I am not a firefighter yet but i've only been sleeping for like 3-4 hours everyday since high school (10 years) and I feel great every day. Everybody is different
And the thing is, at least here in my county, fire is almost always responding to the medic calls. Person having chest pain and diff breathing? Fires gonna be there. Seizure? Fire is there. Fall? Fire will probably be there too. Regardless of the time.
Been retired for a year and a half now and towards the end the hardest thing for me was to function the next day after getting only a few hours sleep! And the older you get, the harder that is!
That is why I question those people who say they don’t like their slow station… they don’t know until they get ran through all night and get asked to stay an extra 2 days of Ot. With 0 sleep and caffeine to even walk.
In Romania the sistem is different and its like 24hrs with 72hrs, and you have a during night a period when you can rest, but if the alarm sounds you need to be ready asap.
Idk if I'm a shoe in or it's a bad thing but I was told to try to battle my insomnia issues now in order to avoid never resting. I start training soon for the Fire Department in my city so I'm kind of nervous considering I barely rest anyway
See idk about that schedule. But the schedule the departments around me have are 24 on 48 off which imo is the best schedule out there. Especially when you’re young you can get a bad night of sleep and make up for it that next night and be fine. 48 on would be a bit tougher though
That's what we signed up for, you think it's rough now, wait till you become a dad while being a firefighter. You can function on 3 to 4 hours of sleep a day 😂
Im a firefighter for Toronto fd i get 2 off and 5 days on everyday i just get weaker everyday its pretty crazy im also pretty sad i barely get to see my wife or my 2 kids hands hurt everyday becuse you know we've got halligans axes saws and debris to move in calls its just the sleep Toronto is a massive city almost every night we get calls mostly when we are sleeping i run captain on ladder 8 our ladder doesn't have a driver engineer so we had someone else to train to drive the truck so i control the ladder and its rushing for me i costs energy
Yes it’s 48 hour shifts, so all day and night. It doesn’t sound bad until you realize yes it’s all night - so you’re taking calls while running off a couple hours of sleep, sometimes no sleep, and consistently getting sleep deprived
I think i would prefer it to the alternative of splitting and doing nights. Feel likes its a choice these fire fighters make. Cause they could easily work a few more days and do 12 hour shifts instead. It is harder than a regular job for sure thought.
I see your point! We actually cover it more in depth in the full episode - why they have the 48 hour shifts instead of 8-12. It seems like most do a minimum of 24 hour shifts.
Knock it off Jeffrey, you aren’t walking carrying 90lbs of gear through inclined terrain. Settle down and don’t compare your lazy self to these hard workers. Your job may be tough but it’s not wildland tough 😂
Is it worth tho? Im 17 and really thinking about going into fire and emt school when i can and idk i guess i just want to know if this path is worth the toll
Hey! You should check out our full episode in this channel where Alex shares his journey of going into firefighting “the 10 year journey to becoming a firefighter.” He’ll share a lot more than I can
I hopefully get accepted for school in January I’m very excited. I don’t sleep well anyway I wake up like 6 times a night. I’ve heard horror stories from my emt friends about some of the things I’ll see but I think I’m good I saw a lot of stuff on best gore growing up. I’m a small dude also so I’m hoping to gain some muscle and fat to bulk up.
This could all be avoided if Firefighters didn't have to show up for every basic emergency situation. Ambulance services could handle 90% of emergency situations. There are not that many fire incidents compared to emergency hospitalizations.
Some people can survive with little sleep or at least recover quickly. This guy is clearly affected by it to a larger extent, and doesn’t seem like a right fit for the job or shift work in general.
Yup and it depends some shifts like 24 hr shifts u will not catch a break then others u will be at the station all day maybe a couple calls here and there
I was in Rite Aid today and a cashier looks at me and says, “Just getting off, you look tired!”. It was the start of my day and I was heading in for a 48. Lol true words here. Working as a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT sleep deprivation is real.
@cywhatley3129 I was a resident volunteer, so I worked a 48/96. I’m now an out of district volunteer for that dept, working paid full time with a larger dept.
“Working” as a “volley”? That’s what we call an oxymoron. It’s one or the other. It’s not both. And if you’re truly VOLUNTEERING, don’t stay and lose sleep for 48 hrs…
I’m glad we are starting to see less and less volunteer stations . Asking members of the community to sacrifice their lives and donate their time away from family for no money is absolutely ridiculous
Yup me too. I start April 3rd and I’m nervous I’m still overweight. I’m currently 265 went down from 320. Ik I got a long way but I just need to put in the work to better myself.
@@bandit1001 it’s been great so far but I haven’t done any fire training so far. I’m required to be crossed trained as an emt first before I even fight any fires.
Firefighting is rough no matter what country you live in believe me it takes a toll on the body and it's a sacrifice. So far I've got five years experience
It’s no joke brother, the lack of real rem cycles, the increased risk of cardiac disease, the constant wear and tear unless you’re at a slow station, the increased cancer risk. Still, it’s best job in the world.
Been doing 5 graveyards and 2 evening shifts a week for the past 4 months....it has taken a massive toll...find a job with a better schedule and you will find a new kind of happiness. Good luck!
This is why 12 hour shifts should be against the law. 10 hour max. Companies need to be regulated to 3 8-hour shifts when the businesses is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I am a volunteer fire fighter and corrections officer. I work 12s 4 to 5 times a week
I'm an EMT. Been doing 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, two off for a bit now. Just trying to make ends meet for the three little ones right now. It gets to the point where I have a chronic pressing pain behind my eyes and forehead. It ain't good. Lack of good sleep heightens blood pressure despite good diet. Couple weeks ago I was running 181/96 after a two day shift so I had to take a few days off. My brother here speaks the truth, it's the most difficult part of the job by far. Can legit be just as dangerous as anything else we deal with especially because it sneaks up.
I think it’s about checking yourself. I work the 24-48 schedule which generates about 100-120 hours a pay period depending on the calendar. I also work 56-70 scheduled ems (sometimes more, sometimes less) hours every pay period on the side. So I’m working 85-95 hours every week and have been for the last year. Sleep deprivation is a thing, but it comes in waves. Some days you run 10-15 calls and you just aren’t sleeping +, you have a 12 hour shift the next day. Yet, some days you run 1 call and can technically get the full 8… if your crew doesn’t keep you up talking. You have to know when too much is too much. You have to realize that it’s time to take some you time. You also have to realize that every cpr doesn’t lead to ptsd and every night of 2 hours of sleep doesn’t lead to Alzheimer’s. Over exaggerating your circumstances doesn’t make you a hero… it makes you an asshole. Walking the fine line is what it’s all about. You must check yourself so you understand when to calm the hell down and take it easy. But it’s not Rescue Me either. Kudos to this guy for shining light on us.
Man, this is nothing to me. I’ve done trade school, and worked 16 hour days Monday - Friday and 8 hours on the weekends because no school just to pay for my welding school. Doing only one thing at once would be amazing
The hardest part about being a firefighter is definitely the shift, but not because of the toll that it takes on your body. Its the mental toll of being surrounded by the same people for so long without enough personal space. That's the absolute worst.
If you work a regular 9-5 that’s 40 hours a week for 4 weeks that’s 160 hours a month. 10x24 is 240. So they are working 10 days but 80 hours more a month than a regular job.
For many years I worked 24 hrs at the FD then 24HRS on an ambulance, I had about 23 hours to recover and do it all again.. it is horrable for your health...
This is bull shit lol unless you in New York, Chicago , Memphis etc you getting sleep in 90% of U.S departments. This coming from a guy that working in rural, town and memphis
Being a firefighter isn’t for the faint of heart: not only does it take a toll on yourself, but it takes just as much a toll on your family. - sincerely, the son of a firefighter
His eyes speaks all 🥺
Very true!
Jesus loves you and may God bless you......
That’s how I was in the hospital doing 12s, I’d work them straight and pick up OT or do 16s and each night be on 2-3 hours for 3-5 days consecutive.
This guy is SOFT he’s not a real fireman
Even “if you sleep” at night in the back of your mind you are still up waiting for that tone to drop 🚨 🔊 😵💫
Yeah - we talked about how folks have heightened heart rates just because of those sirens dropping and the anticipation
That’s not even healthy… how do they expect to get the best out of them if they’re basically sleep walking for two days straight
@@bluntlybaresthat sounds so mentally fucking especially since I hate spontaneous loud noises
Don’t be a fireman
@Madvvv; Then who's going to keep your neighborhood from burning to the ground? Are we going to resort back to Bucket Brigades?
That’s a good share, I want to be a fireman. I just hope I can make my dream a reality
I am not a firefighter yet but i've only been sleeping for like 3-4 hours everyday since high school (10 years) and I feel great every day. Everybody is different
And the thing is, at least here in my county, fire is almost always responding to the medic calls. Person having chest pain and diff breathing? Fires gonna be there. Seizure? Fire is there. Fall? Fire will probably be there too. Regardless of the time.
The backbone of society deserves rest, but it wouldn't then be the backbone. Much love to all firefighters, emts, etc! 💪🇺🇸
Been retired for a year and a half now and towards the end the hardest thing for me was to function the next day after getting only a few hours sleep! And the older you get, the harder that is!
Any advice for someone starting emt school and the fire academy in January?
I'm going to academy next year any tips?
That is why I question those people who say they don’t like their slow station… they don’t know until they get ran through all night and get asked to stay an extra 2 days of Ot. With 0 sleep and caffeine to even walk.
Sounds like I’ll fit in just perfectly
Good luck!
24 hour shifts are killing our firefighters and Flight Medics
Agreed, it’s rough out there.
Absolutely. In almost 20 years I've never gotten used to 24 hour shifts.
I always tell people that 24 hours is too long to do anything
It ain’t that busy where you at…staph it!
In Romania the sistem is different and its like 24hrs with 72hrs, and you have a during night a period when you can rest, but if the alarm sounds you need to be ready asap.
Better then the 24/48 shifts my department runs. We want the 48/96’s he does
I bet!
We r fighting for 24x72 here in parana - brazil
Im Air Force cop and I feel that always tired and I usually sleep 7 hours
My husband is 48 one and 24 off, he’s tired and then so am I because we have a child and I work from home. It’s a big sacrifice
Only a day off? He working overtime ? Usually it’s 24 on 48 off
Idk if I'm a shoe in or it's a bad thing but I was told to try to battle my insomnia issues now in order to avoid never resting. I start training soon for the Fire Department in my city so I'm kind of nervous considering I barely rest anyway
the department im working to get on are 24/48
The sleep deficit is for sure the hardest part. Its literally killing us. Two days off is a damn lie. Its really 1.
Yup can’t imagine how tough that is - thankful for those that out up with it!
As a 6 year nightshifter I cannot relate. 2 days on 4 days off sounds wonderful.
See idk about that schedule. But the schedule the departments around me have are 24 on 48 off which imo is the best schedule out there. Especially when you’re young you can get a bad night of sleep and make up for it that next night and be fine. 48 on would be a bit tougher though
That's what we signed up for, you think it's rough now, wait till you become a dad while being a firefighter. You can function on 3 to 4 hours of sleep a day 😂
He must be at a busy station
Bro look tired
Can’t blame him lmao
I’m ready to be come one now.. I barely sleep anyways!
Ha - maybe the right job for you then :)
I wish I worked 2 on 4 off 💀 I work 48 on 48 off with a K day every other week
Hes not lying. Look how dark his eyes are 🤣
Im a firefighter for Toronto fd i get 2 off and 5 days on everyday i just get weaker everyday its pretty crazy im also pretty sad i barely get to see my wife or my 2 kids hands hurt everyday becuse you know we've got halligans axes saws and debris to move in calls its just the sleep Toronto is a massive city almost every night we get calls mostly when we are sleeping i run captain on ladder 8 our ladder doesn't have a driver engineer so we had someone else to train to drive the truck so i control the ladder and its rushing for me i costs energy
2 days on 4 days off doesnt sound bad at all. Is that like 2 full days including night and 4 days just day or 4 days fully off?
Yes it’s 48 hour shifts, so all day and night. It doesn’t sound bad until you realize yes it’s all night - so you’re taking calls while running off a couple hours of sleep, sometimes no sleep, and consistently getting sleep deprived
I think i would prefer it to the alternative of splitting and doing nights. Feel likes its a choice these fire fighters make. Cause they could easily work a few more days and do 12 hour shifts instead. It is harder than a regular job for sure thought.
I see your point! We actually cover it more in depth in the full episode - why they have the 48 hour shifts instead of 8-12. It seems like most do a minimum of 24 hour shifts.
@@bluntlybares cool ill check it out.
God love ya that you can’t sleep on the job
I should become a firefighter I'm use to little to no sleep. I get 4 hours a night is all I need and I'm fine sometimes with 2 or 3
Lol - there you go!
Knock it off Jeffrey, you aren’t walking carrying 90lbs of gear through inclined terrain. Settle down and don’t compare your lazy self to these hard workers. Your job may be tough but it’s not wildland tough 😂
Is it worth tho? Im 17 and really thinking about going into fire and emt school when i can and idk i guess i just want to know if this path is worth the toll
Hey! You should check out our full episode in this channel where Alex shares his journey of going into firefighting “the 10 year journey to becoming a firefighter.” He’ll share a lot more than I can
Awesome career, a 24 Hour shift at a busy department is no picnic! The stress and sleep deprivation accumulates on you quickly!
Increase testosterone
Lol yes!
Being sleep deprived causes ED tho
Can I keep my hair that’s my biggest fear
Valid fear! 😅
I hopefully get accepted for school in January I’m very excited. I don’t sleep well anyway I wake up like 6 times a night. I’ve heard horror stories from my emt friends about some of the things I’ll see but I think I’m good I saw a lot of stuff on best gore growing up. I’m a small dude also so I’m hoping to gain some muscle and fat to bulk up.
Good luck!
You get used to it after a while. I'm not in until tomorrow morning and i still can't sleep until 2am
This could all be avoided if Firefighters didn't have to show up for every basic emergency situation. Ambulance services could handle 90% of emergency situations. There are not that many fire incidents compared to emergency hospitalizations.
2 hours a sleep a day will do it to you,in some situations you’ll be lucky to even get 30 minutes
Crazy. Grateful for people that put up with it!
24 48 is shit. Specially if ur dept has one room for almost everybody. And also the mattress...if they r not in good shape u done
I take the written exam on the 10th of July. Any tips ?!
Hope it went well!
Some people can survive with little sleep or at least recover quickly. This guy is clearly affected by it to a larger extent, and doesn’t seem like a right fit for the job or shift work in general.
We work 48/48
Get off the 24hr shift. But your union bargain for it
This is true but change your diet. That's a big part of your energy consumption
Why do firefighters do that?
He look tired
Dammm he sounds lazy
No mustache how do we know he's a firefighter 🤔
😅🤫
I was told through training that you need to enjoy your sleep while you can cause your lucky if you can even get shut eye on your days on
Yup sounds like it.. much respect for folks doing this week in and week out!
Yup and it depends some shifts like 24 hr shifts u will not catch a break then others u will be at the station all day maybe a couple calls here and there
I was in Rite Aid today and a cashier looks at me and says, “Just getting off, you look tired!”. It was the start of my day and I was heading in for a 48. Lol true words here. Working as a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT sleep deprivation is real.
Wow.. thanks for your service!
@cywhatley3129 I was a resident volunteer, so I worked a 48/96. I’m now an out of district volunteer for that dept, working paid full time with a larger dept.
“Working” as a “volley”? That’s what we call an oxymoron. It’s one or the other. It’s not both. And if you’re truly VOLUNTEERING, don’t stay and lose sleep for 48 hrs…
I’m glad we are starting to see less and less volunteer stations . Asking members of the community to sacrifice their lives and donate their time away from family for no money is absolutely ridiculous
@@squigl3z78 I get your sentiment, but it’s voluntary, no one is making them do it
It really is a hard and difficult job, but I'm still gonna do it myself 💪🏼
Thank you! We couldn’t do it without our volunteers :)
Yup me too. I start April 3rd and I’m nervous I’m still overweight. I’m currently 265 went down from 320. Ik I got a long way but I just need to put in the work to better myself.
@@darrellgainer6966 how is it
@@bandit1001 it’s been great so far but I haven’t done any fire training so far. I’m required to be crossed trained as an emt first before I even fight any fires.
@@darrellgainer6966I’m struggling on judgement situation test any help ?
Firefighting is rough no matter what country you live in believe me it takes a toll on the body and it's a sacrifice. So far I've got five years experience
It’s no joke brother, the lack of real rem cycles, the increased risk of cardiac disease, the constant wear and tear unless you’re at a slow station, the increased cancer risk. Still, it’s best job in the world.
Lots of risk for sure, grateful for those that do it!
Why increased risk of cardiac disease?
Did 24/48 shifts for 35 years...My sleep is permamently screwed....
Wow..
Impressive, inspiring. You have my respect sheece.
I work graveyard shift and then work a day shift somewhere else, I forget to sleep some days. It’s been catching up to me
Yeah, not sustainable I’m sure. Hope you get some rest soon!
Been doing 5 graveyards and 2 evening shifts a week for the past 4 months....it has taken a massive toll...find a job with a better schedule and you will find a new kind of happiness. Good luck!
This is why 12 hour shifts should be against the law. 10 hour max. Companies need to be regulated to 3 8-hour shifts when the businesses is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I am a volunteer fire fighter and corrections officer. I work 12s 4 to 5 times a week
48/96 is the way to go.
Left an ems based fire dept at 24/48. To go to fire only on 48/96
My mental health and home life got way better
Fuck that! I need my sleep
Welp too bad I'm still gonna be a fire fighter, because it's my dream career
That’s awesome! Not an easy one but I’m sure it’ll be rewarding, good luck.
Yep I'm working on it. Any advice on where to go or how to get into it?
Same here. I actually have my agility and written test on Friday
@@tastymm9874 nice, good luck!
@@guardiansofthecontest3461 I start training next year
Is joining the navy first them becoming a firefighter a good thing to do? Or just straight up join out of high school?
I'm an EMT. Been doing 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, two off for a bit now. Just trying to make ends meet for the three little ones right now. It gets to the point where I have a chronic pressing pain behind my eyes and forehead. It ain't good. Lack of good sleep heightens blood pressure despite good diet. Couple weeks ago I was running 181/96 after a two day shift so I had to take a few days off. My brother here speaks the truth, it's the most difficult part of the job by far. Can legit be just as dangerous as anything else we deal with especially because it sneaks up.
That schedule sounds horrible best schedule is the California swing in my opinion but work a 48/96. I hope you’re doing well bubba!
Just got hired as an EMT with my fire department and just got off 8 days straight 24 hours a day… he is completely right😅
Is it worth it?
Wow.. good luck, hopefully you can get some more rest in there soon
That is the question..
That is ridiculous, idc how much the pay is. The amount of damage you are doing to your body for a paycheck is outrageous. Hope you wake up soon.
This should be illegal…
I think it’s about checking yourself. I work the 24-48 schedule which generates about 100-120 hours a pay period depending on the calendar. I also work 56-70 scheduled ems (sometimes more, sometimes less) hours every pay period on the side. So I’m working 85-95 hours every week and have been for the last year. Sleep deprivation is a thing, but it comes in waves. Some days you run 10-15 calls and you just aren’t sleeping +, you have a 12 hour shift the next day. Yet, some days you run 1 call and can technically get the full 8… if your crew doesn’t keep you up talking. You have to know when too much is too much. You have to realize that it’s time to take some you time. You also have to realize that every cpr doesn’t lead to ptsd and every night of 2 hours of sleep doesn’t lead to Alzheimer’s.
Over exaggerating your circumstances doesn’t make you a hero… it makes you an asshole. Walking the fine line is what it’s all about. You must check yourself so you understand when to calm the hell down and take it easy. But it’s not Rescue Me either. Kudos to this guy for shining light on us.
Then u have to go right back
Right.
God and Jesus love y’all 🙏✝️❤️
Even if you get to sleep while on duty. That sleep is not good. So you end up needing to sleep 8+ hours once you get home
how is the US model different from the UK model? can any firefighters answer this?
Man, this is nothing to me. I’ve done trade school, and worked 16 hour days Monday - Friday and 8 hours on the weekends because no school just to pay for my welding school. Doing only one thing at once would be amazing
My dad's a firefighter and u don't get any sleep
The hardest part about being a firefighter is definitely the shift, but not because of the toll that it takes on your body. Its the mental toll of being surrounded by the same people for so long without enough personal space.
That's the absolute worst.
Interesting yeah I can imagine that could be tough!
We here in Brazil are also military dept. So its something like a prison also
Pff I do that shit every night😂
Well said. This is the reason I don’t pick up overtime’s anymore
I’ve been a fire/medic for 4 years now and the only reason I’d leave this job is to return to a consistent sleep schedule
Makes sense!
That's me rn
Got a phys next week for wildland fire 🔥 cant wait for the summer been cooped up working bingo too long
Good luck!
So he doesn’t feel himself 5/6 days out of the week. Seems like a miserable life
A lot of sacrifice for sure.
I think the hardest part about this job is people not giving a shit after they tell everyone their a firefighter 😂
Hmm
Sound like the Navy to me dang!
Are they not allowed to take naps?
A nap is not good sleep.
I think I’m built for this I work making $15 an hour and only get about 3 hours of sleep a day
I'll only work for a department that does 24/48. 24 hours is enough for me.
I never liked the idea of medics doing 48 hours. Do you want a medic working on you in his 45th hour on duty and his 30th call?
God is good, His love endures forever, His plans never fail💖🙌
Bros eyes 👁️
Is this dudes name Alex Ovchinnikov? I'm pretty sure he was in my medic school class.
Wow I know there is no makeup. But dudes eyes have a dark shadow around them
Most firefights work 10 days a month pretty good
It sounds good on paper but in reality is rough
If you work a regular 9-5 that’s 40 hours a week for 4 weeks that’s 160 hours a month. 10x24 is 240. So they are working 10 days but 80 hours more a month than a regular job.
I dont understand why that schedule is still implemented. What's so hard about 12 hour shifts and if needed 2 hour change overs
Sounds like there are talks in some areas to change it, but change in government is tough lol
For many years I worked 24 hrs at the FD then 24HRS on an ambulance, I had about 23 hours to recover and do it all again.. it is horrable for your health...
2 on, 2 off, W schedule. No I haven't slept in days
Does a firefighter fight fire all day?
And that's why I'm leaving my job at the prison as soon as I get the chance
Facts
This is bull shit lol unless you in New York, Chicago , Memphis etc you getting sleep in 90% of U.S departments. This coming from a guy that working in rural, town and memphis
Was looking at doing it in Wyoming where there’s less calls. Good gig you think?
Yup
'Sleep debt' is a real thing, and it builds over time. You have to make up for the lack of sleep at some point.
Damn I’m on 48 on 48 off 😅
At least he’s making good money… ohh sorry wrong video
Hmm
What do you think about the areas pushing to switch to the 24/72 compared to 24/48?
Would be a dream come true here as well 🇧🇷
We desperately need more firefighters in this country so that these men and women can have a more normal work schedule with consistent hours.
100%
This is true for night shift RNs. :(
Being a firefighter isn’t for the faint of heart: not only does it take a toll on yourself, but it takes just as much a toll on your family.
- sincerely, the son of a firefighter