Firefighters - An Overrated Job?

martinthebandit

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

like this ??

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/22/man-drowned-lake-firefighters

Note that this is from the Guardian NOT the Daily Wail............

I hope you note that the water was 'more than ankle deep' but it doesn't say how much more than ankle deep it was, and I don't know either.

Most brigades have a similar policy that categorically states that firefighters are NOT to attempt rescues from open water more than ankle deep, although some use different measurements, but are to wait for specialist units.

These policies are generally ignored by firefighters unless the risks are self evidently too great and the casualty is not visible.

As ever in the fire service these policies were brought in following the deaths of more than a couple of firefighters and are really there to protect the employers when/if firefighters get injured/killed.

dealer_wins

The OP likes to slag our emergency services off. I bet he wouldnt last two minutes as a police officer or firefighter.

I couldnt do either of those jobs personally, and I have the utmost respect for those that do!!

Nilrem

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

like this ??

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/22/man-drowned-lake-firefighters

Note that this is from the Guardian NOT the Daily Wail............

That's a different case to the one I was thinking of (where a child was under the water when the emergency services first arrived), but the article doesn't state how deep the water was, nor any other relevent information about the situation (ie was the water moving, clear/murky etc).
A little research suggests in that instance the water was at least 3 foot deep (it sounds like it's an artifically created lake), which isn't much If you know the area, but if you don't know the history of the lake, it could well be much deeper as you know it starts out at about 3 foot but could be much deeper/drop off suddenly (as a lot of lakes made from old quarries do).

As martinthebandit says such policies are often ignored by the emergency services depending on the situation, but are ignored at the peril of the person - if it works out ok they may get a minor telling off and some praise, if it goes wrong they're likely to be in the smelly stuff

The article does mention that when the brigade arrived in that case, the guy had been in the water for "5-10 minutes", which is (if my memory for how long the brain can survive without oxygen is correct) is a point at which the chances of surviving are pretty slim which I suspect the emergency workers may weigh up.

ian1969uk

Mancunian wrote: »

I used to think firemen had a terrible job, pulling burn corpses out of buildings and risking their life on a regulare basis.

I became friends with one several years ago and it was a standing joke by him and his colleagues of the praise they received.

On nights he slept most of the time, occasionally waking to play pool and in the 20 years of service he said he'd had never risked his life and never had any bad cases.

This final thing that peeves me off is that (unlike me) all women love them. ;0(

Sorry, but absolute !!!!!!!!.

C_Mababejive

Yes it is over rated. For a start they respond in force so there is a big team of them. Fires are fewer and fewer as homes have become safer and the public more aware. As for hunky firemen..well its a myth. Many are old blokes in funny hats !

Now a friend of mine is an Emergency response gas Engineer. He works many long anti social hours and responds to anything which includes the extremities of explosions,very hazardous gas leaks verging on the brink of explosion,CO poisonings,has found dead bodies in houses after having broken in...and all more or less on his own..and then just carries on with the next job. Its incredibly stressful and risky at times.

martinthebandit

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Yes it is over rated. For a start they respond in force so there is a big team of them. Fires are fewer and fewer as homes have become safer and the public more aware. As for hunky firemen..well its a myth. Many are old blokes in funny hats !
...

Ah bless,

A big team? Can I just ask, where do all this big team come from?

Because there is lots of times I would have appreciated having a few more colleagues about.

I know, I bet they were all hiding round the back of the pump while 2 of us did all the graft, the lazy, good for nothing burgers!

wik

Hmmmmphhhhhh.......
As the daughter of a former firefighter, and sister of a serving one, I have to say that along with the other emergency services I have nothing but praise for them all....
Maybe the OP's friend doesnt come home and tell them what has happened on shift.. My father never bought his work home, his and his watch mates way of dealing with things was thier 'black humour' Dad now tells us some things, and I can see why all those years back he didnt bring them home.. And likewise my brother, he says that work stays at work... the things he deals with dont need to be spoken of at home...

C_Mababejive

martinthebandit wrote: »

Ah bless,

A big team? Can I just ask, where do all this big team come from?

Because there is lots of times I would have appreciated having a few more colleagues about.

I know, I bet they were all hiding round the back of the pump while 2 of us did all the graft, the lazy, good for nothing burgers!

Most calls have at least a two engine turn out dont they with perhaps four guys on each? My local firestation..well i think the doors are still glued shut from when they painted them last year,such is the infrequency of their turnouts.

Outsise their station is a big yellow metal box for clothes and shoes to support the firefighters "charity"

matt002_2

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Most calls have at least a two engine turn out dont they with perhaps four guys on each? My local firestation..well i think the doors are still glued shut from when they painted them last year,such is the infrequency of their turnouts.

Outsise their station is a big yellow metal box for clothes and shoes to support the firefighters "charity"

I guess it depends on where you live, the station that my OH works in is in a city centre so quite busy. If its that quiet I would have thought they would be a retained station.

Mancunian

dealer_wins wrote: »

The OP likes to slag our emergency services off. I bet he wouldnt last two minutes as a police officer or firefighter.

I couldnt do either of those jobs personally, and I have the utmost respect for those that do!!

no firefighters are cool.....just overrated by most people and my FF mate backed this up.

watch for example how the audience react if a firefighter appears on deal or no deal. Wouldnt do that for any other profession I think not even a squaddie who risked his life daily in afganistan.

AND firefighters get all the women,,,,gggggrrrrrr and I dont (nothing to do with my ugly face :rotfl:)

I do reckon I could be a 'bacon-back' tho! (I just wouldnt sell my soul to be one!) they've got more weapons available than the average squaddie and want more!! ask Raul Moats family. It would've have never have been like that back in the day!