The DARK Side of Firefighting (most don't talk about)

[@mike_pertz]

Try Firefighter Furnace: geni.us/firefighter-furnace (use code FIREFIGHTERNOW20 to get 20% off for life)

[@amazingworldtosee]

With volunteer fire fighting dose it mater how the lights on your car or yourtruck I would you recommend a Bar on the top or something else

[@christophermason3275]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5PKe5h5dpagfas

[@christophermason3275]

I was wondering if you could maybe elaborate on this video that I just posted and point out some things that maybe the audience might need to know. For example in this video nobody seems to be directing traffic while cars are just casually passing by. When the firemen arrive and quickly get water on the fire. Spectators throwing snowballs at firefighters which is extremely disrespectful to both first responders and victims alike. The driver of the truck looks like he needed help getting into the vehicle by a firefighter for some reason which seems like a risky thing. Again thanks for your videos

[@christophermason3275]

By the way this video was shot in Vilnius (capital city) Lithuania 🇱🇹 one of the Baltic Countries and a former Soviet Union state.

[@retiredk9copper726]

@@amazingworldtosee Are you saying it doesn’t matter? I’m not being a jerk just letting you know Not sure if you are but each state and county in the US have different laws and rules. Some say you can only have a dash light no siren. Some say you can have red lights and a siren with 360 degrees of visibility interior and some laws say you have to have your lights on the highest point of your vehicle like a lightbar on the roof . Some say just a blue light unless you’re a Officer LT Captain Chief. Finally there are some areas where volunteers can’t have any type of lights and sirens. This is for POVs Personally owned Vehicles by the volunteers. Hope this helps if that is what you were saying.

[@doogledoesstuff3584]

Totally on point here. As a young firefighter , I was pulled aside at a fire scene by my District Chief. It was an apartment fire which was a total loss. Myself and my partner who were on the tip and first in, we were high fiving because it was a good fire and we were pumped . My DC reminded us that the occupants of that apartment had likely lost everything they had and they could be watching two firefighters celebrating a good knockdown while they just watched their world go up in smoke. Save the high fives for later.

[@blesch]

That’s deep

[@philliprickman1394]

After putting out a car fire one day, we ( the Captain, me (driver) and one firefighter) stood around waiting on a tow truck. We chatted with the woman who owned the car. The car wasn't destroyed, but may have been totaled because of the cost to repair. After we got back to our station, we were called to go up to the Chief's office. The lady had filed a complaint because we didn't show enough concern for her loss. We were all blown away. We had no idea we had done anything to offend her. (this was years ago, before everyone was looking for ways to be offended) I think our attempt to lighten the situation for her was mistaken for lack of sympathy.

[@JB91710]

Your DC didn't do you any favors at all!!! He should be telling you just the opposite. Their losses should mean absolutely nothing to you other than you will do the absolute best you can to save their property and lives and That's IT! You can NOT make their problems your problem. If you try to be a hero, you will probably die a hero. Go ask Worcester Massachusetts FD how being tunnel vision, emotional heroes has worked for them.

[@DeputatKaktus]

This is good advice. We are also being taught not to make any comments while on scene. There is plenty time for celebration and high fives later, be it on the ride back or at the station. Giving each other a pat on the back when you are still inside once the fire is out and you have just shut off your nozzle is also OK. But today, we always have to bear in mind that people love filming everyone and everything. And whatever you do on scene that is visible by the public, might be on KZbin before you are even back at the station.

[@ed-gw3ov]

@@philliprickman1394 You can't fix some people. I have zero sympathy for the renters or home-owners who have no insurance. Now the community is asked to step-in and help them for their loss. Sorry, that's a "You" problem.

[@bobknull7502]

Back in the 70s I was on a volunteer department in a tiny village. I will never forget a call that we responded to. An elderly couple had a house with a large back yard at the north end of the village. The husband was out back mowing the lawn while his wife did some chores around the house. When she finished making lunch she went out back to call him in to eat. She found him laying on the ground near the still running walk behind mower. He wasn't breathing. She called 911. We got there 20 minutes before the nearest ambulance did. We had one of the first female firefighters in the midwest on our crew. She had the most experience with emergency medicine, so she took over the scene. It was apparent to us that his heart had stopped at least 30 minutes before she called us. I watched and helped Donna administer CPR for the entire time that it took for the ambulance to arrive. After, back at the station I asked her why we worked so hard on a clearly lost cause. Her response was ...." We weren't doing it for him. we were doing it for his wife." I got to serve as a full time firefighter at The Fort McCoy army base with her as well. I learned a lot from her about dealing with the emotions of the folks we served.

[@daveluttinen2547]

A criminal justice college professor told a story about something similar where it was clear that the patient was deceased, but because the official call had not been made, he said that while running down the hall one of the EMS people whispered "this one is for practice." Ever mindful that nobody was within earshot, it is a tragic truth tha, as EMS, personnel are doing the best they can under the worst circumstances. Like my first senior citizen suicide: I was every respectful of the body of the man because his family was watching every move. One has to compartmentalize the tragedy from the task at hand: to save a life if it is possible, to respect the people around, and yet to not allow the tragedy to affect yourself personally. It is not a job for everyone; it is not a job for someone who does not consider the image that they portray while doing their noble task. God bless those who serve.

[@dawnreneegmail]

The mower was probably just buzzing away or that's what happened when ma tried to clear a dog chew from the front mower wheel without turn it off first.

[@hookedonthebay3890]

I have a similar story to that. A year ago I did my non-emergency transport EMT clinicals. 1st day, second call we go to transport a lady from home to hospice (where her DNR was) and she was cold and pulseless. Keep in mind this was a routine non-emergency call so it was a total surprise. This lady's daughter and half a dozen grand children were all there to witness it. Similar to your story, we had to do CPR on this poor lady for over 20 minutes for her daughter. Hardest part was the kids faces walking in and put trying to process it all.

[@dawnreneegmail]

@@hookedonthebay3890 ❤️

[@gohawks3571]

That's very caring. You may not have been saving that life, but the care you show on the scene can make a major difference in the life of the people around. When people are treated carelessly on top of the immediate tragedy, they can be suicidal.

[@brianbecher5781]

My dad was a firefighter from the late 70s to the late 2000s and I remember one particular day in '01 when he came home completely rattled in a way I'd never seen (keep in mind he also did 2 tours in Vietnam). He had to pull an unresponsive man (mid 30s) from under a bed - he passed from smoke exposure and was burned badly. The man was somewhat of a family friend who had severe mental disabilities and would tow a lawnmower with his bike and do yardwork for us in the 80s. He was likely terrified and trying to hide from the fire. My usual stoic dad was more emotional than I'd ever seen him before. Give your first responder friends and family a hug next time you see them.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@brandonlewis9531]

I am a firefighter in Alabama. Breaks my heart watching a home owner lose their possessions and loved ones. Just a couple weeks ago we had a car fire and after talking to the owner found out everything she owned was in that vehicle and she was devastated. We also recently had a 6 year old boy go missing at a birthday party and we found him dead in the pond near by.. i will never forget the screams of the mom as she was told her son was found deceased. Our path is taxing but rewarding, although it is hard to experience the things we do it is also rewarding to be the person your fellow citizens call on for help in their time of desperation. i am honored to serve my community and help comfort them in their time of need. i will bear that cross with no complaint.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@gohawks3571]

♥️

[@johnsonoutdoors8117]

I recently joined a volunteer department while I'm in reserves. Responded to my second call last Wednesday. Two 15 year Olds went through the ice on a snowmobile. My friend tried to get them before we got there. They figured the driver was knocked out on impact. He was found a little more than 5 hours after we got paged.

[@brandonlewis9531]

@@johnsonoutdoors8117 so you are from the schoolcraft area. I was born and raised in Grand Rapids. I moved in 2016 to Alabama

[@johnsonoutdoors8117]

Yep I'm on Thompson Volunteer Fire Department. I'm assuming you keep taps on town.

[@Beandiptheredneck]

Im just a small town volly, but one of the first things I learned on fire scenes, is there is nothing fun, about watching someone watch their home burn. It really struck home when we had a fire at my captains house. Watching a firefighter you look up to stand there and fight back tears as the smoke rolls, really makes you think.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@karlscribner3838]

Don't think of yourself as "just" for your community you are just as much a main man as the chief of FDNY. So says a retired 30+ "just a volly"

[@notablediscomfort]

​@@karlscribner3838 "just a volly" meaning we panic from lack of experience so we're less effective. yeah we at least show up and try so there's that, but we legit are usually a solid downgrade from paid crews. those dudes show up with some real tangible professionalism.

[@QemeH]

Thank you for talking about this!! I often feel the same as a paramedic. It's not the gory "dude had his limb hanging by a thread" war stories that keep you up - it's all the misery and suffering we encounter. It's the 14 year olds we drag out of drug dens only to find there is no guardian to call, it's the grandma that called for a minor reason just so somebody - anybody - would talk to her, it's the homeless that are treated as a nuiscance but never given the actual mental care they need, it's the grown adults weeping under the christmas tree because we just stopped CPR on their mother, it's the young soldiers on their third suicide attempt, it's sooo much tragedy and woe... I'd much rather go on 3 train collisions a day if it meant I'd never have that again. But on the other hand: We can affect REAL and DIRECT change in the community and in individual people's lives - and in the end, that's what I do it for.

[@therayven3147]

Bro, you made me tear up with this comment... So real... I've been there.

[@jamesunderdal8976]

Damn thats heavy brotha and also true as fire and rescue myself.

[@MacTireBan]

As a paramedic student doing ride time, I saw a young teenage daughter sitting in the kitchen with the lights out, unbeknownst to her mother. The two paramedics I was riding with and the mother (who was a nurse) were joking about the circumstances that had just caused the father's untimely death (something about intimacy and CABG). That was 40 years ago and I still see that girl sitting in the dark. One of the lessons from that day (there were several lessons from that scene) that I always carried is that there is Always more than one patient.

[@craneoDeFuego077]

I agree... firefighters see the worst of society and it can take a heavy toll... BUT, realizing that you're able to change things for the better and that we are here to help when it's most needed... that's why it's important

[@QemeH]

@@craneoDeFuego077 That's the only reason I still do it. God knows it's not the paycheck that keeps me coming back...

[@cwapplefarmer]

I have been a volunteer Firefighter, EMT and Deputy in my over 30 years of service. I have always found that during the initial phases of a fire, we focus on our 360 and setting up for attack, but almost never talk to property owners except to get information on the occupancy and any particulars that were seen when the fire was first detected as this could change our plan of attack.After this the homeowner was left to deal with their loss pretty much alone. One fire, I noticed the homeowner in litteral shock about what was going on and nobody was paying attention to her. I was switching duties from interior to pumper ops after two rounds inside. We do this to rotate fresh people in when we can and give extended break periods to initial attack. Back to the homeowner, being a warm day and with the stress of her loss of everything to her, she was in a state of shock that was determined to need medical intervention. This got me thinking that the homeowner is not just the homeowner, they are a victim of traumatic loss. After discussion with officers and admin, we made a change in these fires, to identify the affected people, assign one person to be with them, help them get family or friend for support, involve Red Cross quickly and determine any immediate needs. One time it was meds that could not be missed, so we were able to contact the primary care Dr. and the pharmacy delivered the meds before we were in overhaul. We found that this one resource, usually not a line Firefighter, but a support, EMT, or other non-combat person was imperative to those "victims" and community feedback has been great. That person is there for those victims to ask questions, keep them informed of the process and progress of the event, and make sure they have support in place before we leave. It does not matter what the call is, we have someone with the victims of loss, almost like a Chaplain. It works by alleviating the frustration of people and keeping them from interfering with fire operation.

[@dawnreneegmail]

Wow, great triaging and implementation ❤‼️

[@uraniumu242]

Very smart approach. When I was a volunteer EMT working the World Championship rodeo in Las Vegas we got a call to assist a young female feeling very weak, her parents were buying refreshments. When we got her to where we could do an assessment she complained of stomach pains. After examining he abdomen we carefully and respectfully started to ask probing questions about menstruation and miscarriage. She told us she had had an abortion and didn’t want her parents to find out. I am opposed to abortion but I had a duty to this patient and when her parents came to see her nothing was said. She then volunteered the information to mom and mom told the dad and after tears and hugs they transported her to the hospital. I had to put aside personal feelings to serve the patient. I never regretted my decision to maintain her confidence even though the circumstances challenged my very closely held beliefs. On another occasion a woman was thrown out of a car (she was a prostitute and treated like a piece of garbage. I didn’t have a laerdal mask with me ( I was in my personal car ) she was not breathing and I had to make a choice. This was at the height of fear and understanding about the transmission of aids/hiv. It took me a second to decide to give mouth to mouth, back then it was abc’s not cab as is common today. Clark County Fire and rescue got there shortly after and relieved me. To be honest for at least a few years I occasionally worried if I may have contracted aids, the tests back then took a long time to come back and even then they were not accurate. At the same time Paramedic units were being attacked for anything people thought they could sell or get high on.

[@gabelee5356]

My fire academy for my volunteer service had a whole week on how to act professional on a fire scene and interact with the "Mrs. Smiths" of the community. Be aware of how your actions effect the people who are experiencing maybe the worst day of there life and take the extra steps (if you can) to protect things they value life heirlooms, pets, etc. One farmer was so happy with his interaction with our service he actually donated part of his land so we could build another fire station. His house was totally lost but we took the extra time to get someone to watch his dog and set him up with temporary living that he felt the need to give back to us and his community. I love my job.

[@JB91710]

You can help them after that fact but NEVER get emotionally involved about it.

[@choppermike3329]

@@JB91710 You should try making different comments instead of the same ones over and over. Then people won't laugh at you so much.😂

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@Gigrunt887]

Your a hero

[@donzender9008]

Not sure how I found this video, but will share I lost my entire business in a commercial structure fire a few years ago. Located in a strip center, the compressor of a soda machine in the next door business overheated and caught fire. Flames quickly went up the wall and into the ceiling. Once the rubber roof started fire, it just spread like crazy. Major city fire department supported by two township departments and I will tell you, all of the guys that responded on a 95 degree day were awesome. Once I got all of my customers and employees out safely to the parking lot, that is when it hits you, that everything you just spent years building a business - blood, sweat and tears - the whole shot is gone. When you hear the sirens coming, they can't come fast enough. The even worst part is employees asking if they still have a job to provide for their families, that's the one that literally made me puke right there next to the fire truck, as in that moment, you just don't know. Thankfully I was very well insured and went to battle with the insurance company with the assistance of a public adjuster. With the PA's assistance, everyone remained on payroll and rebuilding was accomplished. After the fire was put out, the fire department personnel saw I was not doing that great and the BC stuck around for an hour or so until the board-up company arrived. Just a little thing, but when I felt that I had just lost all I've worked so hard for, in that moment it meant the world to me. Grateful that no one was hurt, including the responding firefighters. As we got through it, catered over breakfast, lunch and dinner to the responding stations just as a show of my gratitude for their assistance on what was the worst day of my life.

[@donnaleeah5075]

So sorry you went through this. I could feel your pain. Very nice of you to do the food as a thank you. Your employees no doubt live working with you. TY for being you. Kindness

[@dawnreneegmail]

@@donnaleeah5075couldn't have said it better, I concur and thank you for your heartfelt share of the experience for us to grasp, blessings sir.

[@MH-Tesla]

As a staff children's pastor, having to do hospital calls was a part of the job. I'll never forget the first time. I was maybe 23, and what stood out to me most was the relief they had when I arrived. Who am I? I can't do anything to help your son right now, but me just being there was so huge to them and comforting. You don't need to know what to do or say, just being present is often just what's needed.

[@tracetherebel]

I remember my 1st call ever (January of this year) and it was a house fire. Being my first call I was excited and will remember it forever, but the thing I remember the most was walking back to my utility truck leaving and seeing the family thanking all of us as we left. She was very upset like the homeowner in this video, but my point is I may not talk about it as important as it is but I always keep it in my head someone is having a bad day when they call for our help, and the tragedy they have to suffer.

[@engine2truck6]

True that they are having a bad day, true it might affect them well beyond that day….True, it may very well be their LAST day. But keep in mind, brother: you have an opportunity to improve things from the second you step off the rig. When we show up, we are trying our best to make it BETTER. Stay safe, Brother.

[@Deerhunterjs]

My first call was March of this year, and it was a suspected gas leak. It turned out to not be, and the next day I saw a post made on Facebook from the homeowners thanking us for our professionalism, compassion, and everything we did to make sure they were safe.

[@marynatodosenko7129]

Just two days ago (August 2022) I had my first fire call and I will also remember it forever. It was a fire the size of 1 and a half football fields, maybe 2. There were 4 fire departments on the scene and each got their own section of track. Old railroad tracks were burning, and old wooden floors under the tracks created ideal conditions for hidden fires. Since it was my first fire, I also had mixed feelings, I was excited and a little nervous at the same time. But luckily the nervousness left me as soon as I concentrated on work. In this case, there was no "unhappy owner" since the owner is the city. However, we received a thank you message from the mayor.

[@marynatodosenko7129]

@Blue There is one career firefighter in our volunteer fire department who often watches our training sessions. Your words remind me a lot of him. He is sometimes a bit strict with us, but we all like him and appreciate that he devotes himself to us in his free time. His advice and experience are very useful for us. He always reminds us that "you need to know every single piece of equipment in the vehicle because you never know what you're going to need on the next mission." When some newcomers (boys) could not answer his questions, he likes to tease them by saying that I, as a girl, know more than them. 😅

[@hadtobethere1328]

@@marynatodosenko7129 Do you mean career firefighter. Because even though you are a Volunteer Fire Dept. You all are or should always consider yourselves as professionals.

[@wyatttracy6186]

Total side-note, I remember helping clean up after a tornado years ago. Our volunteers were burning a lot of debris and I remember the explosions, at first we thought they were just from propane or similar aerosol cans in the debris but we actually started getting hit with exploded food cans. The pressure and heat were causing the metal cans to detonate and rocket into the air nearly 100 ft. Just another hazard to watch out for.

[@jimlongley9531]

My first DOA was just a couple of months after I joined the VFD, a high school acquaintance of mine who I also knew from hanging out at a racing themed bar and grill in our hamlet. She went off the road 1/10 of a mile from our house and hit a tree, (I actually heard the wreck and was grabbing my car keys before the siren even started blowing) driver's side to, breaking her neck and fracturing her skull. The accident scene was between my house and the firehouse, so I wound up being the first firefighter on the scene and greeted by a very shaken police officer, also a local who knew her. December 1964 to now, I still get occasional flashbacks. My worst was a little ramshackle dwelling on the outskirts of town, in the unincorporated part of town (read - no building codes) occupied by two "older" brothers. The place had started as a single room shack that they built on as they saw fit. No indoor plumbing, no electricity, etc. They had added a second-floor room, which had a bathtub in it, which they filled by dragging water from the kerosene stove, pumped by hand in the yard, up a ladder, and the drain was just a pipe out the side of the place onto the ground (next to the well pump!) Our estimation was that spilled kerosene downstairs was the source, but the destruction was so bad that it was really hard to tell. As we fought, extremely defensive when we got there, no telephone either so the surviving brother had to run a half mile to call the FD, the brother kept asking had we found his brother. With the fire out and overhauling, Mike and I were wandering through the ashes when we noticed a bathtub upside down next to the stove (approximately the source) and sticking out from under the tub was what looked like a burned joint of ham. We rolled the tub over and discovered the deceased brother, whose foot had been sticking out and pretty much burned off. Our best guess as to what happened is that he decided to hide in the bathtub and when the floor collapsed, he became trapped underneath it when it landed on him. The postmortem found no smoke in his lungs or any indication that he ever moved after the collapse, so the assumption was that he was knocked unconscious in the fall and died without regaining. That one shook me for a long time.

[@davexavier7546]

YOU will never forget a fatality, i been a fireman for 47 yrs and remember every one, wake up at night seeing their eyes!

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@josiahsomerville811]

My first ever call was a house fire and I remember being so excited to go fight fires and the first thing I saw when I jumped off the truck was the homeowner breaking down and being confronted by one of my captains. It was a hard reality check. wether it’s fires , accident, medicals calls or whatever we encounter as first responder this is the stuff we will deal with everyday and as hard as that can be it gives me pride knowing everyday i get to go out there and potentially make a difference in someone’s life. But it’s also so important to know this stuff getting into these kind of professions. Been a firefighter for over a year now and not stopping anytime soon! Great video 👍

[@Blazefork]

Especially as a volunteer in a smaller community, your presence around the victims, and the emotional support you lend can be as important as any actions taken to mitigate the scene, makes it tougher sometimes but worth everything. Just a shoulder to cry on, a handshake, hug or prayer together with a familiar face is solid gold.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Like wise, a firefighter lost is readily remembered by the community. I grew up in a flyover town with a volunteer fire department. Like most folks, I eventually left. Well I think it was while still in the big city that I learned that the Cheif lost his life in an MVA. I remember him more for being my bus driver (I think he normal did a different route, however) than being Fire Cheif and an ambulance driver. He was a good man who cared about his family and the kids in his charge as a bus driver. I'm sure he'd be proud of his son for going into EMS.

[@jadsmvs8651]

@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 That's awful. We had a similar thing happen in my state. Out in the more rural part of the state of Victoria we had the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire. It's known as one of the deadliest wildfires in the world, and the deadliest wildfire of the 21st century. 173 people killed in one day. Deaths after raised the toll to over 180. In one rural volunteer station, every member lost their home. The captain lost his wife and youngest son as they tried to defend the property. The only reason he and his eldest son survived was because they were on the truck trying to fight the fire. Tragic.

[@craneoDeFuego077]

That's one of my biggest motivations to pursue a firefighting career... I would love to be that person that's there to help people when they need it most. It would be really difficult but I would live knowing I make a real difference in people's lives every day.

[@streeterbuilds]

As a volunteer, I recently prayed with two women watching their house being destroyed. It’s all I could think to do…

[@JB91710]

You people have absolutely NO CLUE how to deal with this JOB! You can NOT let yourself get any more emotionally involved with the victims then your hoses do. Go be a social worker or a priest if you want to be emotional and leave firefighting to people who THINK about this as the JOB it is. You protect as much as you can and then walk away. THAT, is the job, not crying over the losses of others. If you want to help the victims on your own time, that's fine but you Still should not get emotional about it. You only have so much emotion to work with until you burn out. Then who are you going to help?

[@TBJK07Jeep]

As a teenager, our house caught fire when we were away. The hard part for me was loosing all the tools my deceased grandfather gave me. I was lucky that I didn’t loose his 1950’s drill he gave me. While the whole house did not burn down, we did pretty much loose everything except some of the hard surface items. If it didn’t get ruined by the fire, the smoke or water got it.

[@gregchambers6100]

Yep. That needed to be said. Any family loss of life, pets, property, memories, work product, clothing and essentials is mentally damaging. If you have any empathy at all, that's gotta hurt.

[@LauRoot892]

Greg💕

[@20truck]

I remember going on a fully involved structure fire we lost a mother and two children they weren't 3 ft from a window and we could not find them. I'll never forget bringing them out of that house. I remember every moment about that to this day and that was in 1989.

[@pavelbenjacob]

3:55 Tragedy is absolutely an element to be considered by those who serve the community as first responders, but also a hidden enemy of the first responder themselves. In 2012 I was a 911 dispatcher for the Disneyland Resort. One of our key support resources were the Anaheim Police Dispatchers, one of whom I developed a good friendship with. Late in 2012 I found out this dispatcher had suddenly resigned. I reached out to him to find out why and learned on Halloween evening he had handled his SECOND suicide by gun call of the year. Although a seasoned dispatcher who had been Dispatcher of the Year twice, these tragedies overwhelmed him. He is doing well now and runs two national organizations to assist and educate First Responders as to the mental health challenges their jobs expose them to. Great video sir.

[@Kelly_Ben]

Thanks for recognizing the trauma dispatchers go through. I was a 911 dispatcher for 11 years. We got into a grim habit of tracking our deaths, by making a list of symbols to show the cause. (Noose, needle, car, fire, heart, etc.) We were averaging 60+ a year, with one woman having double that. Many of these deaths we would hear happening on the line, and most of them we would be dealing with the emotional aftermath from friends/ family/ witnesses. I had 2 hangings in one shift! It truly wears you down.

[@capicolaspicy]

Technical Services Manager of a 7 city E911 dispatch center south of Los Angeles - thank you so much for your comment about people thinking about getting into public safety service work. It takes a really thick skin and an extreme amount of self-love and patience and it's not for everybody. No one who decides to back out of it should feel a bit badly about themselves in any way shape or form. I saw a lot of stuff during those 10 years that I will never be able to un-see even though I was not wearing a badge or hauling a hose!

[@DOC8404FMF]

Yep, this is precisely what always tears me up. Many, many years later I still have vivid memories of the torment and agony written on the faces of homeowners as they watch their entire lives go up in flames. I am glad though that to this day that sort of thing still hurts me. That fact that it hurts so much reminds me that I am still human. It it a powerfully compelling force when I do any kind of fire prevention training/ educating. I don't ever want to see that again,,,,, I know that I will, but I will also know that I've done everything that I can to prevent it. The fact that seeing that level of grief affects me as much as it does tells me that I am absolutely in the right field doing precisely what I am meant to do.

[@dawnreneegmail]

Burnt out is real, thanks for being our hero❤

[@kylebass4635]

When I joined the Volunteer Rescue Squad in 1994 the second call I ever ran which was the first accident I ever worked was a fatality. I had known this woman my entire life and she was one of my grandmas best friends. I pulled duty with a lot of the older members in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who were founding members of the rescue squad. Following their lead and example and what they had to say after difficult calls was extremely valuable.

[@ARYorkieMom]

I am scene support for a small,volunteer fire department in Paron Arkansas. 40% of our 125 square mile district is timber land & 25% is Ouachita National Forest. My job is to deal with and help the homeowners, keep them as calm as possible and out of our volunteers way. On grass or forest fires my job is to drive around ahead of the fire and warn homeowners of potential movement of the fire. Watching people loose their home, or people that are in the path of a fire is heartbreaking. I’m a 62 year old woman and I can’t even imagine having the ability to do this when I was young.

[@craiginnh8277]

This is a valuable, and much needed awareness. I served for thirty years on my town's volunteer fire department, eight of those as chief. Some training in how to deal with the trauma of loss would have been much appreciated by me. I always tried to be sympathetic but I always felt it was inadequate.

[@dawnreneegmail]

So much to manage, you did your best ❤

[@tamoroso]

I'm an ER doc; when it comes to dealing with people who have died or are about to, we're number 2 (behind the oncologists - about which more in some other context). I actually *did* get some training on how to deal with those situations - but I always felt it was inadequate too.

[@Michael_Mason]

I remember one significant solo TC. The lady had lost control and hit the side of a canyon. She was ok and the car wasn't in that bad of shape but she was in hysterics, and after doing a Patient Assessment, the emotional trauma was the issue. When she could gather her words together, she told me she lost her husband in the last week and that was her husbands car. That's still something to this day that sticks with me, I'll never forget every vivid detail of talking with her, and that "everyday tragedy" is such a very real thing to be aware of and learn how to help recognize, process, and deal with. Thank you for brining light to this, specifically this video.

[@LauRoot892]

Mason 🧐

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@lowliferangers8694]

Just want to say thank you. I am the chief of a volunteer department and our job is so hard and no one in our town sees it. Thanks again for the gray videos.

[@LauRoot892]

Ugh 😑

[@DanielWhite-ob2yq]

Soon after my first marriage we lost everything in a house fire, wedding gifts still in boxes photos and so on. All we had left was the cloths on our backs and a car. The realization of the situation didn't hit me until about the 3rd day after the fire.

[@davidmorin7939]

Thank you for bringing awareness to the trauma part of the job...the sights are, as expected awful, but the sounds, the wails of a mothers losing their children has been the hardest part...

[@jamesweaving2441]

I was part of a regional Critical Incident Stress Management team in North Carolina for a number of years. Most of our calls for assistance came from rural volunteer fire departments that had experienced an incident that their chief felt required a debriefing. I responded with a mental health professional that also had been a volunteer fireman/police chaplain. I was the peer support half of the team as I had been a volunteer fireman, EMT, and police officer. What I always tried to leave those guys with at the end of our talk was that stress is cumulative. If they were trying to figure out why after doing the job for years, that one incident was affecting them differently, it was because their stress "teacup" was overflowing. The methods we talked about to cope with the normal reactions they were experiencing, hopefully, set that teacup straight and they could be ready and able to function better for the next call.

[@crazycat1052]

here in swizerland here every abled body has to attend firefighting all free of course but if there is a call and you are at home you have to go that leads to hundreds of firefighters and every village has their own fire base with its own cars and pumps so that means that they begin the fire fighting while the main force comes over

[@erictaylor5462]

My dad was an oil refinery technician and was thus also a trained firefighter. However, he was trained to fight refinery fires, not structure fires. One day, as a bystander he was asked by the city firefighters to help out. He didn't hesitate but once he was more involved he deeply regretted agreeing to help. He said it was the most terrifying thing he'd ever experienced, and that was saying something. He worked part time as a flight instructor. After the fire was out he told his friend (the one who knew he was a firefighter) how scared he was. The friend seemed surprised by this. "But you're a refinery firefighter. That is way more terrifying to me." Refinery firefighting is more about blowing the fire away from a valve so you can close it, not putting the fire out directly. In case you have spilled oil the put foam on the fire, covering the surface of the burning oil. The oil is not cooled by this, it's still hot enough to self ignite. There was a training video where a guy falls off a catwalk into the pool of oil. The fire was completely out by this time, but as soon as the guy broke that foam blanket the fire lit off instantly. He wasn't hurt as his buddies got him out right away, but still it was scary.

[@jreese46]

Something you can do is get EMS to talk to them, even if uninjured. Helps catch potential problems early on (stress-induced MI) and also keeps them occupied and not feeling ignored/alone while they lose everything.

[@vinrich_video]

I am a retired Volunteer Firefighter in Victoria (CFA) Australia, Everyone loves a fireman but we are there to help on one of the worst days of their lives. it gives me comfort that i have helped so many people through their darkest hour.

[@blahblahblah6499]

Thank you kind sir. Your efforts are not in vain.

[@elray4321]

One thing nobody has mentioned, is that in a small community like this, chances are that the firefighters know or are even related to the people suffering the loss. That fact can multiply the feeling of helplessness the firefighters are feeling.

[@Sheepdog1314]

One thing I found - homeowners, especially the elderly, always asked to find photo albums or pictures when we started overhaul

[@cattledogjasper1731]

I just got on this year with our local volunteer department. My neighbor's car around the corner caught on fire and I was on scene about a minute after the tones dropped. It was a windy day and the car was burning right next to their mobile home. I got my gear on and they said they couldn't find one of their dogs. Myself and a police officer went inside their home and luckily found the dog right inside the front room and it came out willingly. The TV was on and the lights were on like someone had just walked outside. Within those few seconds we were in the house, the fire burned the power line at the other end of the house and everything went dark. We went outside and the other end of their trailer was on fire. The engine was delayed due to construction on our towns main highway. By the time it got there and we were hitting it with 2.5 inch lines, the thing was toast. Luckily their trailer isn't by any other houses or it could have been worse. But it still guilts me to arrive to nothing more than a car in fire next to their house to watching everything they own get destroyed. I keep playing what if in my mind like what if I had hit it with an extinguisher or had a longer garden hose as the one they had was just too short to go around their house. Now I carry a couple of extinguishers just in case. I try to chalk it up to learning and stay positive that no one or animal got hurt.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@johnlowther4068]

Good video. I finished 14 years full time on a structure engine. I’ve stepped away from it. While I’m off the truck. Sights, sounds, and smells remind me of the everyday tragic stuff I witnessed. Did the best I could.

[@Joe-xx7lr]

Can’t wait to make a change and help people.. i just turn 27 I had a interview yesterday for my 2nd time and received my offer for the job later that day. Thank you for your help. Your videos definitely helped.

[@jadsmvs8651]

The first ever call I went on was a double story residential fire. The second floor was fully involved. The owners had just bought the house a month prior and it was the wifes birthday. They were out for breakfast when a painter left a heat gun against the wall. The thing I always remember is the wife in an absolute wreck outside. About 10 hours later when we were walking through the house with the husband and wife, they were doing a lot better, so much so that they were making jokes and such. Very good learning experience. Probably could've done without having my first call be that hectic but looking back I'm glad it was.

[@LtGp3Eng2]

You offer an interesting lesson here. As I have progressed from probie to fire chief over the past nearly 30 years, this issue has become more important. As senior officers, it often falls to us to tell a business or home owner that they are being displaced for the next year or two, that the employees are going to have to find other work. We also often tell families of loss of loved ones. With experience, our message and message delivery becomes refined and, hopefully we develop coping skills. For a new firefighter or junior officer, these can be most troubling conversations. Thanks for your perspective

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@engineco.1494]

Great video! At a structure fire I was at a couple years ago the homeowner suffered a cardiac event right behind us as we were waiting for assignment at the accountability board so we quickly grabbed the med bags and aed and were able to get her back.

[@arffdog875]

That advise is spot on, I repeat myself daily to the guys at the station or my crew, that there is always a cell phone taking video, or listening to what you say or watching what you are doing. Your behavior in public or on scene of an incident will reflect directly onto your department and you. Keep up the great videos!

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@andyheinen7663]

I am a volunteer FF in Texas and we deal with a large amount of wildland fires. so the trees behind the house depending on how dry it is could be a major exposure risk.

[@robthetinmang1455]

Outstanding video and great topic!! I started working the ED years ago and recently became volunteer FF. My first code in the ED on my very first day: pediatric where the baby pulled a dry cleaning bad over her face. Over the years, I've cried with the responding FF crew on things like this and it amazes how cold people can be. FFs and healthcare workers are all humans, but if the public sees us crying, they think we weren't giving it our all bc of the emotions. Most depts I've worked with via the ED and the healthcare workers will push the emotions aside and get the job done. But, we all need to dump those emotions or they'll eat you alive! I've seen many depts who try to help out people who have lost so much to let them know that people care and that they're not alone! It really makes the difference between serving and being invested in your community!!

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@SEVepr7]

As I VFF in Europe I can confirm. On route, I manage to push the emotions aside and they come back 3-4 hours after we come back to station. Last time was even my wife asking me why I was shaking. Had my first kid in car crash due to driver on drugs. Kid was ok, his mother was injured, but I just lost it at home. Even I was playing withiut any with the kid before the ambulance has arrived.

[@bluecorddevel]

I volunteered for 15+ years. I joined 9 months after my own house burned to the ground. Every time we had a house fire it brought back those memories but made me remember why I joined to help people. I was able to help get them in contact with red cross and other resources for help. Yes in the PNW we have to deal with trees and spreading fire though them to hey fields. I retired from the department to take care of my wife stage 4 cancer. I had made Captain and was the safety officer. Some of my best years were in the fire service along with my time in the army. PEACE AND PRAYERS. WATCH YOUR 6

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@spilledmaxdog9567]

I have been a call firefighter for 11 years and in less than a month I start full time. Iv seen a few fires, and this is absolutely heart breaking to see. I cant even imagine how I would feel if my house burnt down and lost all my important belongings or god forbid someone I loved. Good motivation to do your job right, and the first time.

[@joewilson9744]

Mike, you are spot on! As a firefighter/EMT of over 50 years, this is at the top of the list. These people need compassion, help and direction, if they request it. Empathy goes a long way!

[@erictaylor5462]

This happened years ago, I was working in the home office and I started smelling smoke, then saw smoke, then I heard someone yelling to call 911. Once I realized the house next door was on fire I threw a garden hose up on the roof and even before the fire fighters arrived I started wetting the entire roof. Embers kept landing in the roof and I squirted them with the hose. I knew my hose could do nothing for the house next door so I just concentrated on my roof. We had a shake roof and I honestly think that would have been less flammable if they had used gasoline instead. Once the fire next door was beaten down some the fire fighters asked me to come down. They said I'd done well (The fire fighters didn't need to worry about the fire spreading, but the didn't want me to fall of. Not nearly as much as I didn't want to fall off though.

[@nwvfd22]

I've done fatal car crash recoveries. Life flighted people from motorcycle accidents and have almost run the big tragedy gambit. But the one that never truly goes away was a 62 year old male who died in his bed at 7:30 pm after they came hime from work. Wife was making dinner, kids were home the average evening. He took his boots off, went to the bedroom, and died. The family was upset. The rest of the crew was bothered. And assisting the funeral home director wheel the body out into the hearse is a memory i desperately wish i could get rid of. But you can't. The focus is how you act, carry and conduct yourself is what you take from the everyday tragedies.

[@carolwilliams8840]

Thank you for the service your provided. I wish you well and hope your memories are more joyful than painful.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@davidbehrend7054]

4:33 As a retired Public Safety Dispatcher for over 26 years in a medium sized county (approx 120,000 population), including a city of around 100,000 people, I dealt with a lot. Dispatchers are the always heard, but mostly unseen heroes in the system. Firefighters, EMS, Law Enforcement are on the scene, taking care of business their ONE scene. While in an often windowless, secure building are the dispatchers, also taking care of business, but too often, dealing with multiple incidents, while even more calls are coming in. Your on scene personnel can usually get some sort of closure by putting the fire out, getting someone to the hospital, etc…. Most often, dispatchers don’t get the closure that the on scene guys do. Yes, we may know that someone was transported to the hospital, the fire was put out or whatever, even if it is a tragic result, but you don’t get the closure that the on scene personnel get. I just wanted to say thank you for including the dispatchers when taking about getting involved in public safety.

[@CarlKem]

Dealing with the tragedy of losing your home is, to me, insurmountable when compared to anything else. I was a volly for a few years, I loved it, and I still remember the key points of fighting a fire. In my case (apt. fire, Richfield Utah, November 2022), if only there was a fire extinguisher close by, I could have done something. I saw it when it was small, and all I did was get my neighbor out. It kills me to this very day that the fire got as bad as it did. If only I had an extinguisher....

[@Jason-7212]

I ran EMS with a small rural EMS service that covered over a 360sq mile EMS district. It was not uncommon for us to have a 15-20 travel time to a scene. During the 12 years I was one of the 6 advanced skills providers (EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic) our volunteer service had we worked CPR on more codes for the families benefit than we did for the patient having a chance at life. Anyone getting into Emergency Services needs to know they are going to see the very worst people can do to each other, they ARE going to see things that are going to haunt them for the rest of their lives, they are going to be forced to make decisions that they will always keep coming back to and asking themselves "Did I make the right decision" even when everyone is telling them they did. If your heart is not making you question if you are doing your best, if don't care about that person lying on the ground bleeding then you need to find another line of work. Fire Fighting and EMS is a calling, not a profession.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@justincooke6073]

It’s all about helping others Couldn’t have said this any better “While you may have had the best adrenaline rush of your life, someone is having the worst day of theirs” Great statement and one that needs to be given more attention in the fire service we are to never view ourselves as superior to the people we are serving We are here for them

[@JB91710]

No, it isn't! It's about stopping a threat to property and lives and that's IT!

[@choppermike3329]

@@JB91710 You know absolutely nothing about Firefighting or life in general. You're a troll!

[@TommyStevens1]

I tell people who ask about my job that if the fire service show up, it’s generally because someone is having a bad day and something has gone wrong. I remember this on every single call.

[@ericgilbert2967]

In Vermont we battle a lot of wildland fires and all of our houses are pretty much in the middle of the woods so we have to deal with that all the time

[@josephpolk3215]

4:22 I think it’s great that you bring attention to the every day tragedies. As a new cop, this was the most difficult thing for me. When I got my first real accident, a double fatal. I was fine trying to save their lives, I was fine dealing with their deaths. The worst part and the part that nobody can prepare you for is when the family showed up. Their reaction is to their loss is the most difficult part of the job for me.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@gregggoss2210]

Thank you for making this video. It's been 15 years since I responded to my last fire and 25 years since I responded to my first. I can still see the faces of some of the people who were having THAT day in their lives. Those images never go away in my mind. You should always think before you speak also because you never who might be listening to your conversation to the other firefighters around you. Thanks again for this upload. Valuable information. 👍

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@amystaggs5303]

It is highly emotional. Been on both sides . House fire and firmer Army medic and EMT.

[@l.thompson8374]

Another interesting video! I just wanted to say thank you for all the informational videos you post. I actually just accepted an offer to join GCFD outside of Atlanta, GA and will report for orientation early next month. I was able to take a lot of tips from your Interview and What to Expect videos and apply those things to my own hiring process (which clearly helped a lot). In addition to that, after showing some of your videos to my mom and grandparents, it also helped them get a better sense of the job and at least quiet some of their own worries with me joining the fire service.

[@brianclassen5221]

Oregon has a fairly strong campaign to create a defensible space for the reduction of wildland fire risk. That is an arid dry part of the state. Many wildland fires and people still pay little attention. The shade from the trees is welcome, most of the time until it is a problem. I live east of Salem, and we had a major wake up a few years ago with the Beechie Creek Fire. I served first with a small volunteer dept. You knew most the people you responded too. I then began a career for a big and busy dept. I also volunteered where I lived as a way of giving back. 35 years as a career firefighter the last 24 as an Apparatus Operator. 20 or so volunteering back. The fires were what we trained for, and a good job tested your mettle. For all the reasons everybody is sharing keep talking about it, to somebody who may understand. The hard part is unless you have been there and done that, you really don't know. I have been in the middle of some pretty amazing stuff and witnessed true acts of desperation and heroism. We fought hard to save lives that could have been lost without our intervention. We lost lives even with our best efforts. For me physically I couldn't do it anymore. I suffered through many on the job injuries and surgeries and realized it was my time to pass the torch. 6 years retired and living the dream. I feel like a ticking time bomb because of the toxic exposures and cancer potential. I knew what I was signing up for and now each day is a blessing. Be good to each other.

[@smocloud]

I lost family in a house fire. They weren’t close family, but my cousin, who I’m extremely close with, lost his mom and brother. I’ve admired my cousin my whole life. There’s nothing he can’t do if he wishes to do it. I’ve seen him get really good at things that I never expected him to even be interested in, and he’s always been a man of steel to me. Always seemed together, unshakable. The funeral was the first time I ever saw him cry, and seeing him that way killed me because I knew now there was a pain inside of him that would never go away. It broke my heart, and it made me remember something his brother said after a friend of his drowned. He said something along the lines “if I had to choose between dying by drowning or burning, I’d choose drowning. Drowning seems much more peaceful.” Losing his friend wrecked him and he started to spiral for a little while and that was difficult, but he was able to find himself after some time. Before that, the idea of fighting fires seemed kind of cool, but I realized I was romanticizing it. Fire is tragic. There’s nothing to celebrate about having to fight one. I imagine a good day for a seasoned fire fighter is to spend the whole day on call, yet not once through the day does a call happen. No fires to fight sounds like a good day.

[@nattyw495]

Blessing to all firefighters and how they run toward danger, thank you for all your heroic actions....

[@Cruderacing]

Good video, spot on. I was in fire service for 25+yrs, was the OIC in a major 24unit apt bldg fire on Christmas eve, hard to see the look on peoples faces. Every person I ever worked for/met, hard to tell me the fire they experienced because it changed their lives. Make sure your smoke detectors are less 10yrs old and working, please

[@Elkmonger]

I live in rural PA and had a pot belly pig house catch on fire. I don't know how but someone called it in at 01:00 at 01:10 we heard sirens and they were getting closer and closer, We smelled nothing. Pig house about 50' from people house. My wife looked out the window and saw the fire and of course at that moment it was go time. She got the kids (adults now) up. I went straight to attached house garage (the house garage and pole barn each have two 20' fire extinguishers between the overhead doors). I grabbed both and as I step across the man door threshold I look up and there's a fire fighter opening up a fire hose! I can still see it plain as day the water leaving his hose headed to the shed. How he beat me to my own fire I have no idea. He must take the truck home. It was a ford 450 or something. Flat bed all decked out. Anyway, someone called it in as a dwelling fire so of course they brought the thunder with them. So behind that first truck was a big truck and what I can only guess was the entire firehouse worth of trucks and equipment. That foam stuff put the fire out instantly. Pigs are ok. They weren't locked in and were free to leave. Thankfully we have volunteer fire fighters. They may not be perfect, but Goddamn when everything lines up they're pretty impressive.

[@fdMT_EnGy]

Sorry, this comment is a tad long...A situation like this is one of the main reasons I became a firefighter. At 15 I lost my house to a fire. I remember the feeling I had while it was burning. I wanted to help, the best I could, to help others to not have to watch the same devastation that I did. The firefighters were very mindful of how we were feeling and tried to help ease our minds a little. One carried out a collectors edition Elvis figure and said, hey look, the king is lives. Another brought out a large remote control fire truck I had in my room and said to me thank these guys for us, they were a big help. Stupid little stuff like that made me want to do that for others. On a side note, the 3 companies that responded were the same volly department. Four guys, from what I later foumd out was the cocky bunch, were in the yard physically fighting over the tip. So, what you said about being watched the entire time...i totally get it. Even at work we are the largest department in the country and are watched by many news stations and buffs then posted here, so keeping a professional attitude and image is very important to our members and our heads, but so are the feelings of the ones going through this. A the negative will ALWAYS be called out by watchful eyes.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@samuelzebo1122]

Thank you for talking about mental health. I've been following you for a while and I appreciate that you're addressing the other taxing sides of this career. I feel like we don't talk enough about the small sad things that we encounter daily/weekly that eventually build up on our mental state. I think FF's sometimes have tunnel vision on the "bigger" sad things but don't pay attention to the "smaller" things add weight and build up over time.

[@dawnreneegmail]

❤

[@hottshot1939]

Protecting the exposures is the best in our world but hard to have a homeowner understand. I had one several years ago when I was a chief on a volunteer department and a career fire fighter on another department. We had a large wind driven field fire that wasn't able to get under control for quite some time until we got more resources. The homeowner of the place that I set up command at said that they had a shed at the edge of the field. I had limited resources at this time and said that I didn't have the resources to protect it. By the time we got everything under control we had 60 fire fighters and 23 apparatus on scene plus three fill sites, with the deputies going door to door evacuating 5 other homes in the path. Thankfully no structures were lost. At the end I spoke to the homeowners again and apologized for being brunt but my main goal was there house with the limited resources. They understood but the bad on my part was that I didn't do a complete 360 to realize that this shed was full of lumber spaced apart drying. Always being understanding of the homeowner because it's everyone's worst nightmare to loose everything.

[@romanhar4151]

For me as a volunteer firefighter it was difficult when the family thanked us for our work, even though they lost a lot (as a result of the smoke damage).

[@andrewcraig3369]

Certain calls will stick with you forever. I was on a call where a car coming back from the beach crashed into a toll plaza garage and exploded shortly after impact. I was on the nozzle for this call on one of the two handlines in operation. I hadn't even thought about the fact that there were people in the car who hadn't made it out as I wasn't sure how quickly after impact did the car catch fire. It wasn't till we had knocked down some of the fire that I realized the passengers were both DOA and still in the car. The driver died on impact and the passenger who I found myself face to face with died due to the fire itself. This was back when I was about 19 years old and had about two years in my volunteer department. I'm now significantly older and a few years from retirement and I can still recall that call and what I saw like it was yesterday. It was even more impactful when I found out the two girls in the car were the same age as I was and their lives were gone in a moment. I hate to say it but as s firefighter you kind of become jaded to people's loss of possessions as many are replaceable, you just be kind and respectful when on scene with all that is happening. For me it was the loss of life and being face to face with it that left me with indelible memories. That was the first but was far from the last, I was even on scene and working a hurst tool for a fatal car accident where the car flipped on its side and wrapped around a tree. I didn't know it while working the scene but the person we were cutting out was a friend, I didn't recognize him at that time but found out later that day...I thanked God for small favors that day as I don't know how I would have reacted if I knew it was him. Firefighting by its very nature gets the adrenaline flowing, its how you can function at a large fire for hours and hours on end without collapsing. This very same adrenaline can lead some fire fighters to behave poorly in front of those who are suffering quite possibly the greatest loss of their lives to date. You just need to know how to hold it together and be that guy for those people and not show the excitement that comes with your first working fire or first time on the nozzle. It's a learned experience that I tried to teach before leaving the department after holding the rank of Lieutenant.

[@perryfire1]

It's hard to comment on your videos because you really do a good job articulating your point. There's not really much to add. But I will say this: if you want to alleviate some of the pain a homeowner or patient experiences then do your job well. It will also help you out immensely on tough calls knowing you did everything right. The homeowner has the classic signs of shock and being upset. Hands on his head, pacing, telling people to hurry up. He's going to know if you bungled the incident, whether he's trained or not. But if you do your job well he can compartmentalize that we did everything we could in a timely manner which helps with dealing with the situation.

[@xhappybunnyx]

Very well said. On the flip side, the memory of any mistake can reopen that trauma wound much easier and impact how long it takes them to more or less normalize (acknowledging this kind of trauma never fully goes away)

[@BenEBrady]

Here in Texas, justices of the peace have to routinely go on unattended death scenes. In the 4 years I was on the bench I had 50 unattended deaths. Everything from fatal auto crashes to deaths at home due to cancer and everything in between. I had to do an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death and many times I had to deal with the families and friends of the deceased. It is something that they don't teach you in your required "judge school". I personally attended 46 of the 48 autopsies I ordered, even though I didn't have to, because I knew the families would have questions and I couldn't bear to tell them, "I don't know. " This aspect of my job cost me many, many sleepless nights. I left office in 2018 and I'm still haunted by some of the things I had to witness.

[@bobbelsekwol]

After 30yrs of being a firefighter, no training was given in handling peoples tragedies. Yes for us its another car, or pet, or house but to them its their world. I remember going to a house fire, persons reported, we went in and found him obviously dead. We come out and the boss told his mum. She already knew before this i think. We were there for hours and after a bit we were laughing and joking about stuff. It was brought back to us by an older hand that someone was lying dead and a mother had lost her son. We soon stopped with the laughing. It just goes to show for most fire fighters, its just another day. But to others its the end of good times.

[@30pvfd]

Yep retired after 45 yrs of playing babysitter and hose monkey, got tired of the T-Shirt firemen newbies saying ( Oh man I wish we’d get a good house fire or a car wreck ) I look at them and say you idiot their is NO good house fire or car wreck, every time you go out with lights and sirens on 90% of the time someone is in trouble or loosing everything they own and by the time we get their it will be up in smoke and their world will be upside down, or injured by some careless drunk or inattentive texter driving crazy

[@ConorMakes]

Some very thought provoking stuff for sure. I'm in the UK and work at The School of Maritime Survivability as a civilian, teaching Maritime Firefighting to the Royal Navy. I've watched quite a few of your videos these last few days and I like your positive influence towards Firefighters safety. I'd be interested to know your POV regarding Helmets in the US V our Gallet style in the UK or Europe for that matter. Very recently I had a student loose control of his nozzle and I got hit by the flyer on the side of the head, no injury, damage or bruising but dam yours does look cool as F***. Kind regards Conor Keep on keeping on guys 💪💪👍👍

[@thirdgengta]

Wow. What an excellent and honest video, on a subject that rarely seems to get its due attention. A thousand likes. I'm not a first responder, but I would imagine that the people in this field would have to have pretty good control over their emotions in order to do their jobs right, and also to preserve their own mental health.

[@skyler6173]

I’m a firefighter in Northern Nevada it’s a wildland exposure/extension. my crew had a rv fire yesterday that extended into the wildland

[@LauRoot892]

😑👋

[@TheMarkemmy]

I have been on both sides of this. I was a Firefighter starting in 1988. Even for being in a small town, we went to plenty of fires because our Mutual Aid partners needing help on a regular basis. Being in a rural area, you know many of the people you serve and some days that was tough. Then in 1996 I was burned out of my apartment house. Standing on the street with my kids watching everything you owned burn up was awful. It was even worse when the Chief told me I could not fight the fire for two reason. One was I was still on limited duty from a knee injury fighting a wildfire. Second, it was my place on fire. Both correct decisions, but I was mad as hell over it. It always helps to have someone to talk to about what is going on inside your head so you can do this job in the long run. PS: I left the fire service for good in 2009 after I suffered a severe humerus fracture on the job and got a steel plate and 10 screws. Thank you for the great content and be safe out there.

[@joemills3410]

Our local station has the best guys. They train a lot and are always interested in helping our local community. Hats off to firefighters!!!!!

[@Box-vo7xv]

As a former Chief of a small volunteer dept. The Chaplain was a huge asset both for the families involved as well as the personnel after the call. While your handling IC and or Mitigation, that individual is securing valuable resources for the family to begin the restoration process.

[@jasonservatius250]

I'm a Firefighter in this area and Rogue River Fire also known as Jackson County Fire District 1 is a paid department with 3-4 per shift. They do have students that work with them in exchange for their college credits. They also are a transporting agency, so if they are on a run they might only have 2 guys responding on the engine. The closest mutual aid department is about 12-15 minutes away and they are an all volunteer department with 2 paid chiefs. The department is working on a single role ems unit to help keep more on the engine. This area is surrounded with trees as they our in the rural setting. In the summer months we do get wildland response in case of spread.

[@troyehnisz9907]

I use to hate going to calls for auto accidents when I worked no one used seatbelts

[@HighwayLand]

I am a former resident of Rogue River. Rogue River RFD is a paid/volunteer department. The first engine crew on scene was more than likely the paid crew for that shift. Evans Valley, about 10 miles to the north, is an all-volunteer department on the same frequency, and they would have been called out during those first tones. Oregon Department of Forestry is also called out at the same time, and they would have crews in route as well as a helicopter on standby.

[@homeFall1]

I also volunteer in Jackson County. As far as I know ODF only responds during fire season (not sure when this event happened in the year). Evans Valley is a great bunch of folks, I am sure they came as fast as they could but they are 10 miles out and could have had their own calls at the same time. Rogue River also provides EMS Transport for the northen part of Jackson County and backup for AMR in Josephine County so depending on what other calls where running at the time they may have been very short of personnel for this fire. Again I am on the far side of the county from them and know NOTHING about this call in particular but just sharing some general knolege

[@BostonEMT]

The actual scene issue was ALWAYS the easy part to deal with. The family was ALWAYS the worst part of any call to deal with. We can put out a fire and stop bleeding and breathe for people, but family constantly pushing through to get to the scene only delayed treatment or action. And there is almost no polite way to get them away from the scene when you don't have enough people as it is. (volly 20 years).

[@Andy-lg5ef]

Hey Mike, I was wondering if you could do a video covering the "average day" that a firefighter has to to through. Perhaps you could even use your own day as an example! You talk much of the various other tasks firefighters are responsible for, and seeing them all in one concrete video would clarify a lot for me. I'm considering becoming a firefighter myself because of your informative videos. Sincerely, Andy

[@ThethomasJefferson]

I also recommend watch what you say and do on social media with your department also. You never know who is watching.

[@firemanking3271]

something i always tell people who are interested in becoming a firefighter but are unable to handle the everyday tragedy, is we still can use you behind the scenes. The stuff that doesn't get seen, like fund raising, maintenance, etc... for some departments is the biggest part. every volunteer department needs people to fill these roles. so even if you lets say are afraid of fire. you can still volunteer at a fire department and be a huge help.

[@BIGTAYLORNI]

Your right. Got a house fire call, turned out to be my friend's sisters house, no one was home, but it was confined to a small bedroom, but that was hard seeing this person who I know return home to find the door broken, some water smoke and fire damage. But the fact we got there fast and put the fire out is what we are trained to do.

[@jmi-ps2ov]

This is such a constructive posting - should be required viewing for all public servants. As a 911 paramedic we stood by for all structure fires, and I loved watching the firefighters work. I'm a medical dude, but I find firefighting very cool and absolutely fascinating. My partner and I were enjoying the show one day at a house fire when a car slowly went past us and pulled up fairly close to the house. There was a family in the car, and as they went past I could see two children in the back seat of the car already crying because they could see their home in flames. That wiped the grin off of my face in a hurry. Two thoughts to support this posting; first, be mindful of the impact of "everyday tragedies" such as major property loss (as opposed to the more obvious impact of injury and death), and second, please try not to forget that your behavior on scene is on display.

[@kevinturner1943]

Great advice. I always tell the new police officers and fire fighters (I do both. Police full time and volunteer FD. 24 years and still going) we are in a glass house, on and off duty. And I have had those who have forget that rule, and the department and them paid the price. And you are so right, if public safety work does not fit, it is OK! Many people I regard as heroes (my father being one even though he great at utility emergencies and turns off gas at fires) would not be able to do this job. Keep it up!

[@LauRoot892]

Yep

[@lelandrummel868]

This is also the very same cumulative, intense trauma experienced 911 Dispatchers/Emergency Telecommunicators who are also 1st Responders & actually the very 1st to respond.

[@VirginiaPrepper]

Yep as a former FF/EMT you are 100% correct. I tell my wife that the months of November-January are the worst for me because of the calls I have been on during the holiday season and seeing families losing loved ones, homes destroyed , life time of memories gone, etc. The daily tragedy is bad anytime of the year but during this time is worse for me.

[@spaghetti9845]

I became a firefighter because I saw a kid from school house burn and the effect it had on his family. Nothing sucks more than to see someone lose everything they have .. or even worse a pet. I helped a family bury their dog and was reprimanded for involving myself with the family during overhaul while I thought was doing good PR for the department. it is a double edge sword.

[@RiskyVentureMinerals]

Having been a wildland firefighter with the USFS, the initial attack phases of wildland fire is exciting and exhilarating. But then there is the mop up and repopulation phases. It was and is one of the hardest things that has stuck with me ever since… seeing that loss, loss of pets, loss of property, loss of everything. It’s pretty surreal to watch and then the guilt of enjoying the initial attack phase…

[@luiytheninja3655]

You earned another sub. Thanks for calling attention to issues that First responders face. I used to be work FT fire and rescue, but I only worked in this role for about 3 years, before deciding this wasn't for me. I worked a high call volume area, and we were dealing with all sorts of stressors on a constant basis. The tragedies dealt with, both first and second hand are extremely detrimental to mental health. The effects of "Allostatic Overload" can not be understated. You may think you are fine after a rough day, but then you work another shift, and another, and another, all with varying levels of stress. You all need to ensure, you are taking the time you need to decompress, and ffs, talk to your mates. Take care of yourselves. You also brought up a good point about Public, service, remember you are public service, and as such are almost always public facing.

[@kaktovik2778]

Did 3 seasons with the Air attack team in Oregon. We actually all pretty much got notices evaluating our risk and defining if we live in the urban wildland interface this year. Wish I could go back but sadly, multiple sclerosis has ruined any hopes of returning.. Any of those wanting to get involved, I highly recommend reaching out to your local tanker base. They're all call when needed positions but it gets a foot in the door with around 30 hours of training. a lot of bases use contractors to staff retardant loading and mixing operations so missing the initial training isn't a big deal. In some cases you can go from no experience to loading aircraft within the week depending on how many modules you have to redo. Some are upwards of 1.5 hours. You'll make good money if you work hard and show initiative. If your base is extremely short staffed you can even have the potential to be loading between computer training as well, just depends on the situation. Its a job that surprisingly, not a lot of people know about. A lot goes on behind the scenes of that tanker dropping that pretty fire retardant. Hint: It's messy and miserably hot, from the powder fire retardant sticking to every sweaty surface to the exhaust during hot loading operations. It sucks but it is very gratifying. If you're looking for fulfillment in a job, wildland definitely did that for me. Expect to have a nasty sunburn if you get into it, we try to use shade structures but jet blast often completely destroys them, which sucks, the tarmac alone can make it miserable, add on no shade and you're in for a rough time with few breaks, little bites of food at a time between loads, and maybe, just maybe, the pilots will buy you dinner as a thank you.

[@edpretty8344]

I'm retired now but was a professional firefighter for 36 years. I agree with you on the fact that the sadness and grief that we experience takes not only a hidden toll but the greatest toll (at least in my case) on the mind and even the body. Rookies typically talk about all the blood and gore, sometime to impress, but they haven't yet had to console a survivor, tell someone their loved one didn't make it, lay with a person in unbearable pain while they await extrication, or hold a man whose business he built over 40 years burns to the ground. Aside from the good times, of course, those are the memories that stay with me, not so much the violent injury (and there were lots). As a result, I often spoke to my crews about the need to have compassion for our "customers". It wasn't until very recently that when speaking to a counsellor, saying that I walked around in those days about 25% pissed off 24/7 that she said virtually every first responder she dealt with says exactly the same thing. So ya, it takes a toll, even almost 20 years on.

[@zippydooda]

Ask for help if you need it. Find someone who you trust to confide in. Don't hold it in. PTSD is real and extremely difficult to live with. Take care of each other.

[@Tank196958]

35 years in.......I can assure you each of us have our limit. I enjoy being at a slower station, not due to laziness, but due to the fact I am close to my limit of tragedy I have witnessed. Being asked the proverbial, "Oh, you're a firefighter? What is the worst thing you have ever seen?" The ones asking the question want to hear of decapitations, yes I have had my share, crushed bodies, yes I have seen them, burned corpses, again, yes. This was not, by a long shot, the worst thing I have ever seen. I have watched families lose everything, memories, possessions, loved ones. I have held the little old lady, or little old man, as they lost the only person they ever truly loved. As their world falls apart with the inevitable change that death of a long time spouse signifies, they grab for the only solid thing they can, one of us. I always teach the new guys to be that solid object they need, never turn away from the family in these situations. Pray with them if they want, sit and let them talk to you about their loss. Once we determine a person is beyond help, the family becomes our patient. But to get back to the worst thing I have ever seen, it will shock you and may not be what you expect. I assume it will not be. About thirty years ago, I was dispatched to a non emergent nursing home return from the hospital. Beautiful 8 year old girl, yes 8 years old, returning to the nursing home. I noticed as I completed my report enroute to the nursing home, that it was her birthday. She was non-verbal as she had ingested organophospate fertilizer when she was 2 years old. By the time her parents found her, it was too late to reverse the brain damage that had been done. Her survival was nothing short of miraculous. I was shocked when I realized her parents did not elect to care for her in their home, but that was minor compared to what we found when we arrived at the nursing home. Mind you, she had no special medical needs that could not have been handled at home, she was only in a vegative state. She had no needs to be suctioned regularly, no tracheotomy needing care, no special equipment other than a feeding tube. When we arrived at the nursing home, the staff was waiting for her with balloons and other things to celebrate her birthday. I saw pictures on her walls drawn by the children of the staff for this little girl. Stuffed animals lined her bed, come to find out, paid for and gifted by the staff at the nursing home. I picked her little, frail body up and placed her in the bed and kissed her forehead and told her happy birthday. I mentioned to the staff how it warmed my heart to see them acknowledge her birthday in the way they did. The nurse choked back a tear and told me they were the only family she had. Shortly after placing her in this home, her family basically vanished. They said no one had visited her in nearly six years. Her parents, for all practical purposes threw her away and forgot about her when she was deemed vegative. This is one example of the worst thing I see in my job. Our ability to be so selfish that we treat each other as trash to be tossed away and forgotten. Our ability to not care is astounding to me. Over the past 5-6 years, I have noticed an increase in self-centeredness in society. We can be on an accident where someone has lost their life and nearly get run over, or cussed at because we made someone a few minutes later than they wanted to be. I also believe this is why we are seeing a disturbingly rapid decline in individuals willing to do what we do. To do what we do, you have to have a genuine love for people. You have to care for others. We don't care for others as we should any longer. I tell my children that others should be their primary focus. If you care as you should for others, you will never have to worry for your own needs. Your needs will be taken care of by those you care for beyond anything your selfishness will. I am sorry I stepped on my soapbox here, but it is the truth. Not just in the field of public safety (firefighters, law enforcement, EMS), but in every walk of life, we should focus on others far more than we focus on ourselves. Our inattention to others is the worst thing I have ever seen. As always, may God bless each of you and may you never need our services. Take care.

[@Tyler-rs5xh]

Great advice. Sounds almost like situation awareness - not of the fire but of the residents and how it impacted them.