“Old Meets New”

I’m looking for a custom carved radio strap. I’ve found plenty of websites that sell high quality custom straps but every site that I’ve come across that sells hand carved designs are out of stock. Do y’all have any recommendations for high quality trustworthy business that will sell something similar to this?

What watches do you all wear ? And do you wear them on the job (in buildings / structure fires etc) I have an Apple Watch Ultra 2 I’m pretty fond of, I know it’s durable and super convenient but mehhh I’d be sad if it broke…

I also have a Casio gshock GBD - 200. Which I like, but less than my Apple Watch !!

What do you all wear? And what would you recommend to me

I’ve been in a 9-5 career for over 10 years. One of the things that makes me curious is how hard is it to get used to the drastic change and how it has affected your family. I can’t imagine being mostly awake for 24 hours. The dept I’m gunning for does a very odd schedule (1/1 x4, 4 off, 1/1 x4, 6 off). For the folks who made the transition, can you describe how it was and what made it easier?

We remodeled a large part of our home about 8 years ago, one area gutted was our kids bathroom. We knew and liked our contractor (who has since moved out of area). There were no issues during or after construction.

About 10 months ago I heard the chirping of a low battery from a smoke detector (of course it happened in the middle of the night). I tried to find it quickly because it really freaks out my dogs. I could not find the offending detector. The next morning I checked again.

This is when I realized the smoke detector was inside my wall. I couldn’t quite tell which specific wall but have it triangulated to a general area. My best bet is when construction was going on and before the walls were closed up a smoke detector somehow made its way between the walls and there it stayed undiscovered until it started chipping due to a low battery. I don’t think it was malicious but just a mistake (although this would be a wild idea for revenge for someone you don’t like, just with a very long timeframe for the payoff).

We would have even opened up the wall if we knew exactly where it is but we’d not only have to rip up drywall but also wainscoting. It could also be further down between floors. There’s been a bit of decision paralysis as to what to do.

We kind of got used to it. It chirps every 60 seconds and after a while you forget it’s there. Tonight things changed as the chip switched to a long solid tone.

Now it’s just unbearable and I don’t know what to do. All the online solutions are based on a person being able to locate the smoke detector. So I’m asking the fire experts- when you get to the long solid tone for a smoke detector are we near the end of this insanity? How long will it be a solid tone? Online it said the chirps would last anywhere from two weeks to two years but there’s not much about how long the solid tone can last. One last note: I’m pretty confident it’s not hardwired. We have an old home and I believe the only hardwired smoke detector is near our boiler.

I just need to decide if I can wait this out or if I’m taking a sledgehammer to my wall tomorrow.

Hi everybody. Special question for USA firefighters. My partner is visiting Miami this week so i ask her to bring some things for me, since they are expensive here in Argentina. So, is there a physical store where i can get these things? I was looking for a Leatherman Skeletool RX, a Pelican 3415m, maybe a few gloves for rescue and another ones for fire.
Thanks for the atention and the info u can give

I’m a probie. 23 yrs old. Been on the job 3 months. Done probation in December. I am loving lots about the job. I am curious to when I should start to feel less anxious. We r a busy station. Run a good amount of calls. I had my first fire about a week ago in the middle of the night. I’ve been anxious about the tones dropping ever since. When did you find yourself to start to feel confident in yourself? To the point where the tones don’t worry you anymore?

My first fire was a basement fire in a drug house. I’ve been questioning what could’ve went better and how I can better myself for the next one. Maybe not an ideal first structure fire. But, I think I know what I’m in for on the next one now.

Hello,

I currently in a FF1 academy and capstones are coming soon. The midterm was easy to pass due to it being a bank of questions from our quizzes each week. I was able to do a 1300 question quizlet and get a 99% on it. The Capstone is different though. How did you guys study for it? What information is most pertinent to pull out from each chapter. Ive heard from instructors they can use niche information as a question. Any help is appreciated!

I'm retired local government fire and Cal Fire and have been involved in the fire service since I was a kid. Father was career and volunteer, grandfather helped found the local VFD where I grew up, and several other relatives were also involved in one way or another. Living/working rural means I've been on more than a few fires started by spontaneous combustion, everything from compost and horse manure piles, almond hull fires, even a dairy manure pond fire that we put out with liquid cow shit but this is a new one on me. A cat grave fire? Really?

For several reasons, when one of our cats (or a named feral from our colony that we've become attached to. Long story, nobody cares lol) passes away we bury them either in a small wooden planter box or a larger metal one, fill it in with potting soil, then plant flowers the following year. About 6 months ago I buried one in this metal planter and yesterday I started smelling what I thought was grass fire smoke. Nope! It was one of the grave planters smoldering! 🤣

Hey. I am a volunteer ff and have been doing it for 2 years almost. I’m a medical first responder and have attended other accidents. Yesterday was my first experience with death, and it was a child. We believe she died on impact but I saw her body while we were treating the other victim in the vehicle. I knew she was dead. And she stayed in the car for hours during scene reconstruction which bugged me horribly because she was alone and just in there while we worked around her. I didn’t see her face, and that’s the part I can’t stop thinking about. I feel like I shouldn’t be this upset because I didn’t see her face. I treated the other victims and helped remove her body. We have debrief in two days and did a casual one after the incident. I’m trying to stay off social media because I can now see all the posts about the accident and death. I guess I just need some advice or support. I don’t know if how I’m feeling is stupid and I shouldn’t be upset because you didn’t check her vitals or declare her. I’m guessing it will hit me in a couple days. I work at a school and go back tomorrow. How can I help myself? I have talked to other members and my dept is super supportive.

Im a student that im designing a fire satiton and i have a qs about the personal decon shower room, its nescesary to get undress or u just take the shower with clothes on, this is all located in the decon and operational support area, also if u guys can give a little feedback if this is functional for you id really appreciate it, regards from peru.

Been recently dealing with a chief buying random stuff like fake flowers (700$) and etc for station but when asked to buy equipment that the crews can use or other things was turned down and told no more invoices??? Any other places like this?

As someone majoring in public safety, I am making a transition from education to public safety, learning about the discipline roles throughout the public safety communities. One of the major questions that I became increasingly aware of is burnout and turnover in education, and how teachers view burnout as a "wellness and personal" issue rather than an operational and occupational hazard. I like to ask how do firefighters and paramedics address burnout in their profession? How does training, skill-building, and fitness address burnout? How often does the subject come into discussion?

Curious how other departments handle this.

Who is responsible for reviewing/updating your SOPs, and how do changes actually get pushed out to everyone?

Are you using binders, shared drives, email, PowerDMS/Lexipol, something else?

More importantly what part of the process is the biggest pain?

I have a my IFSAC testing coming up and wanted to see what would be best to use to study for it. Quizlet? If so which one, or JBL? Or any kinds test prep stuff on line? Anything will help! I’ve read the book already and wanted to do more review and testing!

Thank you!!

We have a msa gas detector that detects combo/ex, CO, H2S , and O2. What are concerning levels and possible outcomes of those concerning levels? I am more familiar with CO but not as familiar with combo/ex and h2s.

I've been a career firefighter for just over a year and a volunteer for almost 4 years.

Today I had someone ask me for the first time what my worst call was. I downplayed it and just said we sometimes see dead people on the job, to keep from going into details.

What the heck do you say in that situation? Some people are so clueless how that comes across.

I was a volunteer for almost a year until I had medical stuff go on, stepped down so I wasn’t holding a spot so others could step up. Years later passed since then but I’ve been thinking about getting back into it. What can I expect for the academy? How long is it? Is it like a Monday-Friday go home on weekends? What is it like? Thank you all for your service and than you for your answers!

I watch a lot of Fire videos on YouTube, and I've noticed that, unlike the UK where I'm from, there is no standardised color for Firetrucks. I've seen white ones, yellow ones, red ones, and even a blue one. Can anyone explain to me why there's no fixed colour for them, please? Thanks!

Hi there,

Just looking at some insight on what would be a good thing to spend my volunteer money on. As it sits right now, I am expecting approximately $7,000. One of the things I definitely want to spend on, is an automatic car starter installed for approximately $600. I do currently invest in an ETF as well that I would be more than happy to drop $4,000 in. Leaving me with approximately $2,400 left over, what would be a good way to use the rest of the money. I already have an emergency fund. I have free access to a gym. I enjoy running. I don't really need any clothes. I know this is a fairly loaded question so I don't expect you guys to have the perfect answer. What do you guys spend your money on?

Question for firefighters. Please only read this if you want to supply me a genuine honest answer. I am not looking for excuses or politically correct answers.

I am a NP working in urgent care for several years. Here it is:

Why do you guys come to the urgent care and intentionally talk patients OUT of being transferred via EMS when the provider is strongly recommending it?

My company owns many urgent care and I have worked in them all across the state. It is a systemic problem. We call 911 for patients (and no, we don't do this willy nilly).We are truly concerned and EMS shows up and quietly, and intentionally talks them out of being transferred.

I already know what several of you are going to say, "well a lot of them aren't emergencies hehehe." Stop. We providers know that you guys know you are intentionally trying to get out of calls when you know it is warranted.

We've dealt with it for years and we are absolutely sick of it. My last straw was yesterday. I had a 16-year-old girl in SVT with a heart rate of 225. EMS showed up and looked at her mother dead in the fucking face and said "Don't you just want to take her yourself to the ED? It'll save you a bill. She's not really emergent." I lost my fucking shit. This is a 16-year-old girl. Her BP was 99/60. How dare you decide and try to manipulate these people into transferring themselves. If it was your child, would you want them transferred in a vehicle for 20 minutes without any emergency care? What if that patient decompensates?

Furthermore, and yes, I'm going to say it, do you really think you're just smarter than us? I have MDs who are treated like this as well. It is absolutely the most ridiculous, dumbfounding thing I've ever seen. I'm at the point where I'm going to report every single solitary incident of this. It happens so often I don't even have time to report them all.

Hi all,

Currently an EMT super interested in going into fire. I was chewed out pretty hard by my EMT instructor (who is also a firefighter) about wearing my uniform out in public. Had no idea at all this was a no go.

Are there any other social / professional faux pas I should be aware of going into the fire service?

Thanks in advance!