Stock Photo It is well known that firefighters expose themselves to many hazards, including toxic fumes, unstable structures and, of course, fired and extreme heat. They do this not for the glory, but for their desire to protect property and the people in their communities from fire. To minimize risks to health and safety, firefighters carry protective gear and wear specialized, ...

If you don’t have bunker gear you don’t have anything. That’s why, as a probie, being issued a set of bunker gear was the first step in equipping me with the tools that probies want and firefighters need. Before you can learn to handle a hose, force a door, or carry a victim, you have to be able to put on ...

Q: I'm 45 and just now realizing that I want to become a firefighter. Will a department even consider me because of my age? A: Everyone has an opinion of age when it comes to hiring new firefighters. Some people feel that a younger candidate has a better chance of getting hired because, after all, the fire departments are looking to ...

Whatever you do, do not ever think that TV emulates EMS. . If television is your sole guide, than I suggest watching the Learning Channel Series on paramedics. While this is a narrowed view with mainly an urban focus, it is at least factual. I suggest you go to your local firehouse or volunteer department and ask to speak to a ...

Stew Smith CSCS, former Navy SEAL Joins Forces with FireLink.com as fitness advisor / writer. I am pleased to start writing a fitness column for FireLink.com that will enable me to communicate with law officers on a regular basis, but also, I hope to assist our Heroes of Tomorrow and today with maintaining their fitness level and career longevity. It is ...

I wish you could know what it is like to search a burning bedroom for trapped children at 3 AM, flames rolling above your head, your palms and knees burning as you crawl, the floor sagging under your weight as the kitchen below you burns. I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 6 in the morning as I check ...

Nearly on a daily basis, people young and old confide in me with their fitness goals. Too many of these goals are extremely broad and lack focus and many are too narrow in scope and require more elements to succeed. For example, broad goals are “getting healthy again” or “losing weight”. These can require some to stop over-eating, smoking, drinking soda ...

I've been on the fire department for over a year now. Another group of recruits has come through our academy since then, and they've been out running calls for months. Another recruit class is currently in session, and I'm even starting to help with their training. I feel like I've come a long way. It's always when you feel that way ...

*+Schedules and Timelines+* Most commonly firefighters work in 24-hour shifts, reporting to work at 0700 and work until 0700 the next day. Firefighters usually work a total of 56 hours per week (but since these hours are worked on a continual basis, firefighters enjoy a lot of time off). On the average, firefighters work ten 24-hour shifts each month, leaving them ...

In a very basic sense, emergency response is a profession of total selflessness. Being a first responder means giving of yourself, without asking anything in return, and this is what EMS professionals all over the world do every day. You never know what you’re going to get at the beginning of a shift. You might respond to a cat-in-a-tree call, ...

What's more exciting than flashing lights and wailing sirens? How cool is it to watch unusually attractive paramedics involved in desperate love triangles fiercely pound on the chests of accident victims and perform last minute emergency tracheotomies?  Look out!  It's another Tension pneumothorax!  Phew, saved the day again! Sometimes I think the media we consume really messes with our expectations.  Trauma ...

Firefighting is often touted as rewarding, challenging, demanding, and exciting. These descriptors are all factual, but there's one thing that's often not on the list that is equally true about any career in emergency response: it's addictive. Maybe not in the same way that some chemicals are habit-forming, but those feelings of excitement and camaraderie you get during a good call ...

(With credit to Robert Fulgham and "All I Ever Really Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten") Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Rookie School. It turns out, being a good firefighter has a lot to do with being a good person. These are ...

Ever since its creation, the portable radio has been the fireman's friend. From traffic control to aggressive fire suppression, our hand-held radios keep us in contact with our brothers and aware of what's going on throughout the scene. As a relative newcomer to the field, I still have clearly in my memory the feeling of what is was like to key ...

In a recent article I wrote for this site, I talked about dealing with those people who are sure they're fine.  That can be a tough situation, but there's a whole other kind of "I don't need help" call that I think is even more difficult to navigate. You see, some people for one reason or another don't just not want ...

If your department is anything like mine, you have a pretty good number of medical calls that should never have happened. Everything from small cuts to heartburn to a ride in the big white taxi, a whole gamut of conditions that you could certainly classify as "not an emergency". You may start to think after a while that most people have ...

I think most firefighters would agree that a good call has some element of "fun" in it. I'm not talking about the kind of fun that you have with a board game or a funny movie, it's way more serious than that, but knocking down a good fire (one where no-one is in danger) produces an enjoyment unlike any other. Unfortunately, ...

Worried about your firefighter oral board interview? First, take the proper amount of time to prepare. Being well-prepared will boost your confidence and lower your anxiety. Experts recommend that you spend at least three hours preparing for each interview. You should draft answers to the most common interview questions and practice speaking them out loud. You also should read up ...

Introduction In the past half a century, the role of firefighters has changed a great deal. There was a time when the business of fighting fires was not as involved as it is today. The job mainly consisted of was cleaning fire engines, taking care of the station and answering phones, and then rushing to an emergency when duty called. While ...

We all know that showing up late to an interview or dressing inappropriately can ruin your chances for a job. But what about the more subtle ways that could make you unexpectedly sabotage your job interview? Don't let it happen to you! Keep in mind these 10 common subconscious mistakes that you probably don't even know you're making. Next | ...