Now Ye're Talking - to a Firefighter/Paramedic

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

wattlebird wrote: »

1) How often do you get called to nightclubs etc to treat people who have overindulged in drink or drugs? Do you think that's something which affects your ability to attend to more "genuine" emergencies?

2) If you treat a seriously injured person or bring them to hospital, can you find out afterwards whether they've survived/recovered or are you left wondering?

Thank you for your service - it annoys me to see the military constantly lauded as heroes when fire/medical services rarely get such recognition.

Thank you very much.

1)Every weekend night I'd say approx 50% of calls are drink/drug related and they have on occasion prevented us attending when a more serious call has come in!

2) Yes, we have a good rapport with the ER nurses, and they will generally fill us in when we return.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

Scarinae wrote: »

What tools do you typically carry with you when you're called out - probably a torch, cutting implements etc but what else?



Is it tricky to get the appropriate firefighting gear, such as boots, for smaller women? (the industry I work in is very male dominated, and while the appropriate gear can usually be found for me when I'm on site because I'm tall, my boss has a lot of trouble because she's tiny and wears size 3 shoes) Or are there minimum height/weight/strength requirements to be a firefighter?

Oh Lord! The list of equipment depends on the truck, but generally it's breathing apparatus, Cutting equipment, ladders, rescue lines, water rescue equipment, water delivery hoses and branches, chemical incident suits... I know I'm probably missing loads here, but that's all I can think of for now!

Smaller firefighters (male and female) have always been kitted out the very same as the rest of us. I've never heard of thee not being anyone kitted out.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

Mam of 4 wrote: »

I actually don't have a question for you , I just want to say Thank You , to you and all the other Firefighters/Paramedics who selflessly put yourselves in danger to help others in difficult/dangerous situations.

I have a sibling in the same profession as yourself , and my only wish is for you all to Stay Safe whilst helping others.

Words aren't a lot , but thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you very much indeed!

Buona Fortuna

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA wrote: »

Thank you very much.

1)Every weekend night I'd say approx 50% of calls are drink/drug related and they have on occasion prevented us attending when a more serious call has come in!

2) Yes, we have a good rapport with the ER nurses, and they will generally fill us in when we return.

Do they get a bill from to go with the massive hangover? The same way a house owner or car driver does?

Sorry I'm so obviously an old crungefcukit who hasn't been in a nightclub this side of the millenium.

4068ac1elhodqr

Think this is a superb profession, a relative enjoyed doing something similar for 25yrs with no real injury, just a few sleepless nights after a couple of significantly major events.

Whilst it’s absolutely essential for human-centric involvement Q. what role will technological advances play in future events?

e.g. I'd guess something along the lines of:

1) Fast commercial drone deployment to locate and live report to screen on details of access routes and (IR) heat signatures within a building.

2) Increased portability, speed of deployment when attending smaller domestic or automated alarm fire events, maybe on pairs of Fire bikes?


3) Health wise, guess smaller internal/external complex health monitoring using web enabled devices - could be useful for data collection, remote verification and eventually admin of treatment.

4) Much further down the line, guessing actual walking robotics, and innovative products such as Co2 grenades for higher risk search & firefighting.

Hana98

What advice would you give to someone considering this career?

XxMCRxBabyxX

Are there any types of calls that you hate turning up for for less tragic reasons? As in, I can imagine how much you must dread major house fires or RTAs, but do you get days when it's yet another drunken idiot or sprained wrist? Do you feel as if your time is being wasted?

Muahahaha

Can I ask how risk assessments are carried out on burning cars and buildings? Like if you show up and a car is fully ablaze is it too risky to approach because the petrol tank might blow up? Are newer cars less risky in this regard, i.e are the petrol tanks fire proof for a certain period of time?

Same kind of question on buildings, especially industrial buildings that are on fire. Many which might have gas bottles on site and sometimes chemicals that are very explosive. If that happens to be the case is it a matter of fighting the fire from a distance and a height using the cherry pickers? How does your commanding officer even begin to assess the risks before ordering the crew to go inside a burning building where you may not know the contents, floor plans etc.

asteroids over berlin

I give you and your colleagues thanks

Just on the advanced paramedics, how are these guys selected for training - volunteer or promotion/interview etc?

I once worked with a Canadian girl(here for bf reasons) and she was an advanced paramedic and said all ambulance people were there - I take it the Canadian firebrigrade don't do both - are you familiar with other country firebrigrades?

Hannibal Smith

Whats the one thing you see on a regular basis that you think..ffs if only i could get the message out there that this is a real issue? For example, youve said about the smoke alarms etc...do you find a lot of instances still where theyre not installed?

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Do they get a bill from to go with the massive hangover? The same way a house owner or car driver does?

Sorry I'm so obviously an old crungefcukit who hasn't been in a nightclub this side of the millenium.

Nope. No bill. Sadly!

.G.

Have you ever been called to help somebody out who managed to get themselves stuck in an embarrassing situation, such as an appendage stuck where it shouldn't be for an example?

Echo what many others have said, you lads+ladies are heroes and thank you for doing what you do.

thelad95

Have you ever had a false alarm call that had everyone on high alert, only for you to turn up and realise it was a hoax? How do you deal with hoaxes, are they passed on to the Gardaí or just ignored?

face1990

Thanks for answering these questions - a really interesting AMA.

1. How do shift patterns work? Do you do a week of night shifts, followed by week of day shifts, or how does it work?

2. On a typical weekday/night, do you get much downtime between calls?

3. How long does your initial training take?

Thanks again!

Edit: one more

4. Do the fire brigade do fire inspections of buildings? Like restaurants/night clubs/etc.? Do owners take fire safety seriously, generally speaking?

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

superg wrote: »

Have you ever been called to help somebody out who managed to get themselves stuck in an embarrassing situation, such as an appendage stuck where it shouldn't be for an example?

Echo what many others have said, you lads+ladies are heroes and thank you for doing what you do.

Thanks!

You'd be surprised how often I get asked that!!! I never have, but I've heard of stories. Glass coke bottle up the rectum being the most memorable moment and the excuse was "I was in the shower and I slipped onto the glass bottle that happened to be in the bath, because I use it to wash my kids hair"

It's up to you if you believe it or not!!!

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

thelad95 wrote: »

Have you ever had a false alarm call that had everyone on high alert, only for you to turn up and realise it was a hoax? How do you deal with hoaxes, are they passed on to the Gardaí or just ignored?

They should be passed onto the Gards as a rule, but they are so common that they rarely are, especially if they are once off offenders. That's a sad fact, but it's just that the Gards probably don't have the resources to chase these up. Regular offenders are dealt with if I recall correctly, there have been mobile/home numbers passed on to the Gardai and they have prosecuted.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

face1990 wrote: »

Thanks for answering these questions - a really interesting AMA.

1. How do shift patterns work? Do you do a week of night shifts, followed by week of day shifts, or how does it work?

2. On a typical weekday/night, do you get much downtime between calls?

3. How long does your initial training take?

Thanks again!

Edit: one more

4. Do the fire brigade do fire inspections of buildings? Like restaurants/night clubs/etc.? Do owners take fire safety seriously, generally speaking?

1) We do 1 day 2 nights, 3 off, 2 days 1 night, 3 off. It's a 15 hour night shift, 9 hour day shift. It works out at about 42 hour week.

2) There is no downtime between calls, unless it's an incident that required decontamination, or re fueling etc. We are on call 24/7 otherwise.

3) Initial training is 6 months including Paramedic training, then you enter a period of probation on both fire/ambulance work!

4) Yes, we have fire prevention officers and engineers that regularly carry out inspections. This has been in place since the Stardust tragedy as far as I know. And in general, owners do take the safety on site seriously. The FPO's have a warrant card that grants access to all areas, and carries the full weight of the law.

GBX

Keep up the excellent work DFB (and regional services). I know it can be a tiring, stressful job. Top marks.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

GBX wrote: »

Keep up the excellent work DFB (and regional services). I know it can be a tiring, stressful job. Top marks.

Thank you, it's nice to feel appreciated!

GBX

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA wrote: »

4) Yes, we have fire prevention officers and engineers that regularly carry out inspections. This has been in place since the Stardust tragedy as far as I know. And in general, owners do take the safety on site seriously. The FPO's have a warrant card that grants access to all areas, and carries the full weight of the law.

Just as an add on to the previous question - with regard inspections/regulations. Do the fire brigade give input in planning situations? Or is this down to designers/planning officials?
(Just curiousity really - not wanting to try an stir things in regard to ongoing issues in the news).

CIARAN_BOYLE

Is there any practices of regional or international services that you wish would be adopted by the dfb?

Zebrano

Hi
Just want to say massive thank you for what you and you colleagues do. I have massive respect for yous as i see how a you get abused as it happens in the area im living. And it is a disgrace.

Anyway my question is how do u know where you are going is it via radio or computer. And do you know your area like the back of your had to an extent where u know where where particular house numbers are.
Thanks again keep up the good work.

Diamond Doll

Have you ever been in a situation where you genuinely feared for your life?

When it comes to life-or-death situations, how do you know where to draw the line between trying to save someone and self-protection? I.e., hypothetical situation, you can hear a child crying somewhere in the house but it's clear to you that there is imminent danger of the burning walls and roof falling in on top of you ... do you keep looking for the child, or at what point do you leave?

Have you much/any involvement in forensic work? What I mean is, after a fire, are you involved in trying to figure out what caused it, or is that a whole different team of people? I've often wondered when you hear that - for example - a house fire was caused by a candle, or a cigarette, or whatever ... how can they tell that, surely all the evidence would have also been burned in the fire, in most cases?

Is there much paperwork involved following each incident?

If you had to choose a completely unrelated career for yourself, what would you go for?

What's the path of career progression in your job? And would you recommend it as a career for your own child/ren?

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

GBX wrote: »

Just as an add on to the previous question - with regard inspections/regulations. Do the fire brigade give input in planning situations? Or is this down to designers/planning officials?
(Just curiousity really - not wanting to try an stir things in regard to ongoing issues in the news).

Not sure really, I think any building project plans have to pass certain standards before a fire cert is issued, but this is not my area of expertise. This is the engineer's grade, and I assure you, I'm not one of those!:)

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Is there any practices of regional or international services that you wish would be adopted by the dfb?

Good question. I'm pretty sure our standards, practices and methodology is fairly modern on an international scale, and the training centre is generally not afraid of new practices. So in short, not really. I know of none at present! But that's not to say there are none...

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

Zebrano wrote: »

Hi
Just want to say massive thank you for what you and you colleagues do. I have massive respect for yous as i see how a you get abused as it happens in the area im living. And it is a disgrace.

Anyway my question is how do u know where you are going is it via radio or computer. And do you know your area like the back of your had to an extent where u know where where particular house numbers are.
Thanks again keep up the good work.

Thanks, unfortunately abuse is common enough!
It all depends. If in station, we get a printout with the address on it or if we're out and about, we get a voice message on the radio. I know my district very well, and house numbers are usually not an issue apart from certain areas where they're not in numerical order, believe it or not! Sat Nav's are on most appliances now anyway, and direct hits on house numbers are usually there.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

Diamond Doll wrote: »

1Have you ever been in a situation where you genuinely feared for your life?

2When it comes to life-or-death situations, how do you know where to draw the line between trying to save someone and self-protection? I.e., hypothetical situation, you can hear a child crying somewhere in the house but it's clear to you that there is imminent danger of the burning walls and roof falling in on top of you ... do you keep looking for the child, or at what point do you leave?

3Have you much/any involvement in forensic work? What I mean is, after a fire, are you involved in trying to figure out what caused it, or is that a whole different team of people? I've often wondered when you hear that - for example - a house fire was caused by a candle, or a cigarette, or whatever ... how can they tell that, surely all the evidence would have also been burned in the fire, in most cases?

4Is there much paperwork involved following each incident?

5If you had to choose a completely unrelated career for yourself, what would you go for?

6What's the path of career progression in your job? And would you recommend it as a career for your own child/ren?

1) Yes, on more than a few occasions. I don't really like to talk about them, so no offence, I won't be!

2)I've never left a house where a savable life is still inside, I just can't do it. It's not a moral obligation or anything, it's just my job. If there is a fire that is well developed in the area of the house that the person is supposed to be in, the chances are, they are already passed away. Humans do not do well in rooms that are filled with heat and smoke. To answer you, it's a judgement call we make with our training and experiences, the latter being the most important.

3) As for forensics, that's the Gardai's job. We assist in any way we can, but Gards investigate.

4)There is a lot of paperwork, yes. A full fire/incident report is filled out by the Officer in charge at the incident or on the ambulance, a full patient care report form is filled out. Everything is documented.

5) I had a trade before I started, so I guess I would have stuck with that. Having a trade where you work with your hands is a big help in this job.

6) Yes, you can be promoted all the way to chief fire officer through the ranks. The rank structure is: Firefighter > Sub-officer > Station officer > District Officer > Third Officer > Assistant Chief > Chief Fire Officer. Would I recommend it to my children? Hmmm, I'd prefer if they got a degree/PHD and earned a 6 figure sum! But if they weren't that way inclined, I would suppose I would, but I'm afraid it would turn them into me!!!

Hope these help!

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic, AMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_eHBqVYa8A

This video is a reminder for you all that use real Christmas trees in your home, to keep the tree watered (Base in a bucket or whatever you like) because they are lethal when they are tinder dry. It's also a reminder to keep your internal doors closed at night and unplug everything and check your smoke alarms!

This shows how quickly a room can become fully developed in fire. Anyone in this room would be dead inside 1 minute.

I don't mean to frighten you, but this video is a timely reminder to be fire safe in the home.

Diamond Doll

Jesus that is terrifying. Thanks for sharing that.

I don't have a Christmas tree, and mostly close internal doors at night, but I probably amn't as careful as I should be with unplugging stuff. Question though ... why do "they" say to unplug everything at night, but it's OK to leave the fridge etc plugged in?

emmetlego

Diamond Doll wrote: »

Jesus that is terrifying. Thanks for sharing that.

I don't have a Christmas tree, and mostly close internal doors at night, but I probably amn't as careful as I should be with unplugging stuff. Question though ... why do "they" say to unplug everything at night, but it's OK to leave the fridge etc plugged in?

Leaving a fridge plugged in is a necessity though. I go around and unplug everything unnecessary, therefor reducing the chances of an electrical fire. You can never fully rule it out though. Bad wiring, rodent damage, faulty appliances etc can all cause fire. Doing the basics all reduce the dangers, working smoke alarms, closing doors, fire guard, cigarette butts etc. I'd also recommend that you and your family all have an escape plan in the event of fire.