Fire truck

[2wheelr]

Shootingstar, are you sure they took the truck to go on break, leaving their buddies back at the house? When I see firefighters at the grocery store with the truck, it means the whole company is there; they bring the truck in case they get a call. They are required to do it that way. I've seen them abandon their groceries and race out the door many times.

Nybiker, that sounds scary. I wonder sometimes if drivers of emergency vehicles get in the habit of taking chances.

My husband is a FDNY Lieutenant. The whole company goes for the meal-because they do respond to calls from the store-absolutely right. Nobody stays behind because how could they respond if the rig is out?

Fire rigs in urban areas get into the habit of doing what they feel is safe for all involved, most times it turns out ok, sometimes, not so much. The problems that the chauffeur faces are amazing sometimes-people will throw things at them, double/triple park in the road so they can't get through, even the police work against them sometimes (there really is a whole rivalry there-it's awful) I'm not excusing what happened to you in any way, I'm glad you're ok. Sometimes the person driving the rig shouldn't be. I've seen some of these guys-ones my husband won't ride with-they just do dumb things or they can just be terrible drivers.

Shootingstar, as far as women in the fire service, the physical exam has been reduced so that more women can pass. Very few women want the job-it's not easy for a woman. Nor do I agree with lightening the physical. In more than one instance, one firefighter has to carry another out. If a woman can carry my husband out, with his gear (about 50-70 pounds) then sure-she deserves the job. However, if she cannot, do you feel she should have the job? I have 4 kids that depend on daddy to come home. I don't care about the semantics of equality. If someone (and I don't care who it is) cannot carry my husband (180 pounds) with his gear (another 50-70 pounds) out of a building, they should not have the job. Period.

That being said, the women who DO have the job many times start studying right away for a promotion-once they become an officer (captain and above) the physical demands are less, so they do excel at the job. But they need to do their time at the FF level until then, and I appreciate my husband being safe.

[Pax]

My husband is a FDNY Lieutenant. The whole company goes for the meal-because they do respond to calls from the store-absolutely right. Nobody stays behind because how could they respond if the rig is out?

Fire rigs in urban areas get into the habit of doing what they feel is safe for all involved, most times it turns out ok, sometimes, not so much. The problems that the chauffeur faces are amazing sometimes-people will throw things at them, double/triple park in the road so they can't get through, even the police work against them sometimes (there really is a whole rivalry there-it's awful) I'm not excusing what happened to you in any way, I'm glad you're ok. Sometimes the person driving the rig shouldn't be. I've seen some of these guys-ones my husband won't ride with-they just do dumb things or they can just be terrible drivers.

Shootingstar, as far as women in the fire service, the physical exam has been reduced so that more women can pass. Very few women want the job-it's not easy for a woman. Nor do I agree with lightening the physical. In more than one instance, one firefighter has to carry another out. If a woman can carry my husband out, with his gear (about 50-70 pounds) then sure-she deserves the job. However, if she cannot, do you feel she should have the job? I have 4 kids that depend on daddy to come home. I don't care about the semantics of equality. If someone (and I don't care who it is) cannot carry my husband (180 pounds) with his gear (another 50-70 pounds) out of a building, they should not have the job. Period.

That being said, the women who DO have the job many times start studying right away for a promotion-once they become an officer (captain and above) the physical demands are less, so they do excel at the job. But they need to do their time at the FF level until then, and I appreciate my husband being safe.

It's too bad they've lowered the requirements. When I was a boot I had to meet the same requirements as the males.

That being said, the tests were, in many cases, not representative of what firefighters actually do so some revision could have helped level the testing field. For example, doing pull-ups is a strongly male dominant test, they pass, many women don't. Does it really show if you can do the job?? No. A test where you have to retrieve a 180lb. dummy and remove it from a hazardous situation, does.

When I graduated from the academy there were less than 100 female professional firefighters in the world (1983), it was a very rough road to the department... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat, best job ever.

[colorisnt]

That's scary! I'm glad you were okay!

My mom and sister were out Saturday. A motorcyclist had gone off the road for no apparent reason and a bunch of people were trying to help (my sister is CPR certified). Well, they eventually left because there was a nurse there and too many people making the guy nervous. On their way out, they saw the ambulance coming. The guy was actually putting on his vest while driving and was veering into the wrong lane coming towards them. He almost caused an accident attending to an accident.

[2wheelr]

It's too bad they've lowered the requirements. When I was a boot I had to meet the same requirements as the males.

That being said, the tests were, in many cases, not representative of what firefighters actually do so some revision could have helped level the testing field. For example, doing pull-ups is a strongly male dominant test, they pass, many women don't. Does it really show if you can do the job?? No. A test where you have to retrieve a 180lb. dummy and remove it from a hazardous situation, does.

When I graduated from the academy there were less than 100 female professional firefighters in the world (1983), it was a very rough road to the department... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat, best job ever.

That's the test they take-not pull ups, but drags and carrys. Running up stairs with a hose. It is sad that they lowered the physical standards. If it were me, I wouldn't want a job that I knew I couldn't perform, just in the name of being equal.
My husband trained for months to pass the exam. Weighted vest, ran up bleachers. Miles and miles of them. Crazy stuff.
It IS the best job ever. I was a volunteer in Rescue for years (EMT, stuff like that) I loved it. Best job I've ever had, and I did it for nothing. I'd do it again in a heart beat if I had the time.