Been a firefighter for 10 years, and I've experienced everything you discuss here (minus the females on the dept). Nice to see someone speak the truth.
I'm a nurse and the toxicity is very similar in the medical field as well. Lots of sleeping around (on the clock even), gossip, and lying. Along with some of the laziest people getting the promotions because they are buddies.
I’ve even witnessed “ Nurses “ sabotaging a colleague more than a handful of times , wherein there was a bad outcome for the pt . All so the other girls looked better . I’ve seen them brag about making Nurses cry and quit ...
@@danielfostel3883 sharp axes bite into surfaces, slightly dulled axes smash and destroy. When you need to swing, you need to swing hard and fast and not get hung up. They had good reason to stop you.
@@rustybird4955 completely depends what you're doing with it - you aren't felling a tree, you're forcing a door! You don't need, or want, chips flying, you want the door open.
I was a professional firefighter for 10 years. I worked the common 24 on 48 off. In my case, I had a business that I worked at when I was off from the fire department, so, there was little leisure time. I too quit for similar reasons you described. I am 6'4" and at the time weighed around 265. We had women who came to the department who probably didn't weigh 100 lbs. My wife was the one who was really upset about that. She knew it put me and others at risk, since there was no way a woman this size was going to carry me, or any one else near my size, out of a burning building, should the need arise. Our department (and city) was racially split about 50/50; which created problems. One particular incedent I remember well, was when our Battallion Chief called me out to chew on me for things the station Captain was neglecting. I was an Engineer. When I pointed out that the Captain was the one who needed the talk, the BC refused to approach him fearing (I believe) a racial challenge. I loved working there, but other opportunity was beckoning and I chose it. In retrospect, I don't know if I should have left, but I know that if I were given the opportunity to return, I would not.
Active duty military here. This video is spot on. Never would I have imagined how toxic all of the government institutions are. EMS, Police, Military all have the same problems. Never again!
RyGuy 💯💯💯 my first unit was awesome but my second was absolutely horrible lol my section chief tried to get me to fight another guy in my section over a missed radio check
My best friend for over 20 years who became a firefighter and he told me that for every boring shift, BS call, or non-emergency call there's that one call that makes all of the BS worth it. Additionally he told me about this quote from a FDNY firefighter and he says this is his motivation for sticking with it: "Now listen here kid, you just hit the lottery, you have the greatest job in the world. Kids look up to you, the elderly see you as the good old days and grown Men call you on their worst day. You're what's good in Man, service. This job owes you nothing and as a matter of fact, live as though you owe it everything. You have been given automatic trust by our citizens because of all those who came before you, don't blow it. Get in there and make a difference, leave it better than you found it and do your job."
you cant compare nyc with … almost anywhere else … I was an emt in ny and now I live in pa … apples and oranges … let me tell you, he's right on in every aspect … if ne was in nyc as am emt, he would not feel the same way ...
@@realbrooklynjes I wasn't comparing NYC with anything. I was sharing a quote said by a firefighter of the FDNY about being a firefighter. Additionally, the friend I was talking about has been a friend of mine for 20 years and is not a FDNY firefighter. He's a firefighter in a different city. I'm not sure how you got a comparison out of that but that's been my friend's experience as an urban firefighter in a large city close to downtown. The point is you endure so much BS and nonsense as a firefighter but when the moment comes where you're actually doing your job whether it be rescuing someone or putting out a house that's gone up in a blaze or rescuing someone from a house that's gone up in a blaze, it's worth it.
wow … ok the quote from a nyc firefighter … that was used as inspiration … sorry, the quote is from someone who has a totally different experience that your friend is using … which is from someone whos experience is like comparing apples to oranges when in context with someone working in Colorado … all im saying is, that wranglerstars experience is wayyyyy different than the person who wrote the quote that your friend admires … ya a fire is a fire, and for some doing that once a month, is ok … for this guy it wasn't … and my point was …. if wranglerstar was working in an environment like the guy who wrote the quote, from nyc, he defiantly would not have been bored … thats all … and I have lived in both environments so I related to his discussion … maybe you have not
@@realbrooklynjes I've been in both situations myself but I wasn't making an attempt to say he made a mistake or should go back or whatever. Topic is about something pertaining to firefighting, I had a few bits of personal information I thought would be neat to share. This is silly.
You might want to take a look at UN Agenda 21 if you are looking forward to living out your life on a farm. Its already moving forward here in America.
Wow. Thank you so much. Spent 12 years on a department that is a suburb of Dallas as a fireman/paramedic. Mostly paramedic only. I have watched you for years. Your candor and insight have always been so good. I have questioned myself for having left the fire department to one degree or another for 32 years. You have cured me of that knowing I am not alone in the issues I had. I feel more brotherhood with you than the men I worked with.
Returned here as a Marine veteran. Took fire science in college. Applied three years in a row, scored as high as 104 on the test (five point veterans preference), and was denied, stepped over by scores in the 70s.
DJ Rouken I have the same story. In 92 I was airborne school, applied made it to the last 100 of 3,500 for three jobs. I went Wildland and volunteer, the paid staff were jerks.
We wouldn’t need minority hiring policies if generations of Caucasian men did not practice nepotism. racist/ sexist views kept the service 99 percent white male and in 2018 it’s still as high as 82 percent. Fair is fair.
I am sorry cody that you had a bad experience in the fire service many of the things you talk about are true the down time dealing with a person with a hang nail at 2am dealing with people at the station all those things are true being a full time paramedic and firefighter for over 25 years i have seen all the things you talked about but its still a good job its all about your attitude towards it there is no perfect job i have ran my own company worked for myself and have experienced the same things you talked about there are +and --to all things in life but in the end its a calling to go out and help those who are unable or unwilling to help themselves i do take exception to the statement the structural fire fighting is not as dangerous as wildland it is i enjoy your videos thanks for sharing
I was hired at age 27 and spent 29 years on the 7th largest fire department in the country, about 1800 firefighters when I retired and 72 stations. 5000 applicants sat for the test (1981) when I took it, for 120 positions made becasue they put a third man on rescue. When I retired 83% of our call volume was EMS, the rest fires and other calls. Never found it boring but it would be hard to be bored when you average 15-25 calls a shift and the department is running 180k+ calls a year. We worked 24/48s with a regular day off every 3 weeks. The RDO was every 5 weeks when I first got hired. Most times I slept half of my first 24 off recovering from being up most of the shift. I have to disagree that structural firefighting isn't as hazardous as wildland firefighting, when you're deep in a warehouse there aren't windows to jump out of, there is high rack storage you can't see,, there are hazardous materials and the possibility of structural collapse. House fires were kind of fun, until you had a victim. Highrise and Low Rise fires were a lot of work, but still exciting. Warehouses were always somewhat frightening but still exciting. I rode a suppression almost my entire career and we ran EMS calls as well as fire calls. My last 14 years was in Special Operations performing Technical Rescue in addition to our other EMS and fire duties. Yeah we had the BS calls, lots of them, and probably a bigger problem with unqualified Affirmative Action hires than you can imagine, but we had a bid system and you got together with a good crew and stayed together for years. The BS calls were aggravating but some were just downright entertaining. You had to take the bad with the good and take management in your stride and deal with routine daily station duties by looking at it as keeping things clean so you can stay disease free in what amounts to living with a lot of people who bring their personal habits with them. No job anywhere has 100% of the tasks you are required to perform agreeable tasks. The education I got about people during my career made all those mundane, routine tasks worthwhile. I can't imagine a job that helps you learn more about people, coworkers as well as the general public. I'm 66 now, retired and still miss some of what we did and the camaraderie. My friends that are now also retired say they miss the circus but not the clowns. I had several jobs prior to being hired, including owning a tool business, and this was the best job I ever had. Things are different on that department now, the old guys with good work ethic have retired so the new people who have good work ethic have a lot of young people with poor work ethic to deal with. I wouldn't want to be back on duty today but during the time I had it was great 99% of the time.
I've been a fireman most of my post-army life (got out, went to college while I worked construction then joined the fire service). I now work for a big and busy department at a very busy house. Everything you said is either completely or in part true. The darker side of the job is different at every department, but by and large, you nailed it.
So true, and I'm sick and tired of the public praising these municipality/government workers. If the public realized how much their fringe benefits were and there salary on top of that, along with all the Bullsh+t paid sick, vacation time, taxpayers should think different and remind these public sector employees that they work for us.
I think it's a bit disingenuous to put all the government workers into that same pile. There are plenty of government workers doing important jobs that no citizen would want to live without, often times in understaffed departments. The problem with government is that there's no competition. Unlike the private sector, it's not like another government is going to do the government work better and put this government out of business. So you have a lot of waste...jobs that could be completely automated or at least simplified by technology. You have entire departments (or nearly) that, given the right investment in technology, every one of those people could be let go and the government could save money. In the private sector, that's exactly what happens. In government, no one running for political office will ever run on the promise of, "I'm going to automate departments X, Y, Z and be able to shrink the workforce by 300 jobs, saving the taxpayers $$$ over the next 10 years." The entire employee base of the government would then not vote for that person, along with all their friends and family. So that just never happens. In the end, on one hand you have jobs that are completely wasteful and should have been gone and automated decades ago and on the other hand, you have people who are completely vital and probably for what they're doing, being underpaid.
My comment would be reported and removed so I'll just say Charlotte NC is really starting to suck. And they won't pick up my brush piles if they aren't pretty enough after paying $22,000 per year in property tax.
I work at a very busy department. We work a 48/96 schedule. I think how you perceive the fire service all depends on which department you work for. The type of people that live in your city, and the mindset you have when you get into it. I absolutely love the job, but I got into it knowing I’m gonna be the guy for the first couple years that is scrubbing toilets and doing the busy work. Like you said, it’s definitely easier for younger guys such as myself. I could EASILY see your side of the story though!
Not sexist just factual. In the Marine Corps I remember carrying two packs up a mountain side because the woman marine (who was a friend of mine) couldn't handle it. Women and men are different and, Viva La Difference!
@@jatbatman , it wasn't my choice. My gunnery sergeant gave it to me as I was passing them after she fell out. I would never have carried it willingly. If she couldn't hack it best find out in training and deal with it. Of course no one did deal with it.
Why is it that you only hear about these problems in the American military? You don't hear about this sort of thing in Israel, Australia, or any other place with fully integrated armed forces.
@Iconoclast So what? I don't care how many whites are successful or not. Everything must be earned, not handed to you because statistically, your group has it worse than others. We must treat individuals as individuals.
@Iconoclast Forced by parents, chose by themself or just won the genetic lottery, in the end, those "automatons" best fit for the job. Meritocracy is the best thing for economic growth and that means it's good for everyone.
@Iconoclast First of all let's not conflate good economics and kids forced by parents to do something they don't like. Second "Meritocracy is a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individual people on the basis of talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class" not just scholastic achievements. Third society's with meritocratic principles have a higher quality of life.
Cody, thanks for your honest and frank comment. I retired from the Navy in 2007. It is a very different state from where we are today. A lot of the same concerns you experienced, plus the looser morals in today’s society, I believe are making us weak as a nation. Thank you for being such a solid example for all to emulate and learn from. I really appreciate your videos! 👍🇺🇸😁❤️
@@1978garfield most homicides in large cities are gang related. Gangsters don't talk to cops, that's why they go unsolved. Nothing to do with lazy cops.
This story seemed to tell the very exact same way I perceived my work experience with in a law enforcement agency. We all look for fulfilling work and the reality of the job it didn't meet the expectations or the dream of it. For people who know whats right and do what's right will always find it difficult to further their career of choice when the game of success isn't played fair. Politics , favoritism, nepotism seem to be rooted into the foundation of our current civil services agencies, this can lead to a hostile work environment. We need more people who can see it and shed light on it, one day we could hope to change for the better. Thank you Wranglerstar for your story!
I've been in the fire service for 25+ years Knoxville TN that's not my experience at all love the people, love the calls, every time we leave the station it's to help someone to make their life better. The people I work with hard working firefighters love them there's a few bad eggs sure but I find putting them with the right people can bring them a long way.
Thanks for the honest talk. Interesting perspective. Personally, I enjoy being a volunteer firefighter. I go when there is a call-- responding from my house. No busy work, just helping people in my community.
Well, that was some of the best 24 minutes I've spent on YT in quite awhile. I love unapologetic candor. When you're right, you're right. No back pedaling. At the same time you accept responsibility for that which you could have done differently. Anyone who has actively worked in these fields knows EXACTLY what you are talking about. And you explained it well to those that didn't know. Thanks for a strong, unabashed, well spoken testimony. I've seen whole departments rip themselves asunder for these very reasons. And it is only likely to become worse in coming years.
My daughter, fit, strong and a hunting and fishing type of young woman passed all the tests for the fire service here in England. She thought all the guys were pretty great, however, she refused to join, thinking that she might put a man's life at risk. They contacted her several times presumably because there is a quota to fill. I like your films Mr W, thankyou.
BINGO!!! I was a career firefighter for 25 years, a medic, retired as the Fire Marshal...You have hit the nail on the head several times here. The worst thing the City did to the Fire Department was to hire from areas fairly remote from our town. Many moved in closer, many stayed where they came from, sometimes 2-3 hours away. Now, they were officers on their volunteer departments, then came here and was the low-man....but they thought they were Chiefs...I could go on and on.....But, I survived. Happily retired...Life goes on, and the Department still is there.....
I did both. USAF then firefighter. Both were years of hurry up and wait, or busy work. Most people never understand how little real excitement either provides. Mostly training, more training, and then the occasional high stress moments that you will never forget.
@@thereissomecoolstuff how much time do you have in the fire service and where? It's definitely something the fire service deals with much more than 30%. From rural volly to big city career the drama is in full force.
In the 80's, I was a vol fire fighter for almost 10 yrs. When 2 of the wives of members said they sue if not allowed to become FF, they let them in, and I walked out.
diversity is a falsehood a lie and only weakens and degrades this ideology never works and always destroys i see it everyday we pander to the weak minded because if we don't we are racist or sexist or whatever they want to label you hireing the best and most qualified only raises standards if you try to reason your way out of that then you know who your part of the cancer spreading throughout society
In my volunteer department, some of the best firefighters are women-- including one who was a hotshot for over a decade. However, the culture in an all volunteer dept is potentially very different from a professional one. People are there because they want to help, not for the money. What community you do it in also has a massive impact on what it's like.
We had a female at our station on another shift, that proclaimed often that "I can do anything a man can do". Well, we were really taking pride in our yard and had it looking great, all three shifts had taken ownership in it. Then she decided she was going to mow, and absolutely scalped it down to the dirt with the mower. Her excuse was "I'm just a girl and don't know any better."
Your firefighting experience was very similar to military life. You told my experience in the Marines Corps exactly the way I would have, and that is why I got out.
I did 25+ full-time years as a firefighter/medic/ You hit the nail on the head!!!! I could not stay my last 7 years to hit full retirement without risking getting fired.
The busier the department I thing the stronger the brotherhood in my experience. Counting on the guys around you on a regular basis in dangerous situations builds that brotherhood.
I spent 12 years in the fire service and I totally agree with a lot of what you said. I am now self employed and won't be attending a sensitivity training but will take my 4 day breaks when I choose.
I just resigned too and made a video about why. It was one of my dreams to become one but it also caused me to go in a very very dark place. I know I’m not alone and I think speaking about depression and things of that nature is important to talk about. The suicide rates in first responding is very alarming and not talked about much. We are as important as the people we are saving. This video helped me decide to walk away from the greatest job in the world. It’s hard to cope with leaving as it is still fresh but sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.
Thank you..... I appreciate you and this is the short list. Candor, honesty, integrity, a Godly Man. I'm a man it's what I do. I've been watching you for years. A front row seat in your life, and it's been my pleasure this was a great video.
I agree, you did have a bad experience with the tiny department you worked for. I've been on the job for going on 18 years, and its been a little bit of everything...but i would never say boring. I've had ups and downs...but like all things, you take the good with the bad. I've worked more structure fires than i can count and EMS calls are numerous. It's a job thats not for everybody, thats for sure. It's hard on your body, physical and mental health, and on your family life. The job can be rewarding, and also feel like a curse sometimes. At the end of the day, you can look back though and realize that you did a job with substance...something thzt really made a difference. Im looking forward to the end of my career, but i wouldn't take anything for the life that I've had because of the job. Oh, and by the way...just jump out a window if you get into trouble while in a structure fire....? Theres been a lot more structure firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty across the country than have ever in the wildland side...jumping out a window is not always an option. Both careers are very dangerous...but its also comparing apples to oranges.
Amen! You have to become numb to terrible things or be hella tough it make it long in this field. (At least for high call volume areas like where I work)
@@CaptainCanada780 but that's no fun. I'm allergic to beef but can eat it if it's brown all the way through. I will tell wait staff to "creamate it" when I order beef. I actually had a person at a neighboring table once tell me one of their family members had just died and I was insensitive. They weren't very thrilled with my response to that. You see, I called the waitress back and asked for her to make sure it came to me in an urn.
Mr Cody, I have been a subscriber to your channel for many years now... in fact since I was in highschool. Everything you have just described in your experience with your former department is literally everything I have been exposed to in the Marine Corps. It was nice to have someone else with the propper medium format this is such a relatable way. Thank you for the video!
I subscribed to you because of one reason - you speak painfully honest on whatever subject you cover. Period. In this country of participation trophies - you are a good example of following your dreams and making your own successful life.
I was also disqualified from the military for eye sight, Army to be exact. Got my firefighter 1 and 2 as well as HAZMAT and AEMT. When I turned 22 years old I went full time and have been sense. No regrets.
Back in the 90’s and prior was a fantastic experience. Around the turn of the century is when and where all the things discussed generally degraded. I grew up in a firehouse, my father was a firefighter before I was even thought of and started his career in the early 70’s. I started as a fire/rescue cadet in the early 1990’s became a fire/medic by 95 and by 2000 I was ready to quit, so I did. Worked in law enforcement for 15 years after that and the environment was so toxic and political I was done. I know every experience you stated plus some. Being a public servant was my calling, but with all the politics, equality, and bad management due to what our society has become it wasn’t worth it.
I am 18 years in the fire service this year. The last 10 in a larger city. I wanted air force originally but an injury sent me home before I even got started. It was a handful of years after that when I began to pursue the fire service. A lot has changed since then. I've held death in my hands so many times. Sigh.. I've marched past the coffins of friends. My wife was a Paramedic back then. She burned out mentally and physically. Our marriage crumbled. Our 4 kids suffered immensely. I realized i wasn't being paid for the hard work or even the busy work but rather for the mental garbage. It adds up and that's why they pay me to come back because no normal person would choose this. I'm back on duty today but just yesterday I wanted to get in the camper amd drive away despite the pay, pension and benefits. As for the politics, sensitivity training and gender diversity issues you're spot on. Ugh... at least I know I'm not alone in these feelings. Thanks again for another honest chat.
My son quit the department after 10 years. 95% of their responses were drug overdoses, heart attacks, suicides and messy car crashes. 5% of their calls were to actual fires. There were people who were hit by trains, he personally cut dead people out of car wrecks, and had to pick up pieces of people who were hit by Amtrak. He had to cut down some 15 year old boy from hanging himself in his closet because his dad was mad at his report card. The boy was stone cold but they did CPR on him just to make the mom and dad feel better. He and his buddy got burned out and found other jobs.
You described every local government fire department I have worked for. That is the fire service culture. It kills the soul and you wake up dreading going to work because of some of the people you have to work with and most of the supervisors. A very toxic and draining experience.
That sounds alot like my experience. My department was run backward and was operated by people unfit to serve in leadership roles. Many good guys who came in would be very motivated but unfortunately, the spark in their attitudes would die out from the toxic culture. I consider this the problem with most of these state and local government agencies, they are horribly managed.
5 years as an EMT, 6 years as a medic, BSN degree I had planned to use to go on as a flight nurse, and 15 years as a firefighter. First medical call I ran after turning 18 as a probie and with my EMT license was dispatched as collapsed in the shower, 45 seconds later was changed to cardiac arrest CPR in progress. Like you I came from a military family, always wanted to get into military/LE/Fire services. I was in a pretty horrific car accident as a teenager and I remembered hearing the sirens coming, and it was the sweetest sound in the world you could hear, knowing you might be dying but help was coming, so that sort of cemented my career path from that day forward. Started as a teenager as a junior probie, got my EMT-B at 18, started college when I was 21 after working a few years as an EMT/FF. About the time I turned 25 or so my wide-eyed optimism had turned into jaded cynicism. Never would I of believed people in the "brotherhood" who you depended on to keep you alive, and who they depended on you to keep them alive, could be so full of 'cliques', drama, nepotism, and toxicity. Saw it in municipalities I applied for and took physical and writtens for, stations I worked for and volunteered for, and saw it in hospitals during clinicals when earning my BSN. I guess part of me hoped it was maybe just confined to my little portion of the US, but hearing this just kinda tore what small hope I had that maybe other places weren't the cesspits I had come to know.
Strange coincidence, i got back into security for the same reason, i thought it was a noble profession and found the same stuff. Ie nepotism, people being in charge of you without any qualifications, people sucking up to bosses ect ect. I've gone back to construction which is killing me at 58 and I'm rather deflated and disheartened by it all, at least i have death to look forward to
Jobs where lives are on the line it should be the best person for the job. Smartest, strongest. I don't give a f*** what race you are Don't care about ethnicity or gender. Certain jobs politics should not play a factor. Best person for the job. Period. Point blank.
A few years ago the media were telling people to vote for a President just because she was a woman... If you didnt agree with them you were a misogynist.
USAF 20-Year retiree here, 1982-2002. During this time I was directly involved in three conflicts, and to be honest, the happiest day I ever had, was the day I retired. A lot of what you spoke of went on in the Air Force. The first 5 years I was in, I was a single man. Twice, I had married women come to my dorm while their husbands were away on training. One was really smooth. She came over bringing cookies, like real innocent. After she came in my room the show was on. Not proud of it, but these things happen. If, it were not for my Dad (RIP) I would have gotten out after my first 6 years. But, he convinced me to stay in and start taking advantage of all the benefits, such as college and training. So, I stayed the entire 20 years. However, I was very unhappy through most of it. You did the right thing!
Back in my younger years, I worked in LE. I always made it a point to be able to meet the male physical standard so that no man could legitimately complain that I wasn't physically capable of the job. I was the top female in my class physically at the academy and was ahead of many of the males in my class. (Academically in the top 5). My first field training officer told me "I don't think women should be cops" and that was the last thing he said to me for the rest of the shift. I got a new FTO the next day, but I dealt with prejudice every day, and some of it was from out of shape, overweight guys. It sucked!
Your argument is a strawman. He never said women can't be firefighters he just said the women he worked with couldn't do their job. Men shouldn't have to get killed and put themselves in danger because women need to feel better about themselves and get charity
Those guys you speak of, if they took their fitness seriously, would be x5 stronger than you. Stop trying to strawman and stop thinking you actually have a chance.
10 years as a medic here, finally breaking out of it and returning to college for med school. I had several opportunities to start with some local fire departments since I know just about every firefighter in eastern king county. I just never was all that interested in being a hose jockey. I enjoy working as a rescue medic at the local race track now that I've stopped working in the field. My experience with king county and Snohomish county EMS and fire has been pretty stellar. They're progressive, healthy departments with low burnout, good pay, high standards, good training, excellent community involvement, whole nine yards out here. I worked wildland fire a couple years as a medic too. My stepfather was one of the first paramedics in the world, fire chief in our small, one/two station town. I learned a lot from him about taking care of other people. I am praying that at my age, when I finish my 4 year at age 33, ill get into a good med school and become an emergency medicine physician, with a focus on field work like is common in Europe but barring that, I'll just go whole hog on ALS and find a good, hospital run program to run out my career. My first day as an EMT, I accidentally clotheslined a woman on meth when she lunged for the door because I was seatbelted in. I thought "I am so fired" but my FTO just shrugged and said "whatever keeps her safe"
I worked for a Ambulance service here in Michigan. I spent 15 years there. Loved every second of it! Yes there was the good ol boy thing going on now and then. But when the chips were down. Everyone came to help. We were a tight service on and off the court!
Fire fighting is becoming more and more political. I joined my local volunteer about 7 years ago when I turned 18. I was told then "its not the good old boys days of fighting fire anymore". I now have to remind them that because its changed out from under us all.
Alex Varble were close to the same age and mine was the same situation. I did get into woodland fire and unfortunately let someone talk me out of it. That’s something I regret doing.
Very thankful I came across this video. It is reassuring becuase I had a dream of being a firefighter when I was young, in highschool, I ended up dropping out of college with 1 semester of fire science, and through Gods mercy he took me on a different path. Fast forward 10 years, I am now 28 and have worked for every inch just to have an apartment that is my own. Ive had the chance to grow, and not resent the fire service if I had joined right out of college. Ive learned masonry which I love, I moved across the country, seen some of the worlds beauty, started a business, made some good friends and also became my own best friend and grew confident in myself, albeit through many dark, sad and lonely times. I am happy to say I am very close to becoming a wildland firefighter, nothing makes me more happy. God is blessing me. Thanks for all of your amazing content Cody. I love watching your videos and getting advice from someone with years of wisdom. The world is a better place becuase of you.
As a structure firefighter myself I apologize for the poor experience that you had. Definitely sounds like it was a tough department. Sounds like you would have been a better fit for a bigger and busier department. :) Glad you are still following that dream as a volunteer and wildland firefigher.
law enforcement, just hit my 5 year mark, I can't help but question if my time could have been better spent elsewhere, to be honest I've been thinking about quitting this job for about 2 years now even though I have a pension, I hate a lot of the other officers and administrations I work with to the point Where I just don't want to talk to anyone I work with if I don't have to, I keep thinking about going into the trades, why do I think this way, cliques, politics, anti free speech woke work environment, lazy uncaring people who will try to get you to do there job, and lastly POS bosses and coworkers.
As a firefighter since 1986, I have seen a lot of what you mentioned, but I would not trade the expierences I have had for all the cash in the world. Volunteers also went through those situations
Great video and story! I was on our local Fire and Rescue services team for 18 years and I ended up leaving for pretty much the same reasons. Sadly, I guess it happens everywhere.
Having just retired from 37 years in law enforcement I can tell you this description of why he left public service is entirely accurate. I observed every one of the issues he's witnessed to (and more) within my office or neighboring public service agencies. With that said, I'm proud of my service and grateful for the opportunities I had to serve my community.
Even in 92 you pretty much needed to be an EMT. I got hired in 96 when I was almost finished with Paramedic school. Worked 6 months and realized I didn't like running 15 medical calls per day- 90% of which didn't require more than a band aid.
In 93 I watched state inspectors pass through 2 girls that couldn't drag a 1.5in hose. Also had one girl and an instructor dissapear into a room for over an hour at the class party. At my first and only FF job my lieutenant had a wife he'd call and a girlfriend that showed up. Was nothing like I thought it would be. Pretty much the same experience you had but 10 years earlier and 10 years younger.
Jimmy's Tractor do they even outsource a few of those mundane BS jobs to interns or something? Seems like that’d be a better use than sending out the more experienced guys for it.
I volunteer and instruct part time here in PA. You are hitting the nail on the head. Same issues today as back when you were in the career service. Wild land vs structural- you are correct there also. I've had people compare me to a wildland firefighter, no that's a whole other adventure, far more dangerous then structural. Visited the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial state park in Arizona a few weeks ago. Have a lot of respect for you guys. I am thankful for our local structural volunteer crew. We have a good chief and everyone works together. Safety Safe Brother and God Bless!
_~OFF THE TRUCKS! Grab the equipment, run across the parking lot and wait for 3hrs~_ Hey Sarge, cant we just WALK across the lot and wait 2.9hr instead? Or how about we unload the trucks over there, and then park them here afterward?
I think alot of jobs have that affect on people after time, i worked in customer services for 15 years. I have since quit but i now have no patience for fools or dithering whats so ever. Such an interesting life you have lived, love this content
I am not sure what I was expecting when this "recommendation" came across my way but I was intrigued by your commentary and self reflection. RESPECT! . Thanks. Tally-Ho with your next gig.
my gf in texas soon be graduating becoming a rigester medical nurse wich im proud of her plus need more nurses and doctors here in my province wich shes gonna be best nurse
Been in EMS 12+ years, then went into nursing. Still hold my medic license but don't think I will ever work the road again. With Corona I called my old boss and asked if they needed a fill in. I thought about it and had to pass. I now run a hospital and am in charge of 50+ nurses per shift. I would rather do that over working an ambulance.
I see this is 4 years old but……you nailed it. Nothing has changed. If I wasn’t getting a public safety pension I’d have left. 3 years left 😊and I’m out.
The things you mentioned are pretty much standard everywhere. It has gotten to the point that departments are having to hire people that sometimes don't even pass the various entrance exams (physical and/ or written) just because they belong to a "protected class".
@@MrDintimid8or People who lose their homes, or loved ones, etc. need to start suing on the grounds that the firefighters were unqualified, directly resulting in their loss...
Probably the best career video I've seen. I work in security at a university and people who have sat in the same chair for 30yrs earn more than the officers hustling outside in the heat and cold who haven't. I'm working on an e-commerce business venture and this video really hammered home the different types of career paths one can embark upon: be the employee, or be the employer. Love your channel. Thanks!
Love your honesty and perspective! I seen and experienced this exactly! From my experience in the fire service, a few take aways. POLITICS and NEPETISM... i finally ealised i did not want to be associated with that type of organization.
Mr. WS, what you described is exactly what academia is. 20 years of teaching, i walked in and quit . I built a nationally recognized program, but I wasn't a senior level tenured faculty member, and the ones who were cared not about safety - bad when you are teaching young people. I have made almost your exact conversation many times. Made me feel better about my decision. I follow you for great content. I share many of your interests, especially axes.
I was a firefighter for 36 years. Busy department. All the things you mentioned in your video were present in my department. However, it was greatly tempered by our call load. The busier you are, the less you’re impacted by the negative aspects of the job. I.E. the lazy and incompetent types seek out the slower houses, and the chiefs don’t mess with the competent people who are actually doing a good job. They know that the fires have to be put out quickly and professionally or they will come under pressure by the city council types. I was however bothered by the bar being lowered generally to hire “types “ instead of the best candidates.
Andy Smith yup. The busier you are the less you even think about the busy work! @ a slow station now, but everyone is on the same page there....do what needs to get done and enjoy the down time!
Wranglstar I installed my own French drain today and I want to thank you for helping through your videos to find the confidence within myself to tackle such a big project.
You are right, I have been an EMT/Firefighter going on 31 years and I have to say that over the past 15 years the fire service has gone down hill, I still enjoy going into work but the amount of BS that the younger firefighter bring to the job makes we want to hang my helmet up. Thank you for your video and your honesty
It's a whole different time from when I first came into the fire service, My first paid job I understood that what the Captain said went, I never questioned the station captain or the officer on the truck, I have six guys that are all under the age of 25 and the do more belly aching than I have heard in a long time, they compline if we have to do station clean up, cutting grass, plug maintenance, when we have training classes there is one or two that spend most of the time on their phones or listening to music with ear buds. We had three of them go to the personal off and complain that they needed their phones, long story short they get to keep their phones. When we run medical calls they treat the patient with but there is no compassion and they act like they are being put out. I am not saying that all of the younger Firefighters are this way, just the last couple we have brought on over the last five years @@rudysz6003
I have been there. Was my first career fire job at a very rural dept. I was the only applicant on the 2nd announcement ( no one applied the first time around) and i wondered why? I soon found out out. Lack of leadership among " Leaders" , not qualified officers, not enough pay, boring my god boring busy work, general dept. Drama, the list goes on and on. I put up with it for awhile until i couldnt take it anymore it was making me physically and mentally ill. I Left and did not regret it one bit. Talked to former employees before I was there and found out i was not the only one who had a bad experience at the dept. Never looked back and now im making same money for better hours and more. Still in the fire service though.
Leaving career firefighting career in two weeks! Finally taking care of myself and my family. Time to enjoy life! I agree with what you said 100%! Keep up the videos sir!
Man you just explained spot on to the T everything that I'm going thru now. I work for the fire dept. In the capitol city of N.C. its a big dept. We have 28 stations. But its long boring 24he shifts. I too am on B shift. We run mostly medical calls, no brother hood, the pay isn't great so most of us can't afford to live in the city we serve, working with people who are there bc of who they know or affirmative action laws. Just everything you explained is exactly what I'm dealing with. I'm 33, married with a 2yo daughter and try to weigh the pros and cons of having a pension and good benefits and job stability if the economy ever crashes etc. VS. Going to work everyday and not enjoying it like I thought I would. December will be 8 years for me there. My biggest problem too is not knowing what else to do if I were to leave. Before I worked at a body shop fixing cars and started volunteering at fire dept by my house. That's how I got into it. I know I don't want to go back to working on cars even tho that's the only thing I ever did before, its all I really know. I will say I had more fun as a volunteer F.F. than I do as a paid full time F.F. being a full time paid fire fighter is not what I thought it was going to be. I sometimes think I'd be happier going back to a Mon-Fri job and volunteering in my free time again. At least then I could run calls when I want and not be stuck at the station for 24 hours.. I love your channel man. Having land and living like you do would be a dream. Thanks for sharing your story. I can 100% relate to it. In a way it was refreshing hearing you tell it. Makes me feel like its not just me, others feel the same way as I do about that job.
stop crying. you have a young child to support, so do it and be glad you are able to do it. if you want to have land and live like wranglestar does, then work three jobs if you have to. it's all up to you.
Blackrock manages 2/3 first responder retirement accounts, so there’s a decent chance you may not have a retirement through the job in 25 years anyway, the way things are looking with how Blackrock invests, which is heavy into the Chinese economy which is doing about as bad or worse than ours
The latest emphasis on "diversity" hiring is a big mistake, especially when the HR department in your company is run by one of the diversity types. All of a sudden filling quotas based upon race and gender become more important than qualifications. That can cause a deterioration in work standards as you experienced. Well the same can apply in technical positions such as those that I worked in. Glad that I am now retired and out of all the politics that one has to navigate on top of the work stress.
Wranglerstar you are a true American. 18 years I spent in the Fire / Ems service, achieving Paramedic level for the latter 9 years. Two years ago I switched to Police service and I have finally found the brotherhood I've always expected. All that you said was true. That said, I still have great respect for my brothers and sisters in the fire and ems service. But, what you do today is most honorable, thank you .
Thanks for your honesty. I’ve been in emergency services since the age of 13 now 57. I agree with you on all aspects. The difference with me is I’m not doing this job for me, money, family, or community. I do this because this is where God has purposed me to be. Knowing that and remembering that helps me to overcome all the other humanistic issues as you mentioned. “Serve God not self”.
Ive got 10 years on the job and i am feeling every bit of what you said among other things...and i have recently formed a business as a way out .... makes me feel better hearing other people have dealt with the same issues.
Been a firefighter for 10 years, and I've experienced everything you discuss here (minus the females on the dept). Nice to see someone speak the truth.
I'm a nurse and the toxicity is very similar in the medical field as well. Lots of sleeping around (on the clock even), gossip, and lying. Along with some of the laziest people getting the promotions because they are buddies.
Ditto!
Aaannnd it’s very toxic if you are really great and experienced and are a MAN !!! Working in a woman’s world destroyed me
i’m a nurse and firefighter and somewhat agree. no sleeping here but otherwise spot on
I’ve even witnessed “ Nurses “ sabotaging a colleague more than a handful of times , wherein there was a bad outcome for the pt . All so the other girls looked better . I’ve seen them brag about making Nurses cry and quit ...
Correct
He quit because the firemans axes were too dull and they wouldn't let him sharpen them.
I was going to sharpen the axes at my dept and they told me they wanted them dull because they were safer that way...
@@danielfostel3883 They didn't want axes, they wanted big hammers.
@@danielfostel3883 sharp axes bite into surfaces, slightly dulled axes smash and destroy. When you need to swing, you need to swing hard and fast and not get hung up. They had good reason to stop you.
@@kh-uw2ji an axe is a tool, designed to be sharp,dull equipment gets people hurt
@@rustybird4955 completely depends what you're doing with it - you aren't felling a tree, you're forcing a door! You don't need, or want, chips flying, you want the door open.
I was a professional firefighter for 10 years. I worked the common 24 on 48 off. In my case, I had a business that I worked at when I was off from the fire department, so, there was little leisure time. I too quit for similar reasons you described. I am 6'4" and at the time weighed around 265. We had women who came to the department who probably didn't weigh 100 lbs. My wife was the one who was really upset about that. She knew it put me and others at risk, since there was no way a woman this size was going to carry me, or any one else near my size, out of a burning building, should the need arise. Our department (and city) was racially split about 50/50; which created problems. One particular incedent I remember well, was when our Battallion Chief called me out to chew on me for things the station Captain was neglecting. I was an Engineer. When I pointed out that the Captain was the one who needed the talk, the BC refused to approach him fearing (I believe) a racial challenge. I loved working there, but other opportunity was beckoning and I chose it. In retrospect, I don't know if I should have left, but I know that if I were given the opportunity to return, I would not.
Active duty military here. This video is spot on. Never would I have imagined how toxic all of the government institutions are. EMS, Police, Military all have the same problems. Never again!
RyGuy 💯💯💯 my first unit was awesome but my second was absolutely horrible lol my section chief tried to get me to fight another guy in my section over a missed radio check
it happens in the entire world my friend
Will never miss a change of command ceremony!!
@@Pato-ARG Yes, I agree. The one big difference though is that you are under contract. If you hate your job in the civilian world you can quit.
You're not kidding. I did my 4 years and got out. Its definitely not the same military that my dad was in.
My best friend for over 20 years who became a firefighter and he told me that for every boring shift, BS call, or non-emergency call there's that one call that makes all of the BS worth it. Additionally he told me about this quote from a FDNY firefighter and he says this is his motivation for sticking with it:
"Now listen here kid, you just hit the lottery, you have the greatest
job in the world. Kids look up to you, the elderly see you as the good
old days and grown Men call you on their worst day. You're what's good
in Man, service. This job owes you nothing and as a matter of fact, live
as though you owe it everything. You have been given automatic trust by
our citizens because of all those who came before you, don't blow it.
Get in there and make a difference, leave it better than you found it
and do your job."
you cant compare nyc with … almost anywhere else … I was an emt in ny and now I live in pa … apples and oranges … let me tell you, he's right on in every aspect … if ne was in nyc as am emt, he would not feel the same way ...
@@realbrooklynjes I wasn't comparing NYC with anything. I was sharing a quote said by a firefighter of the FDNY about being a firefighter. Additionally, the friend I was talking about has been a friend of mine for 20 years and is not a FDNY firefighter. He's a firefighter in a different city. I'm not sure how you got a comparison out of that but that's been my friend's experience as an urban firefighter in a large city close to downtown. The point is you endure so much BS and nonsense as a firefighter but when the moment comes where you're actually doing your job whether it be rescuing someone or putting out a house that's gone up in a blaze or rescuing someone from a house that's gone up in a blaze, it's worth it.
wow … ok the quote from a nyc firefighter … that was used as inspiration … sorry, the quote is from someone who has a totally different experience that your friend is using … which is from someone whos experience is like comparing apples to oranges when in context with someone working in Colorado … all im saying is, that wranglerstars experience is wayyyyy different than the person who wrote the quote that your friend admires … ya a fire is a fire, and for some doing that once a month, is ok … for this guy it wasn't … and my point was …. if wranglerstar was working in an environment like the guy who wrote the quote, from nyc, he defiantly would not have been bored … thats all … and I have lived in both environments so I related to his discussion … maybe you have not
@@realbrooklynjes I've been in both situations myself but I wasn't making an attempt to say he made a mistake or should go back or whatever. Topic is about something pertaining to firefighting, I had a few bits of personal information I thought would be neat to share. This is silly.
@@pootmahgoots8482 ; You said it sister
Getting ready to leave the Fire department after 25 years.Ready to leave for another Paramedic career and move to our farm.I am done with the city.
I so much understand Sir
You might want to take a look at UN Agenda 21 if you are looking forward to living out your life on a farm. Its already moving forward here in America.
5 years on, how's that going for you?
Wow. Thank you so much. Spent 12 years on a department that is a suburb of Dallas as a fireman/paramedic. Mostly paramedic only. I have watched you for years. Your candor and insight have always been so good. I have questioned myself for having left the fire department to one degree or another for 32 years. You have cured me of that knowing I am not alone in the issues I had. I feel more brotherhood with you than the men I worked with.
Love your honest content. Super rare these days!
+
Small world
Jojo rider
no kidding, this channel is a gem... need more like it.
Returned here as a Marine veteran. Took fire science in college. Applied three years in a row, scored as high as 104 on the test (five point veterans preference), and was denied, stepped over by scores in the 70s.
@michael knight PREACH!
@michael knight lmao
I 100% believe you, life or death matters should never become compromised by diversity
DJ Rouken I have the same story. In 92 I was airborne school, applied made it to the last 100 of 3,500 for three jobs.
I went Wildland and volunteer, the paid staff were jerks.
We wouldn’t need minority hiring policies if generations of Caucasian men did not practice nepotism. racist/ sexist views kept the service 99 percent white male and in 2018 it’s still as high as 82 percent. Fair is fair.
Love a Good "WRANGLERSTORY" in the morning! Thanks Cody! Curious about that mic...tired of lugging around my big Rode wireless kit!
It's the new Rode Wireless GO. Super small. Now sold by B&H but I'm not finding them on Amazon yet.
+
I am sorry cody that you had a bad experience in the fire service many of the things you talk about are true the down time dealing with a person with a hang nail at 2am dealing with people at the station all those things are true being a full time paramedic and firefighter for over 25 years i have seen all the things you talked about but its still a good job its all about your attitude towards it there is no perfect job i have ran my own company worked for myself and have experienced the same things you talked about there are +and --to all things in life but in the end its a calling to go out and help those who are unable or unwilling to help themselves i do take exception to the statement the structural fire fighting is not as dangerous as wildland it is i enjoy your videos thanks for sharing
like having a good friend to have a coffee with!
Reminds me of the adage: "The beatings will continue until the moral improves."
Michael Kakert - Lol well put❕😄
Had a couple Bros that tattooed that saying on their arm
@@rotten007pig a
My favorite saying!
A free spirit like you, are best suited for self-employment, round pegs don't fit in square holes
Dorset England
Got it backwards, round pegs will go in square holes but I get what your saying
I was hired at age 27 and spent 29 years on the 7th largest fire department in the country, about 1800 firefighters when I retired and 72 stations. 5000 applicants sat for the test (1981) when I took it, for 120 positions made becasue they put a third man on rescue. When I retired 83% of our call volume was EMS, the rest fires and other calls.
Never found it boring but it would be hard to be bored when you average 15-25 calls a shift and the department is running 180k+ calls a year. We worked 24/48s with a regular day off every 3 weeks. The RDO was every 5 weeks when I first got hired. Most times I slept half of my first 24 off recovering from being up most of the shift.
I have to disagree that structural firefighting isn't as hazardous as wildland firefighting, when you're deep in a warehouse there aren't windows to jump out of, there is high rack storage you can't see,, there are hazardous materials and the possibility of structural collapse. House fires were kind of fun, until you had a victim. Highrise and Low Rise fires were a lot of work, but still exciting. Warehouses were always somewhat frightening but still exciting.
I rode a suppression almost my entire career and we ran EMS calls as well as fire calls. My last 14 years was in Special Operations performing Technical Rescue in addition to our other EMS and fire duties.
Yeah we had the BS calls, lots of them, and probably a bigger problem with unqualified Affirmative Action hires than you can imagine, but we had a bid system and you got together with a good crew and stayed together for years. The BS calls were aggravating but some were just downright entertaining. You had to take the bad with the good and take management in your stride and deal with routine daily station duties by looking at it as keeping things clean so you can stay disease free in what amounts to living with a lot of people who bring their personal habits with them.
No job anywhere has 100% of the tasks you are required to perform agreeable tasks. The education I got about people during my career made all those mundane, routine tasks worthwhile. I can't imagine a job that helps you learn more about people, coworkers as well as the general public. I'm 66 now, retired and still miss some of what we did and the camaraderie. My friends that are now also retired say they miss the circus but not the clowns. I had several jobs prior to being hired, including owning a tool business, and this was the best job I ever had. Things are different on that department now, the old guys with good work ethic have retired so the new people who have good work ethic have a lot of young people with poor work ethic to deal with. I wouldn't want to be back on duty today but during the time I had it was great 99% of the time.
Na
@@poopypantsbiden8163 What exactly does that response mean? Sodium?
That sounds very interesting and fun. All about finding the right fit, but I could definitely see myself enjoying that.
@@pyromedichd1 clever, means you're being salty
@@poopypantsbiden8163 salty about what?
I've been a fireman most of my post-army life (got out, went to college while I worked construction then joined the fire service). I now work for a big and busy department at a very busy house. Everything you said is either completely or in part true. The darker side of the job is different at every department, but by and large, you nailed it.
Thanks for sharing this, love all your stories.
Dirt monkey wat up brotha! I'm watching one of my fav UA-camrs and commenting to the other one ! Hell of morning lol
You just described every municipality / government job
So true, and I'm sick and tired of the public praising these municipality/government workers. If the public realized how much their fringe benefits were and there salary on top of that, along with all the Bullsh+t paid sick, vacation time, taxpayers should think different and remind these public sector employees that they work for us.
I think it's a bit disingenuous to put all the government workers into that same pile. There are plenty of government workers doing important jobs that no citizen would want to live without, often times in understaffed departments. The problem with government is that there's no competition. Unlike the private sector, it's not like another government is going to do the government work better and put this government out of business. So you have a lot of waste...jobs that could be completely automated or at least simplified by technology. You have entire departments (or nearly) that, given the right investment in technology, every one of those people could be let go and the government could save money. In the private sector, that's exactly what happens. In government, no one running for political office will ever run on the promise of, "I'm going to automate departments X, Y, Z and be able to shrink the workforce by 300 jobs, saving the taxpayers $$$ over the next 10 years." The entire employee base of the government would then not vote for that person, along with all their friends and family. So that just never happens. In the end, on one hand you have jobs that are completely wasteful and should have been gone and automated decades ago and on the other hand, you have people who are completely vital and probably for what they're doing, being underpaid.
My comment would be reported and removed so I'll just say Charlotte NC is really starting to suck. And they won't pick up my brush piles if they aren't pretty enough after paying $22,000 per year in property tax.
@@tropicalco2339 22k a year in property tax in NC do you live on 1500 acres?
@@g5toddno, it's about 1 acre in a good area close to uptown Charlotte. Taxes are ridiculous in here Charlotte.
I work at a very busy department. We work a 48/96 schedule. I think how you perceive the fire service all depends on which department you work for. The type of people that live in your city, and the mindset you have when you get into it. I absolutely love the job, but I got into it knowing I’m gonna be the guy for the first couple years that is scrubbing toilets and doing the busy work. Like you said, it’s definitely easier for younger guys such as myself. I could EASILY see your side of the story though!
You never realize how great a *Shirt Pocket* is, until you wear a shirt without one! 👍
This is so true I am an industrial mechanic. At home I often find myself reaching for things in shirt pockets.
I wont wear a shirt without one anymore, haven't for over 10 years now.
I absolutely love shirt pockets until a little welding slag sneaks in there and starts my chest on fire 😂
.......good times lol
The only thing I dont like is sometime I'll bend in a weird position and all my stuff will fall out haha
About 50% of my shirts have a pocket but I never use them
You should make a podcast and talk about all this stuff it is really interesting
I did not think about that
Matt Beale exactly what I’ve been doing lately but I would definitely listen to a podcast if he started one.
Not sexist just factual. In the Marine Corps I remember carrying two packs up a mountain side because the woman marine (who was a friend of mine) couldn't handle it. Women and men are different and, Viva La Difference!
Steve D I know what you mean! A female who was dropped into my weapons company couldn’t hack humping the ma deuce
Has it occurred to you that she knew you'd do it for her?
@@jatbatman , it wasn't my choice. My gunnery sergeant gave it to me as I was passing them after she fell out. I would never have carried it willingly. If she couldn't hack it best find out in training and deal with it. Of course no one did deal with it.
@@justcause3254 Those napkins aren't supposed to be flushed. That's crazy!
Why is it that you only hear about these problems in the American military? You don't hear about this sort of thing in Israel, Australia, or any other place with fully integrated armed forces.
EVERYTHING needs to be based on ability. EVERYTHING.
@Iconoclast Its evil.
@Iconoclast So what? I don't care how many whites are successful or not. Everything must be earned, not handed to you because statistically, your group has it worse than others. We must treat individuals as individuals.
@Iconoclast Not only, but mostly. But most importantly best people for the job.
@Iconoclast Forced by parents, chose by themself or just won the genetic lottery, in the end, those "automatons" best fit for the job.
Meritocracy is the best thing for economic growth and that means it's good for everyone.
@Iconoclast First of all let's not conflate good economics and kids forced by parents to do something they don't like. Second "Meritocracy is a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individual people on the basis of talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class" not just scholastic achievements. Third society's with meritocratic principles have a higher quality of life.
Cody, thanks for your honest and frank comment. I retired from the Navy in 2007. It is a very different state from where we are today. A lot of the same concerns you experienced, plus the looser morals in today’s society, I believe are making us weak as a nation. Thank you for being such a solid example for all to emulate and learn from. I really appreciate your videos! 👍🇺🇸😁❤️
Amen
You should see how a major metro police organization works. Everything you said X100. Sometimes you wonder how things ever get done.
Look at the clearance rate for murder in Chicago. Many things don't get done.
@@1978garfield Best place to be a cop
@@1978garfield most homicides in large cities are gang related. Gangsters don't talk to cops, that's why they go unsolved. Nothing to do with lazy cops.
John Weber exactly. finally someone with common sense,
This story seemed to tell the very exact same way I perceived my work experience with in a law enforcement agency. We all look for fulfilling work and the reality of the job it didn't meet the expectations or the dream of it. For people who know whats right and do what's right will always find it difficult to further their career of choice when the game of success isn't played fair. Politics , favoritism, nepotism seem to be rooted into the foundation of our current civil services agencies, this can lead to a hostile work environment. We need more people who can see it and shed light on it, one day we could hope to change for the better. Thank you Wranglerstar for your story!
I've been in the fire service for 25+ years Knoxville TN that's not my experience at all love the people, love the calls, every time we leave the station it's to help someone to make their life better. The people I work with hard working firefighters love them there's a few bad eggs sure but I find putting them with the right people can bring them a long way.
Fellow Tennessean here (though from West Tennessee, which is a whole nother thing)
Thanks for your service and for caring for the people of Tennessee.
Rural Metro or Knoxville city?
This is encouraging. Glad to hear some get it right.
Thanks for the honest talk. Interesting perspective.
Personally, I enjoy being a volunteer firefighter. I go when there is a call-- responding from my house. No busy work, just helping people in my community.
Well, that was some of the best 24 minutes I've spent on YT in quite awhile. I love unapologetic candor. When you're right, you're right. No back pedaling. At the same time you accept responsibility for that which you could have done differently. Anyone who has actively worked in these fields knows EXACTLY what you are talking about. And you explained it well to those that didn't know. Thanks for a strong, unabashed, well spoken testimony. I've seen whole departments rip themselves asunder for these very reasons. And it is only likely to become worse in coming years.
My daughter, fit, strong and a hunting and fishing type of young woman passed all the tests for the fire service here in England. She thought all the guys were pretty great, however, she refused to join, thinking that she might put a man's life at risk. They contacted her several times presumably because there is a quota to fill. I like your films Mr W, thankyou.
BINGO!!! I was a career firefighter for 25 years, a medic, retired as the Fire Marshal...You have hit the nail on the head several times here. The worst thing the City did to the Fire Department was to hire from areas fairly remote from our town. Many moved in closer, many stayed where they came from, sometimes 2-3 hours away. Now, they were officers on their volunteer departments, then came here and was the low-man....but they thought they were Chiefs...I could go on and on.....But, I survived. Happily retired...Life goes on, and the Department still is there.....
That is how you lose talent in any organization.
I did both. USAF then firefighter. Both were years of hurry up and wait, or busy work. Most people never understand how little real excitement either provides. Mostly training, more training, and then the occasional high stress moments that you will never forget.
This describes 80% of the Fire Departments in America.
Way more than 80
And Canada
@@thereissomecoolstuff how much time do you have in the fire service and where? It's definitely something the fire service deals with much more than 30%.
From rural volly to big city career the drama is in full force.
Dont ever apologize to the camera for being a good father.
reason i liked the video
I was a Paid Call Firefighter for ten years. I can so relate to everything you are saying. Great Video. P.S. wild land fires were the most fun for me.
I swear; I look up to this man more and more every day. Never had a dad but this helps.
Sad. This guy is a pathetic whiner. A self-important guy who has no business with a UA-cam channel.
@@user-md8cg1om5w I'm willing to bet you also think a lot of other wrong things.
@@TopHatWarrior 😠
If I was your dad I would walk away to your a disgrace I have no son
That woman that wanted you to scrub your tub may have KNOWN that you would quit so she could hire a friend. I've seen it before.
Maybe she wanted to get in to the tub with him and found it too dirty to do that :D
Mobbind
That sounds really wrong
In the 80's, I was a vol fire fighter for almost 10 yrs. When 2 of the wives of members said they sue if not allowed to become FF, they let them in, and I walked out.
diversity is a falsehood a lie and only weakens and degrades this ideology never works and always destroys i see it everyday we pander to the weak minded because if we don't we are racist or sexist or whatever they want to label you hireing the best and most qualified only raises standards if you try to reason your way out of that then you know who your part of the cancer spreading throughout society
Everything was fine... "and then a couple of girls came in"... Say no more.
In my volunteer department, some of the best firefighters are women-- including one who was a hotshot for over a decade. However, the culture in an all volunteer dept is potentially very different from a professional one. People are there because they want to help, not for the money. What community you do it in also has a massive impact on what it's like.
@@leosdebruyn Indeed only takes a few to give it a bad name...
We had a female at our station on another shift, that proclaimed often that "I can do anything a man can do". Well, we were really taking pride in our yard and had it looking great, all three shifts had taken ownership in it. Then she decided she was going to mow, and absolutely scalped it down to the dirt with the mower. Her excuse was "I'm just a girl and don't know any better."
@@ChrisCostine5105 they want all the benefits of doing everything men do,
but fallback on that excuse when it doesn't work out.
@@MPerry-ox9qb True, but they can't in most cases ua-cam.com/video/7lKNSIcwekk/v-deo.html
Your firefighting experience was very similar to military life. You told my experience in the Marines Corps exactly the way I would have, and that is why I got out.
The sound of sweetloaf calling her dad.... A sound every father love to hear.
I did 25+ full-time years as a firefighter/medic/ You hit the nail on the head!!!! I could not stay my last 7 years to hit full retirement without risking getting fired.
The busier the department I thing the stronger the brotherhood in my experience. Counting on the guys around you on a regular basis in dangerous situations builds that brotherhood.
I spent 12 years in the fire service and I totally agree with a lot of what you said. I am now self employed and won't be attending a sensitivity training but will take my 4 day breaks when I choose.
Quota hires=military, fire, police, EMS and basically all government jobs!
Alexander Heling union construction also... its sad
I just resigned too and made a video about why. It was one of my dreams to become one but it also caused me to go in a very very dark place. I know I’m not alone and I think speaking about depression and things of that nature is important to talk about. The suicide rates in first responding is very alarming and not talked about much. We are as important as the people we are saving. This video helped me decide to walk away from the greatest job in the world. It’s hard to cope with leaving as it is still fresh but sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.
Thank you.....
I appreciate you and this is the short list. Candor, honesty, integrity, a Godly Man. I'm a man it's what I do. I've been watching you for years. A front row seat in your life, and it's been my pleasure this was a great video.
I 2nd every bit of that!
I agree, you did have a bad experience with the tiny department you worked for. I've been on the job for going on 18 years, and its been a little bit of everything...but i would never say boring. I've had ups and downs...but like all things, you take the good with the bad. I've worked more structure fires than i can count and EMS calls are numerous. It's a job thats not for everybody, thats for sure. It's hard on your body, physical and mental health, and on your family life. The job can be rewarding, and also feel like a curse sometimes. At the end of the day, you can look back though and realize that you did a job with substance...something thzt really made a difference. Im looking forward to the end of my career, but i wouldn't take anything for the life that I've had because of the job. Oh, and by the way...just jump out a window if you get into trouble while in a structure fire....? Theres been a lot more structure firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty across the country than have ever in the wildland side...jumping out a window is not always an option. Both careers are very dangerous...but its also comparing apples to oranges.
"sensitivity training"
If you're pulling chard bodies out of a home the last thing you need to be is sensitive.
You don't want to misgender that chared body.
👌
Amen! You have to become numb to terrible things or be hella tough it make it long in this field. (At least for high call volume areas like where I work)
You might want to avoid BBQ jokes around the family.
@@CaptainCanada780 but that's no fun.
I'm allergic to beef but can eat it if it's brown all the way through. I will tell wait staff to "creamate it" when I order beef.
I actually had a person at a neighboring table once tell me one of their family members had just died and I was insensitive. They weren't very thrilled with my response to that. You see, I called the waitress back and asked for her to make sure it came to me in an urn.
Mr Cody, I have been a subscriber to your channel for many years now... in fact since I was in highschool. Everything you have just described in your experience with your former department is literally everything I have been exposed to in the Marine Corps. It was nice to have someone else with the propper medium format this is such a relatable way. Thank you for the video!
Well said. Every station has its own culture. Like your honesty.
I subscribed to you because of one reason - you speak painfully honest on whatever subject you cover. Period.
In this country of participation trophies - you are a good example of following your dreams and making your own successful life.
I was also disqualified from the military for eye sight, Army to be exact.
Got my firefighter 1 and 2 as well as HAZMAT and AEMT.
When I turned 22 years old I went full time and have been sense. No regrets.
Back in the 90’s and prior was a fantastic experience. Around the turn of the century is when and where all the things discussed generally degraded. I grew up in a firehouse, my father was a firefighter before I was even thought of and started his career in the early 70’s. I started as a fire/rescue cadet in the early 1990’s became a fire/medic by 95 and by 2000 I was ready to quit, so I did. Worked in law enforcement for 15 years after that and the environment was so toxic and political I was done. I know every experience you stated plus some. Being a public servant was my calling, but with all the politics, equality, and bad management due to what our society has become it wasn’t worth it.
I am 18 years in the fire service this year. The last 10 in a larger city. I wanted air force originally but an injury sent me home before I even got started. It was a handful of years after that when I began to pursue the fire service.
A lot has changed since then. I've held death in my hands so many times. Sigh.. I've marched past the coffins of friends.
My wife was a Paramedic back then. She burned out mentally and physically. Our marriage crumbled. Our 4 kids suffered immensely. I realized i wasn't being paid for the hard work or even the busy work but rather for the mental garbage. It adds up and that's why they pay me to come back because no normal person would choose this.
I'm back on duty today but just yesterday I wanted to get in the camper amd drive away despite the pay, pension and benefits.
As for the politics, sensitivity training and gender diversity issues you're spot on.
Ugh... at least I know I'm not alone in these feelings. Thanks again for another honest chat.
My son quit the department after 10 years. 95% of their responses were drug overdoses, heart attacks, suicides and messy car crashes. 5% of their calls were to actual fires. There were people who were hit by trains, he personally cut dead people out of car wrecks, and had to pick up pieces of people who were hit by Amtrak. He had to cut down some 15 year old boy from hanging himself in his closet because his dad was mad at his report card. The boy was stone cold but they did CPR on him just to make the mom and dad feel better. He and his buddy got burned out and found other jobs.
You described every local government fire department I have worked for. That is the fire service culture. It kills the soul and you wake up dreading going to work because of some of the people you have to work with and most of the supervisors. A very toxic and draining experience.
That sounds alot like my experience. My department was run backward and was operated by people unfit to serve in leadership roles. Many good guys who came in would be very motivated but unfortunately, the spark in their attitudes would die out from the toxic culture. I consider this the problem with most of these state and local government agencies, they are horribly managed.
5 years as an EMT, 6 years as a medic, BSN degree I had planned to use to go on as a flight nurse, and 15 years as a firefighter. First medical call I ran after turning 18 as a probie and with my EMT license was dispatched as collapsed in the shower, 45 seconds later was changed to cardiac arrest CPR in progress. Like you I came from a military family, always wanted to get into military/LE/Fire services. I was in a pretty horrific car accident as a teenager and I remembered hearing the sirens coming, and it was the sweetest sound in the world you could hear, knowing you might be dying but help was coming, so that sort of cemented my career path from that day forward. Started as a teenager as a junior probie, got my EMT-B at 18, started college when I was 21 after working a few years as an EMT/FF. About the time I turned 25 or so my wide-eyed optimism had turned into jaded cynicism. Never would I of believed people in the "brotherhood" who you depended on to keep you alive, and who they depended on you to keep them alive, could be so full of 'cliques', drama, nepotism, and toxicity. Saw it in municipalities I applied for and took physical and writtens for, stations I worked for and volunteered for, and saw it in hospitals during clinicals when earning my BSN. I guess part of me hoped it was maybe just confined to my little portion of the US, but hearing this just kinda tore what small hope I had that maybe other places weren't the cesspits I had come to know.
Strange coincidence, i got back into security for the same reason, i thought it was a noble profession and found the same stuff. Ie nepotism, people being in charge of you without any qualifications, people sucking up to bosses ect ect. I've gone back to construction which is killing me at 58 and I'm rather deflated and disheartened by it all, at least i have death to look forward to
Jobs where lives are on the line it should be the best person for the job. Smartest, strongest.
I don't give a f*** what race you are Don't care about ethnicity or gender.
Certain jobs politics should not play a factor.
Best person for the job. Period. Point blank.
Agreed. Unfortunately, in today's society they only care about political correctness. Because of it, the right person is often not picked fur the job.
You need to call your congressman.
A few years ago the media were telling people to vote for a President just because she was a woman...
If you didnt agree with them you were a misogynist.
Things will collapse one day. And go back to that.
USAF 20-Year retiree here, 1982-2002. During this time I was directly involved in three conflicts, and to be honest, the happiest day I ever had, was the day I retired. A lot of what you spoke of went on in the Air Force. The first 5 years I was in, I was a single man. Twice, I had married women come to my dorm while their husbands were away on training. One was really smooth. She came over bringing cookies, like real innocent. After she came in my room the show was on. Not proud of it, but these things happen. If, it were not for my Dad (RIP) I would have gotten out after my first 6 years. But, he convinced me to stay in and start taking advantage of all the benefits, such as college and training. So, I stayed the entire 20 years. However, I was very unhappy through most of it. You did the right thing!
Back in my younger years, I worked in LE. I always made it a point to be able to meet the male physical standard so that no man could legitimately complain that I wasn't physically capable of the job. I was the top female in my class physically at the academy and was ahead of many of the males in my class. (Academically in the top 5). My first field training officer told me "I don't think women should be cops" and that was the last thing he said to me for the rest of the shift. I got a new FTO the next day, but I dealt with prejudice every day, and some of it was from out of shape, overweight guys. It sucked!
@Henry A oh shut it you simp lol
Your argument is a strawman. He never said women can't be firefighters he just said the women he worked with couldn't do their job. Men shouldn't have to get killed and put themselves in danger because women need to feel better about themselves and get charity
Those guys you speak of, if they took their fitness seriously, would be x5 stronger than you. Stop trying to strawman and stop thinking you actually have a chance.
Thank you for being courageous and speaking the truth.
as usual.
10 years as a medic here, finally breaking out of it and returning to college for med school.
I had several opportunities to start with some local fire departments since I know just about every firefighter in eastern king county. I just never was all that interested in being a hose jockey. I enjoy working as a rescue medic at the local race track now that I've stopped working in the field.
My experience with king county and Snohomish county EMS and fire has been pretty stellar. They're progressive, healthy departments with low burnout, good pay, high standards, good training, excellent community involvement, whole nine yards out here. I worked wildland fire a couple years as a medic too.
My stepfather was one of the first paramedics in the world, fire chief in our small, one/two station town. I learned a lot from him about taking care of other people.
I am praying that at my age, when I finish my 4 year at age 33, ill get into a good med school and become an emergency medicine physician, with a focus on field work like is common in Europe but barring that, I'll just go whole hog on ALS and find a good, hospital run program to run out my career.
My first day as an EMT, I accidentally clotheslined a woman on meth when she lunged for the door because I was seatbelted in. I thought "I am so fired" but my FTO just shrugged and said "whatever keeps her safe"
I worked for a Ambulance service here in Michigan. I spent 15 years there. Loved every second of it! Yes there was the good ol boy thing going on now and then. But when the chips were down. Everyone came to help. We were a tight service on and off the court!
I'm glad you brought up "Brotherhood " Was non existant in my department. Seems most of my "brothers" and "sisters" were just there for the tshirts:-/
Fire fighting is becoming more and more political. I joined my local volunteer about 7 years ago when I turned 18. I was told then "its not the good old boys days of fighting fire anymore". I now have to remind them that because its changed out from under us all.
Alex Varble were close to the same age and mine was the same situation. I did get into woodland fire and unfortunately let someone talk me out of it. That’s something I regret doing.
Very thankful I came across this video. It is reassuring becuase I had a dream of being a firefighter when I was young, in highschool, I ended up dropping out of college with 1 semester of fire science, and through Gods mercy he took me on a different path. Fast forward 10 years, I am now 28 and have worked for every inch just to have an apartment that is my own. Ive had the chance to grow, and not resent the fire service if I had joined right out of college. Ive learned masonry which I love, I moved across the country, seen some of the worlds beauty, started a business, made some good friends and also became my own best friend and grew confident in myself, albeit through many dark, sad and lonely times. I am happy to say I am very close to becoming a wildland firefighter, nothing makes me more happy. God is blessing me. Thanks for all of your amazing content Cody. I love watching your videos and getting advice from someone with years of wisdom. The world is a better place becuase of you.
As a structure firefighter myself I apologize for the poor experience that you had. Definitely sounds like it was a tough department. Sounds like you would have been a better fit for a bigger and busier department. :) Glad you are still following that dream as a volunteer and wildland firefigher.
law enforcement, just hit my 5 year mark, I can't help but question if my time could have been better spent elsewhere, to be honest I've been thinking about quitting this job for about 2 years now even though I have a pension, I hate a lot of the other officers and administrations I work with to the point Where I just don't want to talk to anyone I work with if I don't have to, I keep thinking about going into the trades, why do I think this way, cliques, politics, anti free speech woke work environment, lazy uncaring people who will try to get you to do there job, and lastly POS bosses and coworkers.
I'm a fireman with 20 years. Your speaking the truth!!!!.
Tim Bo you and WranglerStar are spot on.
yup....current FD employee.....lot's of egos here
As a firefighter since 1986, I have seen a lot of what you mentioned, but I would not trade the expierences I have had for all the cash in the world. Volunteers also went through those situations
Great video and story!
I was on our local Fire and Rescue services team for 18 years and I ended up leaving for pretty much the same reasons. Sadly, I guess it happens everywhere.
Having just retired from 37 years in law enforcement I can tell you this description of why he left public service is entirely accurate. I observed every one of the issues he's witnessed to (and more) within my office or neighboring public service agencies. With that said, I'm proud of my service and grateful for the opportunities I had to serve my community.
Even in 92 you pretty much needed to be an EMT. I got hired in 96 when I was almost finished with Paramedic school. Worked 6 months and realized I didn't like running 15 medical calls per day- 90% of which didn't require more than a band aid.
In 93 I watched state inspectors pass through 2 girls that couldn't drag a 1.5in hose. Also had one girl and an instructor dissapear into a room for over an hour at the class party. At my first and only FF job my lieutenant had a wife he'd call and a girlfriend that showed up. Was nothing like I thought it would be. Pretty much the same experience you had but 10 years earlier and 10 years younger.
Jimmy's Tractor do they even outsource a few of those mundane BS jobs to interns or something? Seems like that’d be a better use than sending out the more experienced guys for it.
I volunteer and instruct part time here in PA. You are hitting the nail on the head. Same issues today as back when you were in the career service. Wild land vs structural- you are correct there also. I've had people compare me to a wildland firefighter, no that's a whole other adventure, far more dangerous then structural. Visited the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial state park in Arizona a few weeks ago. Have a lot of respect for you guys. I am thankful for our local structural volunteer crew. We have a good chief and everyone works together. Safety Safe Brother and God Bless!
Dude the busy work part lol man you would have hated the military
Ben Satterfield
Tells a little bit about you too. I love watching rookies gripe about that stuff. It’s just a test
@@dfd277 petty bullshit could be replaced training joes in there MOS or common soldier tasks, or gasp dare i say let them relax a bit
_~OFF THE TRUCKS! Grab the equipment, run across the parking lot and wait for 3hrs~_
Hey Sarge, cant we just WALK across the lot and wait 2.9hr instead?
Or how about we unload the trucks over there, and then park them here afterward?
@@rwbimbie5854 omg yea I would die
Same with the surprise room inspection.
32 years as a volunteer f d had to walk away . What you say is so true
I think alot of jobs have that affect on people after time, i worked in customer services for 15 years. I have since quit but i now have no patience for fools or dithering whats so ever. Such an interesting life you have lived, love this content
I am not sure what I was expecting when this "recommendation" came across my way but I was intrigued by your commentary and self reflection. RESPECT! . Thanks. Tally-Ho with your next gig.
After 32 years I'm retiring from the EMS world. I've had my fill.
my gf in texas soon be graduating becoming a rigester medical nurse wich im proud of her plus need more nurses and doctors here in my province wich shes gonna be best nurse
Been in EMS 12+ years, then went into nursing. Still hold my medic license but don't think I will ever work the road again. With Corona I called my old boss and asked if they needed a fill in. I thought about it and had to pass.
I now run a hospital and am in charge of 50+ nurses per shift. I would rather do that over working an ambulance.
I see this is 4 years old but……you nailed it. Nothing has changed. If I wasn’t getting a public safety pension I’d have left. 3 years left 😊and I’m out.
Love these stories! I think they are my favorite things to watch :) Thanks for sharing!
Man you really hit the nail on the head. Thank you for being you,and everything you do!
The things you mentioned are pretty much standard everywhere. It has gotten to the point that departments are having to hire people that sometimes don't even pass the various entrance exams (physical and/ or written) just because they belong to a "protected class".
And they'll sue if not hired.
@@MrDintimid8or People who lose their homes, or loved ones, etc. need to start suing on the grounds that the firefighters were unqualified, directly resulting in their loss...
@@ecrivaillant Just as the police have legal responsibility to protect you I suspect the courts will say the same for fire departments.
saw a female struggling to carry a hotel pack. That was shocking
Are you still with your local volunteer fire department now an will you still do wildland firefighting
Probably the best career video I've seen.
I work in security at a university and people who have sat in the same chair for 30yrs earn more than the officers hustling outside in the heat and cold who haven't.
I'm working on an e-commerce business venture and this video really hammered home the different types of career paths one can embark upon: be the employee, or be the employer.
Love your channel. Thanks!
Love your honesty and perspective! I seen and experienced this exactly! From my experience in the fire service, a few take aways. POLITICS and NEPETISM... i finally ealised i did not want to be associated with that type of organization.
Mr. WS, what you described is exactly what academia is. 20 years of teaching, i walked in and quit . I built a nationally recognized program, but I wasn't a senior level tenured faculty member, and the ones who were cared not about safety - bad when you are teaching young people.
I have made almost your exact conversation many times. Made me feel better about my decision. I follow you for great content. I share many of your interests, especially axes.
I was a firefighter for 36 years. Busy department. All the things you mentioned in your video were present in my department. However, it was greatly tempered by our call load. The busier you are, the less you’re impacted by the negative aspects of the job. I.E. the lazy and incompetent types seek out the slower houses, and the chiefs don’t mess with the competent people who are actually doing a good job. They know that the fires have to be put out quickly and professionally or they will come under pressure by the city council types. I was however bothered by the bar being lowered generally to hire “types “ instead of the best candidates.
Andy Smith yup. The busier you are the less you even think about the busy work! @ a slow station now, but everyone is on the same page there....do what needs to get done and enjoy the down time!
well said.....
Wranglstar I installed my own French drain today and I want to thank you for helping through your videos to find the confidence within myself to tackle such a big project.
You are right, I have been an EMT/Firefighter going on 31 years and I have to say that over the past 15 years the fire service has gone down hill, I still enjoy going into work but the amount of BS that the younger firefighter bring to the job makes we want to hang my helmet up. Thank you for your video and your honesty
what do you mean by “BS that the younger firefighters bring to the job” explain pls, I’m new at this
It's a whole different time from when I first came into the fire service, My first paid job I understood that what the Captain said went, I never questioned the station captain or the officer on the truck, I have six guys that are all under the age of 25 and the do more belly aching than I have heard in a long time, they compline if we have to do station clean up, cutting grass, plug maintenance, when we have training classes there is one or two that spend most of the time on their phones or listening to music with ear buds. We had three of them go to the personal off and complain that they needed their phones, long story short they get to keep their phones. When we run medical calls they treat the patient with but there is no compassion and they act like they are being put out. I am not saying that all of the younger Firefighters are this way, just the last couple we have brought on over the last five years @@rudysz6003
David Edmiston ohhhh ohh I see now, I understand now. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write this:)
I have been there. Was my first career fire job at a very rural dept. I was the only applicant on the 2nd announcement ( no one applied the first time around) and i wondered why? I soon found out out. Lack of leadership among " Leaders" , not qualified officers, not enough pay, boring my god boring busy work, general dept. Drama, the list goes on and on. I put up with it for awhile until i couldnt take it anymore it was making me physically and mentally ill. I Left and did not regret it one bit. Talked to former employees before I was there and found out i was not the only one who had a bad experience at the dept. Never looked back and now im making same money for better hours and more. Still in the fire service though.
Leaving career firefighting career in two weeks! Finally taking care of myself and my family. Time to enjoy life! I agree with what you said 100%! Keep up the videos sir!
What was your final straw?
Man you just explained spot on to the T everything that I'm going thru now. I work for the fire dept. In the capitol city of N.C. its a big dept. We have 28 stations. But its long boring 24he shifts. I too am on B shift. We run mostly medical calls, no brother hood, the pay isn't great so most of us can't afford to live in the city we serve, working with people who are there bc of who they know or affirmative action laws. Just everything you explained is exactly what I'm dealing with. I'm 33, married with a 2yo daughter and try to weigh the pros and cons of having a pension and good benefits and job stability if the economy ever crashes etc. VS. Going to work everyday and not enjoying it like I thought I would. December will be 8 years for me there. My biggest problem too is not knowing what else to do if I were to leave. Before I worked at a body shop fixing cars and started volunteering at fire dept by my house. That's how I got into it. I know I don't want to go back to working on cars even tho that's the only thing I ever did before, its all I really know. I will say I had more fun as a volunteer F.F. than I do as a paid full time F.F. being a full time paid fire fighter is not what I thought it was going to be. I sometimes think I'd be happier going back to a Mon-Fri job and volunteering in my free time again. At least then I could run calls when I want and not be stuck at the station for 24 hours.. I love your channel man. Having land and living like you do would be a dream. Thanks for sharing your story. I can 100% relate to it. In a way it was refreshing hearing you tell it. Makes me feel like its not just me, others feel the same way as I do about that job.
stop crying. you have a young child to support, so do it and be glad you are able to do it. if you want to have land and live like wranglestar does, then work three jobs if you have to. it's all up to you.
Blackrock manages 2/3 first responder retirement accounts, so there’s a decent chance you may not have a retirement through the job in 25 years anyway, the way things are looking with how Blackrock invests, which is heavy into the Chinese economy which is doing about as bad or worse than ours
The latest emphasis on "diversity" hiring is a big mistake, especially when the HR department in your company is run by one of the diversity types. All of a sudden filling quotas based upon race and gender become more important than qualifications. That can cause a deterioration in work standards as you experienced. Well the same can apply in technical positions such as those that I worked in. Glad that I am now retired and out of all the politics that one has to navigate on top of the work stress.
Wranglerstar you are a true American. 18 years I spent in the Fire / Ems service, achieving Paramedic level for the latter 9 years. Two years ago I switched to Police service and I have finally found the brotherhood I've always expected. All that you said was true. That said, I still have great respect for my brothers and sisters in the fire and ems service. But, what you do today is most honorable, thank you .
Thanks for your honesty. I’ve been in emergency services since the age of 13 now 57. I agree with you on all aspects. The difference with me is I’m not doing this job for me, money, family, or community. I do this because this is where God has purposed me to be. Knowing that and remembering that helps me to overcome all the other humanistic issues as you mentioned. “Serve God not self”.
Ive got 10 years on the job and i am feeling every bit of what you said among other things...and i have recently formed a business as a way out .... makes me feel better hearing other people have dealt with the same issues.