FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 2/11 | Firefighter Close Calls | Firefighter Close Calls is the home of the Secret List. The worlds most visited website focused exclusively on firefighter survival (2023)

FAQs

What is the secret list fire department? ›

The Secret List is an independent newsletter that brings forward the issues most often associated with firefighter injury and death, but also those often-ignored issues that impact firefighter safety and health.

The Secret List is an independent newsletter produced since 1998 by Chief Billy Goldfeder in an effort to bring forward the issues involving injury and death to us...often issues that are ignored, quickly forgotten or just not talked about. TSL is e-mailed at no charge and produced as time allows.

Gordon Graham is the co-founder of www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com. Gordon is a 40 year veteran of California Law Enforcement.

A firefighter needs 100 hours of training before legally being allowed to enter the interior of a burning building. How long do you think firefighters have to get dressed? Less than two minutes! This includes all of their gear, which can weigh from eighty to one hundred twenty pounds.

The rank structure is as follows (in ascending order): Probationary Firefighter, Firefighter, Driver Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and Fire Chief.

When a firefighter died in the line of duty, the fire alarm office would tap out a special signal. That signal was five measured dashes, then a pause, then five measured dashes, another pause…then five more dashes.

Among more than 50,000 research participants I've surveyed, the most common secrets include a lie we've told (69 percent), romantic desire (61 percent), sex (58 percent), and finances (58 percent).

The California swing shift has firefighters working 24 hours, every other day, for five days. After the fifth day, firefighters will be off-duty for 96 -hours, or four days.

Is it worth being an on-call firefighter? ›

Comments from on-call firefighters

“It's a great job. It gets you known in your community and gives you a chance to give something back. All the crew have different jobs and backgrounds and we bring all those skills together working as a crew.” “I would recommend being an on-call firefighter.

Some on-call firefighters are in full time or part time employment with employers who are keen to support their community. They are just like any other employee, other than they may be available to be called out to emergency incidents from their workplace for some or all of their working hours.

However, when looking at alcohol use for firefighters, about 10% to 20% more males firefights drink on a monthly basis than compared to the rest of the population. Alcohol is the most common type of substance abuse among firefighters. Twice as many firefighters are believed to participate in binge drinking.

The shortest firefighter is Vince Brasco (USA), who stands 127 cm (4 ft 2 in) tall and volunteers for his local fire station in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA.

How Much Does a Firefighter Make? Firefighters made a median salary of $50,700 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $65,980 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $37,140.

What are the minimum and maximum heights you need to be to become a firefighter? There are no height restrictions, however, you will need to pass a series of role based tests such as removing a ladder from the rear of a fire appliance, which some may find more difficult than others.

Departments sounded a series of bells when a firefighter died in the line of duty to alert all members that a comrade had made the ultimate sacrifice. This time-honored tradition continues today during the funerals or memorial services for firefighters.

At the funeral, the ringing of the bell is symbolic. According to the IAFF protocol: "The ringing of the bell represents the end of the emergency and the return to quarters, and is usually three rings of the bell, three times." The significance of the bells is often explained during the ceremony.

What are the four fives? ›

The Striking the Four Fives started in the late 1800s when a firefighter died in the line of duty. Headquarters would transmit five bell strikes, repeated in four series, with a slight pause between each series.

What is dark energy? It's one of the universe's biggest mysteries: more remains unknown than known about dark energy. It affects the universe's expansion, so physicists are able to infer that dark energy makes up roughly 68% of the universe and it appears to be somehow tied to the vacuum of space.

The happiest among us actually do exercise and take care of ourselves. Choose happiness in whatever you do. Strengthen your closest relationships. Take care of yourself physically, financially and emotionally.

“This is the secret of life: the self lives only by dying, finds its identity (and its happiness) only by self-forgetfulness, self-giving, self-sacrifice, and agape love.”

Here's the essence of The Secret book in 3 lessons: The law of attraction is one of the most prevalent principles in the world. To use the law of attraction, you must think about what you want, not what you want to avoid. The three steps of the law of attraction are asking, believing, and receiving.

There are three kinds of secrets: natural, promised, and entrusted.

Death, Love, and Legacy. “Secrets” suggests that love is the only lasting legacy of a person's life after their death. In the first scene, as the protagonist sees his Great Aunt Mary on her death bed, he observes how much of her personality has already been lost in her declining health.

Can firefighters have beards? ›

This regulation does not ban facial hair on respirator users, per se. However, when a respirator must be worn to protect employees from airborne contaminants, it has to fit correctly, and this will require the wearer's face to be clean-shaven where the respirator seals against it.

A: Sort of. Firefighters often spend 24 hours at a time at the firehouse followed by 48 hours off duty. During this time they eat, sleep, shower, work and relax at the firehouse. So, they essentially live at the firehouse for approximately 1/3 of their career.

The current shift system is based around 4 shifts (2 x 10.5 hour days and 2 x 13.5 hour nights) followed by 96 hours (four days) off duty.

Worn so it does not interfere with the proper wearing and performance of the approved department safety helmet or the proper sealing of the face mask of the self-contained breathing apparatus. Uniformed personnel will be clean shaven; however, neatly trimmed sideburns and mustaches are permitted.

Firefighters face serious risks on the job such as heat exhaustion, burns, physical and mental stress. Additionally, they frequently come into contact with high levels of carbon monoxide and other toxic hazards. With these dangerous exposures, this line of work presents a likelihood for many diseases.

You need to be 18 but there is no upper age limit and your gender doesn't matter.

On-call firefighters receive an hourly rate of pay for conducting the following activities: Attending training evenings (Drill nights)

They may be 'part-time', but they are trained and capable people in the front line, saving lives. On-call/part-time firefighters are well paid for their services, they receive thorough training plus all there is to know about emergency situations. On-call/part-time firefighters do not just fight fires.

An on-call firefighter is someone who responds to a range of fire and rescue service jobs, these range from emergency calls, working at open days, carrying out work with their local communities and acting as an ambassador for the fire service. When they get the call, they become professional firefighters.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among firefighters.

Why are firefighters alcoholic? ›

Binge drinking and drug abuse often happen among firefighters because they hope to forget or learn to live with certain situations. The numbing effects of alcohol consumption are only temporary, however. Once a person is sober, any mental health disorder or memories of traumatic calls are still there.

Due to their strenuous work, wildland firefighters often have increased respiratory rates, which will increase the amount of CO being inhaled when smoke is present. COHb has a half-life (the time it takes half of the COHb to dissipate from the body) of about 5 hours.

Yes, being a firefighter is a good job.

Firefighting is a rewarding career that offers a very high level of job satisfaction. Being a firefighter is a great job if you enjoy helping people and serving your community, but be aware that it can be demanding, stressful, and even dangerous at times. Every day is different.

Firefighting requires exceptionally difficult and demanding physical work. You will perform strenuous activities and handle all types of emergencies, including life-or-death situations. The job of a firefighter is often times underestimated.

It requires hard work, long hours of training, dedication and a sincere desire to help others. The firefighting career field is very competitive, too. You'll be up against hundreds, possibly thousands of applicants depending on the department.

But what are some of the things a Firefighter looks for? He looks for a woman who can: entertain herself because his shifts will be long, erratic, and can change at a moments notice. Not afraid of the dark, bugs or has a backup plan when He is on shift.

Firefighting, training and workouts break down muscles, so it is important to have plenty of protein in your diet to help build them back stronger. Remember, all types of foods contain protein, not just meat and eggs, e.g., vegetables, nuts, beans and grains.

I will never allow my personal feelings, nor danger to self, deter me from my responsibilities as a firefighter. I will at all times, respect the property and rights of all men and women, the laws of my country, and members I serve with.

However, when a respirator must be worn to protect employees from airborne contaminants, it has to fit correctly, and this will require the wearer's face to be clean-shaven where the respirator seals against it.

Who is the highest ranking firefighter? ›

Common titles include district chief, division chief, assistant chief, and deputy chief. Chief is usually the highest rank of a uniformed member in any given department, traditionally shown with 5 gold bugles or 5 stars.

In 2021, 16 firefighters died in vehicle-related incidents, including 10 firefighters who died in vehicle crashes and six who were struck by vehicles. Five of the crash victims were responding to emergencies, four were operating on wildland fires or a prescribed burn and one was at the scene of a motor vehicle crash.

Line of duty death (LODD): the firefighter died while on duty or died after an incident that was the direct cause of the later death. Full military-style honors. Non-LODD for an active or uniformed firefighter.

Although male firefighters do not seem to have a divorce rate much higher than the general population, female firefighters have a divorce rate that is considerably higher than the general population.

Usage notes. (firefighting): Historically only a man, but now used to refer to female firefighters as well. In modern usage, the gender-inclusive term firefighter is generally preferred. (rail transport): This term is commonly used for both males and females, firewoman is rarer in this sense.

Many times these women are called 'hose chasers' or “badge bunnies”. These women tend to find firefighters attractive because of the job and want a chance to tame the fire- or get recognition among their friends for being with a Firefighter.

When it comes to firefighting tactics, the golden rule for stretching a hose-line for a structure fire is, never enter the fire area without a charged hose line. This is done for one reason, firefighter safety.

The bulk or length of the hair shall not interfere with the proper wearing of any department head gear or equipment. Hair pins, combs, or barrettes, may be worn to meet the requirement of this standard, but may not interfere with the proper wearing of any department apparel or gear.

Hairstyles that interfere with personal protective equipment are not allowed. Hair should be neat, clean, and styled to present a well-groomed appearance. Hair should not exceed 2 inches in thickness.

In short the answer is yes to being a firefighter with tattoos and piercings (with restrictions).

What is the highest paid fire department? ›

The states and districts that pay Firefighters the highest mean salary are New Jersey ($84,930), California ($80,990), Washington ($76,280), New York ($72,670), and Colorado ($68,300).

In the United States, a Shot Crew, officially known as an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), is a team of 20-22 elite operators which mainly responds to large, high-priority fires across the country and abroad.