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Firefighters
Firefighters not only respond to fires, but also to emergency situations, such as auto accidents, when there is a possibility that a fire might result. In our Firefighters category, you can ask questions about what firefighters do, what their jobs are and the pay rate, how they help in ways other than fighting fires, how to become a firefighter, and anything that has to do with fire fighting and those who fight them.
1,448 Questions
Why does the firetruck always have a Dalmatian dog riding on it when they go out after a fire?
Dalmatians ride in fire trucks because of what they were used for hundreds of years ago. When carriages were pulled by horses, dalmatians ran alongside them to keep the horses calm because they were known to have this special capability and they had much endurance. Also, they kept the horses safe from wandering dogs. Stagecoaches were used by the fire department. Dalmatians went with the horses to keep them calm when they were at the site of the fire and to guard the stagecoach against thieves. When stagecoaches were replaced by fire trucks, the Dalmatian continued to accompany the firefighters because by then they had already become the mascot. There are instances where a Dalmatian was known to have saved some trapped people from a fire, so they can still be very useful.
Okay, thanks! -I thought it was because they were always first to find the hydrants!
Why are there red lights on fire stations?
Commissioner Albert Goodrich of the Chicago Fire Department (1927 - 1931) had a nautical background. He applied the marine scheme (red light on port, green light on starboard) to fire apparatus, and the idea became a tradition of the Chicago Fire Department. It is also used to mark the bay doors at most Chicago fire stations. This tradition has since been adopted by fire departments all over the country.
The marine use of red and green lights is to signify who has the right of way when boats are approaching crossing paths. Think of two cars at an intersection of crossing streets in the United States, with one car on each street. When entering the intersection the car on the right can be in front of the other car first. With the green light mounted on the right (starboard) side of the car on the left, the car on the right sees the green light and knows he has the right of way and is permitted to pass in front of the other car. With the red light mounted on the left (port) side of the car, the car on the left sees the red light and knows he should yield to the other car and allow it to pass in front of him. By using this convention boats on the water can safely cross paths at night.
What are the advantages of fire truck?
The PTO on a firetruck is used to power the pump, which takes water from a water source (tank on the truck, fire hydrant, or drafted water), pressurizes it, and discharges it through various devices (hose, monitors, standpipes, etc.).
On an Aerial or Ladder fire truck, the PTO is used to power the hydraulics and motors that raise, extend, and rotate the ladder.
A PTO can also be used to power a generator, which can be used to power high-intensity scene lights, power tools, fans, etc.
How old do you have to be to be a volunteer firefighter?
Usually, you must be 18 and older to become a firefighter.
However, some volunteer departments have a "Cadet" or "Trainee" program, allowing people as young as 16 to apply. Cadets are restricted in what they can do for the department, and usually cannot enter burning buildings, use saws, etc until they turn 18 and pass their Firefighter I course.
What function does the jacket of a fire hose serve?
to insulate and sudden burst of heat that may have been released when it was ignited, or to insulate the heat of the surrounding area.
What are the requirements to become a federal firefighter?
Generally speaking you will need your basic fire certifications before being hired onto a federal position. The certs required vary from position to position, and should be DOD/IFSAC certs. For example, a GS-6 may only need firefighter 1 and 2, hazmat ops, and maybe airport firefighter (only if the base has a flight mission). However a GS-7 would require all of the above plus Driver/Operator certs for various types of apparatus, and probably hazmat tech and/or EMT. The higher the grade the more certs you need. GS-8 you would need all of the above plus fire officer 1 and 2 and instructor 1 and inspector 1. If you have all those certs, start surfing USAjobs.com as often as you can and searching for firefighting jobs. They come up on there very often and are not difficult to find. If you want to do a series search, firefighters series number is 0081. Once you apply it will take quite a while for them to get back to you for an interview, and even longer to get you a job offer (it took nearly 11 1/2 months from the time I applied to the time I finally got an offer on my first federal job). Dont get discouraged, remember, its the government and things have to move through alot of red tape before they are approved. Hope this helps
What are firefighters boots made of?
Some boots are made out of rubber, but more durable boots are made from leather
How many volunteer firefighters are there in the USA?
About 800,000, which is above 70% of the total of all firefighters in the United States.
About 800,000, which is above 70% of the totel of all firefighters in the United States.
What is the title for nfpa 1983.1?
NFPA 1983: Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services
How many hours does a doctor work in a day?
Doctors may work any hours they wish to. However, if they are not in private practice, and sign a contract with an organization, then they are agreeing to certain hours, on-call responsibilities, and the like.
What are the odds of a Firefighter dieing in the line of duty?
* Estimated number of firefighters in 2007: 1,148,800 (career: 323,350, volunteer: 825,450) * Firefighters by age group: 16-19 (3.5%), 20-29 (21.4%), 30-39 (28.2%), 40-49 (25.9%), 50-59 (15.4%), 60 and over (5.5%) * Seventy-four percent of career firefighters are in communities that protect a population of 25,000 or more. * Ninety-five percent of the volunteers are in departments that protect a population of less than 25,000 and more than 50% are located in small, rural departments that protect a population of less than 2,500.
Which is more correct firefighters or firemen?
Firefighter because a fireman is the person who shovels coal or tosses wood in to the furnace of a boiler and maintains the heat of a fire on a steam powered ship, boat, train, or other steam powered device.
if you have an accident (auto), convulsions, tightness or burning in chest, an unresponsive person, if person is slurring words, if half of their body seems paralyzed, if you don't know first aid or C.P.R., if you are the only one there with the patient, you need to get more help there. if there is a lot of bleeding, or if someone is impaled with an object, (DON'T EVER pull an object out, you could kill the patient before the ambulance could get there!) i always tell my kids that if it looks bad, or if you are in doubt, call 911 and ask what to do. they won't be angry, and will help you if you are truly in trouble.
Who is responsible for determining the appropriate tactice for an incident?
In the NIMS Incident Command System the tactics for the incident are developed by the Operations Section Chief.
What is the process of using a fire extinguisher(PASS)?
~ P - Pull the pin. It is there to prevent accidental discharge.
~ A - Aim low at the base of the fire. This is the where the fuel source is.
~ S - Squeeze the lever above the handle. Release to stop the flow. (Some extinguishers have a button instead of a lever)
~ S - Sweep from side to side. Move toward the fire, aiming low at its base. Sweep until all flames are extinguished. Watch for re-igniting. Repeat as necessary. Have site inspected by fire department.
Place any fire extinguisher that has been used on its side on the floor. It will be collected and recharged after the fire scene is secure.
The fire department is part of the which branch of government?
At the federal level, there are numerous agencies which maintain fire services:
BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
NFS (National Forest Service)
NPS (National Park Service)
FEMA (Reserve engines, usually staffed with state or local firefighters, used for large crises)
The hiring process varies depending on the policy of the hiring entity. Cities and counties have fire departments and they have set their own standards. In most cases there is a board that reviews qualifications and approves hiring.
How are smoke jumpers and firefighters alike?
they are alike because they both wear heavy equipment, fight fires, and save lives.
Whats the longest fire hose firefighters use?
Firefighters normally use hose sections of 50 feet so that they can add sections or take away sections to make the needed length.
Many larger diameter hoses are used in lengths of 100 feet and can be connected for thousands of feet, if necessary. The friction losses inside smaller hoses would make longer hose lines impractical.
Many commercial buildings include "standpipes" in their construction so that a firefighter can simply carry 150 feet of hose (in a "high-rise pack") inside the building, connect it to the standpipe outlet, and use water pressure in the standpipe to fill the hose and put out the fire where the nozzle is directed.
What does a fire fighter have to do?
This all depends on where you are located and if you are a career or volunteer firefighter. But most are the same or close. With that said here are the main things when training and what you have to do.
Career Firefighter-
Usually you have to complete an academy anywhere from 6 months to 12 months. During this academy you will have physical training to condition for the job, live fire evolutions and training to prepare for the job, and class room learning everything from firefighting skills and techniques to becoming an emergency medical technician or paramedic.
Volunteer Firefighter-
Most of the time this is up to the person how many classes they want to take. But a minimum requirement usually is basic firefighting (fire I) and EMT-B (emergency medical technician basic). During the Basic fire class you will have class time to learn firefighting skills and techniques and live fire burns and hands on skills training. Total the fire class is usually around 102 hours. The EMT class is generally harder than the fire class. During EMT you will learn everything from anatomy to health and treatment and emergency medical care and giving some medications in the field. During EMT you will have test throughout the class and practical evaluations doing hands on things usually splinting, giving medications, etc...
Keep in mind that this is just the way things work where im from and around my area. This may vary in other areas. Im from Maryland in have been with the fire service for 11 years. 8 of those years I have served as an officer from Sergeant to Deputy Chief. Hope this was helpful feel free to ask me anything anytime.
How do you apply for a firefighter vacancie?
To apply for a firefighter job you need to go through training. After you've done training you need to go through the recruitment process and get sent to a station house, which may take ages for a position to open up.
By comparison, most full time firefighters in North America earn into the top 5% income bracket. Then consider most also have side professions and or businesses earning in some cases as much or many times more. I know of firefighters who are lawyers, realtors, contractors, chiropractors and vets. Among that group some earn as much as $500K annually in addition to their salaries. So in short firefighters, can be rich but only by virtue of their shift schedule.
Volunteer firefighters do everything that paid, career, firefighters do. They just don't get paid to do it, and rarely have the same amount of experience as full-time firefighters.
Many fire departments operate with a combination of full-time and "on-call" personnel, meaning that "call" firefighters volunteer to work or to respond to emergencies, but they are paid something if they actually get called to an emergency.
What certifications do you need to become a firefighter?
It depends on the state, if you are in the U.S. Most have adopted the NPQ system and will honor those certificates if you get them. That's "National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications" the website is www.theproboard.org
Now as to what NPQ certs you need:
-Firefighter 1
-Hazmat Awareness
FEMA Certs:
-IS-00100
-IS-00700
This is pretty much standard basic firefighter certifications. In the state you plan on working in, you will need some kind of certificate from the Standards and Training Council or whoever is the governing body on Firefighter standards. Now with the prominence of EMS calls in firefighting, some states may ask that you have at least a First Responder certificate from National Registry. Which ones do, I don't know.
