7 COMMON Firefighter Misconceptions

[@theyearwas1473]

My first department as a fire fighter EMT-B I made $13.25 an hour. I used to hear "how are you always broke? You are a firefighter!". I hated having to explain it to people. As the saying goes "fighting fires is fun, but EMS pays the bills".

[@tewksburydriver8624]

You need to get with a better fire department. Where I live EMS pays crap and firefighting pays very well.

[@theyearwas1473]

@@tewksburydriver8624 All departments pay different. Every department has a different pay structure. It all depends on what kind of a department you get on. There are salary departments, there are hourly departments, there are paid by call, there are paid on premise, there are volunteer departments, etc

[@tewksburydriver8624]

@@theyearwas1473 … I know that I’ve been a full time firefighter for 22 years and an EMT for almost 30. Like I said, if you want to get paid well in firefighting find departments that pay well. They are out there. I get paid 3x what EMS does.

[@deanslegos1990]

I think I'm about to take a 12k pay cut, and a steady m-f 40hrs, to step away from trucking.

[@theyearwas1473]

@@tewksburydriver8624 I don't see a lot of departments in Illinois paying more than $20 an hour for a EMTB firefighter. So unless your salary I don't know how you're making that much

[@perryfire1]

A lot of people romanticize what we do and I blame movies and tv shows for some of it. Although I have lots of interesting experiences from my career, I sometimes wonder if they were worth earning for the amount of garbage all of us had to endure. I'll never miss having to check for bedbugs or roaches after EMS calls for example. I'm glad you mentioned the brotherhood. I always got a kick out of shows that acted as if we all hung out for barbecue at each others homes while off-duty, drinking beer around a campfire while the wives stayed in the background being supportive. Personally, after having spent 24 hours with my truck mates I was ready for a break from them when the shift ended. Ha. You'll do some things together off-duty but as mentioned some of the people you will work with won't be all that great. But you'll also meet wonderful people too so it balances out thankfully.

[@madisonsandlin4845]

This is so helpful, thank you. I'm joining the fire service soon. Your videos have been so helpful, keep it up and thank you so much for everything.

[@engine2truck6]

HOLY CRAP! Number 6 is sooooo SPOT ON. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. Our PIO was writing a presentation and he insisted on using "with total disregard for his own safety" and we begged him to change it to : "courageously gauging the risks with the highest level of professionalism..." and thankfully he DID change it. Great Firemen do have guts, but they aren't crazypeople.

[@сашасрбија]

Respect for all firefighters all over the world, greetings from volunteer firefighter from Serbia.

[@Mr3pic111]

Started my journey about a year ago now. First volunteer shift out of recruit class I was offered a full time position. Thank you for all your help

[@k9spjack]

I have a few friends that work for Los Angeles County Fire, Los Angeles City Fire and the others work at smaller Southern California Fire Departments. Everyone of them make OVER three hundred thousand dollars a year with just a couple of overtime shifts a month. And they're not lying based on the houses that they own along with expensive vehicles, boats, motorcycles, etc. And every single one of them absolutely love their jobs which is rare with most people!

[@whatacow8]

I can't thank you enough, I watched all your interviews pertaining to the I interview and I got hired!! I start fire training in mid November

[@quizcrafters503]

well said! here in the UK it is greatly misunderstood what the fire service actually do. most people just think we deal with fires until i explain we carry out water rescue animal rescue hazmat and the list goes on!

[@hollow34]

We are not emergency plumbers, if you've got a burst pipe turn off your water at the stop cock and ring a plumber!

[@manubishe]

Yep, there isn't a superman to call when a kitty is stuck in a tree, nor a cop responding to said call

[@Real_McPhee]

Great video. It’s very easy to make these judgements watching these guys work on TV (news) only. All the people who make these claims probably have little to no fire science knowledge. Actually, the channel Firefighter Chronicles did a similar episode and made some of the same longs. I used to be an EMT in Los Angeles County and would be amazed at what these guys would do on a day-to-day basis. Just because they didn’t run into a burning building like a superhero means very little when you see them exit a structure with helmets still smoking. Fun fact: when I started as an EMT in 1999, I was paid sub-$9/hour. There were fast food franchises that started at a higher rate. A back injury and three subsequent surgeries left me unable to do the job, but I still miss it. Every. Single. Day.

[@Spenny.B-From-the_613]

Thank you for educating me once again 🙌 I’m very grateful for your wisdom

[@RedT...TheOriginal.NotANumber]

Regarding #4 - I love going to the store while on shift. Not only is there the immediate reason FFNOW mentioned, but it also gets us out into the community. We're seen by people, so they know us. Or at least they know we're there. This is especially important when dealing with children - we're seen as regular people who do things like buying groceries, just like them and their parents. That way, when we roll up on scene, we're not "big scary firefighters/EMTs" anymore. We're your friendly neighborhood first responders.

[@vanessagawthorne2777]

I’m a volunteer firefighter in another country and 💯

[@AStrangeTree]

Another thing I would add as it pertains to EMS: we do not transport every patient with lights and sirens. I’ve heard multiple people ask why wouldn’t an ambulance transporting a patient not have their lights ands sirens on.

[@kenmeinken8115]

You have to be careful with that.. One of our volunteers was a city cop operating a "scout car" (Chevy Suburban for first aid and transport.) One day he had a run to transport a woman to the hospital. She seemed fine to him, "no sicker than he was". He transported her and thought nothing more about it until he came into the precinct at the end of shift. There was a note for him to call the coroner, they wanted more details, the woman was dead.

[@AStrangeTree]

@@kenmeinken8115 I mean, at the end of the day he took the woman to the hospital. And it wouldn’t be possible to have any idea if he didn’t assess and do v/s

[@SledgeHammer43]

There are no flood rescue department, structural collapse department, grain bin rescue department, electrical shock rescue department, lightning strike department, hurricane destruction rescue department, Tornado rescue department, earthquake rescue department, these are all things your local fire department does. It is why 1 in 3 of Firefighters has PTSD.

[@fdMT_EnGy]

The old cat in a tree call. We were called out once for a cat stuck in a tree. We took the ladder climbed to the cat....guess what, cat went higher. Ladder went higher, cat went higher. The local news showed up awe look at these firefighters trying to save this cat....finally the chief called it and told the lady, "put a can of cat food at the bottom and leave it alone...have you ever seen a dead cat in a tree"....I almost couldn't hold the laughter in. I had to walk away.

[@poppajoebeneckesr7573]

Awesome explanations. My Department had a No cat in tree or stuck on a telephone pole policy. When asked the answer was really simple. Ever see a dead cat at the bottom of a pole or tree? Majority of people will answer no, they know how to get back down trust me. In 40 years I never saw not a 1.

[@professorpenne9962]

I thought firefighters were anime characters that combat humans that combust into fire demons. thanks for clearing everything up.

[@irishdrums4753]

Also consider a normal 9-5 job is 2,080 hours per year…a 24 hour full time FF works about 2,900 hours a year as a base…that’s an additional 39% added on to hours worked and I can assure you, I’m not seeing anywhere near that 39% added to my earnings. It’s a lot of time away from real life, and I’ve always said, If you’re in this line of work for the money, you’ve made a poor career choice. Remember, firefighting is very much a blue collar career. Very rewarding if you stay humble.

[@dirkbeekhuis7286]

Im a new volunteer firefighter, the money my departement pays is nog enough to really see as income. Luckily im not in it for the money

[@kenmeinken8115]

The first FD I was on paid us $1 per year. I still have the dollar bill. It was enough to qualify us for Workman's Comp if we were injured. .

[@SlavkoRybak]

Thanks, very interesting.

[@Cris-qd8pc]

Love that thumbnail

[@lordleengard5040]

Great video and I just wanted to say thanks for the great test prep videos because of that I passed

[@brettphillips5267]

I remember a fire Call I was on for a fully engulf small shed a few years ago. As I went to fire essentials aka Fire Classes and was trying to memories what the classes taught as well of my first FD I volunteer at, and soon as I saw it I was in full shock as that was something the classes really kinda don't teach you at the burn class. Then all the sudden I didn't know what to do and had like a few guys being like 2 from my dept. some from another all the sudden came up to me and tell me to do this and that at the same time and I didn't know what to do at all. When one member from my Dept suggested me to grab a hose line off the truck all the sudden the pump operator yell at me not to grab the hose line and like I said didn't know what to do. So I went to my mentor at the back of our squad truck and I told him I felt useless on the call, and my mentor ask me these questions: "You have your gear on right? You remain calm?" As I answer both questions as yes, my mentor told me at that point "Well that's all you need."

[@DOC-Jake-]

Well it obvious right. . 🤷🏻‍♂️. No you have to tell people this and we take a toll on health as you said. Sleep ,injuries , etc. retirement is my next step. Long road of many changes as you state . Be safe.👨🏻‍🚒.

[@matthewquinn8596]

The Brotherhood is not some fraternal order, where everyone becomes bonded like blood brothers. That is a myth, and I am glad you mentioned it. The Brotherhood is simply an understanding that the people you work with, or the people who are working somewhere understand the trials and tribulations of the job. Certainly there is a much more close knit feeling since we spend more time with each other, but it's not like we all hang out 24/7. And there are firefighters who are louts. Downright bad people. There are more who are not, but we have some real losers in the service, and well all know it.

[@kalantebyrd5226]

Just got accepted into Columbia Southern University 🙌

[@CITYNEWSSUPPORT]

People should also know Fire Officers Captain, LT, BC & District Chiefs are not just "Firefighters who got lucky on a Test" Those people work and study hard to rise in rank!

[@ludgatecircus15]

FEWER fires, FEWER firefighters

[@michael-sl7zo]

Hey I was wondering if you could do a video on how to get into your local explorer program I’m currently in high school and looking to get into the fire service and that would help a lot great video and keep up the good work

[@AmarantIXFF]

Normally you can contact your local department to get information on it. That’s how I started 9 years ago

[@xzxxx2351]

That is entirely department dependent as another comment said contact your local fire department they have a non emergency number and or a email that you can use

[@DailySportsFeed]

I am 23 yrs old, getting out of the Navy in 2 months I have 4 yrs law enforcement and military service. I want to become a Fire Marshall in Florida. I’ve been given a lot of mismatching information on the career path after the military. Could you give some advice on what I’ll need to be on the right path? Thank you!

[@user-wk9bu6xm7y]

Yep here ppl think we just fight fires , we do medical , rescue , hazmat, vehicle ex ect

[@professorpenne9962]

my mother who has been a nurse for 30 years has told me how first responders have made the difference between someone walking out of a hospital after treatment or being doa

[@spatch713]

Firefighters around me make >$100K a year in a town of 22K that runs about 3,800 calls a year. This is handled with 10 guys on a shift. Probably 95% are medical calls. A lot of the call volume is for lockouts, help with smoke detectors, and other non-fire calls. They also only staff two ambulances and pass off subsequent ambulance transports to the neighboring towns which have limited resources (one has no paid FF) All of this occurs while 6 FFs sit at a firehouse with another ambulance in it because "a fire might come in." Seems foolish to me.

[@xafbxmoto269]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a news story say how overpaid firefighters are? Then again I’m from California I think we have a lot more respect for firefighters then most states. Mostly you hear how underpaid they are.

[@jeremiah.a4891]

You’d be surprised… There are news reports of us firefighters being “over paid” and outright “lazy”. And there evidence to support that is because we’re getting less fires these days. But what the news report didn’t mention, was how much more dangerous these fires are now. And what they also didn’t mention was, us firefighters have integrated more alongside EMS now. Many of us are EMTs and paramedics, to assist paramedics on scene. Wherever a paramedic responds to, we’re in route as well, as according to dispatch.

[@professorpenne9962]

considering the dangers in forest fires they have are exposed to I would hope they get paid well. then again over here in the east if during an ice storm a powerline or branch falls and it causes a fire they have to risk their lives too. first responders deserve a huge raise.

[@blakslee720]

RE: #5 We got called out because a bunch of baby ducks had fallen into a storm drain and the passersby didn't know how to retrieve them. All that needed to be done was lift the grate up, but there's not much reason for the public to know that so of course we went and got the ducklings above ground.

[@ronthemogul]

Plus you don’t want some moron to go down there And get stuck or something

[@lon6boardlord]

I remember going in for the first time as career, the seasoned heads asked me three times if I was sure I wanted to do career and every other question was you going paramedic. It's definitely not what outsiders make it out to be but if you're born, breed, and committed you should be fine.

[@sandman0127]

After many series of many unfortunate events even a bout of alcoholism I'm finally ready to do it I finally get a driver's license the 20th and the deadlines are after fortunately I was thinking is it a good idea to apply to many departments at once like a normal job?

[@Phoenix411th]

I'm going to be a volunteer firefighter

[@blakslee720]

Not to mention the amount of nonsense that takes place "on the job" in FF tv/movies. I recently started watching Chicago Fire and OMG is it bad. Smh. I get that the pitch black Stockton Fire videos don't make for good TV, but can we at least put some airpacks on the roof vent crews?

[@burningspear90]

Yeah I saw that episode no mask up no test the roof smh

[@joshhaddock6772]

chicago fire is amazing the fuck do you mean

[@bethj714]

I just watch CF for the drama and hot men.

[@blakslee720]

@@joshhaddock6772 ok, you’re either a troll or not a firefighter. Sure it’s dramatic and fun to watch but the job related stuff is 90% fantasy land.

[@joshhaddock6772]

@@blakslee720 who the hell said i was a firefighter? 😂

[@prestonhurst7289]

Quick question, I’m 22 years old and it’s always been my dream to join the team. I know being a firefighter is a lot like being in the military. With that being said will I have any issues getting hired since I was diagnosed with ADD and I’m prescribed adderall? I hope not! Please let me know

[@steveofthesnow5257]

No not at all. I was on adderall. Volunteered for 4 years and I’m starting my full time firefighter job soon. Never been asked about it.

[@babytaz5926]

@firefighternow I have a neck tattoo nothing bad it’s the word Neptune in Arabic writing behind my ear in a vertical way will that be a issue because I do really wanna be a fire fighter?

[@jamesfries1894]

Thanks for recognizing us volunteers. Some paid guys really like to bash our skulls in after getting a career position. Sad they treat their brothers that way. :( Like we get it you’re in the hot seat everyday living most of our volunteers dreams but cmon.

[@demonwaker22]

Jolly volly here I WISH i got paid 😂

[@andyreimers9834]

"Fewer fires means we need fewer firefighters" If your favorite baseball team doesn't make it into the postseason, they will play fewer games. Does that mean they should put fewer players on the field?

[@solskengroupllp2758]

#1 misconception. They are in danger. 90% of the time it's car accidents and a medical emergency. "We need more money!".

[@manubishe]

"FF get overpaid"? I dare claim that those drawing the fat checks are not firefighters, The firefighters are the volunteers.

[@js312]

firefighter aren't a "dificult job". I hold a hose with a water for a living. Imagine that. I just need to be in okay shape physically but if I care about my health I should be anyways. nice gig though. pay abysmal(non us ff).

[@ronthemogul]

Troll

[@skettitacos1353]

I used to believe a few of these lol. Now that I'm a recruit working with a few crews, I realize how wrong I was.

[@kenbrown2808]

I've never seen a cat skeleton in a tree.

[@peterjermyn5785]

Can you address Baltimore tragedy 3 dead in collapse of vacant building it seems like it should have been a surround and drown fire there was nothing to save to begin with although it was occupied on far side of building it was a row house 100 feet long and no life hazard upon arrival

[@Mr_MissedtheFire]

Firefighters being overpaid is hilarious, I literally make $30,254 a year 😂😂😂

[@ronthemogul]

Jeez

[@TheTopNotchOne]

Bruh not enough

[@brandoncarrillo951]

Hello sir, Ill be going to get a medical exam with my Fire Department for the hiring process and was wondering if I should dress up in a suit or if a polo, jeans, and dress shoes would be good for this occasion?

[@Kislitch]

When in doubt, business casual

[@brandoncarrillo951]

@@Kislitch ok thank you!

[@patrick9440]

as fire departments are forced to hire women, they need more men to pick up the slack.

[@davecruz9893]

Your an ADULT.....(well allegedly) Put your hat on right....