IamA firefighter/paramedic AMA!

If I'm ever in a car crash, what is the best advice you could give me for that moment?

Best advice is to stay calm. If you have passengers, call out to them to see if they are hurt.

So I just sit in there and not try to move or anything? Is there a way to tell if the car is gonna catch fire?

If you are able to exit the car, then do it. If not try to stay still. Smoke is really the only indicator.

If you could have a movie based on the things you've seen and done while working, where you were the main character, would you? Would it be good? And who would play you? Thanks!

It would be awesome. And you tell me? What actor do I look like, if any? If it were my choice, Mark Wahlberg

When there is a full Moon do you actually see a spike in emergencies?

I honestly have no idea! I don't think I've actually ever paid attention to that. I'll look out for that lol

I'm a nurse in a hospital, and I swear we get slammed with so many admissions and things go wrong every time there is a full moon. Now, it's a go-to excuse for why our unit is in sudden upheaval.

Very interesting lol

As a nurse, I interact with numerous other healthcare professionals and appreciate the importance of communication in effective delivery of care. What can other healthcare professionals, including those who are bystanders at the scene of an accident and those working in hospitals, do to make your job easier? What do they do or say that really irks you?

It irks me when paramedics or nurses treat us with kid gloves lol like we don't know what we are doing. That also leads into what they can do to make our jobs easier. Interact with us in a way that we can help instead of being made to feel inferior haha. Does that answer your question? Haha

It does, but in what way have they patronized you? Were they verbally abusive? Dismissive? Speaking in mysterious medical jargon without clarification?

Dismissive for sure. Its not an overly common problem. But it does happen

What's your favorite movie?

Its not Backdraft. Lol The Shawshank Redemption and Field of Dreams

Describe the worst scene you ever responded to. We're you able to help? Did they die?

Worst was a multiple fatality involving teens. We were not able to help. They were DOA

Car accident?

Yes it was

As a dad of 3 boys (all under 11), I deal with regular kid injuries all the time, but I always struggle with....when should I call 911 versus driving to the emergency room?

We haven't had to deal with this yet...but I'm certain its coming.

Thanks

If it's a life threatening deal, call 911. If it is something to do with the head or spine or back, call 911. Broken leg id call 911. Anything else you can take them

What makes a broken leg necessary to call 911?

If not set properly, you could do real damage

I'd imagine so the dispatched group can properly bring the broken boned person in without causing further damage?

I've broken an arm before, and there wasn't a hospital in sight, so we improvised a splint on the way to finding one - not fun.

Im sorry but I had to laugh at "broken bone person" haha

How does one become a fire fighter? What's the starting salary, and how's the salary growth? How much risk is involved? Are your dependents taken care of if you expire while doing the job? Can you get overtime? Anything else someone should know about the job if there are considering becoming a fire fighter?

I'm a 21 year old in California.

Find departments that are testing. The requirements differ so be sure to check those. Salary can vary. In my department the starting pay is a lil higher than the national average. Salary growth is very good, the retirement is great. Risk can vary as well. We run a ton of mvas, not a lot of fire calls. Obviously there are risks involved. Yes in my department it's 2 years salary if you die in the line of duty.

To become a firefighter one must become state certified. In Florida you must go through an academy. (There are many dotted throughout the state) Once complete you must then pass 2 state tests, the physical and the written. Once those two tests are passed you can then apply to get a job with a department in the state. Most departments require you to also be EMT certified so that would be your next step. Best bet is to call your local department and get information directly as each state differs, firefighters are really friendly and helpful!

I went through the academy at the city. I had to pass the state test and Nremt test. But that was all after I had already been hired tho

What's your biggest fear while fighting fires? Backdrafts?

Mine personally is collapse. There are many dangers but that is my biggest concern

All of my friends who are medics studied in a specific program to be a medic and had to pass a certification test. When you say you are a firefighter/paramedic does that mean you have the qualifications to be a medic, or are the requirements different where you live?

I get the feeling from my medic friends that there's always this tension between fire and medics because their budgets tend to be related to each other. Are the number of fire related calls going down compared to recent years?

We dont get many fire calls. They are maybe 3% of our call volume.

I have the same exact cert and training that a paramedic that rides on an ambulance.

Interesting. I assume there's also a similar process/cert for firefighters? Why do both (if you are doing both that is)? Schooling for paramedicine here is a 2 year program for a diploma and a 4 year degree (through which I met a lot of my medic friends). Seems like a lot of time to invest into schooling.

When I went through medics, it was a 10 month process which I got paid to do by my department. I went through the fire academy and got my emt I as well then they sent me to medic school. The 2 year plan went in to effect in 2013 I believe

I've noticed that there has been a raise in awareness for PTSD for people outside of combat such as firefighters and police officers. In your experience, have you seen this? If so, how do people deal with the effects of PTSD and effect does this have on you?

I have never personally had to deal with it. I have had a few co workers deal with it. We have people that we can call night and day. But the best place to talk things out is within the fire house. Talking with people that have been through what you have

I've heard this rumor among some acquaintances...Do you or any fellow ff/medics you know find any and every reason that they need to get the shirt off of a hot chick you're responding to for purposes of "evaluating" her? Such as: "Go ahead and remove your shirt so we can make sure everything is ok"..."But, it's just my ankle."... "We need to check your vitals, miss, procedure"

Wow.. I have never seen this, nor will I ever do that. That is very creepy! I hope they were joking when they said it

If it was just one or two I would have thought they were joking, but I've known several who say it's a "perk" of the job. Maybe they were all joking, but really, a few of them definitely ARE creeps so I would not doubt that they do/have done it.

That's a shame. Very unprofessional and unethical if true

Agreed. I always say something about how I hope the county has enough insurance for when somebody sues them over it, or how I'm sure I'll see them on the news. Bad idea all around.

I will say this to any women reading this. Medics do not need to remove your shirt for vitals. Also this action is only performed if absolutely necessary.

As a chick who's been as a passenger inside ems vehicles in a few different countries, I have PTSD of those moments that I have no memory of. Such as: (something) (a memory of being in an emergency vehicle) (some clues about being in a hospital) (clues about being in a hospital days later --- at which point: hey?! Where is my underwear? Where the f am I?) Those flashes of memories are terrifying as I can tell I'm in some kind of medical environment but I don't see any more details than I'd see in "the real life". So the visual cues don't help in determining where I am...

Any tips EMS for the VI population? I used to faint when I saw blood. Now that at least has been magically cured, ha ha.

Im not sure why your underwear would be removed, so that would freak me out to. Also my advice would be to talk to someone, maybe even find a support group that has been through the same things that you have gone through.

I talk with some PTSD people, meet some b/vi friends whenever I can, and see a therapist. All hospital and medical environments really freak me out. Hospitals, malls & giant office buildings are generally a nightmare because my indoor navigational skills suck. Try visiting a hospital but then locate anything ONLY reading those ADA-compliant room signs with your hands. I guess you probably would do that blindfolded to see how a hospital looks from my perspective.

Oooh VI(Visually impaired)! I am sorry I didnt pick that up. I couldnt possibly imagine going through a traumatic experience with loss of consciousness while also being b/vi. I can see how that can be a big worry. My advice is still the same, you just have to talk to people. Hospital staffers can be very helpful. Just ask for help and they will lead you to the right place. Also if you are in an accident let the ff/medics know about your condition. For me, that would mean vocalizing everything I am doing or going to do so you know what is going to happen. We are trained to do that.

Hospitals just scare me. :( Accumulative series of events over the years, end result: very little trust in anyone. Kind of makes me wish some of the medical professionals I've been exposed to would have to try the other side for once.

Aww I am sorry to hear that! If you have any other concerns, feel free to ask

Why does a fire truck have to come with the ambulance? If they need extra people to help carry a person, couldn't they drive a smaller vehicle?

They are there because there are usually more fire trucks spaced over a larger area than there are ambulances. These fire trucks can sometimes get to the medical scene quicker and begin prehospital care prior to the arrival of EMTs/Paramedics. They bring the engine or the truck because if they get another call on the way back, they don't need to respond back to the station, they can just go to the call. That, and the bigger the truck, the bigger the barricade on the road should you need it.

Thanks for answering!

And in my city we outsource our EMS. Which means we dont run ambos out of stations. We answer every medical call for this reason because like the person above me said, most likely we have an engine closer to the call. Also we are all either medic or emt I(advanced) certified for this reason as well

Are you a Christian and do you pray? If not, how do you cope with all that you've seen?

I am a Christian and I do pray lol

what kinda of pranks got pulled on you when you were a new booter?

I got left on the roof of the station for about 2 hours once. That was a fun day haha

2 hour break? fuck yeah!

It was 100 degrees! And was in full gear haha

I've been in full turnouts and an mask in AZ summer, that is no fun at all.

A buddy was messing with the air bags, The had a conex box filled with gear and sent the boot into it to get something. They lifted the box with the bags and everything went tumbling on him.

Then he cleaned it up, good times.

I have never heard it called a boot before lol learned something today haha

What is the most gratitude you have ever gotten as a firefighter?

This is actually a pretty cool story. I delivered a baby about 3 months ago. It was a boy and the boys middle name is mine, named after me. It was an emergency delivery and they were very thankful for what we/ I did. Id say that is gratitude haha They have sent me numerous pictures and have kept me updated on his health and progress as well

Nice! An AMA I have questions for! As a local firefighter/paramedic, I'm not sure what info you'll have on this, but during the recent fires destroying my home of Northern California, I wanted to join the fight so bad. I filled out applications and contacted CalFire. But all I got in return was them saying they don't need anyone right now or I live in the wrong county. It just didn't make sense to me. I would obviously drive to the affected county. Can you offer any insight into this? I would think they take all who are willing and able (that aren't idiots, obviously). Let me know how I can help next time! Thank you very much.

My advice would be to join a local volunteer department. Wildland firefighting is very very dangerous and they only want people with experience. Youd gain that experience through the department. Sorry about your house, my heart goes out to you

Thanks for the response! My house was not affected as I live in another county. I just meant my home area. I did talk to the guys at the FD down the street from me and they don't offer a volunteer program. Haha. I guess I should just apply for employment.

There are tons of volunteer departments man. Just look in your area.

I have a few questions, so I apologize in advance, but this is actually something I'm looking into now after just getting out of the military. Did you go to a technical college to get certified? Was that enough to get hired by a fire department? Was it difficult getting hired? What else would you recommend doing to improve chances of getting hired? Thank you!

I got a Bachelor's in Criminal justice. At smaller departments, you'll need a fire cert and emt. The hiring process is difficult I wont lie haha. Departments love military guys so you already have a leg up

How long have you been in EMS? What is your daily 911 volume for your truck? How free are your protocols?

Our protocols are fairly strict. We go on 7 to 10 straight medicals a shift. I've been on 4 years now

Do you get dates just from wearing the uniform/related clothing?

This is a question I always get asked lol if you saw me in a bar or what not you'd have no idea what I did for a living. So I try not to "get dates" because of it lol

Do you feel like there is anything you could see that would cause you to reconsider your career?

I completed the EMT program at my state college and got certified but didn't pursue a job. I found out it wasn't for me but it gave me a deeper appreciation for all the men and women firefighters/paramedics/nurses.

Im not sure if there is anything that could pull me away from this job. It takes a certain person to do it for sure

Do you not have to shave for work (SCBA)?

I do. I was off for about 10 days in that pic

My uncle is an ems/ firefighter. I've noticed that he is desensitized to death because of his job, this must be common among emts, are you the same way and if so do you feel sad or depressed over the accidents you've come across throughout your career?

Honestly for me it depends on the situation. Any time a child/ younger person is involved it does get to me a little bit. Not saying older lives dont matter, its just more sad if they are younger

what would you be if you were not a firefighter?

Well hmmm.. dream job? Professional baseball or hockey player. Realistically.. Probably a lawyer

Back in January, I broke my right femur by falling through the ceiling while looking for a dead creature that might have been causing the fly problem in our house. I'm sure you're aware that breaking your femur is pretty much the most painful thing you can experience besides child birth. When paramedics got there and were getting me onto a stretcher, I asked to squeeze one of their hands while they lifted me to deal with the pain. They told me to "squeeze your own hand for a while."

Was this appropriate for a paramedic to say? Like, at all? Should I have told someone at the hospital?

Well some firefighters and medics can actually be assholes. You just happen to get one of those that day. Appropriate? Probably not. But there isnt any real action anyone could take against him/her. He/she would most like at the most get a talkin to because "bedside manners" do apply to us as well.

Have you ever had someone die while in the ambulance with you?

The only time I ever rode in a box was when i was doing my clinicals, which was only 10 12 hour shifts. So I havent spend much time on them. But no Ive never been in a box with a patient that has perished

how much can you bench?

eh not too much. 240ish. But Ill get ya on that dead lift tho haha

I heard someone say that some Paramedics/EMT's are told that if a person tells you in a calm voice that they are going to die, that person doesn't have long to live, and the Paramedic/EMT needs to get them to a hospital quickly, is there any truth to that?

Hmmm I dont think I have ever heard that before. I can see why this would be though. If a person is in a sane frame of mind and calm that would be a sign that they have accepted their own impending death.

I'm an aspiring firefighter. I'm currently working on my emt certification, have my 1001s, and do a bit of volunteer work. I have three questions.

What are more things you can recommend me doing to help get me further into the competition? I've made it to the interview before but didn't pass that.

What sort of life experiences are they looking for? I've always been a bit confused by that.

Also, what questions were you asked during the interview, more specifically the tricky situational type questions? I try to learn as many as possible so I could think of my answers.

Get that emt cert for sure, that will help. Get in really good physical shape so you can smoke the the physical tests. Also try to find some specialty courses (knot tying) and take some of those

Life experience would be continuing with the volunteer department.

I wasnt asked any situational questions. I was asked what was a time that I had to work in a bad group. How did I handle it and what did I do. also what was a time that I witnessed something that I felt was unethical at work. Also name a time when I was put into an emergency situation. What was it and how did i handle it.

Thanks for the response. I unfortunately don't volunteer with a fire dept, due to my location in the city and still needing to make money it is difficult as this city is 100% full time. Luckily I do a lot of climbing so I am quite well versed with knot tying. Those are good questions. I can't think of anything really on the spot for witnessing something unethical at work so I'll give that one a bit of thought, I'm sure there's something.

Thank-you for the response

Look at the smaller surrounding cities

Since my answer must contain a question, and I really just wanted to say thank you for what you do. What is the best way for the general public to say thank you to other paramedics/firepeople?

Just say thanks haha or if you have a station near by bring a goodie basket haha we all love those. Also this wont be popular on here, but thank the guys in blue when you see them. They have a rough job too

Awesome advice! I think i'll get some goodie bags together and drop them off at the local station. I live in a small town so the Police and Fire departments are right down the road.

Thats great! Im sure they will really appreciate it! Send some my way! haha

Hey brother, FF1/Paramedic as well here. What department lets you have a beard? I didn't know this magical idea was real! All we can get is a staché.

If you saw earlier in the post someone commented that as well. I was off for about 10 days in that pic, so I didnt have to shave. All we can have is the mustache as well

First of all, thanks for all your work. My question is , did September 11 have a factor in becoming a firefighter ?

Yes and no. I have always kind of wanted to be one. But when I saw the sacrifices the men and women made during 9/11 I knew in my heart that is what i wanted to do

I have a firefighter friend, and where he works they have a policy that anybody who gets on the evening news on the job has to buy steak. Is this a widespread thing, or is it just them?

This is very wide spread but not necessarily steak. We do ice cream for every first. first call, first time on the news etc etc. Steaks are purchased on your last shift at a station as a good bye.

Interesting. I have never heard of the news thing. I guess it just isnt a thing here. Its kind of a cool tradition. It may need to become a thing in my department.

I've never heard that but now I can start that rumor lol

Ever banged in the back of an ambulance?

Firefighter/paramedic here who does ride an ambulance...

no, you dont do this unless you want gonnoherpasyphillaids..

every ambulance ever, has blood in the back somewhere.

Preach on haha Its sad how dirty some boxes are lol

No. And I dont ride on an ambo