anyone here a firefighter?

[MoreLikeHurleyThanYou]

I was wondeirng if anyone had been through probie school and could tell me exactly how bad it was and what it entailed. I can't recall anyone here saying they were a firefighter.

[LostInWilderness]

I'm glad you don't need a fifth for a Village People cover band. ;)

[Brian]

I wish 16L43 posted here more often. With his 20+ years in law enforcement I'm sure he could answer this for you. Anyone know how to get ahold of him?

[rosalind711]

no, but we had a bunch of cute one's show up at work one day. What is it with guys in uniforms?

[MoreLikeHurleyThanYou]

I agree Leuth, 16L43 is a great guy. He's on my list of "Need to have a Beer with before I die".

[Clementine Kruczynski]

MLHTY: Who else is on your beer list?

[MoreLikeHurleyThanYou]

Bill Clinton, Christopher Walken, Bob De Niro, Larry Bowa, Bruce Campbell, and both of my grandfathers. There are a couple more I haven't done yet, but I can't think off hand.

(by the way Golfergirl, I absolutely love the new banner)

[Brian]

16L43 is a great guy. He's on my list of "Need to have a Beer with before I die".
Yeah, you and me both! ;) I only hope he's missing because he's working on that book! Man can that guy write or what!

[/threadjack]

[Clementine Kruczynski]

Thank MLHTY!!!

End threadjack.

[LostInWilderness]

Bill Clinton
You bringing the hookers or is he?

[Jason and the ARGonauts]

LIW,

tHat was a cheap shot. But funny.

[16L43]

I'm also a volunteer firefighter in my copious amounts of free time (which ain't much these days, BTW). As a volunteer, our training was mostly on the job with a few weeks (total) spent at the emergency services training facility here in the county...

I can give you general guidelines as both police and (paid) firefighters go through similar training. The paid FF's in my county go through a 16 week academy, involving a lot of physical training, use of the equipment and whatever specialized work you might want to get into. After those 16 weeks you're usually assigned a firehouse; with that assignment you can expect every BS job the guys can come up with as a "probie" (it's to test you, to see if you can put up with any and all types of situations and personality types--the same as police work)...

The probation period varies from place to place but it's usually 6 months or 12 months (again, the same as police work). You can wash out at any time due to various infractions, failure to obey commands or placing yourself, other firefighters or civilian personnel at risk or in danger. A good training officer will see that you don't make those mistakes, a bad one will completely screw you up (it happens; people, after being on the job for awhile, get sloppy, get tired, get pissed off and those people can make your life a miserable experience)...

The injury rate amongst firefighters is higher than with LEO's since you're dealing with flame, burning buildings and falling masonry. It takes a certain mindset to run into a burning building when others are running away from it but the first time you save someone's home, save their life or get a trapped person out of a wrecked car, the rush will be like no other...

The pay's miserable, the hours long, it's dangerous, you can get ashcanned at any time during probation but most places need people who arer willing and able to do the job. It's a great career; with some of the BS involved on the law enforcement side of things, I sometimes wish I'd gone into firefighting but this is so ingrained in me now, I couldn't change my line of work if I tried...

[16L43]

And BTW folks, thanks for all the kind words! The past few weeks have been hell (I've been doing prisoner transports which are long, tedious, boring and well, nuts, when it's to the state institution for a mental health evaluation). Then there were the 6 days of the Sheriff's Office Haunted House for Halloween after my regular duty shift but that was FUN! We got to scare the living bejeebers out of PAYING folks and I led a street full of people doing "The Time Warp" from "Rocky Horror" (we had a large screen tv and DVD player to show scary movies while people waited to go inside the haunted house) in full uniform. I'm sure someone got it all on video and it'll end up on one of those police video shows that show up on Tv from time to time...

(Yes, this square old deputy likes "Rocky Horror" which might just surprise a few people...)

And for those who asked, I am "shopping" the book idea. There's been a nibble but beyond that who knows...

[Brian]

16L43,

It is so good to hear from you! I mean that. I knew you'd be one who could answer MLHTY's question! I know you're busy but there are many of us who would love to hear from you more often!

Great news about the book idea! I still mean what I said, if you can get it into print, I'll be first in line to buy it!

The thread is probably a few pages gone now but my brother gave me the address to where we lived in Biloxi which was not all that far from where you were working a while back. I swear I can't remember the name of the town to save my life (where you were). Was it Waveland? That sounds so wrong and right at the same time.

Great to hear from you again! Thanks! ;)

[MoreLikeHurleyThanYou]

Thanks alot for that info 16L43

My friend is going through Police Academy right now (I think she's in week 12) and gave me about that same jist.


Now I gotta sit and think about it.

P.S. I am very excited about the book, also.