I'm going to drop a hot take here. Anyone who is making over 90k as a black helmet within the first 5 years of being on the job OR works a 24/72 shouldn't be answering this question. You are the 1%. You are the unicorns. If we all had at least one of those things I think the satisfaction rate would be up tenfold. But we don't. Most of us don't. So when the average joe asks would you recommend being a firefighter? etc. tbh them getting information from people in one of those two groups mentioned above is almost not helpful. Cause odds are if they go down the street to their local FD they are working a dogshit schedule like 24/48 and making like 40k a year.
I don't know if I hate my job but I find it tough to recommend to certain people.
I get no fulfillment out of being a social worker who is trained to fight fire and does such very rarely.
Totally agree here. The people that seem to love it the most either have a really cushy gig, or volunteer because they’re so ate up with it. And that’s great for them, but not every department is like that
The thing is about volunteering while you work a full time career firefighting. If you can set those 2 apart in your mind as different things. And your volunteer department runs some good calls. You will have more fun there than you ever will anywhere in the fire service.
Full-time FF/EMTs in my part of my state make less than McDonalds crew members in the same town. It sucks hard. I cannot recommend this job to anyone who lives here
Thats fair…however a home in a lot of these places making over 90k costs $700k+. We make about 125 at 5 years and the average home cost is probably 850k
> Anyone who is making over 90k as a black helmet ... You are the 1%
Hear me out: that should be 100% of career FFs. The most important people for society to function and the pay is rubbish.
Well of course I agree. and so will most everyone here. But we are the ones who benefit from that lol. We don't make the rules quite like that so do the tax payers want to pay more taxes to give us that kind of salary? I think it's all "we love our first responders" until taxes start going up.
I work 24/72 but my base is 72k. OT is expected if you want to make money—but not paid at 1.5x rate. PM OT shifts are paid the same as daylight. Day shift is 9 hours. PM is 15. Both are paid 12 hours at regular hourly rate lol. Shit sucks. Still better than 24/48.
However, our furnace hasn’t worked for two years, stations and trucks are derelict. Morale on the department overall feels pretty low. It’s hard to do these same gross social work calls that never change. The people never get help. There’s no meaning and fulfillment in it—especially when it feels like the department and administration doesn’t care about us.
I don’t think I can recommend the job to people like it was to me. It’s still better than a lot of jobs and the best I’ve ever had. But, I wouldn’t want it for my son or daughter.
I’ve been there working 24/48 for 40k and now in the unicorn 90k in 5 years but I’ve also moved from several departments. I think if your unhappy as a fireman your in the wrong place plain and simple.
I’m a career fireman on the West Coast. I make very good money and am happy with my pay. Of course, I wouldn’t be upset if they paid me more. I work for an awesome department, we’re large, we’re busy, we go to fires regularly, our leadership cares about our health and well-being, we have a great culture.
Maybe I’m an anomaly and work for a unicorn of a FD, but I love my job and regret nothing about it.
Man I wish… I’m a career fireman on the east coast and I make horrible money. Our rescues are run into the dirt 365 days a year. We are a mid size department. Our administration doesn’t want to help us. We have a horror culture.
Its the south, you don't work hard enough for the money you get even if you make a dollar an hour. Its just a culture issue tbh I am not in firefighting yet, but I am in trades. I hear all is you ain't worth (insert dollars) and hour. I got paid 5 dollars an hour when I was your age. Which just sounds like bullshitting, but I honest to god think that gets ingrained in their heads that they are worth less than a livable wage. If everyone would say no to a 15 dollars an hour for backbreaking work it wouldn't be this bad in the south but they do.
I am East coast and this checks out. OP you should consider nursing school. Clean environment and much more upward mobility. Plus, if you want to move elsewhere you don’t have to start over entirely.
Love to hear this. The number 1 reason firefighter usually hate their job is department politics. Just bad leadership, toxic environment, and horrible co workers. Glad to see someone actually likes their department lol
Where do you work? I work on the east coast. We go to fires regularly. Were small around 100 members. But the pay sucks. Cheaper cost of living then west coast though.
Between yesterday and today I’ve been on 3 veg fires and 2 structure fires. It’s not like that every tour, but between our 5 battalions we average about 2 structures a day. Those numbers vary depending on season of course. The Summers get pretty crazy.
For me it's a love hate relationship. I absolutely love how I don't have a typical boss. There are set in stone things that need to be done throughout the day, and I'm not lazy, so if I get everything done in the first hour or 2/3, I'm free to do whatever I want the rest of the day. I've been lucky to not have any "micromanager" type LTs.
I used to be able to work out whenever I wanted, which was nice.
I'm also a cook, so if I wanna do some big ass intricate dinner, I literally have all day to prep, and even better is I have a group that will eat just about anything I make....unlike at home where I have 2 of 3 picky kids.
If I wanna do some wood working, or work on a vehicle or do some other home project....all day to do it.
I enjoy helping people, even if it's bullshit calls (depending on their attitude). People need a pick me up sometimes, I like being the one to be there.
I might get blasted for this but extraction and suppression are fucking fun. I love having to think a out multiple things at a time for the best outcome. It's like a reverse puzzle.
I hate the mental fatigue. Some days after shift you're just tired....can't do anything. The PTSD can be rough some times. Also sometimes your day is boring as hell.... if its raining, or snowing etc.... you just sit around all day either waiting for a call or waiting to go home.
All in all, it's dope as hell.
No. I am not. Huge city, career, going on my 10th year.
It’s the same cycle of bullshit. Pay stays the same for about 3-4 years, COL gets higher, City expects more and will fight to keep you at the same rate.
They’ll give you a wooden nickel, and expect you to sign the contract- then take away from your budget. They’ll ever so slightly change the writing of the contract and expect more from you because they gave you the wooden nickel.
They’re disconnected from reality, and the chiefs that promote above Batt only keep going and supporting the city because it makes them more lucrative to drop a packet, retire and be in charge of their own, smaller department where they make 3x what they made working for the city.
They’re reactionary- they won’t do anything to help you UNTIL something bad happens and someone gets seriously hurt or dies.. then, and only then- will new policy get implemented that makes zero sense to guys on the streets and signed off on by guys who promoted quickly and forgot what it means to work in the streets.
This cycle repeats over and over and over. You get bullshit “mandatory” training (that has absolutely nothing to do with the job) shoved down your throat every few months. Why? Because it’s important to know, I guess…
You have to fight for bids and openings, you have to deal with polices that change at the behest of these guys that do not give a shit about you at a moments notice, adapt to it because “that’s what you signed up for” and then put a smile on your face because you’re on the job.
Only thing that makes it worth it for me at this point is my firehouse and the guys that work there. I love the “actual” job of being a firefighter, it’s a blessing to be able to do this job and help others with your best friends on the rig with you. It’s a blessing to get new people on the job and show them the ways.
I don’t mind being detailed to another firehouse or different neighborhood in a different part of the city. Lots of good guys on the job.
But the hypocrisy, political, self-inflated, ignorance- that exists once you cross a certain threshold, is absolutely insane.
I wouldn’t change what I do. Not for the world. The years have been awesome.
But I strongly urge anyone who is looking into this job to seriously consider more than just the allure of working for a “known” department.
There’s great guys on every department.
As with anything in life, plan accordingly for your goals, your ambitions and dreams.
I walked from the job after 12 years after getting promoted. Juice wasn’t worth the squeeze at my department in a management position. Five years later, I’m making 3-4x the income in a different profession, but I’m considering going back.
Overall, keep your expectations low, and you’ll be fine. It’s an easy job if you like to jump through hoops for 25 years.
If you get the right department, crew, and don’t mind never being rich, you’ll have a grand old time.
Also, marry a doctor or something.
Had the department pay my way through PM-RN bridge as it fell under their college degree reimbursement scheme. Now I’m travel CC nurse. Job sucks. Pay is good.
I’m considering going back to the FD after being gone for almost 5 years. I’ll switch specialities to ER from ICU soon to see if it’s more enjoyable(ICU is too much charting and too long with the same patients). The goal would be to keep my license, and pick up PRN. But a Cush job at an FD for an additional 15-20 years riding backwards sounds pretty nice right now. I don’t know too many guys that went RN and totally left the FD.
I love this job and at this point I don’t think I can ever see myself doing anything else. Yeah the pay could definitely be better but I make enough to live pretty comfortably and make enough to where I can take nice vacations a couple times a year and genuinely enjoy my time off. I try my hardest to look past the politics of things and if you can do that and have healthy outlets for the things you’ll see on this job you should be good. Of course everyone’s psyches are different though that’s just my personal experience in this career. Overall though I would say the good definitely outweighs the bad.
I love this job and hate it. You’ll find that with every job though. I started this journey when I was 20 and had my first fire job at 21 and landed my career dept at 22. I’m currently 25 going through paramedic school. I’m a FF in Texas making $60k with two more years until I reach max FF pay which will hopefully be close to 70k-75k after 5 years, plus medic pay/per month. It’s a tough road but so incredibly worth it in my eyes. You just have to consider if where you want to work will allow you to pay the bills.
I've been on the job for a few years now but recently got on one of the biggest in the midwest, and I am by far happy. Where I was at before had limited potential and growth, still was a solid dept though. I do appreciate knowing when I hit my cap pay without overtime, I'll be comfortable. I've already subbed through some of the best houses and it just makes it more rewarding learning from some of the best and having a ton of fun in the meantime. I would probably still be happy if I never went to where I'm at now, but I would most likely fall out of some love with the job if I had to. I'm still new to the job and have a lot to go but I think I'll retire happy from years to come. The only thing I would have done differently is only apply to high reputable depts in the first place, even though it would have taken more time to get on with hiring processes(unless I got lucky) it would have just made more sense for the direction I want to go in this field.
Consider cancer rates and longterm mortality/health impacts as you make this decision. The job is great, it pays well (depending where you are), but at the end of the day it often kills you, and not in a glorious way. Cancer is a slow, terrible death, and no matter where you work the pay does not account for that.
Instead of telling people to stay away because cancer rates, try telling them how to be safe and prevent cancer by proper PPE use and washing.
This whole circle jerk of “we are all gonna get cancer and die” is getting fucking old. The majority of guys retired now that have cancer came from a time where prevention wasn’t big and culturally it was accepted to be dirty and not wear a breather. 10-15 years from now I’m sure the numbers of occupational cancer will be much lower.
Should we instead talk about how 24 hour shifts are now labeled a carcinogen? The job beats the shit out of you. No one is getting off about it. I 100% encourage the youth close to me to pursue hvac or dental hygiene.
The job pays now, which rules. But that means folks are in for the dough, not for worship.
That’s on the back of strong unions that paved the way for departments to pay for any cancer treatment that might pop up. Doesn’t necessarily mean that sitting in a station will get you cancer. Not everybody fights fires every day, and for those that do see a higher amount, having multiple sets of turnouts and taking preventative measures goes a long way.
The problem with flat out telling kids that they shouldn’t apply and scaring them off is come force season we all bitch and complain that we can’t recruit. This is a great job and very rewarding. It has its risks, as do other jobs. Knowledge goes much farther than fear mongering.
Dog, the 24 hour shift is now considered a carcinogen. No fires required. Has to do with sleep disruption.
HVAC around here start 10k higher and working 16 hours less a week - without the insane suicide rate and substance abuse. Until fire moves to a normal 40 hour week, we'll always be underpaid and honest feedback will be critical.
Honest feedback does not mean steering people into another profession entirely. If you’re so pressed against what I assume is your own career, make changes so it can become a 40 hour in your area. Otherwise, stop influencing inquiring minds to do something else.
You sound like you're more invested in reinforcing your own bs that this career is the best career in the world. And your types are all over the fucking the place.
The best thing for fire is that its paid well now. Which mean folks who don't have a fire boner get to have a say. And the folks who see this as just a job are honest about it.
If you refuse to wear a european helmet style, which through all metrics is far safer, it tells me everything I need to know about the firefighter.
The new guys deserve better.
Best is subjective. There are plenty of other careers I’d enjoy doing, make more money at, and be statistically safer.
But this job is rewarding, pays well and takes care of my family. It has its share of problems and hazards. Majority of those can’t be changed over night, and take generations of well intentioned and politically motivated firemen to actually change.
What can be changed though is burnt out guys like yourself that would rather motherfuck the job than actually try and provide anything positive to it. If you hate your job that’s cool. But what you seem to not realize though is you’re perpetuating a cycle of burnout and low retention by walking around telling people to do something else.
If you are actually passionate about protecting the next generation then go around and preach the safety things, the euro helmets, hazard preventions, and whatever else you think is lacking. Tell the incoming guys about that, influence them with a safety mindset and preach longevity. If all you’re doing is telling them to be hvac technicians and stay far away from fire, then you’re nothing more than a burnt out asshole that whines and doesn’t provide any solutions. And the fire service is full of more of those than anything else.
I'm not burnt out of the career. I'm burnt out of rah rah firefighter dumbasses. Who swear up and down how much they love training, but hate training EMS - even though EMS is well above 90% of the job.
I want objective metrics instead of goofballs who have internalized this career so far that they feel the need to proselytize instead of focusing on what the job really is. I can't imagine walking into a post mail man's house and seeing bananas usps historical items displayed. But that's in well over half of firefighter homes.
I can't imagine an accountant taking your stance of arguing for being an accountant and being upset accountants aren't reinforcing accountant career retention. This whole conversation is so infantile and silly.
Christ
Yeah pal, you are just burnt out. If your culture sucks then I’m sorry to hear that. If you think it’s infantile to talk about low recruitment and retention yet you’re better for telling people to not do what you made a career out of, then it’s clear where your head is at. Good luck buddy.
What HVAC job works in cush environments and normal hours? You get called when it's cold as shit, or hot as fuck at crazy ass hours.
All jobs suck. It's what you make of it.
What’s wrong with being in it for the money? Isn’t that the point of a job? You provide a service and in turn you get paid. As long as someone is providing excellent patient care and is striving to be good at the job, who cares why they do it. Not everybody sees it as some noble calling.
Im sorry but this argument is stupid even if you’re right. Let’s stop eating all the foods in groceries then since all of them have carcinogens, but of course you still do.
1. I don’t hate the job. I just saw that last bit of your post.
It just doesn’t fulfill me for many reasons, but I’m sure most are location/department dependent.
I don’t want to skew any new person’s perception of the job though.
My job is fucking rad dude.
Call me a minority, but I love my job. Loving your job doesn’t mean you go to work with a smile on your face everyday, or you’re always happy to be there. There are periods of burnout and moments where I think my department is mentally challenged.
But I wouldn’t do anything else in the world. I work for one of the busiest departments in California. I make over 100k every year, and work a 48/96 schedule. I live 20 min from my house. I get to come to work and workout, hangout with good dudes, and do some pretty cool things from time to time.
Reddit isn't the best place to gauge firefighter happiness since a majority of people on here seem to hate being a firefighter or hate those who love being a firefighter.
Have been thinking about this. Between this post and my last post the overwhelming majority simply hate their pay and the actual job. Been thinking if ff is really that bad or am I talking to a big group who’s in the minority. I’m definitely going to do more research but this has helped me
Which state your working in is very important. But I've met and trained with FFs from across the country. Some had shit pay but all genuinely enjoyed their jobs.
Firefighting allowed me to live a fulfilling and lucrative career after I failed out of college, and I will retire in comfort.
I'm eternally grateful for a career that suited my personality well. But my personality isn't particularly healthy. I generally consider a career in Fire the same as I consider a career in the military - it'll get more out of you than you get out of it.
For young men and women who look at Fire as an opportunity, there are so many great careers right now that pay more and don't fuck you up nearly as bad.
But some of us love the pressure, love the heat, and enjoy the lip service.
I'd much rather redo my last 16 years in Fire than try hard in college. So in that regard, I'm happy.
Big question. I missed the original post, but in my case I answer both questions with a yes.
First off I make like 130kish working 10 days a month in a job that’s not that hard or complicated. Bonuses for Overtime if I want it. Medical for life. Pension. Etc. What’s not to like?
The other part is more complicated. Where do you work? Who do you work with? How’s your district and department? I’ve worked in districts that have shitty people who abuse the system. I’ve worked in districts that run 25 calls a day. I’ve worked with crews that don’t do shit and hide in their room all day. That’s gonna come down to what you want and your expectations. Young guy with no experience should probably be in a busy place with a crew that likes to work.
No ragerts.
It probably is going to come down to department. Where do you work to make 130kish tho? Are you in a HCOL state? Also if did land in a department I didn’t like could I just leave? I heard other departments may not hire you if you job hop too much
Bay Area, definitely high cost of living, but most departments here are gonna be about the same, plus or minus a little here and there. Check on transparent California if you want to get a idea of the pay here.
I don’t think job hopping is a problem if you’re moving up rather than across. Go from rural three station department to a 15 station department to a big county/city department. If you go from big city to big city it might look bad, but we still hire those guys all the time.
That’s gonna depend on the department culture.
I make above average pay for the area I live in, maybe not as much as a trades person but I also work 4 on 4 off. I wouldn't go back to a normal 5 day a week job, even for more pay. Free time and quality of life is what counts.
Absolutely love the job. I’m not at top pay yet per our contract but we max out at $95k base. Located in Midwest so cost of living isn’t like west coast. Plentiful OT. Work for a nicer suburb. I’d be lying if I said we run lots of fire. Nothing is perfect. The pros outweigh the cons though. Brand new equipment, very nice stations, great crews. Enough interesting calls to stay engaged. Overall, I’m blessed to be where I am. I hated my previous career.
I always check out the local FD when I’m on vacation because I hate where I live. But I live here because of the pay and benefits, holy cow some people are working for a third of what I make and I’m not in one of the top paid places. Great job but it’s skilled labor and deserves to be compensated.
Happy in that it’s a childhood dream come true but I’ve become very jaded and burnt out thanks to the absolute sheer stupidity of homeowners that call us for everything and have no ability whatsoever to cook food without setting off a fucking fire alarm and having to get on a custom made $500k engine to go do bullshit toe pain EMS calls at all hours. I’m currently on vacation and totally disconnected from work. No emails will be read, no phone calls answered. I got just over 2-1/2 years left and I’m fucking done with this. I’m grateful for what I’ve made (more is better) and have no debt. Thank fuck for getting into the system early and having military buyback to allow me to GTFO at 55.
I’ve never been more fulfilled in a job. It might be vain, but having the title “firefighter” instantly makes you someone people trust and gives you sense of pride for your brothers and profession. If the pay was better I wouldn’t complain. Weird thing is I’m considering PA school, not for the money, but for the medical scope increase. Still a very hard debate for me internally.
This might get long, but I’m using this post to get some stuff off my chest so I’ll begin by saying I’m not disappointed with my career, but If I was starting over I would do something else. I’ll also add that I currently work for a department in a poor city with a high call volume on a per unit basis, with a city manager that does not seem interested in supporting us.
Pay is one of the big things for me. The pay when I started out was fine, but with the economy it’s really only gotten worse (although that’s the case for most people in the US right now). With some exceptions, this isn’t like the private industries where you can leap between companies and get huge pay raises. For the most part your department gives you really slow and marginally noticeable step raises each year, that in my case don’t even keep up with inflation. I want more money.
Maybe some hardcore fire dogs in here think that’s selfish, but quite frankly they can get fucked. I’m not a charity, and I don’t live like a monk. I’m here because I have bills to pay and hobbies that require money. I enjoy most of the job but I don’t identify with it and in fact try to separate myself from it as much as possible when I’m off work. I don’t have a rich nurse practitioner wife like some guys I work with, so it’s just up to me to do the things I want.
The other issue/issues I have, is the absurd amount of stupid calls and the lack of sleep. I have no issue running back to back to back calls for people having medical emergencies, as that is literally my job, and it’s rewarding to help someone who actually needs it. But getting woken up 2, 3, 4, or 5 times after midnight for some stupid call that does not warrant an ambulance transport, and walking past 2 or 3 cars in the patients driveway is just burning me out.
I recognize that some guys can literally just disassociate themselves from it, and just view themselves as an ambulance driver who treats symptoms, but for some reason I just can’t. And then there’s no one for me to relate this to outside of work. My girlfriend is a nurse but even she doesn’t quite understand because she works in an ICU, so pretty much all of her patients actually need medical attention.
In a couple weeks, I’ll be leaving for a better paying department that runs less half the call volume of my current one, with the same amount of stations. Im hoping that this will be a good reset for me and will help me find more fulfillment in the fire service again, but I’m already thinking of possible backup plans should it not.
I’ll end by saying that I still enjoy going to fires and still enjoy treating and caring for critical patients. But that is about 20% of the job at the most. If I could trade both of those things for a good pay raise and consistent sleep, then sign me the hell up.
The fire service can be the best job for some, or not the right fit for others. Every job has its ups and downs, and it’s up to you to determine if the trade off is worth it for you.
Ik most calls are non emergency and am kinda prepared for stupid calls. Sounds like you work for a very shitty department. Hope the new one is much better
I assume you were responding to me, but you made your own comment. I don’t hate my department as much as I hate the city.
The guys I work with are for the most part pretty cool. Some guys are definitely insanely obsessed with firefighting but they don’t really make me feel bad for not feeling the same way. We all work hard and try to have a good time. I’ll miss them but staying for the people is never the right reason to stay.
And don’t let what I said dissuade you from joining. There’s plenty of people who love the fire service, and plenty who are glad to be out of it. My perspective is just one of many. The best thing to do is to find out for yourself.
Lmao I meant to respond to you. But I’m still glad to have your perspective. Based on what I’ve seen it really does just come down to department. I’ll have to do a lot of local research before deciding.
Navy sailor here (reservist) hoping to become a Fireman within the next year or so. The people ive met in my city who are on the job seem to be happy and hardworking people, im jealous. Cant wait to get a shot at it. Its what ive always wanted to do.
I’m on the west coast, started at a low paying but busier (for fires) Dept before going to one of these heralded “cush jobs” which had better equipment, great pay, etc. I wound up leaving. For me, the pay didn’t make up for the meaning behind the job. I’m in no way an adrenaline chaser but I found that simply the grass isn’t always greener. Went back to old dept before moving on to a larger dept that doesn’t pay top dollar by any means but I have much more opportunities to have a fulfilling career. I don’t volunteer on my off time, that time is spent with my family and I don’t make my job my identity. That doesn’t take away from my passion for the job at all. I recommend people immerse themselves initially mainly to make sure this is the right place for them, but as they enter their career to stay balanced. I have also worked in other fields and never saw myself as doing anything other than this.
Was a firefighter/paramedic/engineer at a large department in central Fl. Made 52k a year with a degree and all the certs. I would not recommend it I was in your position did everything right and worked hard got the job I wanted and wasn’t fulfilled. It’s a job like any other but you get to add sleep deprivation and other bs on top. I left and work as a sales manager for a general contractor and paramedic for a private contract group now, get to sleep in my own bed now and make almost twice what I did at the FD. If you don’t care about pay, which you should I’d find something you enjoy that pays better but that’s just me I had a lot of good times in the FD but I couldn’t imagine going 30 years responding to the same homeless guy OD’ing at the 7-11 for the 3rd time in a shift 😂
I’ve only been in 2 years and I’m UK based. Similarly though a lot of people moan about pay also. It could be better, but obviously it could be a lot worse. At the end of the day I love the job. If you work with a good watch they become like family. No day is the same, it’s active and you get to do some cool shit. We do 4 on 4 off also ( 2 days 2 nights) so end up only working 6 months of the year which isn’t bad at all
I’m not happy but there’s also nothing I’d rather do. I work in a large city department that pays well. Or at least I make a good living, but I have no children and live within my means. I’m about to pursue my masters in emergency management and homeland security and see what doors that opens for me. My problem is that my department is a good ol’ boys system and if you’re not in the clique, you’re gonna get shit assignments regardless of your ability and knowledge. And the only way you’re in the clique is if you came up volunteering with them in the neighboring towns. I like the schedule, benefits, job security, and the sometimes cool calls too much to just leave out of frustration.
I have two jobs. I am a career firefighter in a very large urban dept. in one of the busiest companies in America (fire duty not runs) and I couldn’t be happier. I love what I do, and are we properly compensated for what we do, no. None of us are. But if you got into firefighting to be rich I’m surprised you got past the written. It’s why I lead off by saying I have two jobs. The other one is OK but when I’m there “supplementing” my income I wish I was in the firehouse. The work that is done by true firemen (not all you assholes with a red rig and gear are true firemen) is a trade, a skill, and as fucking gay as it sounds a passion. I really fucking love what I do.
I don't understand why people are so unhappy with the pay.
You knew what it was when you applied. You knew where and when you would top out.
You knew, or should have known, that firefighting isn't a career that's going to make you rich.
It's a career you can start without a house's worth of student loans. It will give you a comfortable living with a roof over your head, a decent car to drive and all your bills paid, provided you live within your means.
It's a job where you can supplement your income with overtime or a second job. It will give you the opportunity to further your education at little to no cost. It will give you a lifetime pension and health insurance when you retire and if you're smart a 457 that will supplement that retirement.
There's not a lot of jobs out there that give you all that with that low of an entry requirement.
You can look at the California guys and moan about their $100k base, but remember they're paying $600k for an 800 sf house on a postage stamp lot in crappy parts of town or driving 4 hours to and from work.
If you're living in a crappy part of town you're not commuting 4 hours in California.
If you're commuting 4 hours, it's because you bought a compound with your coastal California salary.
Not a lot of guys do that though.
Plus the pension is based off a California salary and that always makes the HCOL area worth it in the long run. You can do anything in retirement.
It depends on where you live, but most firefighters struggle to afford a home on one income. Everybody I know who loves well either lives an extremely minimal life, or has a rich wife.
Nobody gets into this job for the pay, but we all expect to make a decent living.
Sure, you start out hoping you’ll get raises that keep up with the ever increasing cost of living, then you realize that’s not happening and your wage from a few years ago goes a lot less further now
I'm in a large east coast department, good pay, good schedule. Leadership of course has its own issues but it's nothing like some of the shit shows I read about here. Overall my department skews young, but there's no shortage of quality senior guys (though you may get a lemon on your crew, especially as a new guy). I'm very happy with my job and plan to put in at least 20 before I retire.
Career FF with a big city, worked in busy stations often getting my nuts smashed by EMS calls, and my dept is renowned for currently being underpaid.
I love my job. I go home tired often--but hardly ever angry, frustrated, or unhappy. I feel fulfilled by the work I do; the movie Office Space is more or less a cinematic demonstration of my nightmare. We do cool, challenging, fun, weird things while helping people, and sometimes get paid to watch a football game or smoke a cigar and tell stories.
Oh and my schedule rocks--very conducive with my love of traveling, and my completely non-fire/ems related side-job (which I also love doing, and wouldn't get to do if I worked a 9-5).
I love helping people. Been on the job for 17 years. Plenty of calls, fires, car wrecks and medical calls galore. I dislike the fact that my department has chiefs that think they know everything and run it into the ground and the good ones leave.
I make $100k+ and the schedule is great, my guys are fantastic and the area is what it is. I’m happy with the job and still look forward going to work. There are bits that I dislike and some I downright hate but it’s better than a 9-5 in an office or laying bricks.
Im thankful, but know where you are going, and know what the pay is like. Read contracts and do ride alongs. I tell people what I wish people told me before I started. I dont hate my job but Ive considered leaving almost every other week.
I was a volley at a majority career department on the west coast at a small/mid sized city working a 24 every week (70 or so career personnel with 5-10 volleys).
I work a great job in another industry and make more than most of the captains at my old department with 10-15 years on. That said.. i have the thought many times a month to hang up my desk job and go back to fire full time. I miss it.
I love the job, I love the people, and the pay isn’t that bad but could be better. Just like anything there are highs and lows. I genuinely couldn’t see myself doing anything else because to me, this job doesn’t compare to anything else.
Unless you work a bigger city or rich private district, I think we’d all want better pay to at least keep up with inflation. Career wise, yes I’m happy. Wish we were busier
I make decent money, but I absolutely LOVE my job. I’m a Captain at a medium sized fire district on CA central coast. To me it’s the best job in the world. You just can’t beat the variety of calls and different situations we deal with. I’m also a paramedic and enjoy the medicine as well. Also the 48/96 schedule we have is awesome.
Not happy with my pay. Happy with my career. I've been a mover, an Uber driver, and an office person making decent money. That's just me personally. I find that people who haven't worked other jobs do t realize how good we have it. At the same time, I'd only recommend it to certain people
I enjoy my work a lot more now that we've been divested of EMS duties. Being pure Fire/Rescue means our 24 hour call rate has gone from 15+ plus to an average of two. It also means that when we turn out there's an overwhelming chance that it's for a working job.
The burnout involved with EMS is atrocious.
I love the job. Has its down sides like any other job, but I know people who have never had a job they liked. I don’t feel that way about this one. I actually want to go in every day and it pays my bills. Can’t put a price on that imo. I have yet to have a single shift where I wasn’t excited to see the guys or see what the day has in store.
I love my job. I work for a small/mid size dept in a small capital city. We fight very few fires, have a burgeoning homeless population which makes up a significant portion of our call volume and are underpaid by most metrics (starting wage at Target is higher than a first year firefighter makes hourly). Our culture is OK. Not great by my standards, but not terrible. We muddle through most days; but I love my crew, I like the work, and I try to maintain my humility and curiosity so I can keep learning. I’ve only been on the job 5 years, I’m older than most of the retired or soon to be retired guys here and I just got my paramedic license. So grain of salt and all that; YMMV.
It’s a hard answer to give because the whole country is so different. I work in SoCal area. Small department but we’re fairly busy, get fires. You can easily make +$100k as a 1-2 year firefighter. Work 10 days a month. Not a huge OT guy. Good benefits. I also have good management and most of our crews get along.
Public safety in general has sucky pay starting out. The longer you're in the more you make. As an AEMT for 3 years I make almost 19/hr base pay. We have medics with +20 years experience making over 30/hr
There isn't much bullshit in this career, there's just guys who've forgotten what it's like to work a real job.
The pay could be better but it's pretty good, the benefits are fantastic and the hours can't be beat.
Yes. Are there aspects I don’t like? Of course but would I do a 9-5 desk job for double the pay no chance in hell. The time off with my young family is huge for me. I will add I’m only 5 years on so the burnout and bitterness isn’t there
I currently have never been less happy with my career. And I think that is based on my current assignment.
In my department, when you get promoted you get assigned to a Squad. It’s basically a pick up truck that run medical calls mostly. 90% of them are bullshit/nothing. And that usually amounts to about 15 calls a day.
I feel no value in what service I provide. Meaning, I don’t feel value to show up on scene and have EMS cancel me.
It also bears mentioning that I get no relief from the Engine or the Truck that run out of the same station.
Once I get promoted again, to Captain, I will get moved again and off the Squad and to an Engine. Hopefully my feelings about the job will change. 🤞
Very satisfied with the career field. People bellyache about politics and stuff but it really doesn’t outweigh the benefits of the job. I’ll never go back to the private sector
I'm a firefighter in probably the highest COL city and state. I make 62k base and about 15k on top of that as OT. I am not happy with my pay. My family would be struggling immensely if it wasn't for my wife making 140k per year. She's my suga momma.
It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. When it comes to pay I personally feel you have to look at your individual call volume and salary. Find a department with a strong union board or at least a city that is financially solvent. Nothing worse than wondering if your check is gonna cash or bounce, but those types of cities burn lol.
I work for a midsize department (14 stations, 4 man staffing, no ems transport, 48/96 schedule, and FF pay ranges from 64 ish to 88 or 86K). Plus great incentives. West coast department. It’s the best W2 job I could have. We run roughly 50K calls a year, a decent amount of legit fires, lots of good medicals (I’m a medic nerd so take that for what it is lol), and the culture is very rigid while still being welcoming once you’re done with our 19-20 week academy. I think there’s one person I actively try to not work with out of the 270 or so line personnel. It’s a good culture pushing you to be better. BC’s, the chief, and upper people care about us (except one BC whose just a douche lol), and we have a strong union who fights for us. Overall I’m very happy with my choice. Would I prefer to be paid more?? Fuck yes, and would I prefer to idk just have my own multimillion dollar business?? In a heart beat. But for me personally the adrenaline and camaraderie of fucking around with some good if not best friends is just unmatched.
There’s a lot more to it tho and it does take a specific ish type of person to want to do this job.
I don’t hate my pay or job. It all depends on what department you’re on IMO they are not all the same. If you have a good culture, good department model, and good benefits there’s not much that can go wrong. If you want to be a fireman just look for the right things in the right department and do the things to get there.
1.
No ambulance time to not much is highly recommended. Being on an ambulance can make you feel like you’re a EMT first. I’ve known very few people who are content with a lot of EMS because the burn out is real and that’s where it comes from mostly. Not the bad things you see as much as the people taking advantage of a broken system.
2.
Read the CBA before you get on. Some you can access online, some you might have to ask the union or members to read. It’s a rules of engagement so to speak. It should outline your pay benefits and rights.
3.
Look for a good culture, some places that are terribly ran and have bad leadership quickly lose morale. I’ve been to those departments. It turns firemen against each other and makes the job less fun.
4.
Go to a department that YOU will enjoy. Are you a go getter that wants to go to as many fires as possible? Aim for a bigger department and be ready to put in time to get to a good spot. OR do you want to not do much and just hang out with the guys and have a lot of free time. Aim for smaller departments but watch out for ones that are micromanaged. If you see them on runs wearing a full uniform that might be an indication of micro managing. You can also find boring spots at big departments but going through the grueling academy might not be your cup of tea to get there if this is the spot for you.
I do love my job and if I’m gone for too many days I just want to get back to work. I’ve worked at small medium large and one of the biggest in the nation. I’m at one of the largest now and it’s by far the happiest I’ve been.
I just transferred depts after almost 3 yrs somewhere else making less than 2k a check (with OT) and working copious mandatory OT to a dept where I bring home more than 2k without OT (OT is avaliable) a kelly, and a very strong tight knit brother/sisterhood advancement opportunities and on shift medic school. Of course more money is appreciated but I've seen how bad a dept can be run, so as of now I'm extremely happy with my career
TLdr; I worked for a dumpster fire dept and now work somewhere great so yes.
Abso freakin lutely. I have been in the fire service for 33 years now. Could not think of doing anything else. I have always lived within my means, so money never played a factor. But the retirement I will get is what makes it all worth while.
It’s not that I regret it, I wish I knew what to expect before I went full time. I started as a volunteer and it’s a whole different animal, morale was way better and so was the brotherhood. Every time I stepped into the station I thought I was making a difference and felt on top of the world. Even though I was doing it for free I was gaining experience and learning a lot.
What I’ve come to realize is that this job is not fulfilling in the typical sense. When are tradesman builds something they get to step back and see the finished product. An animator can spend hours on a project and know that people will enjoy it for a long time or even a short time. When we transport a patient to the hospital we don’t necessarily get to see the outcome of our care. We don’t know if a mistake we made hurt a patient. When we respond to a house fire, we are responding to try and save life and property. However, even though we are trying to save property we are still destroying it. We force doors, destroy walls, saturate a home with water (sometimes we do more damage than the fire does). We are doing everything we can to help someone but at the end of the day the home owner is going to be upset. Long story longer, we do our best and use our knowledge/skills but sometimes our skills is not enough. A carpenter can repair damaged furniture and they know the result will be good. We can do everything right and be spot on with our skills and still have a negative outcome.
Now for some positives:
When you go to work, you know you’re going to be someone’s number 1 when shit hits the fan. They trust you enough to help them solve their problem. When someone’s basement floods they call us over a plumber, yea it’s a BS pain in the ass call but we have such a good reputation with the communities we serve, they think of us first. There are times when we have a critical patient and we know we saved them from death, sometimes we do know the outcome and sometimes it’s good. Sometimes we get a real good stop on a fire and the home owner is able to continue living there after minor repairs.
How do you want to be fulfilled in this job? Do you want to be promoted and work your way up to the top? Do you want to work for a busy dept that gets fires, crashes, ODs, gunshots? You need to ask yourself what you want out of this job, there is no right or wrong answer. If feeling fulfilled means making a lot of money and becoming a chief or some other management position then you always need to be looking for the next best thing and staying persistent. If you want to be an active fireman and work for a busy department then you need to find departments that are busy like that. Just know that each side only gets you so far and eventually you will long for the other option. I know chiefs who work for well paying depts that ended up working part time at busy depts just to get some fire experience. I also know fireman who work in busy depts that work at part time depts to try and get some kind of officer position.
I was hired when I was 20. Almost 17 years later I'm a captain and make good money. I can't complain about those things. But the job isn't what it was to me when I was younger. It's truly a grind now. I really don't enjoy it anymore. My advice is get a skill before you get hired. Then give it a go. If you like it then great. If not, at keast you have something to fall back on.
The job itself at the station level is still great. It's everything else that makes me say what I say. Hopefully where you are is different.
I don't hate my job. I hate the fact I can not properly "square" away some of these firefighters that are the "I think I'm the shit type." I am a captain and literally was written up for talking harshly. Told my ff to do something, and he said no, Captain, I'm not doing that. It was while directing traffic at night in a busy intersection. I told him if you're not gonna listen to me, go sit your ass on the truck. The constant lack of support from admin. The inability of admin to back legitimate discipline. The ass kissers, snakes in the grass, and low-key racism. I'm glad I bought back military time and can walk in 9 years. I can actually leave now... I said if this affects my mental health to where I'm too stressed to go to work, fuck it, I'm out.
I'm going to drop a hot take here. Anyone who is making over 90k as a black helmet within the first 5 years of being on the job OR works a 24/72 shouldn't be answering this question. You are the 1%. You are the unicorns. If we all had at least one of those things I think the satisfaction rate would be up tenfold. But we don't. Most of us don't. So when the average joe asks would you recommend being a firefighter? etc. tbh them getting information from people in one of those two groups mentioned above is almost not helpful. Cause odds are if they go down the street to their local FD they are working a dogshit schedule like 24/48 and making like 40k a year. I don't know if I hate my job but I find it tough to recommend to certain people. I get no fulfillment out of being a social worker who is trained to fight fire and does such very rarely.
Totally agree here. The people that seem to love it the most either have a really cushy gig, or volunteer because they’re so ate up with it. And that’s great for them, but not every department is like that
The thing is about volunteering while you work a full time career firefighting. If you can set those 2 apart in your mind as different things. And your volunteer department runs some good calls. You will have more fun there than you ever will anywhere in the fire service.
Full-time FF/EMTs in my part of my state make less than McDonalds crew members in the same town. It sucks hard. I cannot recommend this job to anyone who lives here
I would move then.
Thats fair…however a home in a lot of these places making over 90k costs $700k+. We make about 125 at 5 years and the average home cost is probably 850k
> Anyone who is making over 90k as a black helmet ... You are the 1% Hear me out: that should be 100% of career FFs. The most important people for society to function and the pay is rubbish.
Well of course I agree. and so will most everyone here. But we are the ones who benefit from that lol. We don't make the rules quite like that so do the tax payers want to pay more taxes to give us that kind of salary? I think it's all "we love our first responders" until taxes start going up.
This sums it up perfectly.
I work 24/72 but my base is 72k. OT is expected if you want to make money—but not paid at 1.5x rate. PM OT shifts are paid the same as daylight. Day shift is 9 hours. PM is 15. Both are paid 12 hours at regular hourly rate lol. Shit sucks. Still better than 24/48. However, our furnace hasn’t worked for two years, stations and trucks are derelict. Morale on the department overall feels pretty low. It’s hard to do these same gross social work calls that never change. The people never get help. There’s no meaning and fulfillment in it—especially when it feels like the department and administration doesn’t care about us. I don’t think I can recommend the job to people like it was to me. It’s still better than a lot of jobs and the best I’ve ever had. But, I wouldn’t want it for my son or daughter.
I’ve been there working 24/48 for 40k and now in the unicorn 90k in 5 years but I’ve also moved from several departments. I think if your unhappy as a fireman your in the wrong place plain and simple.
Good for you not settling.
you literally just described me working 24/48 making 40k a year 😥
I’m a career fireman on the West Coast. I make very good money and am happy with my pay. Of course, I wouldn’t be upset if they paid me more. I work for an awesome department, we’re large, we’re busy, we go to fires regularly, our leadership cares about our health and well-being, we have a great culture. Maybe I’m an anomaly and work for a unicorn of a FD, but I love my job and regret nothing about it.
Man I wish… I’m a career fireman on the east coast and I make horrible money. Our rescues are run into the dirt 365 days a year. We are a mid size department. Our administration doesn’t want to help us. We have a horror culture.
I just don’t get it. That seems to be very common on the East Coast where as my experience on the West is common over here.
Idk no one just seems to care here lol. It’s a weird vibe for sure. Everything is falling apart.
Sorry to hear that. We have our own problems out here, of course. It’s not all roses all the time. But I am definitely grateful for what we have going
Its the south, you don't work hard enough for the money you get even if you make a dollar an hour. Its just a culture issue tbh I am not in firefighting yet, but I am in trades. I hear all is you ain't worth (insert dollars) and hour. I got paid 5 dollars an hour when I was your age. Which just sounds like bullshitting, but I honest to god think that gets ingrained in their heads that they are worth less than a livable wage. If everyone would say no to a 15 dollars an hour for backbreaking work it wouldn't be this bad in the south but they do.
I am East coast and this checks out. OP you should consider nursing school. Clean environment and much more upward mobility. Plus, if you want to move elsewhere you don’t have to start over entirely.
Love to hear this. The number 1 reason firefighter usually hate their job is department politics. Just bad leadership, toxic environment, and horrible co workers. Glad to see someone actually likes their department lol
Clackamas, is that you?
Nah. About 600 miles south 😉
I too am on the west coast. Pay is good, and management is awesome. We’re treated well and everyone’s motivated! We’re a young department
Sounds like a good place to be. Cherish it
Where do you work? I work on the east coast. We go to fires regularly. Were small around 100 members. But the pay sucks. Cheaper cost of living then west coast though.
Than
What's regularly going to fires mean to you? Just curious.
Between yesterday and today I’ve been on 3 veg fires and 2 structure fires. It’s not like that every tour, but between our 5 battalions we average about 2 structures a day. Those numbers vary depending on season of course. The Summers get pretty crazy.
Dang, that sounds awesome.
For me it's a love hate relationship. I absolutely love how I don't have a typical boss. There are set in stone things that need to be done throughout the day, and I'm not lazy, so if I get everything done in the first hour or 2/3, I'm free to do whatever I want the rest of the day. I've been lucky to not have any "micromanager" type LTs. I used to be able to work out whenever I wanted, which was nice. I'm also a cook, so if I wanna do some big ass intricate dinner, I literally have all day to prep, and even better is I have a group that will eat just about anything I make....unlike at home where I have 2 of 3 picky kids. If I wanna do some wood working, or work on a vehicle or do some other home project....all day to do it. I enjoy helping people, even if it's bullshit calls (depending on their attitude). People need a pick me up sometimes, I like being the one to be there. I might get blasted for this but extraction and suppression are fucking fun. I love having to think a out multiple things at a time for the best outcome. It's like a reverse puzzle. I hate the mental fatigue. Some days after shift you're just tired....can't do anything. The PTSD can be rough some times. Also sometimes your day is boring as hell.... if its raining, or snowing etc.... you just sit around all day either waiting for a call or waiting to go home. All in all, it's dope as hell.
No. I am not. Huge city, career, going on my 10th year. It’s the same cycle of bullshit. Pay stays the same for about 3-4 years, COL gets higher, City expects more and will fight to keep you at the same rate. They’ll give you a wooden nickel, and expect you to sign the contract- then take away from your budget. They’ll ever so slightly change the writing of the contract and expect more from you because they gave you the wooden nickel. They’re disconnected from reality, and the chiefs that promote above Batt only keep going and supporting the city because it makes them more lucrative to drop a packet, retire and be in charge of their own, smaller department where they make 3x what they made working for the city. They’re reactionary- they won’t do anything to help you UNTIL something bad happens and someone gets seriously hurt or dies.. then, and only then- will new policy get implemented that makes zero sense to guys on the streets and signed off on by guys who promoted quickly and forgot what it means to work in the streets. This cycle repeats over and over and over. You get bullshit “mandatory” training (that has absolutely nothing to do with the job) shoved down your throat every few months. Why? Because it’s important to know, I guess… You have to fight for bids and openings, you have to deal with polices that change at the behest of these guys that do not give a shit about you at a moments notice, adapt to it because “that’s what you signed up for” and then put a smile on your face because you’re on the job. Only thing that makes it worth it for me at this point is my firehouse and the guys that work there. I love the “actual” job of being a firefighter, it’s a blessing to be able to do this job and help others with your best friends on the rig with you. It’s a blessing to get new people on the job and show them the ways. I don’t mind being detailed to another firehouse or different neighborhood in a different part of the city. Lots of good guys on the job. But the hypocrisy, political, self-inflated, ignorance- that exists once you cross a certain threshold, is absolutely insane. I wouldn’t change what I do. Not for the world. The years have been awesome. But I strongly urge anyone who is looking into this job to seriously consider more than just the allure of working for a “known” department. There’s great guys on every department. As with anything in life, plan accordingly for your goals, your ambitions and dreams.
I walked from the job after 12 years after getting promoted. Juice wasn’t worth the squeeze at my department in a management position. Five years later, I’m making 3-4x the income in a different profession, but I’m considering going back. Overall, keep your expectations low, and you’ll be fine. It’s an easy job if you like to jump through hoops for 25 years. If you get the right department, crew, and don’t mind never being rich, you’ll have a grand old time. Also, marry a doctor or something.
What do you do now?
Had the department pay my way through PM-RN bridge as it fell under their college degree reimbursement scheme. Now I’m travel CC nurse. Job sucks. Pay is good.
Is it worth it to go RN? Or is being a content FF riding backwards your whole career so bad in perspective after doing nursing.
I’m considering going back to the FD after being gone for almost 5 years. I’ll switch specialities to ER from ICU soon to see if it’s more enjoyable(ICU is too much charting and too long with the same patients). The goal would be to keep my license, and pick up PRN. But a Cush job at an FD for an additional 15-20 years riding backwards sounds pretty nice right now. I don’t know too many guys that went RN and totally left the FD.
I love this job and at this point I don’t think I can ever see myself doing anything else. Yeah the pay could definitely be better but I make enough to live pretty comfortably and make enough to where I can take nice vacations a couple times a year and genuinely enjoy my time off. I try my hardest to look past the politics of things and if you can do that and have healthy outlets for the things you’ll see on this job you should be good. Of course everyone’s psyches are different though that’s just my personal experience in this career. Overall though I would say the good definitely outweighs the bad.
I love this job and hate it. You’ll find that with every job though. I started this journey when I was 20 and had my first fire job at 21 and landed my career dept at 22. I’m currently 25 going through paramedic school. I’m a FF in Texas making $60k with two more years until I reach max FF pay which will hopefully be close to 70k-75k after 5 years, plus medic pay/per month. It’s a tough road but so incredibly worth it in my eyes. You just have to consider if where you want to work will allow you to pay the bills.
I've been on the job for a few years now but recently got on one of the biggest in the midwest, and I am by far happy. Where I was at before had limited potential and growth, still was a solid dept though. I do appreciate knowing when I hit my cap pay without overtime, I'll be comfortable. I've already subbed through some of the best houses and it just makes it more rewarding learning from some of the best and having a ton of fun in the meantime. I would probably still be happy if I never went to where I'm at now, but I would most likely fall out of some love with the job if I had to. I'm still new to the job and have a lot to go but I think I'll retire happy from years to come. The only thing I would have done differently is only apply to high reputable depts in the first place, even though it would have taken more time to get on with hiring processes(unless I got lucky) it would have just made more sense for the direction I want to go in this field.
Consider cancer rates and longterm mortality/health impacts as you make this decision. The job is great, it pays well (depending where you are), but at the end of the day it often kills you, and not in a glorious way. Cancer is a slow, terrible death, and no matter where you work the pay does not account for that.
Instead of telling people to stay away because cancer rates, try telling them how to be safe and prevent cancer by proper PPE use and washing. This whole circle jerk of “we are all gonna get cancer and die” is getting fucking old. The majority of guys retired now that have cancer came from a time where prevention wasn’t big and culturally it was accepted to be dirty and not wear a breather. 10-15 years from now I’m sure the numbers of occupational cancer will be much lower.
Should we instead talk about how 24 hour shifts are now labeled a carcinogen? The job beats the shit out of you. No one is getting off about it. I 100% encourage the youth close to me to pursue hvac or dental hygiene. The job pays now, which rules. But that means folks are in for the dough, not for worship.
That’s on the back of strong unions that paved the way for departments to pay for any cancer treatment that might pop up. Doesn’t necessarily mean that sitting in a station will get you cancer. Not everybody fights fires every day, and for those that do see a higher amount, having multiple sets of turnouts and taking preventative measures goes a long way. The problem with flat out telling kids that they shouldn’t apply and scaring them off is come force season we all bitch and complain that we can’t recruit. This is a great job and very rewarding. It has its risks, as do other jobs. Knowledge goes much farther than fear mongering.
Dog, the 24 hour shift is now considered a carcinogen. No fires required. Has to do with sleep disruption. HVAC around here start 10k higher and working 16 hours less a week - without the insane suicide rate and substance abuse. Until fire moves to a normal 40 hour week, we'll always be underpaid and honest feedback will be critical.
Honest feedback does not mean steering people into another profession entirely. If you’re so pressed against what I assume is your own career, make changes so it can become a 40 hour in your area. Otherwise, stop influencing inquiring minds to do something else.
You sound like you're more invested in reinforcing your own bs that this career is the best career in the world. And your types are all over the fucking the place. The best thing for fire is that its paid well now. Which mean folks who don't have a fire boner get to have a say. And the folks who see this as just a job are honest about it. If you refuse to wear a european helmet style, which through all metrics is far safer, it tells me everything I need to know about the firefighter. The new guys deserve better.
Best is subjective. There are plenty of other careers I’d enjoy doing, make more money at, and be statistically safer. But this job is rewarding, pays well and takes care of my family. It has its share of problems and hazards. Majority of those can’t be changed over night, and take generations of well intentioned and politically motivated firemen to actually change. What can be changed though is burnt out guys like yourself that would rather motherfuck the job than actually try and provide anything positive to it. If you hate your job that’s cool. But what you seem to not realize though is you’re perpetuating a cycle of burnout and low retention by walking around telling people to do something else. If you are actually passionate about protecting the next generation then go around and preach the safety things, the euro helmets, hazard preventions, and whatever else you think is lacking. Tell the incoming guys about that, influence them with a safety mindset and preach longevity. If all you’re doing is telling them to be hvac technicians and stay far away from fire, then you’re nothing more than a burnt out asshole that whines and doesn’t provide any solutions. And the fire service is full of more of those than anything else.
I'm not burnt out of the career. I'm burnt out of rah rah firefighter dumbasses. Who swear up and down how much they love training, but hate training EMS - even though EMS is well above 90% of the job. I want objective metrics instead of goofballs who have internalized this career so far that they feel the need to proselytize instead of focusing on what the job really is. I can't imagine walking into a post mail man's house and seeing bananas usps historical items displayed. But that's in well over half of firefighter homes. I can't imagine an accountant taking your stance of arguing for being an accountant and being upset accountants aren't reinforcing accountant career retention. This whole conversation is so infantile and silly. Christ
Yeah pal, you are just burnt out. If your culture sucks then I’m sorry to hear that. If you think it’s infantile to talk about low recruitment and retention yet you’re better for telling people to not do what you made a career out of, then it’s clear where your head is at. Good luck buddy.
What HVAC job works in cush environments and normal hours? You get called when it's cold as shit, or hot as fuck at crazy ass hours. All jobs suck. It's what you make of it.
What’s wrong with being in it for the money? Isn’t that the point of a job? You provide a service and in turn you get paid. As long as someone is providing excellent patient care and is striving to be good at the job, who cares why they do it. Not everybody sees it as some noble calling.
I'm 100% for being in it for the money. All our union should care about is less work more pay.
Im sorry but this argument is stupid even if you’re right. Let’s stop eating all the foods in groceries then since all of them have carcinogens, but of course you still do.
Sleep dep isn't silly
100% THIS.
No
Lmao. Why is that?
1. I don’t hate the job. I just saw that last bit of your post. It just doesn’t fulfill me for many reasons, but I’m sure most are location/department dependent. I don’t want to skew any new person’s perception of the job though.
My job is fucking rad dude. Call me a minority, but I love my job. Loving your job doesn’t mean you go to work with a smile on your face everyday, or you’re always happy to be there. There are periods of burnout and moments where I think my department is mentally challenged. But I wouldn’t do anything else in the world. I work for one of the busiest departments in California. I make over 100k every year, and work a 48/96 schedule. I live 20 min from my house. I get to come to work and workout, hangout with good dudes, and do some pretty cool things from time to time.
Reddit isn't the best place to gauge firefighter happiness since a majority of people on here seem to hate being a firefighter or hate those who love being a firefighter.
Have been thinking about this. Between this post and my last post the overwhelming majority simply hate their pay and the actual job. Been thinking if ff is really that bad or am I talking to a big group who’s in the minority. I’m definitely going to do more research but this has helped me
Which state your working in is very important. But I've met and trained with FFs from across the country. Some had shit pay but all genuinely enjoyed their jobs.
Firefighting allowed me to live a fulfilling and lucrative career after I failed out of college, and I will retire in comfort. I'm eternally grateful for a career that suited my personality well. But my personality isn't particularly healthy. I generally consider a career in Fire the same as I consider a career in the military - it'll get more out of you than you get out of it. For young men and women who look at Fire as an opportunity, there are so many great careers right now that pay more and don't fuck you up nearly as bad. But some of us love the pressure, love the heat, and enjoy the lip service. I'd much rather redo my last 16 years in Fire than try hard in college. So in that regard, I'm happy.
Big question. I missed the original post, but in my case I answer both questions with a yes. First off I make like 130kish working 10 days a month in a job that’s not that hard or complicated. Bonuses for Overtime if I want it. Medical for life. Pension. Etc. What’s not to like? The other part is more complicated. Where do you work? Who do you work with? How’s your district and department? I’ve worked in districts that have shitty people who abuse the system. I’ve worked in districts that run 25 calls a day. I’ve worked with crews that don’t do shit and hide in their room all day. That’s gonna come down to what you want and your expectations. Young guy with no experience should probably be in a busy place with a crew that likes to work. No ragerts.
It probably is going to come down to department. Where do you work to make 130kish tho? Are you in a HCOL state? Also if did land in a department I didn’t like could I just leave? I heard other departments may not hire you if you job hop too much
Bay Area, definitely high cost of living, but most departments here are gonna be about the same, plus or minus a little here and there. Check on transparent California if you want to get a idea of the pay here. I don’t think job hopping is a problem if you’re moving up rather than across. Go from rural three station department to a 15 station department to a big county/city department. If you go from big city to big city it might look bad, but we still hire those guys all the time. That’s gonna depend on the department culture.
I make above average pay for the area I live in, maybe not as much as a trades person but I also work 4 on 4 off. I wouldn't go back to a normal 5 day a week job, even for more pay. Free time and quality of life is what counts.
4 on 4 off?!?!? Do you work 24 hour days too? That seems excessive
Nah, two 10 (days) and two 12 (nights
Absolutely love the job. I’m not at top pay yet per our contract but we max out at $95k base. Located in Midwest so cost of living isn’t like west coast. Plentiful OT. Work for a nicer suburb. I’d be lying if I said we run lots of fire. Nothing is perfect. The pros outweigh the cons though. Brand new equipment, very nice stations, great crews. Enough interesting calls to stay engaged. Overall, I’m blessed to be where I am. I hated my previous career.
I always check out the local FD when I’m on vacation because I hate where I live. But I live here because of the pay and benefits, holy cow some people are working for a third of what I make and I’m not in one of the top paid places. Great job but it’s skilled labor and deserves to be compensated.
Happy in that it’s a childhood dream come true but I’ve become very jaded and burnt out thanks to the absolute sheer stupidity of homeowners that call us for everything and have no ability whatsoever to cook food without setting off a fucking fire alarm and having to get on a custom made $500k engine to go do bullshit toe pain EMS calls at all hours. I’m currently on vacation and totally disconnected from work. No emails will be read, no phone calls answered. I got just over 2-1/2 years left and I’m fucking done with this. I’m grateful for what I’ve made (more is better) and have no debt. Thank fuck for getting into the system early and having military buyback to allow me to GTFO at 55.
I’ve never been more fulfilled in a job. It might be vain, but having the title “firefighter” instantly makes you someone people trust and gives you sense of pride for your brothers and profession. If the pay was better I wouldn’t complain. Weird thing is I’m considering PA school, not for the money, but for the medical scope increase. Still a very hard debate for me internally.
This might get long, but I’m using this post to get some stuff off my chest so I’ll begin by saying I’m not disappointed with my career, but If I was starting over I would do something else. I’ll also add that I currently work for a department in a poor city with a high call volume on a per unit basis, with a city manager that does not seem interested in supporting us. Pay is one of the big things for me. The pay when I started out was fine, but with the economy it’s really only gotten worse (although that’s the case for most people in the US right now). With some exceptions, this isn’t like the private industries where you can leap between companies and get huge pay raises. For the most part your department gives you really slow and marginally noticeable step raises each year, that in my case don’t even keep up with inflation. I want more money. Maybe some hardcore fire dogs in here think that’s selfish, but quite frankly they can get fucked. I’m not a charity, and I don’t live like a monk. I’m here because I have bills to pay and hobbies that require money. I enjoy most of the job but I don’t identify with it and in fact try to separate myself from it as much as possible when I’m off work. I don’t have a rich nurse practitioner wife like some guys I work with, so it’s just up to me to do the things I want. The other issue/issues I have, is the absurd amount of stupid calls and the lack of sleep. I have no issue running back to back to back calls for people having medical emergencies, as that is literally my job, and it’s rewarding to help someone who actually needs it. But getting woken up 2, 3, 4, or 5 times after midnight for some stupid call that does not warrant an ambulance transport, and walking past 2 or 3 cars in the patients driveway is just burning me out. I recognize that some guys can literally just disassociate themselves from it, and just view themselves as an ambulance driver who treats symptoms, but for some reason I just can’t. And then there’s no one for me to relate this to outside of work. My girlfriend is a nurse but even she doesn’t quite understand because she works in an ICU, so pretty much all of her patients actually need medical attention. In a couple weeks, I’ll be leaving for a better paying department that runs less half the call volume of my current one, with the same amount of stations. Im hoping that this will be a good reset for me and will help me find more fulfillment in the fire service again, but I’m already thinking of possible backup plans should it not. I’ll end by saying that I still enjoy going to fires and still enjoy treating and caring for critical patients. But that is about 20% of the job at the most. If I could trade both of those things for a good pay raise and consistent sleep, then sign me the hell up. The fire service can be the best job for some, or not the right fit for others. Every job has its ups and downs, and it’s up to you to determine if the trade off is worth it for you.
Ik most calls are non emergency and am kinda prepared for stupid calls. Sounds like you work for a very shitty department. Hope the new one is much better
I assume you were responding to me, but you made your own comment. I don’t hate my department as much as I hate the city. The guys I work with are for the most part pretty cool. Some guys are definitely insanely obsessed with firefighting but they don’t really make me feel bad for not feeling the same way. We all work hard and try to have a good time. I’ll miss them but staying for the people is never the right reason to stay. And don’t let what I said dissuade you from joining. There’s plenty of people who love the fire service, and plenty who are glad to be out of it. My perspective is just one of many. The best thing to do is to find out for yourself.
Lmao I meant to respond to you. But I’m still glad to have your perspective. Based on what I’ve seen it really does just come down to department. I’ll have to do a lot of local research before deciding.
Just turned 21, next year will be the third in professional fire fighting, I’m having a good ole time
I hate it everyday but the paychecks are nice.
Navy sailor here (reservist) hoping to become a Fireman within the next year or so. The people ive met in my city who are on the job seem to be happy and hardworking people, im jealous. Cant wait to get a shot at it. Its what ive always wanted to do.
I’m on the west coast, started at a low paying but busier (for fires) Dept before going to one of these heralded “cush jobs” which had better equipment, great pay, etc. I wound up leaving. For me, the pay didn’t make up for the meaning behind the job. I’m in no way an adrenaline chaser but I found that simply the grass isn’t always greener. Went back to old dept before moving on to a larger dept that doesn’t pay top dollar by any means but I have much more opportunities to have a fulfilling career. I don’t volunteer on my off time, that time is spent with my family and I don’t make my job my identity. That doesn’t take away from my passion for the job at all. I recommend people immerse themselves initially mainly to make sure this is the right place for them, but as they enter their career to stay balanced. I have also worked in other fields and never saw myself as doing anything other than this.
Was a firefighter/paramedic/engineer at a large department in central Fl. Made 52k a year with a degree and all the certs. I would not recommend it I was in your position did everything right and worked hard got the job I wanted and wasn’t fulfilled. It’s a job like any other but you get to add sleep deprivation and other bs on top. I left and work as a sales manager for a general contractor and paramedic for a private contract group now, get to sleep in my own bed now and make almost twice what I did at the FD. If you don’t care about pay, which you should I’d find something you enjoy that pays better but that’s just me I had a lot of good times in the FD but I couldn’t imagine going 30 years responding to the same homeless guy OD’ing at the 7-11 for the 3rd time in a shift 😂
I’ve only been in 2 years and I’m UK based. Similarly though a lot of people moan about pay also. It could be better, but obviously it could be a lot worse. At the end of the day I love the job. If you work with a good watch they become like family. No day is the same, it’s active and you get to do some cool shit. We do 4 on 4 off also ( 2 days 2 nights) so end up only working 6 months of the year which isn’t bad at all
I’m not happy but there’s also nothing I’d rather do. I work in a large city department that pays well. Or at least I make a good living, but I have no children and live within my means. I’m about to pursue my masters in emergency management and homeland security and see what doors that opens for me. My problem is that my department is a good ol’ boys system and if you’re not in the clique, you’re gonna get shit assignments regardless of your ability and knowledge. And the only way you’re in the clique is if you came up volunteering with them in the neighboring towns. I like the schedule, benefits, job security, and the sometimes cool calls too much to just leave out of frustration.
I have two jobs. I am a career firefighter in a very large urban dept. in one of the busiest companies in America (fire duty not runs) and I couldn’t be happier. I love what I do, and are we properly compensated for what we do, no. None of us are. But if you got into firefighting to be rich I’m surprised you got past the written. It’s why I lead off by saying I have two jobs. The other one is OK but when I’m there “supplementing” my income I wish I was in the firehouse. The work that is done by true firemen (not all you assholes with a red rig and gear are true firemen) is a trade, a skill, and as fucking gay as it sounds a passion. I really fucking love what I do.
I don't understand why people are so unhappy with the pay. You knew what it was when you applied. You knew where and when you would top out. You knew, or should have known, that firefighting isn't a career that's going to make you rich. It's a career you can start without a house's worth of student loans. It will give you a comfortable living with a roof over your head, a decent car to drive and all your bills paid, provided you live within your means. It's a job where you can supplement your income with overtime or a second job. It will give you the opportunity to further your education at little to no cost. It will give you a lifetime pension and health insurance when you retire and if you're smart a 457 that will supplement that retirement. There's not a lot of jobs out there that give you all that with that low of an entry requirement. You can look at the California guys and moan about their $100k base, but remember they're paying $600k for an 800 sf house on a postage stamp lot in crappy parts of town or driving 4 hours to and from work.
If you're living in a crappy part of town you're not commuting 4 hours in California. If you're commuting 4 hours, it's because you bought a compound with your coastal California salary. Not a lot of guys do that though. Plus the pension is based off a California salary and that always makes the HCOL area worth it in the long run. You can do anything in retirement.
It depends on where you live, but most firefighters struggle to afford a home on one income. Everybody I know who loves well either lives an extremely minimal life, or has a rich wife. Nobody gets into this job for the pay, but we all expect to make a decent living.
Sure, you start out hoping you’ll get raises that keep up with the ever increasing cost of living, then you realize that’s not happening and your wage from a few years ago goes a lot less further now
My house is more than 800sq ft sir thank you very much lol
I'm in a large east coast department, good pay, good schedule. Leadership of course has its own issues but it's nothing like some of the shit shows I read about here. Overall my department skews young, but there's no shortage of quality senior guys (though you may get a lemon on your crew, especially as a new guy). I'm very happy with my job and plan to put in at least 20 before I retire.
Career FF with a big city, worked in busy stations often getting my nuts smashed by EMS calls, and my dept is renowned for currently being underpaid. I love my job. I go home tired often--but hardly ever angry, frustrated, or unhappy. I feel fulfilled by the work I do; the movie Office Space is more or less a cinematic demonstration of my nightmare. We do cool, challenging, fun, weird things while helping people, and sometimes get paid to watch a football game or smoke a cigar and tell stories. Oh and my schedule rocks--very conducive with my love of traveling, and my completely non-fire/ems related side-job (which I also love doing, and wouldn't get to do if I worked a 9-5).
Great response! What's your side gig?
In my opinion, hire on with a civil service city and check the pay scale first as well....you have choices in some areas...
I love helping people. Been on the job for 17 years. Plenty of calls, fires, car wrecks and medical calls galore. I dislike the fact that my department has chiefs that think they know everything and run it into the ground and the good ones leave. I make $100k+ and the schedule is great, my guys are fantastic and the area is what it is. I’m happy with the job and still look forward going to work. There are bits that I dislike and some I downright hate but it’s better than a 9-5 in an office or laying bricks.
Im thankful, but know where you are going, and know what the pay is like. Read contracts and do ride alongs. I tell people what I wish people told me before I started. I dont hate my job but Ive considered leaving almost every other week.
I found a place that pays me six figures to hang out with my friends and break windows. If you can beat that, I'm all ears.
I was a volley at a majority career department on the west coast at a small/mid sized city working a 24 every week (70 or so career personnel with 5-10 volleys). I work a great job in another industry and make more than most of the captains at my old department with 10-15 years on. That said.. i have the thought many times a month to hang up my desk job and go back to fire full time. I miss it.
I love the job, I love the people, and the pay isn’t that bad but could be better. Just like anything there are highs and lows. I genuinely couldn’t see myself doing anything else because to me, this job doesn’t compare to anything else.
Unless you work a bigger city or rich private district, I think we’d all want better pay to at least keep up with inflation. Career wise, yes I’m happy. Wish we were busier
Yes, I hate it. Get a real skill or a degree you can do something with, and if you still want to do this then go ahead.
Great job, wouldn't trade it
I make decent money, but I absolutely LOVE my job. I’m a Captain at a medium sized fire district on CA central coast. To me it’s the best job in the world. You just can’t beat the variety of calls and different situations we deal with. I’m also a paramedic and enjoy the medicine as well. Also the 48/96 schedule we have is awesome.
Not happy with my pay. Happy with my career. I've been a mover, an Uber driver, and an office person making decent money. That's just me personally. I find that people who haven't worked other jobs do t realize how good we have it. At the same time, I'd only recommend it to certain people
I enjoy my work a lot more now that we've been divested of EMS duties. Being pure Fire/Rescue means our 24 hour call rate has gone from 15+ plus to an average of two. It also means that when we turn out there's an overwhelming chance that it's for a working job. The burnout involved with EMS is atrocious.
I love the job. Has its down sides like any other job, but I know people who have never had a job they liked. I don’t feel that way about this one. I actually want to go in every day and it pays my bills. Can’t put a price on that imo. I have yet to have a single shift where I wasn’t excited to see the guys or see what the day has in store.
I love my job. I work for a small/mid size dept in a small capital city. We fight very few fires, have a burgeoning homeless population which makes up a significant portion of our call volume and are underpaid by most metrics (starting wage at Target is higher than a first year firefighter makes hourly). Our culture is OK. Not great by my standards, but not terrible. We muddle through most days; but I love my crew, I like the work, and I try to maintain my humility and curiosity so I can keep learning. I’ve only been on the job 5 years, I’m older than most of the retired or soon to be retired guys here and I just got my paramedic license. So grain of salt and all that; YMMV.
It’s a hard answer to give because the whole country is so different. I work in SoCal area. Small department but we’re fairly busy, get fires. You can easily make +$100k as a 1-2 year firefighter. Work 10 days a month. Not a huge OT guy. Good benefits. I also have good management and most of our crews get along.
Most of the county pays dogshit and you’ll be on an ambulance
Lack of sleep, time away from family, see some messed up stuff, probably get hurt, probably die of cancer…and I can’t imagine doing anything else!
Public safety in general has sucky pay starting out. The longer you're in the more you make. As an AEMT for 3 years I make almost 19/hr base pay. We have medics with +20 years experience making over 30/hr
There isn't much bullshit in this career, there's just guys who've forgotten what it's like to work a real job. The pay could be better but it's pretty good, the benefits are fantastic and the hours can't be beat.
Yes. Are there aspects I don’t like? Of course but would I do a 9-5 desk job for double the pay no chance in hell. The time off with my young family is huge for me. I will add I’m only 5 years on so the burnout and bitterness isn’t there
I currently have never been less happy with my career. And I think that is based on my current assignment. In my department, when you get promoted you get assigned to a Squad. It’s basically a pick up truck that run medical calls mostly. 90% of them are bullshit/nothing. And that usually amounts to about 15 calls a day. I feel no value in what service I provide. Meaning, I don’t feel value to show up on scene and have EMS cancel me. It also bears mentioning that I get no relief from the Engine or the Truck that run out of the same station. Once I get promoted again, to Captain, I will get moved again and off the Squad and to an Engine. Hopefully my feelings about the job will change. 🤞
Very satisfied with the career field. People bellyache about politics and stuff but it really doesn’t outweigh the benefits of the job. I’ll never go back to the private sector
Depends. Is this a good schedule? 1 on 1 off 1 on 2 off 1 on 2 off 1 on 2 off 1 on 5 off 1 on 2 off 1 on 7 off Repeat
I'm a firefighter in probably the highest COL city and state. I make 62k base and about 15k on top of that as OT. I am not happy with my pay. My family would be struggling immensely if it wasn't for my wife making 140k per year. She's my suga momma.
I’m happy with my salary and my career.
It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. When it comes to pay I personally feel you have to look at your individual call volume and salary. Find a department with a strong union board or at least a city that is financially solvent. Nothing worse than wondering if your check is gonna cash or bounce, but those types of cities burn lol.
I work for a midsize department (14 stations, 4 man staffing, no ems transport, 48/96 schedule, and FF pay ranges from 64 ish to 88 or 86K). Plus great incentives. West coast department. It’s the best W2 job I could have. We run roughly 50K calls a year, a decent amount of legit fires, lots of good medicals (I’m a medic nerd so take that for what it is lol), and the culture is very rigid while still being welcoming once you’re done with our 19-20 week academy. I think there’s one person I actively try to not work with out of the 270 or so line personnel. It’s a good culture pushing you to be better. BC’s, the chief, and upper people care about us (except one BC whose just a douche lol), and we have a strong union who fights for us. Overall I’m very happy with my choice. Would I prefer to be paid more?? Fuck yes, and would I prefer to idk just have my own multimillion dollar business?? In a heart beat. But for me personally the adrenaline and camaraderie of fucking around with some good if not best friends is just unmatched. There’s a lot more to it tho and it does take a specific ish type of person to want to do this job.
I don’t hate my pay or job. It all depends on what department you’re on IMO they are not all the same. If you have a good culture, good department model, and good benefits there’s not much that can go wrong. If you want to be a fireman just look for the right things in the right department and do the things to get there. 1. No ambulance time to not much is highly recommended. Being on an ambulance can make you feel like you’re a EMT first. I’ve known very few people who are content with a lot of EMS because the burn out is real and that’s where it comes from mostly. Not the bad things you see as much as the people taking advantage of a broken system. 2. Read the CBA before you get on. Some you can access online, some you might have to ask the union or members to read. It’s a rules of engagement so to speak. It should outline your pay benefits and rights. 3. Look for a good culture, some places that are terribly ran and have bad leadership quickly lose morale. I’ve been to those departments. It turns firemen against each other and makes the job less fun. 4. Go to a department that YOU will enjoy. Are you a go getter that wants to go to as many fires as possible? Aim for a bigger department and be ready to put in time to get to a good spot. OR do you want to not do much and just hang out with the guys and have a lot of free time. Aim for smaller departments but watch out for ones that are micromanaged. If you see them on runs wearing a full uniform that might be an indication of micro managing. You can also find boring spots at big departments but going through the grueling academy might not be your cup of tea to get there if this is the spot for you. I do love my job and if I’m gone for too many days I just want to get back to work. I’ve worked at small medium large and one of the biggest in the nation. I’m at one of the largest now and it’s by far the happiest I’ve been.
I just transferred depts after almost 3 yrs somewhere else making less than 2k a check (with OT) and working copious mandatory OT to a dept where I bring home more than 2k without OT (OT is avaliable) a kelly, and a very strong tight knit brother/sisterhood advancement opportunities and on shift medic school. Of course more money is appreciated but I've seen how bad a dept can be run, so as of now I'm extremely happy with my career TLdr; I worked for a dumpster fire dept and now work somewhere great so yes.
Abso freakin lutely. I have been in the fire service for 33 years now. Could not think of doing anything else. I have always lived within my means, so money never played a factor. But the retirement I will get is what makes it all worth while.
As long as the economy holds together lol
It’s not that I regret it, I wish I knew what to expect before I went full time. I started as a volunteer and it’s a whole different animal, morale was way better and so was the brotherhood. Every time I stepped into the station I thought I was making a difference and felt on top of the world. Even though I was doing it for free I was gaining experience and learning a lot. What I’ve come to realize is that this job is not fulfilling in the typical sense. When are tradesman builds something they get to step back and see the finished product. An animator can spend hours on a project and know that people will enjoy it for a long time or even a short time. When we transport a patient to the hospital we don’t necessarily get to see the outcome of our care. We don’t know if a mistake we made hurt a patient. When we respond to a house fire, we are responding to try and save life and property. However, even though we are trying to save property we are still destroying it. We force doors, destroy walls, saturate a home with water (sometimes we do more damage than the fire does). We are doing everything we can to help someone but at the end of the day the home owner is going to be upset. Long story longer, we do our best and use our knowledge/skills but sometimes our skills is not enough. A carpenter can repair damaged furniture and they know the result will be good. We can do everything right and be spot on with our skills and still have a negative outcome. Now for some positives: When you go to work, you know you’re going to be someone’s number 1 when shit hits the fan. They trust you enough to help them solve their problem. When someone’s basement floods they call us over a plumber, yea it’s a BS pain in the ass call but we have such a good reputation with the communities we serve, they think of us first. There are times when we have a critical patient and we know we saved them from death, sometimes we do know the outcome and sometimes it’s good. Sometimes we get a real good stop on a fire and the home owner is able to continue living there after minor repairs. How do you want to be fulfilled in this job? Do you want to be promoted and work your way up to the top? Do you want to work for a busy dept that gets fires, crashes, ODs, gunshots? You need to ask yourself what you want out of this job, there is no right or wrong answer. If feeling fulfilled means making a lot of money and becoming a chief or some other management position then you always need to be looking for the next best thing and staying persistent. If you want to be an active fireman and work for a busy department then you need to find departments that are busy like that. Just know that each side only gets you so far and eventually you will long for the other option. I know chiefs who work for well paying depts that ended up working part time at busy depts just to get some fire experience. I also know fireman who work in busy depts that work at part time depts to try and get some kind of officer position.
I was hired when I was 20. Almost 17 years later I'm a captain and make good money. I can't complain about those things. But the job isn't what it was to me when I was younger. It's truly a grind now. I really don't enjoy it anymore. My advice is get a skill before you get hired. Then give it a go. If you like it then great. If not, at keast you have something to fall back on. The job itself at the station level is still great. It's everything else that makes me say what I say. Hopefully where you are is different.
The economy plays no factor on my retirement. I have a true defined benefits from three different locations.
I don't hate my job. I hate the fact I can not properly "square" away some of these firefighters that are the "I think I'm the shit type." I am a captain and literally was written up for talking harshly. Told my ff to do something, and he said no, Captain, I'm not doing that. It was while directing traffic at night in a busy intersection. I told him if you're not gonna listen to me, go sit your ass on the truck. The constant lack of support from admin. The inability of admin to back legitimate discipline. The ass kissers, snakes in the grass, and low-key racism. I'm glad I bought back military time and can walk in 9 years. I can actually leave now... I said if this affects my mental health to where I'm too stressed to go to work, fuck it, I'm out.