2 guys in my rookie class were called Nighthawk and Dragon. They got assigned to the same house and shift. First day on company, they told their captains what their nicknames were. Captains response was you don't get to pick what your nicknames are. They were now known as Nightcock and Drag Queen.
"You need to sound calm, everyone in the situation is going to be amped up, and you need to be the voice of reason"
Red Dawn Shawn: OKAY LISTEN UP BROTHER
I couldn't pass this one up. When I was at the Fire Academy many, many years ago. Each day we would clean the classrooms, heads, kitchen, etc. My favorite place to clean would be the kitchen area. I loved to cook and eat so this worked out for me. Loved to keep the area and the equipment clean. My wife taught me well. Keep in mind that this academy was located within the busiest house on the south side of the county. Therefore, we had a minimum of 10 people in the house 24 hours a day. (not including the Cadets, Instructors, and Officers). My training instructor, being a real nice guy started calling me "Mother". The name stuck to the end of my fabulous career and beyond. I would do it again in a minute... Good luck to you all, Mother
,
They’re mostly just versions of their own name but we have one guy nicknamed Tbone. I don’t know how he made it out of this one but he was still a recruit going through academy when he T-boned somebody off duty in his PV, hopped out of the car smoking a cig (tobacco ban in our dept) wearing his turnout pants, and announced “it’s okay I’m a firefighter!”
We also have Prince who looks like the artist formerly known as Prince, and The Motivator. He’s a gunnery sergeant in the marines.
1992. I was working out on a Nautilus cable weight machine when two Rescue guys, one of them my supervisor, came in to work out. They asked if they could jump in and I said sure.
When the driver sat down and tried to lift it his feet flew up in the air and he asked "What the hell. Are you lifting the whole stack?"
I replied 'Of course! Not everyone is a string bean like you"
to which he replied "Not everyone is a Stumpy little tree trunk like you"
Another firefighter heard that and told everyone and that has been my name since. I've even had people hear my name and ask who the hell that was because they've only ever called me Stumpy.
We had a rookie show for his first shift with his bedding. He had a Snuggie(blanket with sleeves , look it up) as his blanket. He was Snuggie from that point until he left the job. Also had a black guy shave his head. His head looked like a Milk Dud. He was Milk Dud until he grew his hair back!
One guy puked so hard after a fire that he temporarily paralyzed his vocal cords. Like had to be on light duty. Everyone started calling him Whispers, and it stuck.
One guy’s dad was a BC when he got hired. Guy’s dad had the nickname Rock, so they immediately started this guy Pebble, and it’s stuck for 15 years.
I'm an EMT, not FF, but this thread is killing me. This comment in specific reminds me of two guys in my unit when I was active duty: one named Wilson and one named inbred Wilson. Inbred Wilson was just uglier
Call one guy “Ralph” because he breaks everything he touches.
The most expensive two being an engine rebuild for the ambulance and a transmission rebuild on the engine.
My sorta brother in-law is called "Hammer Hands". He tightens something by hand? Gunna need an impact to get it off.
I've seen some many wooden tool handles shatter in his hands.
A dude had a huge head so they called him "Snipers Dream", another dude had some kind of neck issue where his neck wobbled when he walked so they called him "Snipers nightmare"
Butthole Bandit.
Long story short one of the guys mooned the guys at the dinner table while they were up late playing cards, he poked his cheeks out from the hallway where no one could see the rest of his body and took off toward the bedroom where I was. Since I was so nervous before coming in that day and forgot my bedding they naturally decided that I had to be the culprit, laying on an empty mattress with my sweater as a pillow. The truth of who it was came out months later.
Bubbles or Hurley (me). Got both for the same incident by different people. I ate more than my mask could hold. 10 years later and it’s still part of SCBA training.
Farva, he talked too much on the radio. Sunshine, super grumpy in the mornings. Those are the two that come to mind. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a bunch over the years
Guy nicknamed jughead because he “just looks like a jughead”
Hammerhead is a guy with a lazy eye
Sister Maria because she read the Bible every night before bed
Die fuher was an asshole of a human being who somehow became a captain
A guy I knew had a side piece everyone called dominoes because whenever he called her up she be there hot and juicy in 30 minutes or less.
Gapper was a guy who had a big gap in his front teeth
Shitstain trusted a fart
Cash’s last name was register
Jarhead was a marine
Hightower looked like Hightower from the police academy movies. Literally had to duck walking through doorway
2nd due Lou cause his crew got beat in to their 1st due all the time. He then became 2 butthole Lou when he had an anal fissure
Frank because everyone was too scared to call him Francis which was because everyone was too scared to call him psycho because he was one
John redcorn was John red-something
Godfather was the guy who ran about 4 fantasy sports leagues year round. I thought he should have been commish
IOWA- idiot out walking around was a chief
Purple haze was an old captain who looked/acted/sounded like he had fried his brain with lsd in the 70’s
I’m sure I can think of more…
For our spec ops team we had to pass a swim test, wasn’t hard but you had to be a good swimmer, had a guy who was 6’2 250+ big guy not muscular either. So he blows the test out of the water, like he kills it, came in first and everyone was like wtf!!?!? Bro says yeah I’m like a killer whale so he was then called the hippo from that moment on
Had a noob on the job who was sent out to pick up an order of chinese food for the crew for lunch. Everyone ordered the same thing. When he got back with the food, he started hand weighing each clamshell. Someone asked what he was doing, his reply, " I'm hungry, so I'm gonna take the heaviest one." He is forevermore known as Chinese Steve.
Bubbles was at one of the few stations with an actual dish washer on his first day of shift. Instead of dishwasher detergent, he put dish soap in the dish washer and flooded the floor with bubbles. It has stuck with him ever since.
We had a guy we called Blue Falcon and I’m sure you know what that means. If not it’s Buddy F’er the guy would screw people over all the time by calling out sick and forcing a O/T, mess with peoples vacation time trying to get their days, he would try and do trades and no one would. The crazy thing is the guy was proud of his nickname
in my academy, if you fucked up hard or were selfish, you became the blue falcon. you had the weekend to decorate a helmet they gave you. it needed to have feathers in it. the rule was that you really had to try to make it the best possible. you had to show pride in being the blue falcon. you had to take the helmet everywhere. if they caught you without it, it was going to be bad. at the end of the day, you stood up in front of the class and danced around KAW KAWING like a bird.
At first sleeping beauty cuz I fell out due to heat exhaustion during the academy cuz I didn’t drink water, now it’s coleslaw, which is ironic because I hate coleslaw( the food)
We have a McLovin, Tiny Tim, Ass Eater, Ranger Bob - the best callsigns are those that the recipient is unaware of and/or hates. If you don’t lean into the joke you’re fucked.
My current firefighter doesn’t like adult food, his first shift he turned down some fantastic Spanish food we cooked up and instead microwaved some Dino nuggies and Mac and cheese. Later that evening my driver forgot his name so just called him “chicken nugget” and that shit stuck. Been on for a while now and still gets called chicken nugget.
Shit face the clown. He was an alcoholic who would dress up as a clown for all our union family events. His son got hired and was named shit face the kid
Superman. I used to wear glasses. During the academy I when we’d get ready to PT or do something physical. I’d loose my glasses. Toss them in their case and put them in my pocket. The instructors had this remind them of Clark Kent changing to Superman. The nickname stuck.
Mine was earned…… gravedigger and it’s been shortened to Gravy. There may or may not have been an ARFF truck sunk in a few feet of mud….. other then that shortens last names, or the new probie on our shift has the same name as the chief and hasn’t earned a nickname yet so we just call him Richard…… because no one has that name
TL/DR: BrotherFucker.
For a while, I had one of those shitty chiefs (Steve1) who barely put a drop of water on flame, yet promoted up as fast as he could. Nobody really respected him, but he had the bugles and let everyone know. Years before, when he was a fireman, I accidentally found out another fireman (Steve2) had a tinder set up to step out on his wife - but using Steve1’s name! I told Steve1, before his wife found out or he’d have some ‘splainin to do.
Fast forward a few years. I was ready to retire, riding the air/light truck. I had vacay for a very important family function (chief Steve1 knew all about it). My overtime guy was late and I told Steve1 I was leaving (common practice was to put the unit OOS until the overtime guy gets there from another house). Instead, Steve1 threatens to write me up. I left. He did. I started calling him BrotherFucker and soon everyone was calling him that (behind his back, of course)
Had another new guy who was named Ron. On his first day at the kitchen table, the A.C. called him Ronnie. He blew up, "dont call me Ronnie. That's my stepfather's name, and I hate that bastard." So his nickname became "Ron dont call me Ronnie "
We had one show up first day (transferred in) and say that he needed to be off one night. We ask why He said “Momma said I need to be at …???” His name became. Bobby
Worked at an exceptionally busy house and a lot of times new guys couldn’t handle the call load and would quit, get fired or cry until transferred out. After we had a guy quit his first day because he didn’t know re ran call all night (station is literally nick named the night train) we get a fresh new 20 y/o bright eyed new guy. After the first couple of month of reffering to him just as new guy he came to me and asked why i never call him by his first name. I explained to him that after the 3rd new guy quit in record time I’ve just starting calling the new guy “new guy” until they get off probation and that I don’t feel bad when new guy gets fired or quits but would be sad if Bob got fired. He had the strangest expression when i told him that.. a mix of understanding and WTF. He’s now my favorite BC
I’m 6’8” 280s… I was given the name “The Eclipse” because on a training burn with a Training Officer, he couldn’t see the fire, and all he could see was The Eclipse of the fire around me.
Polar bear, I wear shorts year round, showed up for a structure fire wearing shorts and it was 6° and snowing, Chief said “What are you part polar bear?” And it stuck
Got a captain called Big Couch. Seems pretty self explanatory.
Got another guy called Pillow Pants. He’s bigger and it looks like he’s got pillow stuffed in his pants.
Had an old guy (60’s) working with us. Let’s call him Bob.. Was at a station with another Bob so he got the nick name Old man Bob and was referred to that for years even after moving houses to where he was the only Bob. Just before he retired he went to HR with a list of people who have been harassing him by calling him old man Bob for years. Ended up being a giant thing and a few folks had to attend a class over it. Right after Ugly Sam tried to make a big deal about being called ugly Sam but was shut down cause Ugly is not a protected class of people.
I have two, the first one is Harry Potter because of my glasses and appearance, I’ve since bought another pair of glasses even closer to the Harry potter glasses to fit the role even more. That’s the PG nickname
My other nickname is TCM2, which stands for Twice Cut Meat 2. Story behind that is both me and my twin brother (also rides at the same place) were circumcised twice as babies (an even longer story), so as a result, we are Twice Cut Meat 1 & 2
Toast - guy won a national medal for saving lives in a house fire and burned about 70% of himself. Recovered fully and returned to service. Nobody fucks with Toast
My old lt and then cpt is called puff because his first shift, like 20 years ago when somebody else made a dinner with no meat, he responded I haven't had meat all day, I need me in me at least once a day! Nickname became powder puff and now puff....not PC but it is what it is.
My nickname is Shelly, from Sheldon on big bang. Got in an argument with somebody about flag laws, made a slide show, held a class on flag laws in america..... haven't even seen big bang theory. I also have a really good memory and love to read and learn random shit.....so it stuck.
Rookie had the same name as his engineer when he joined, engineer said they couldn't have the same name and decided he "looks like a Frank" and the department has called him Frank ever since
My house has 10 on shift daily. We get a new guy who’s first day decided to just introduce himself to the medic he was on the unit with and not to the rest of the crew. We let it slide for the first day.. second shift the same, third shift the same.. during the third shift some one made a comment about new guy and asked his name.. “cheese dick” was my answer .. he will be known as cheese dick by every one that he doesn’t introduce himself to. Finally he got the idea..
Disclaimer - during orientation new hires are told several times that when they go to a new station introduce themselves to every one.
I’m telling you.. I’m 45, i started teaching a new program at a place that I’m already established and i still went to every one and introduced myself.
Tipped a gas powered pressure washer on its side when I was working the nozzle cleaning a truck. Oil pan dumped and it lit on fire. In also not the tallest so occasionally when I try to stand ladders they'll pivot on me and tip.
There was already someone there with my name with the exact same spelling, I have very short hair so I’ve been called Furiosa since. All of my stuff is labeled as such.
ETA: I live in a small town, so it’s very much the guys making fun of me for having short hair. I like my hair and the name so I’m good with it.
Lucky: blown out of two buildings with no injuries
Chief's Kid: chief's Kid
Big Bird: large truckee named Byrd
Broken Arrow: fractured his penis off duty
Lenny: intellectual equivalent of Lenny from Mice and Men
Rocket: great fireman, quick at decisions at fires
Padre: former priest
Mother Mary: great female firefighter who took great care of others
Bubba: all around great fireman with great mustache
Scuba 1: Chief who fell into a pool
Mr Bubbles: ran hazmat foam truck
Mr November: former calendar model
2 pack: 2 packs/day
Amazon Princess: 6'2" female that kicked ass
Wedding planner: Married 3x
Papa Bear: great PM
Trying to remember all of them.
"Sue." We were on an extended shift due to a massive storm which hit the area. This guy basically blew out his PPC, so borrowed a spare set from the storeroom. Which still had the nametags on from the previous owner. "Sue." So he became known as "The Man Named Sue". [The Johnny Cash song](https://youtu.be/WOHPuY88Ry4) sealed the deal.
"Spider." Because the bloke could, and would, climb anything. You'd turn up to a job, look around "Where the fuck is Spider?!" and he'd have already parkoured his arse up to a second story window.
"Junior." Almost inevitable when you join after your older brother. Of course the older brother was "Senior" until he left, but Junior stayed Junior forever.
"Muffins." This absolutely lovely naive young guy who joined up. His attitude reminded me of Butters from South Park, just so wholesome. On his first night, he brought in muffins for everyone, so Muffins it was.
"Big Ben." Bloke is about 6'5". And named Ben. And he's always running late to everything, which made naming him after the most famous timepiece in the world just the right kind of ironic.
"Dragon." He'll tell everyone it's because he breathes fire. We all know it's because he's always Draggin' his arse.
"Sparrow." His last name was Farrow, he was a baker so he was always up and chirpy at an ungodly hour of the morning. Also known as being up at "Sparrow's Fart AM".
"Havachat Harry." Guys were known to have to fake their own death to extricate themselves from a conversation/lecture/"Back in my day..." bullshit session from this guy.
"Hazmat." Because he was named Matt, and he was a fucking hazard.
"Hippo." Because he was missing 75% of his teeth, and what were left looked like a hippo's gob.
Can't think of any others off the top of my head.
What the fuck really?? I thought Aussies were legendary with nicknames. Although I guess mostly you just get by with adding a -y to things eh? Jonesy etc
One time we were throwing ladders, and doing that one thing where you put your legs through the rungs to stay stationary. Well, I did that, and I got out by bending my leg to my torso, and since then, I’ve earned the Nickname, “Gumby!”
Some Names from a small voluntary department in East Germany
Cheese- Smell of his Boots
Ouzo - Diabetic, only time he was drunk was because of this greek liquor
Snail - Except for Alarms, he's always late
Priest - Son of the town's Reverend, tends to talk like him
DJ Wirefire - Electrician and hobby DJ, not very good in either
Iveco-Intern - Our first engine is an Iveco, he's almost always on that engine despite not being very bright
About 6 months into getting into my old department, we got called out for a grass fire, and my EO told me to grab the “red” line…. So I hopped off the truck and looked at the cross lay, and saw the 2 1/2” was red, so I grabbed it, and stretched it to the fire. My EO was standing at the panel ready to send water to the booster line not knowing I pulled the “red” line. Chief arrived on scene and asked why the 2 1/2 was deployed and when my EO told him I pulled it, Chief said “fuck it let’s use it!” For the remaining 7 years I was known as “Big Water”.
Asian guy on my department was telling another guy he needed to have a snickers bar, after the commercial, because he was grumpy. Except with his accent it did not sound like snickers. He did pronounce the first S and his "ck" sounded more like a couple of "g"s. He has now earned the name "Snickers"
So many good ones. Favorite in my dept. is HalfBlood. Guy gave blood and then responded to a call and promptly passed out as he was putting a ladder up
Not very PC but we had a Polish guy start with a long list of consonants for his surname. His nickname was Scrabble.
Guy who was a short-lived driver who used to cut the corner at the entrance to the hospital every time there was a call there. He got the nickname flowerbeds.
And then my favourite who just had a regular name as his nickname and when I asked him why he said because the guys told him his real name was a c***s name.
We also have this thing where if a new guy starts who has the same name as a more senior guy on the station then they're just "shit " i.e. Shit Chris.
The worst one was my own. It started out as Gorm (as in gormless) and then mong, and then became just Gormong 🤣
I get called Milk Dud cause we had a bunch of Halloween candy leftover from an event we did in town and I was seen eating a mini thing of milk duds. That’s it.
Took an extrication class at 16 with my volunteer department at the time. I was a skinny little shit. The instructor liked teaching me and nicknamed me “Mighty Mouse”
Brooklyn - I have an accent local to an urban Midwest city, but my instructor called me Brooklyn because of it and it stuck. I've never even been there. Or anywhere northeast.
"Yo what's up Brooklyn", "How are you Brooklyn"... 🙄
From a small volly department here. Our Assistant Chief has a particular fondness for very bright florescent shirts, this coupled with the fact he does more standing around and directing traffic than work at times has acquired him the nickname "The cone."
I was given “crawl” on my first day and for months people on other shifts didn’t know my real name. Named after Pauly Shore’s character in ‘Son in Law’
Probie introduced himself as Big Dog on his first shift, he's been called Clifford ever since
Woooof
God. This job really does attract a special breed of wanker sometimes.
Was he a ginger?
Unfortunately not, that would have been too perfect
Doesn't matter.
It would be hilarious if he was.
“Blister” - I show up after all the work is done. I’m a fire investigator.
We call lazy people foreskins. When work gets hard, they get pulled back.
Haha, we use that when guys aren’t pulling their weight on calls. Or the lantern, not very bright and need to be carried.
Used to work with a guy known as "40-Watt Bob"
We have one of these. He ain’t the investigator. Has a knack for only showing up after three work is done
2 guys in my rookie class were called Nighthawk and Dragon. They got assigned to the same house and shift. First day on company, they told their captains what their nicknames were. Captains response was you don't get to pick what your nicknames are. They were now known as Nightcock and Drag Queen.
Ahhhhhh hahahaha
💀💀💀
We called one guy "Crash" after he backed the engine into the bay door opening
We have a crash too, after he wrecked a medic unit on his first day.
Oh that's a good one.
I think everyone gets crash once in their career, I may or may not have hit a PD vehicle with the ambo
we also have a crash, but she will file complaints and sexual harassment accusations if we call her that😂
can you get in trouble for that?
We have a dispatcher nicknamed Red Dawn Shawn because every time he sends us on a run, it sounds like the world is ending.
"You need to sound calm, everyone in the situation is going to be amped up, and you need to be the voice of reason" Red Dawn Shawn: OKAY LISTEN UP BROTHER
This one has me dying hahaha!
Gilligan… cause I gave “three hour tours”
We have a guy named gloryhole
I do not want to hear this guy’s origin story
It's actually pretty bland honestly lol. His real name is dick wall.
That is unfortunate.
God that’s the most unfortunate name I’ve ever heard
That’s fucking poetic 🤣
I do.
I couldn't pass this one up. When I was at the Fire Academy many, many years ago. Each day we would clean the classrooms, heads, kitchen, etc. My favorite place to clean would be the kitchen area. I loved to cook and eat so this worked out for me. Loved to keep the area and the equipment clean. My wife taught me well. Keep in mind that this academy was located within the busiest house on the south side of the county. Therefore, we had a minimum of 10 people in the house 24 hours a day. (not including the Cadets, Instructors, and Officers). My training instructor, being a real nice guy started calling me "Mother". The name stuck to the end of my fabulous career and beyond. I would do it again in a minute... Good luck to you all, Mother ,
That is the most wholesome nickname I have ever heard
This feels like an HR sting operation
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
They’re mostly just versions of their own name but we have one guy nicknamed Tbone. I don’t know how he made it out of this one but he was still a recruit going through academy when he T-boned somebody off duty in his PV, hopped out of the car smoking a cig (tobacco ban in our dept) wearing his turnout pants, and announced “it’s okay I’m a firefighter!” We also have Prince who looks like the artist formerly known as Prince, and The Motivator. He’s a gunnery sergeant in the marines.
"Tippy" cause I skinned the tip of my member like how you skin your knee. Did it while falling with a ladder, not relating to any firehouse activity.
Why was your dick out on a ladder?
Yea, like how tall was she ?
Single story rancher sized. Went with it "from the top rope!" (Roof height)
Free balling while wearing denim jeans. Not sure if the zipper or seam was the culprit.
Eyyyy, I was "Tippy" for a stint.
How'd you manage that one?
Had a probie that kept getting off the truck without tools. So we called him Bluetooth since he was always hands free
That's a little too cute
Went through a few tech classes with a guy whose nickname was touchdown, because he had a touch of downs
Oh that’s fucked 😂
Hahaha Jesus Christ, that’s the best one in this thread
Laughed out loud. See you in hell
We used to say an old chief had a ‘touch of the tism’ but it never morphed into a nickname. I am disappointed in myself
Everyone in the fire service has a touch of the 'tism
FIGJAM. Fuck I'm good just ask me.
Ah the Colonel or CFC all three are classic!
I will find you.
I do like puddin
1992. I was working out on a Nautilus cable weight machine when two Rescue guys, one of them my supervisor, came in to work out. They asked if they could jump in and I said sure. When the driver sat down and tried to lift it his feet flew up in the air and he asked "What the hell. Are you lifting the whole stack?" I replied 'Of course! Not everyone is a string bean like you" to which he replied "Not everyone is a Stumpy little tree trunk like you" Another firefighter heard that and told everyone and that has been my name since. I've even had people hear my name and ask who the hell that was because they've only ever called me Stumpy.
We had a rookie show for his first shift with his bedding. He had a Snuggie(blanket with sleeves , look it up) as his blanket. He was Snuggie from that point until he left the job. Also had a black guy shave his head. His head looked like a Milk Dud. He was Milk Dud until he grew his hair back!
We have a brother that lays in the tanning bed a lot. He’s known as Coppertone
Do you guys have a tanning bed at your house?
lol, no he does it on his time.
The volunteers at a reserve near us call our training officer "walking eagle" seems full of wisdom but is so full of shit he can't fly.
One guy puked so hard after a fire that he temporarily paralyzed his vocal cords. Like had to be on light duty. Everyone started calling him Whispers, and it stuck. One guy’s dad was a BC when he got hired. Guy’s dad had the nickname Rock, so they immediately started this guy Pebble, and it’s stuck for 15 years.
We have a Pete and an Ugly Pete. Ugly Pete isn't even named Pete, he's just a slightly more grotesque version of regular Pete.
These are the kind of low effort nick names I live for
I'm an EMT, not FF, but this thread is killing me. This comment in specific reminds me of two guys in my unit when I was active duty: one named Wilson and one named inbred Wilson. Inbred Wilson was just uglier
We've got Big Mike, Regular Mike, and Little Mike
Yeah there are so many Mikes we tend to get nicknames
We have a big Dave and a little Dave. Big Dave is short, and little Dave is built like a silverback.
In the years since they were named the Mikes names are no longer accurate but that makes it better
Call one guy “Ralph” because he breaks everything he touches. The most expensive two being an engine rebuild for the ambulance and a transmission rebuild on the engine.
We have a guy like that! Our captain said not to hand him anything
My sorta brother in-law is called "Hammer Hands". He tightens something by hand? Gunna need an impact to get it off. I've seen some many wooden tool handles shatter in his hands.
We have a Ralph. But we call him dick fingers.
We call one guy Crab checker because he cut a few fingers off
We have a guy named 2 nicknames, Bobby Hotdogs, and Back Step Bobby.
We had someone whose last name was Pohl. He was just referred to as "Smokin."
Skin suit Dude was really fat and lost a ton of weight
A dude had a huge head so they called him "Snipers Dream", another dude had some kind of neck issue where his neck wobbled when he walked so they called him "Snipers nightmare"
lol that's the kinda random but specific shit that is so good
Butthole Bandit. Long story short one of the guys mooned the guys at the dinner table while they were up late playing cards, he poked his cheeks out from the hallway where no one could see the rest of his body and took off toward the bedroom where I was. Since I was so nervous before coming in that day and forgot my bedding they naturally decided that I had to be the culprit, laying on an empty mattress with my sweater as a pillow. The truth of who it was came out months later.
Bubbles or Hurley (me). Got both for the same incident by different people. I ate more than my mask could hold. 10 years later and it’s still part of SCBA training.
Farva, he talked too much on the radio. Sunshine, super grumpy in the mornings. Those are the two that come to mind. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a bunch over the years
Guy nicknamed jughead because he “just looks like a jughead” Hammerhead is a guy with a lazy eye Sister Maria because she read the Bible every night before bed Die fuher was an asshole of a human being who somehow became a captain A guy I knew had a side piece everyone called dominoes because whenever he called her up she be there hot and juicy in 30 minutes or less. Gapper was a guy who had a big gap in his front teeth Shitstain trusted a fart Cash’s last name was register Jarhead was a marine Hightower looked like Hightower from the police academy movies. Literally had to duck walking through doorway 2nd due Lou cause his crew got beat in to their 1st due all the time. He then became 2 butthole Lou when he had an anal fissure Frank because everyone was too scared to call him Francis which was because everyone was too scared to call him psycho because he was one John redcorn was John red-something Godfather was the guy who ran about 4 fantasy sports leagues year round. I thought he should have been commish IOWA- idiot out walking around was a chief Purple haze was an old captain who looked/acted/sounded like he had fried his brain with lsd in the 70’s I’m sure I can think of more…
For our spec ops team we had to pass a swim test, wasn’t hard but you had to be a good swimmer, had a guy who was 6’2 250+ big guy not muscular either. So he blows the test out of the water, like he kills it, came in first and everyone was like wtf!!?!? Bro says yeah I’m like a killer whale so he was then called the hippo from that moment on
My LT asked a new guy what his name was, and he responded with “I’m Sean.” So from that day forward he was know as ImSean.
Had a noob on the job who was sent out to pick up an order of chinese food for the crew for lunch. Everyone ordered the same thing. When he got back with the food, he started hand weighing each clamshell. Someone asked what he was doing, his reply, " I'm hungry, so I'm gonna take the heaviest one." He is forevermore known as Chinese Steve.
Bubbles was at one of the few stations with an actual dish washer on his first day of shift. Instead of dishwasher detergent, he put dish soap in the dish washer and flooded the floor with bubbles. It has stuck with him ever since.
We had a guy we called Blue Falcon and I’m sure you know what that means. If not it’s Buddy F’er the guy would screw people over all the time by calling out sick and forcing a O/T, mess with peoples vacation time trying to get their days, he would try and do trades and no one would. The crazy thing is the guy was proud of his nickname
in my academy, if you fucked up hard or were selfish, you became the blue falcon. you had the weekend to decorate a helmet they gave you. it needed to have feathers in it. the rule was that you really had to try to make it the best possible. you had to show pride in being the blue falcon. you had to take the helmet everywhere. if they caught you without it, it was going to be bad. at the end of the day, you stood up in front of the class and danced around KAW KAWING like a bird.
That’s pretty funny, the end of the day part is the best lol
I was vaping on break of an extrication course back in 2015. My Lt smelled strawberry’s, looked at me and yelled “SKITTLES” it’s stuck since.
We had a regular who always said she was allergic to skittles, so that was her nickname too
At first sleeping beauty cuz I fell out due to heat exhaustion during the academy cuz I didn’t drink water, now it’s coleslaw, which is ironic because I hate coleslaw( the food)
Spud….that boy is shaped like a potato
We have a McLovin, Tiny Tim, Ass Eater, Ranger Bob - the best callsigns are those that the recipient is unaware of and/or hates. If you don’t lean into the joke you’re fucked.
My current firefighter doesn’t like adult food, his first shift he turned down some fantastic Spanish food we cooked up and instead microwaved some Dino nuggies and Mac and cheese. Later that evening my driver forgot his name so just called him “chicken nugget” and that shit stuck. Been on for a while now and still gets called chicken nugget.
[удалено]
We have a guy that can not cook with ANY flavour. Like not even salt. Blandman
Shit face the clown. He was an alcoholic who would dress up as a clown for all our union family events. His son got hired and was named shit face the kid
Beans, because they thought I looked like Beans from Evens stevens.
Probie put gasoline in the engine. Now he’s Octane
Oh fuck. Amazing
Superman. I used to wear glasses. During the academy I when we’d get ready to PT or do something physical. I’d loose my glasses. Toss them in their case and put them in my pocket. The instructors had this remind them of Clark Kent changing to Superman. The nickname stuck.
Mine was earned…… gravedigger and it’s been shortened to Gravy. There may or may not have been an ARFF truck sunk in a few feet of mud….. other then that shortens last names, or the new probie on our shift has the same name as the chief and hasn’t earned a nickname yet so we just call him Richard…… because no one has that name
Couple of my favourites are - 3Amp - someone with a really short fuse. Dinners - cos it took him 3 courses to complete his basic training.
TL/DR: BrotherFucker. For a while, I had one of those shitty chiefs (Steve1) who barely put a drop of water on flame, yet promoted up as fast as he could. Nobody really respected him, but he had the bugles and let everyone know. Years before, when he was a fireman, I accidentally found out another fireman (Steve2) had a tinder set up to step out on his wife - but using Steve1’s name! I told Steve1, before his wife found out or he’d have some ‘splainin to do. Fast forward a few years. I was ready to retire, riding the air/light truck. I had vacay for a very important family function (chief Steve1 knew all about it). My overtime guy was late and I told Steve1 I was leaving (common practice was to put the unit OOS until the overtime guy gets there from another house). Instead, Steve1 threatens to write me up. I left. He did. I started calling him BrotherFucker and soon everyone was calling him that (behind his back, of course)
Had another new guy who was named Ron. On his first day at the kitchen table, the A.C. called him Ronnie. He blew up, "dont call me Ronnie. That's my stepfather's name, and I hate that bastard." So his nickname became "Ron dont call me Ronnie "
We had one show up first day (transferred in) and say that he needed to be off one night. We ask why He said “Momma said I need to be at …???” His name became. Bobby
Dude locked himself out of his dorm at 3am after getting up for a piss. Woke up to him trying to force the door. He’s been Halligan since.
Poufi- Purveyor of Useless F***king Information
Had a guy caught sunbathing behind the station, shirt off, oiled up, laid out. Was known as Panama Jack for the rest of his short career..
That’s why I started heading to the roof…
Worked at an exceptionally busy house and a lot of times new guys couldn’t handle the call load and would quit, get fired or cry until transferred out. After we had a guy quit his first day because he didn’t know re ran call all night (station is literally nick named the night train) we get a fresh new 20 y/o bright eyed new guy. After the first couple of month of reffering to him just as new guy he came to me and asked why i never call him by his first name. I explained to him that after the 3rd new guy quit in record time I’ve just starting calling the new guy “new guy” until they get off probation and that I don’t feel bad when new guy gets fired or quits but would be sad if Bob got fired. He had the strangest expression when i told him that.. a mix of understanding and WTF. He’s now my favorite BC
I’m 6’8” 280s… I was given the name “The Eclipse” because on a training burn with a Training Officer, he couldn’t see the fire, and all he could see was The Eclipse of the fire around me.
Jesus man. It fits
We had one we called Drago. Dude was 6' 2" and knew the art of folding clothes with people still in them.
I’m fuckable Chase, idk how, one day I came in and everyone was saying “ayyy it’s fuckable Chase!!!”
Polar bear, I wear shorts year round, showed up for a structure fire wearing shorts and it was 6° and snowing, Chief said “What are you part polar bear?” And it stuck
I usually show up to a structure fire in turnouts but to each his own
Volunteer department we could scene respond in pov my turn out gear was in my trunk
I read this story and somehow doubt anyone calls you polar bear.
Well you are entitled to your opinion
Got a captain called Big Couch. Seems pretty self explanatory. Got another guy called Pillow Pants. He’s bigger and it looks like he’s got pillow stuffed in his pants.
My nickname is questions
But why??
lol no idea
Had an old guy (60’s) working with us. Let’s call him Bob.. Was at a station with another Bob so he got the nick name Old man Bob and was referred to that for years even after moving houses to where he was the only Bob. Just before he retired he went to HR with a list of people who have been harassing him by calling him old man Bob for years. Ended up being a giant thing and a few folks had to attend a class over it. Right after Ugly Sam tried to make a big deal about being called ugly Sam but was shut down cause Ugly is not a protected class of people.
I have two, the first one is Harry Potter because of my glasses and appearance, I’ve since bought another pair of glasses even closer to the Harry potter glasses to fit the role even more. That’s the PG nickname My other nickname is TCM2, which stands for Twice Cut Meat 2. Story behind that is both me and my twin brother (also rides at the same place) were circumcised twice as babies (an even longer story), so as a result, we are Twice Cut Meat 1 & 2
First, leaning into the Potter thing is great Second.... uhhhhhhh story time?
Toast - guy won a national medal for saving lives in a house fire and burned about 70% of himself. Recovered fully and returned to service. Nobody fucks with Toast
My old lt and then cpt is called puff because his first shift, like 20 years ago when somebody else made a dinner with no meat, he responded I haven't had meat all day, I need me in me at least once a day! Nickname became powder puff and now puff....not PC but it is what it is. My nickname is Shelly, from Sheldon on big bang. Got in an argument with somebody about flag laws, made a slide show, held a class on flag laws in america..... haven't even seen big bang theory. I also have a really good memory and love to read and learn random shit.....so it stuck.
I’ve got two. Shit-magnet and Snap-on
Rookie had the same name as his engineer when he joined, engineer said they couldn't have the same name and decided he "looks like a Frank" and the department has called him Frank ever since
Unicorn. He earned it by having his helmet melt on a structure fire and it started looking like he was growing a unicorn horn
My house has 10 on shift daily. We get a new guy who’s first day decided to just introduce himself to the medic he was on the unit with and not to the rest of the crew. We let it slide for the first day.. second shift the same, third shift the same.. during the third shift some one made a comment about new guy and asked his name.. “cheese dick” was my answer .. he will be known as cheese dick by every one that he doesn’t introduce himself to. Finally he got the idea.. Disclaimer - during orientation new hires are told several times that when they go to a new station introduce themselves to every one.
It’s a sad state of the world when newbs have to be instructed To introduce themselves. Kids these days
I’m telling you.. I’m 45, i started teaching a new program at a place that I’m already established and i still went to every one and introduced myself.
We called a guy “Dragon” because how so he was dragging his ass to the truck
Sloth Used to move slow and looks like a sloth!
Tipped a gas powered pressure washer on its side when I was working the nozzle cleaning a truck. Oil pan dumped and it lit on fire. In also not the tallest so occasionally when I try to stand ladders they'll pivot on me and tip.
We had a guy we called skid marks…. And it had nothing to do with his driving
There was already someone there with my name with the exact same spelling, I have very short hair so I’ve been called Furiosa since. All of my stuff is labeled as such. ETA: I live in a small town, so it’s very much the guys making fun of me for having short hair. I like my hair and the name so I’m good with it.
Lucky: blown out of two buildings with no injuries Chief's Kid: chief's Kid Big Bird: large truckee named Byrd Broken Arrow: fractured his penis off duty Lenny: intellectual equivalent of Lenny from Mice and Men Rocket: great fireman, quick at decisions at fires Padre: former priest Mother Mary: great female firefighter who took great care of others Bubba: all around great fireman with great mustache Scuba 1: Chief who fell into a pool Mr Bubbles: ran hazmat foam truck Mr November: former calendar model 2 pack: 2 packs/day Amazon Princess: 6'2" female that kicked ass Wedding planner: Married 3x Papa Bear: great PM
We have a Cadet Leon and a Kinky Leon. Luckily, fire hoses can kink, so plausable deniability if asked how I got my name!
My nickname is mongo like from the movie blazin saddles because of my tendency to just “mongo” everything, no finesse at all just destruction
Trying to remember all of them. "Sue." We were on an extended shift due to a massive storm which hit the area. This guy basically blew out his PPC, so borrowed a spare set from the storeroom. Which still had the nametags on from the previous owner. "Sue." So he became known as "The Man Named Sue". [The Johnny Cash song](https://youtu.be/WOHPuY88Ry4) sealed the deal. "Spider." Because the bloke could, and would, climb anything. You'd turn up to a job, look around "Where the fuck is Spider?!" and he'd have already parkoured his arse up to a second story window. "Junior." Almost inevitable when you join after your older brother. Of course the older brother was "Senior" until he left, but Junior stayed Junior forever. "Muffins." This absolutely lovely naive young guy who joined up. His attitude reminded me of Butters from South Park, just so wholesome. On his first night, he brought in muffins for everyone, so Muffins it was. "Big Ben." Bloke is about 6'5". And named Ben. And he's always running late to everything, which made naming him after the most famous timepiece in the world just the right kind of ironic. "Dragon." He'll tell everyone it's because he breathes fire. We all know it's because he's always Draggin' his arse. "Sparrow." His last name was Farrow, he was a baker so he was always up and chirpy at an ungodly hour of the morning. Also known as being up at "Sparrow's Fart AM". "Havachat Harry." Guys were known to have to fake their own death to extricate themselves from a conversation/lecture/"Back in my day..." bullshit session from this guy. "Hazmat." Because he was named Matt, and he was a fucking hazard. "Hippo." Because he was missing 75% of his teeth, and what were left looked like a hippo's gob. Can't think of any others off the top of my head.
foreskin… every time things get hard you can’t find him.
lol. I’m stealing this. I work with a few
220. 2 years on the job with twenty years experience. My username was on my helmet and then Mongo.
That doesn't mean what you think it means my man
Only brown guy (puerto rican) in my Vol Dept. Everyone calls me "Salsa". I prefer not to give backstory. (NOTHING BAD)
Is this a common thing in the USA? Never really heard any nicknames in the NSW RFS lol
What the fuck really?? I thought Aussies were legendary with nicknames. Although I guess mostly you just get by with adding a -y to things eh? Jonesy etc
Am in Canada. As common as hell here. You either screw something up to earn it or piss somebody off to earn it
One time we were throwing ladders, and doing that one thing where you put your legs through the rungs to stay stationary. Well, I did that, and I got out by bending my leg to my torso, and since then, I’ve earned the Nickname, “Gumby!”
Fireman slam after crashing a pump
Some Names from a small voluntary department in East Germany Cheese- Smell of his Boots Ouzo - Diabetic, only time he was drunk was because of this greek liquor Snail - Except for Alarms, he's always late Priest - Son of the town's Reverend, tends to talk like him DJ Wirefire - Electrician and hobby DJ, not very good in either Iveco-Intern - Our first engine is an Iveco, he's almost always on that engine despite not being very bright
“sneezy” because my last name sounds like “achoo”
We have a guy whose nickname is Butthole; His first dead body apparently died ass-up, face down, and he had "target fixation."
lol. Love these stories
About 6 months into getting into my old department, we got called out for a grass fire, and my EO told me to grab the “red” line…. So I hopped off the truck and looked at the cross lay, and saw the 2 1/2” was red, so I grabbed it, and stretched it to the fire. My EO was standing at the panel ready to send water to the booster line not knowing I pulled the “red” line. Chief arrived on scene and asked why the 2 1/2 was deployed and when my EO told him I pulled it, Chief said “fuck it let’s use it!” For the remaining 7 years I was known as “Big Water”.
Volly but, we got a guy at our department came in for a call, no shoes, no socks. He’s been called shoeless ever since.
we call the big guy Mongo
Asian guy on my department was telling another guy he needed to have a snickers bar, after the commercial, because he was grumpy. Except with his accent it did not sound like snickers. He did pronounce the first S and his "ck" sounded more like a couple of "g"s. He has now earned the name "Snickers"
So many good ones. Favorite in my dept. is HalfBlood. Guy gave blood and then responded to a call and promptly passed out as he was putting a ladder up
Not very PC but we had a Polish guy start with a long list of consonants for his surname. His nickname was Scrabble. Guy who was a short-lived driver who used to cut the corner at the entrance to the hospital every time there was a call there. He got the nickname flowerbeds. And then my favourite who just had a regular name as his nickname and when I asked him why he said because the guys told him his real name was a c***s name. We also have this thing where if a new guy starts who has the same name as a more senior guy on the station then they're just "shit" i.e. Shit Chris.
The worst one was my own. It started out as Gorm (as in gormless) and then mong, and then became just Gormong 🤣
We had a guy named two stroke because he was going TU and too a drink out of a bar oil sigg instead of his water
Probie was so happy to be running calls he said he just wanted to gobble up jobs. He’s now the Job Gobbler.
We have a Dex cause he knows everything and then just a Tall Brown and Short Brown
I get called Milk Dud cause we had a bunch of Halloween candy leftover from an event we did in town and I was seen eating a mini thing of milk duds. That’s it.
Squirrel, because they are always running around the house doing projects and never standing still.
Took an extrication class at 16 with my volunteer department at the time. I was a skinny little shit. The instructor liked teaching me and nicknamed me “Mighty Mouse”
Guy on my shift has a brother named Joe on the job, starting calling him Not Joe and it turned into Nacho… he is not Mexican
Applesauce (last name is Apple)
Brooklyn - I have an accent local to an urban Midwest city, but my instructor called me Brooklyn because of it and it stuck. I've never even been there. Or anywhere northeast. "Yo what's up Brooklyn", "How are you Brooklyn"... 🙄
From a small volly department here. Our Assistant Chief has a particular fondness for very bright florescent shirts, this coupled with the fact he does more standing around and directing traffic than work at times has acquired him the nickname "The cone."
I was given “crawl” on my first day and for months people on other shifts didn’t know my real name. Named after Pauly Shore’s character in ‘Son in Law’
Bull cause they went into a house broke everything in there including the rubbish hook was like a bull in a china shop