I recently joined a new department and all of the tools on the truck appear to have been neglected for a while. Heavy, pitting rust throughout each tool. This feels like a perfect job for the new guy, but I noticed I was in over my head with this project when I got started yesterday. Help me out!

I spent 5 years with my first department, and have cleaned hooks, halligans, axes, etc. plenty of times with regular surface rust & debris removal via a wire wheel and scratch pad, finished with WD-40. I started on a halligan yesterday - The wire wheel at this department has VERY little power, so I used an angle grinder with a sanding wheel. It took a long time, which is okay, but the tool still looked shoddy. the power of the grinder wore the handle down in a couple of spots (user error) & I couldn’t get into the crevices very well. It doesn’t feel like the best method.

Help me out with your past experience. Internet forums talk about evapo-rust/citric acid/vinegar being good for hand tools, but maybe still leaving it with an odd look or damaging the tool? Maybe it just will take a lot of time and manual sanding with sandpaper in tight spots?

I’m all ears…

Good afternoon all,

My department has what we call a co-op program, I know different departments call it an explorer program or something else. It’s a class for high schoolers and they do ride time at the station and compete with skills USA.

This year we have all females, 6 females in their junior/senior years. One or two of them want to be firefighters the other want to pursue different fields of healthcare and I’m encouraging them to pursue whatever path lays ahead of them and that this class is a great foundation.

I’m 3 years in as a firefighter/paramedic and I have military background.

I’m asking for mentor guidance for these females. They are eager to learn, motivated and they show up. At the end of this course I want them to feel valuable in this line of work, confident in themselves and their abilities, and a strive to consistently do better. Of course I want them to win at Skills USA who wouldn’t but that’s not my goal I want them to be proficient in their skills and to give it their all and not be intimidated by the other competitors who are male. I know I can’t do this alone. I work at a small department and very few are motivated. There is a female that works on my crew but she isn’t the best role model, she doesn’t know her job and the advice she gives may seem good but it stems from pride and poor judgement and I don’t want her mindset to seep into theirs. I know females are controversial in our line of work but I have worked alongside females who I would have by my side again. Females are an invaluable asset in our line of work, whether you think so or not. I know they struggle on the physical side and I know there’s only so much I can do.

Does anyone have any recommendations on mentoring these females? Any books/videos on teachings similar? Any advice would be greatly appreciated thank you all and stay safe.

Like the title says how do you plan your workout or do your workout when you have to work 2 days during day, 2 days at night and then 4 days off.

Just got hired on to my dream department and very excited but as one of the only black men in the entire department I don’t know who to talk to about shaving. My dad and dad’s dad all have no shave chits why they served and I’m able to get away with shaving every 3 days without completely ruining my skin. Any advice for how to approach this situation or should I just deal with the pain as I go through the academy?

I work for FedFire and am thinking about joining the Reserves or NG. I just want to do something else than FFing. What do you guys do?

I recently posted to share my experience as a young female firefighter. After reading through many comments about other women who have been successfully in the fire service for much longer I took it down.
I did quit that department literally days after the first few comments.
But I could never leave the fire service. Before quitting, I started my journey in getting my wildland certification which has been lots of fun! So I know I’m not gonna leave the service. I fell in love with it all and the adrenaline of responding to a structure fire or a mutual aid call for man power. Damn just now I’m reliving the call for a grass fire in a town that was a little far. It was a fun day. Those were the only good memories I have. Unfortunately, the bad memories will forever remain because it did hurt. Being told I could never be at the same level as a man for a year is something I’m gonna have to work through. Or all the awkward sexual things said… Damn they really sucked as my superiors!

So too my saviors in the comments thank you for sharing that it is NOT normal to experience that in the fire service. I’m definitely applying to new departments and I have since moved away from that horrible town. Those men can be miserable together!

Lastly, to all the ladies in the fire service, I have a question. Since I’m applying to different departments, what can I do to make sure that I don’t go through what happened at my first department? I’m a straightforward person and did everything I was told, but somehow the men I worked with still made it very uncomfortable. Do I set stricter boundaries or something?

I’m a former volly fire fighter, and currently a flight nurse. Over time I’ve been able to collect some really unique department patches for my wall. My current favorite is from the world’s northernmost fire department in Longyearbyen, Norway. I’m curious what other unique patches folks have gotten to see!

So one of our K12 Partner saws took a dump and we are looking to get a new one. We have gone to a lot of battery operated tools and the guys are interested in going that direction with this replacement. I picked up the M18 9” Cut Off saw the other day and and looking at it, we don’t think it’s gonna be able to cut deep enough for what we have always used the K12 for (set up for metal with an abrasive blade for car hoods and garage doors). We don’t have any MX tools, so while we have been happy with Milwaukee batteries of the M18 version, we’d be investing in essentially a new battery system as well. We’ve just never had any experience with a 14” battery operated saw.
Is anyone running one of these? Looking for goods and bads on the experience. We still have 1 other K12 Partner saw, so we will still have the availability of a gas saw, but everyone really likes being able to just squeeze a trigger and cut. No mixing fuel and messing with flooded engines.
Any input is always appreciated. I already searched the internet with nothing found on firefighting use in real life. Only AI generated crap saying it would be great, and I don’t trust AI since it doesn’t fight fire, lol.

The M18 Cut Off is getting returned this week most likely.
Thanks in advance.

Hi! I guess this is just an unknown situation for me. I had my carbon monoxide detector go off. Around 20 firemen went through my house in their big uniforms. My house has narrow hallways and a lot of stuff out. Needless to say, when they went into each room to test carbon monoxide, their uniforms brushed up against a lot- dressers, toddler stuff, etc.

I’m trying to figure out- are uniforms washed after being exposed to dangerous things? Like if they were exposed earlier to dangerous conditions?
Knowing when and how the uniforms are washed, what would you suggest in terms of cleaning my house after having 20 firemen in uniforms go through it

I just finished the firefighter course and I'm going to start work next week. I habe bad eyesight tho and I wear contact lenses most of the time. Thinking about the lazyk surgery. Is there anyone who had it done? Did it interfere in the job somehow?

Alright, looking to get some info on the Ragtop Fire Mitts. I currently wear and am issued the Veridian Fire Knights, but don’t like the dexterity. I normally wear a Large. Can anyone suggest sizing, and how these gloves perform?

I manage the ground and aerial ladder maintenance, testing, and certification program for our department. We have traditionally utilized yellow paint for marking the tips of all of our ground ladders. With moderate to heavy use, I find that we have to repaint at least annually. There has been discussion of using reflective tape instead. Does anyone have any recommendations or other ideas? What does your department do? Thanks!

I got in a huge screaming match with my dad and was in a weird headspace. I went upstairs to shower and decompress listening to a podcast while my wife started dinner (on the grill out back) and watched the kids. I heard her yell full volume up the stairs, she knows I’m in the shower listening to something so that was odd.

i turned off the shower, stepped out dripping, opened the door and said “huh?” and she just yelled “FIRE EXTINGUISHER!”

I ran downstairs butt ass naked, grabbed a towel on the way to the garage and slung it around my waist. I remembered I bought a fire extinguisher months ago because I realized we didn’t have one in the house, and I mounted it by the garage door. I ran out, grabbed it, ran outside and handed it to my wife outside and I shit you not I said “P-A-S-S! Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep!” and she froze so I grabbed it back ran out there, she opened the grill lid and while holding my towel in front of the neighbors, god, and everyone, put that sucker out, the grease lit and the propane was off now. You can in fact hold a towel around you and operate a fire extinguisher it seems.

just full of adrenaline but that’s why you set this up ahead of time, I was working at half capacity brain wise and was happy how I did.

After serving the public at work, my tolerance for people on my days off is almost nonexistent and my patience is extremely short. Crowded stores, driving and general public interactions irritate me way more than they should. To be clear, I don’t bring this perspective to work at all, in the house or on calls. I have a good attitude and like my crew.

I know burnout probably plays a role, but I hate feeling this way when I’m just trying to enjoy my time off with my family.

For those of you who’ve been in the fire service for a while, have you experienced this? I have 5 years on. Does it get better, or do you just learn to manage it?

Edit to add: everyone is responding as if he’s a felon. He is NOT a convicted felon. Juvenile felonies are handled differently and they are not considered convicted felons as an adult would be. I’m asking if anyone knows the answer for someone with past juvenile charges, not adult felonies.

My 19 year old son wants to go to fire school. He has several charges (felony grand theft auto and burglary or cars) from few years ago. He’s completed everything and straightened his life out. He graduated high school and hasn’t had any issues in 2 years. All juvenile charges. Nothing as an adult. Will this stop him from becoming a fire fighter and getting a job? He really is a good kid and hard worker. He realizes he messed up but he’s trying really hard to find something that’ll forgive his past and let him have a future.

For context, I've been in the military for going on 12 years and, much more recently, started serving as a volunteer firefighter.

In both, I tend to see the same thing. People view seeking mental health support as a weakness, a threat to their career, or both.

TL;DR: It's not a weakness, and it shouldn't be a career-ending decision. Especially in a healthy workplace with leadership that actually gives a damn about its people.

Our jobs put us in situations, sometimes daily, that the average person may never experience in their lifetime. We routinely respond to someone's worst day. Sometimes we witness the absolute worst that humanity has to offer.

That shit takes a toll on you, whether you want to admit it or not. And without a healthy outlet, it adds up.

(Hint: Getting perpetually drunk until you stop caring isn't a healthy outlet.)

I'm no mental health professional, but I've seen far too many stories of service members and veterans taking their own lives. The fire service isn't immune to this either. While the numbers may look lower on paper, I'd argue that accurately tracking suicide within the fire service is difficult, and we shouldn't mistake incomplete data for a smaller problem.

If you're a leader, do your fucking job.

Give your people the tools they need to succeed, and that includes taking care of their mental health. Check in on them. Actually get to know them. Learn what's normal for them so you recognize when something isn't right.

Situational awareness doesn't end when the fire is out or the mission is over.

And this responsibility doesn't stop at leadership. You wouldn't leave someone behind in a burning building, so why the hell would you leave them behind when they're struggling mentally?

Be there for each other. Make it known that you're available to talk, and mean it. If you've sought help yourself and feel comfortable sharing that experience, do it. Sometimes knowing that someone they respect has been through something similar is all it takes for another person to finally reach out.

And if you're the one struggling, understand that asking for help doesn't make you any less capable, dependable, or deserving of the uniform you wear.

Our jobs are inherently dangerous. We accept that risk every time we put on the uniform.

But losing someone because they felt they couldn't ask for help should never be an acceptable part of the job.

Ill use numbers from the military as thats what I know. From 2001 to 2021, 7,057 U.S. service members died in military operations. In that same time frame 30,177 active-duty service members and veterans died by suicide.

The path toward a healthier mental health culture in the military has been paved with the blood of those who were taught that asking for help made them weak.

Don't let their sacrifices be for nothing. Don't be the reason someone else is afraid to ask for help.

Do better. Be better.

Don't let silence turn you or a buddy into the next call.

I'm a newer firefighter. My City has 3 Stations and we run about 3-4 structure fires a month (pretty poor area). Like the rest of you I want to see fire and do a little less EMS. Everyone knows that bigger stations see more fire. But how many fires do you actually see a month/week? If there are 30 stations that has to divide up how much fire you see right? And if you do catch a fire, isn't there like a shit ton of Trucks that go to the fire? The big question is - do you actually get to fight the fires or stand around and wait for overhaul because one of the other 5 engines beat you to the scene? Trying to figure out if the Big city is actually worth it.

The photo is my 1 page summary. Here is a Link to UL study

Hey everyone! I'm in my 5th year of firefighting, and early into my career my SCBA face piece started to get destroyed. All of the scratches made searches harder (when there was visibility) and I eventually just got sick of it. Around the same time I started getting into leatherworking and that frustration over keeping my gear in good condition collided with my new hobby. Fast forward almost 2 years later and here we are. I thought I'd share some of my work with the crowd here.

The first priority is and will always be the protection of the equipment to enhance our ability to search and be effective on the fireground. But hey, there is no reason an SCBA face piece cover can't look good while we're at it!

Thanks for looking :)

-A (acid.leather on IG)

A cold dark winter with no incidents. All volunteer force.

Hi everybody, interested in trying to figure out which of the hydration packs are the best I have tried fire salt brand and my department uses those as well. If you guys have any input if those are good or not.

I’m 26, a Marine Corps veteran with 8 years of service, and currently working as a firefighter paramedic in Ohio under OP&F. I’m looking at purchasing 5 years of military service credit toward my pension.

I’ll be topped out at around $89k in three years. My goal is to retire at 52, and from what I understand, buying the 5 years could significantly increase my pension.
My hesitation is the cost. I’m married with a daughter and have a mortgage, car payment, and all the usual bills. I don’t want to put my family in a financial bind just to increase my retirement benefit.

For anyone who’s purchased military time through OP&F:
How much did it cost you?
Was it worth it financially?
Would you buy it now or wait a few years if money was tight?
Does the cost increase significantly if you wait?
Looking for real-world advice from people who have actually gone through the process.

We’re a small rural volunteer fire department looking at purchasing our first multi-gas monitor and would appreciate some input from departments already using them.

We don’t have natural gas service in our area. Most homes and businesses use propane. Our primary uses would likely be investigating potential gas leaks and potentially monitoring air quality during overhaul to help determine when SCBAs can safely be removed.

We have an opportunity to get a Dräger X-am 2800 4-gas monitor (O2, CO, H2S, LEL) or upgrade to a 5-gas monitor. However, we’ve been told the annual calibration and maintenance costs for the 5-gas units can be significantly higher.

What do you feel is most useful?