So, you want to be a volunteer firefighter? Maybe not? Before you become one of us, we want you to know
what you're up against.
A volunteer fire department cannot offer the pay or benefit packages of more typical employers such as that
found in paid fire departments. That's why we're called "public servants" and "volunteers". You should also
remember that you "volunteered" to belong and that everything that you do in the fire service is mandatory.
This includes training and participation in all aspects of firefighting and the running of a fire department.
It has to be. The services we provide quite literally involve life and death... including your own.
Fire departments, although said to be fraternal organizations, are not social clubs. The days of the "good
old boys", "bearded wonders" and "banquet firemen" are gone. They have to be. Buildings burn with more
intensity, with hazardous material content and the risk of collapse is greater than ever before. Other
organizations exist to fulfill your "party" needs. Though we have great times when we get together, the
fire service is not in the "party" business.
Belonging will be very time consuming in that it consists of training, more training, always training. And
why is that? Because your life, the lives of your fellow firefighters and the lives of the people you have
sworn to protect depend on it. Firefighting is a gamble at best. The only means you have of placing the odds
in your favor is through training and education. Knowing how fire burns, clues of color and smoke, building
construction and ALL the other things that must be learned as well as how to react in certain situations
may save your life and the lives of others.
It also takes time to respond to alarms, do your duty and then get all the equipment and tools of the trade
back in service for the next call. The work doesn't end when the fire goes out. Time is needed for vehicle
and station maintenance, fire prevention classes, fire preventioin inspections, investigations, record keeping,
parades and fund raisers. There is never enough time or money. The fact of the matter is... the fire service
requires a lot more time and a lot more money than it did in years past.
Firefighting is physically and mentally demanding each and every time you step foot on the truck to answer
a call.
- When you get the call, your heart pounds, adrenalin flows and if you are sane, you are also scared.
That's right... scared! It's potentially the most important attribute in regards to staying alive when fighting fires.
If you aren't scared then you need to quit the fire service before you hurt yourself or someone else.
- You'll wear almost 50 pounds of protective equipment. Add another 15 pounds when you get wet. While wearing it, you will
pull, push, climb, stretch, carry, lift, crouch, crawl and breath harder than you thought possible.
Smoke and soot will become your cologne. You will learn a new meaning of what it is to be truly "cold",
"hot", "sore" and "tired". You may bleed, you will sweat and sometimes... shed tears.
- Firefighting can be ugly. It can be blinding bright or blinding dark. It can be deadly silent or have
a deafening roar. You will see suffering and carnage in fires and at accident scenes in the future just like
that seen in the past.
So, you still want to be a firefighter? Then you might make it, you can make it... many have. The "bad" in
firefighting is part of the "good". They both make us stronger and better for and at what we do. It is what
makes us different. We do what others cannot. If you become one of us, you'll share challenges, camaraderie
and when we're successful... a sense of accomplishment that is second to none.
Your family becomes ours and ours becomes yours. In our breed, you will experience an often strange sense
of humor and you'll develope pride. Not boastful, bragging or cocky pride... but rather an inner pride known
only by those who have worn the gear and fought the beast. You will develope a respect for and from your
fellow firefighters across the nation that exists in no other profession.
It is often said that "firefighting gets in your blood". That's not true. If you become one of us, it gets in your heart.
If you still wish to become a Mexico Firefighter, this page will explain how.
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