training cadres for my department, and I've seen some grown ass men come out of some training props in tears on more than one occasion. The mass confidence maze usually gets people the worst. I don't know if you remember that, or did it, but it's basically where they put you on air, and blind fold you and send you through a maze where you have to take your bottle on and off and search and find your way out. It can be freaky. And we usually do ours with live fire to amp it up a bit.

We didn't have to do the maze like, that but we had to navigate a smoky room on SCBA and find exits and such with a couple of other people. It was pretty nuts.

I'm generally a very cautious person, so feeling unprepared freaks me out. I was about 16-17 at the time, so I wasn't allowed to do any of the 'fun' stuff. I treated it like a high school volunteer position and helped out around the house and with all the volunteer fundraising events they did (volunteer company). I'm looking forward to the day I can drop off a nice donation to that place for the life experience I got in that short amount of time.

 

[fancymylotus]

I mean, fire people need night vision goggles like in video games. That would make things a lot easier for them.

 

[LizzyM]

I mean, fire people need night vision goggles like in video games. That would make things a lot easier for them.

They have that technology now. It is a little chip that fits right on the face mask they already wear -- heat vision is what they need more than night vision. My brother has worked as an engineer on both. Good example of military defense spending that also helps those not involved in the military.

 

[premedbrah]

Volunteering can be a big commitment, time wise and financially. The days of showing up and having someone show you how to squirt water are over. Most volunteers are required to have the same level training as paid professional fire fighters. As well as thorough and exhaustive background checks. This isn't to talk you out of it, because it's a great thing to do for your community, and it can be a lot of fun, I just want you to know what you're looking at as far as commitment. Weekly drills, weekly required ride out times, etc.

Fire Science classes are fun, they aren't typically very hard classes, but they are pretty informative. However, if you don't plan to do anything in the fire world, they would largely be a waste of time as they are very fire centric and don't really delve into "real" science all that much. There is a lot of fire planning aspects to them, as well as code knowledge. Again, not trying to talk you out of it, just think you should be informed. If nothing else they'll be some easy A's to boost your GPA and they are "science" classes.

Get your EMT, do some part time work on an ambulance and talk to some FF's on calls and see what the requirements are locally to volunteer as they are different pretty much everywhere. Also many departments require an EMT even for volunteers.

If you have any other questions about the fire service or classes let me know.

Hey thanks for the awesome response! I was looking for an honest and thorough explanation and you definitely helped me out! Currently I'm a Scribe and Hospital Volunteer, and might be working at a Free Clinic here soon. I was looking for a general idea of the time commitment involved, and you gave me a great perspective into what would be required of me. I will still get my EMT-B this summer, and plan on Volunteering at my local station as part of the EMS Team.

Btw the local departments in my area require all of the same training as any paid FireFighter (16 units of Firescience courses along with EMT-B), just looked it up.

Another question, I've seen Fire Departments being described as being very para-military in regards to work flow and demeanor. I'm curious if this is true or not as I'd to just get a general idea.

 

[Fireman]

Another question, I've seen Fire Departments being described as being very para-military in regards to work flow and demeanor. I'm curious if this is true or not as I'd to just get a general idea.

The fire service is typically ran in a very para-military style. However, in my experience the purely volunteer departments aren't as bad as the paid departments. It's just a different mentality with paid departments because there is extra stress put on us, and because it's our career there is more expected of us than of volunteers. But yes, chain of command is utilized, we run everything based on the ICS structure, and there can be a fair amount of ribbing of new guys, pranks, making them do the more undesirable jobs until they've proven themselves. With us, your first year or so you are expected to be studying and training whenever we aren't running calls. So after 5 when the rest of us shut down and watch TV or go work out, the new guys are expected to have their noses in the books studying. They are usually tasked with giving classes at least once a day, on whatever topic the senior firefighter decides to ask for. This goes for volunteers as well, or as my department calls them "reserves". The days the ride out, they are expected to be studying and giving classes.

The classes can be pretty in depth; I have a probey at my station and my last day working with him the captain said he needed to give a class, so I we went out to the engine I grabbed the two types of saws we have on the engine asked him which he was most comfortable with, he said the chainsaw, so I told him to give a class on the rotary saw. His class was about an hour long, had a powerpoint presentation, and he did an in depth tear down of the saw. It was a great class, I'm just trying to give you an idea of what can be expected, I don't know how the departments in your area will be, they're all different.

I work for the 3rd largest department in the nation, and we have a great reputation of having very good firemen, cutting edge technology, being extremely safe and very well trained. We have FF's from all over the world come to our training center regularly for classes that we teach. I'm teaching a swift water rescue class in June to a group of about 30 FDNY firefighter's.

 

[premedbrah]

The fire service is typically ran in a very para-military style. However, in my experience the purely volunteer departments aren't as bad as the paid departments. It's just a different mentality with paid departments because there is extra stress put on us, and because it's our career there is more expected of us than of volunteers. But yes, chain of command is utilized, we run everything based on the ICS structure, and there can be a fair amount of ribbing of new guys, pranks, making them do the more undesirable jobs until they've proven themselves. With us, your first year or so you are expected to be studying and training whenever we aren't running calls. So after 5 when the rest of us shut down and watch TV or go work out, the new guys are expected to have their noses in the books studying. They are usually tasked with giving classes at least once a day, on whatever topic the senior firefighter decides to ask for. This goes for volunteers as well, or as my department calls them "reserves". The days the ride out, they are expected to be studying and giving classes.

The classes can be pretty in depth; I have a probey at my station and my last day working with him the captain said he needed to give a class, so I we went out to the engine I grabbed the two types of saws we have on the engine asked him which he was most comfortable with, he said the chainsaw, so I told him to give a class on the rotary saw. His class was about an hour long, had a powerpoint presentation, and he did an in depth tear down of the saw. It was a great class, I'm just trying to give you an idea of what can be expected, I don't know how the departments in your area will be, they're all different.

I work for the 3rd largest department in the nation, and we have a great reputation of having very good firemen, cutting edge technology, being extremely safe and very well trained. We have FF's from all over the world come to our training center regularly for classes that we teach. I'm teaching a swift water rescue class in June to a group of about 30 FDNY firefighter's.

Thats awesome, tons of information. You've been super helpful,thank you! I'm looking forward to seeing how things work at my local department, but you've given me a great idea of what to expect. Much appreciated.