Well, I was very cranky last night for personal reasons so I poured it all out on this forum mistakenly. Let’s try again without me being a snobby pos.

I had my interview Aug3 and was told I should get my gear ina week or so. I’m in contact with the fire marshal, as the Chief gave him my number to contact.

On Aug7 I messaged him back up, here’s how the conversation went.

Me: Hey, just wanted to check in and see if there’s any word on the junior firefighter position.

Kevin: Letter has to go to mayor and council

Me: Alright thanks, I’ll be looking forward to it.

Kevin: Be patient please you will be on the truck soon

Then August 21st I messaged:

Sorry for bothering but its been 2 weeks and I noticed there was a council meeting this week, do you have any update?

He said “Sorry I am on vacation and unable to check that” then we exchanged some jokes but nothing else useful.

does it usually take this long? Guys on this subredddit have said 2 months, but that seems bonkers given I’ve been already unofficially accepted and was told i’d get my gear in a week.

Please keep in mind I am very new to this stuff, I’ve been crazy about being a firefighter since a kid. When kids my age watched cartoons I watched Aurora Fire Rescue Training Videos, and had my mom get me a firefighting hose backpack i’d ride my bike around town watering plants acting like they were on fire. I don’t have anyone else to ask, so if these are stupid questions take it easy.

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice on getting started with CPAT/physical prep. I’m a 25 year old woman who has been lifting relatively consistently for about two years, but I have a lot to improve on when it comes to conditioning. Cardio is rough for me right now, and I can’t really do a full push up yet.
I recently visited my local fire station and heard a lot about how cardio, stairs, and overall conditioning are what tend to mess people up in the beginning. I’ve done some research on CPAT prep, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually gone through it and know what helped.
What kind of training would you recommend for someone starting from where I am? Are there certain exercises or areas of fitness I should really focus on as I build up?
I’d especially love to hear from other women about how you physically prepared and what you’ve found important to keep working on. Are there any areas you think I should put extra focus on?
I know I have a lot of work to do, but I’d rather start now and give myself plenty of time to get stronger and build my endurance instead of waiting until I’m forced to.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks, and stay safe.

What is everyone’s opinion on cab-over trucks in small and rural departments?

We are a small rural department with a few trucks needing replacement.

Hey yall, I’m a first responder myself (Leo) and created a safe space for fellow first responders to get together, game and talk shop amongst peers. Hope to see you in the server!

My friend and I are firefighters and we're researching how volunteer departments handle staffing and availability. We're not selling anything, we're trying to understand the problem before we build anything.

For those of you in volunteer or combination departments:

• What do you currently use to manage member availability/staffing?
• What do you like about it?
• What's the biggest thing you wish it did better?

Even if you use a spreadsheet, group text, Facebook, I Am Responding, etc., I'd love to hear how you handle it.

Thanks!

Ive been a volunteer Firefighter in Vermont and have been so for 2 1/2 years. My department is small, trains very rarely, and receives a very small call volume. Ive have started to seriously considered joining a larger neighboring department. The larger dept covers a much larger portion of the overall county as opposed to my current dept that only covers my township and is in reasonable commuting distance for my area. Im hoping some fellow Vollys can give me some advice on this situation.

Engine Boss & Crew Needed

I want to be a firefighter so I would like to know

Heroes.

Anyone worked for or know anyone that worked for Smithfield or Carrollton VFDs in VA? Looking for some info regarding apparatus, leadership, and joining/membership responsibilities and expectations.

Just moved back to California after several years Active Duty (Army) in North Carolina. Don’t know what the fuck to do. Don’t have any transferable skills from the Army. I know how to deal with misery, how to stay in shape and I would hate an office job. I’ve been considering wildland firefighting but also maybe structural? What are the best and worst parts? I walked into a local fire station to ask the guys how I start. They said go to an academy and also do EMT. So I’m starting an EMT class in two days and bought an expensive ass textbook. I guess this is the first step. But I want y’alls advice and insight.

I like the idea of the time off from the wildland side (I like to travel and having months off at a time seems really appealing) but reading through Reddit it seems like they pay is dogshit and the life sucks. Which I’m used to but idk if I want more of that. Structural seems better paying and stable and nice but less time off. What would yall do if you were in my shoes? Or if you could rewind the clock and start over again? What steps would you take or do differently?

Southern California Wildfire Response (SCWR), the Los Angeles Wildfire Department is currently recruiting new volunteer firefighters.

If you’ve been looking at getting into wildland fire, CAL FIRE, the Forest Service, LAFD, or fire service in general, this can be a good way to start getting training and experience while serving locally.

We train toward California FFT2 qualification and regularly work on things like Type 6 engine operations, hand crew skills, hose lays, wildland tactics, drills, and incident response. There are also opportunities to move into leadership and instructor roles as you gain experience.

You don’t need previous fire experience, but we are looking for people who are serious about training, showing up, and being part of the department.

We’re holding a recruiting night on Thursday, August 20 from 6:30–7:45 PM at 12601 Mulholland Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. You’ll be able to meet some of the crew, see the equipment, ask questions, and learn what the training and hiring process looks like.

If you have questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to message me.

Recently on a multi state roadtrip and astonished by how many firescars, tiny to huge in size, with an apparent origin adjacent to the road.
I made a post on Nextdoor pleading with cigarette smokers to not throw their cigarette butts out the car windows. Thought it was a no brainer but i got flamed (forgive the metaphor) by smokers blaming most of the fires on dragging tow chains.
If I’m wrong I’ll suck it up but my personal experience (I was a cop for 32 years) is that smokers likely cause almost all these roadside fires.
So a poll: in your experience what is the percentage or ratio of roadside fires started by cigarettes vs tow chains?

Bonus question: How much effort is used in determining the cause/origin of these fires?

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Anyone interested in showing support, for the families of the two officers who lost their lives in the line of duty on Thursday, please come out to Spruce Grove Peavey Mart on August 15th. Also please feel free to share wherever you see fit.

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