What have you done for me lately?
Mar 5th 2005, 2:27 am
#16
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by iaink
Good Luck! Thats great to hear. I hope they give you good training before you go rushing into harms way!
I was considering joining my local VFD, they were advertising recently, saying they needed more help...do they have restrictions on how far away you work and live..It would take me 25 mins to get to the fire hall, so I figure its a non starter of an idea.
My wife thinks it would:
A: Be too much of a commitment time wise with a young family.
B: Be a bit of a boys drinking society.
Any thoughts?
Do they pay you for being on call? That would just be too good...paid to drive the fire truck
I was considering joining my local VFD, they were advertising recently, saying they needed more help...do they have restrictions on how far away you work and live..It would take me 25 mins to get to the fire hall, so I figure its a non starter of an idea.
My wife thinks it would:
A: Be too much of a commitment time wise with a young family.
B: Be a bit of a boys drinking society.
Any thoughts?
Do they pay you for being on call? That would just be too good...paid to drive the fire truck
Hi Iain
There's quite a bit of training to do although the plan is that I still go along to the fires and just hang back until I'm up to speed.
Quebec has just instigated a new training programme made up of nine sections, luckily this station has only done one so far.
A couple of the other guys and myself will have to catch up at a neighboring station. Next week we've got the "Characteristics of Fire" so I'm going to rent 'Backdraft' to get a headstart.
Regarding the amount of time I have to commit, well it's 2 hours every Tuesday night (real shame as the new series of Doctor Who is showing on CBC each Tuesday from April and I don't have a video). Then there's the call outs but it looks like this is a pretty quiet district.
I'm only 10 minutes from the fire station so hopefully I can be one of the first ones there, not sure what the maximum distance would be.
Once three guys show up we take the first truck, then the next few guys to arrive take the second truck, same with the Mobile HQ and then the stragglers just make their own way. I'm going to be crapping myself the first time.
The fire chief was saying that they hardly ever get to a fire in time to save a cottage.
Let's say a chimney fire breaks out:-
3 minutes for the owner to try to tackle it himself
2 minutes to finsh the 911 call
1 minute for the operator to page us
10 minutes for the first guys to get to the fire house
10 minutes to get to the fire
3 minutes to get the water flowing
That's nearly half an hour of fire time - suddenly I'm feeling a little silly for buying a wooden house, remind me to buy my own pump.
In answer to your other question, yup, after the first two hours I can say it looks very much like a boys drinking club.
And yes, we do get paid, right now I'm on eleven bucks an hour (Tuesday nights and callouts) but once I've passed the written test for driving emergency vehicles I'll be earning the big bucks . . . . thirteen dollars an hour!!! For driving a Fire Engine - can you believe it?
God bless Canada
Mar 5th 2005, 3:28 am
#17
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Posts: 214
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
Hi Iain
. . . . thirteen dollars an hour!!! For driving a Fire Engine - can you believe it?
God bless Canada
. . . . thirteen dollars an hour!!! For driving a Fire Engine - can you believe it?
God bless Canada
Mar 5th 2005, 3:33 am
#18
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by dawnwynne
LOL...good luck!! I wonder why I'm picturing you throwing a few cats up trees!
Mar 5th 2005, 3:40 am
#19
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
Now that's not a bad idea at all, I didn't want to have to resort to setting fire to stuff.
Mar 5th 2005, 6:26 am
#20
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,715
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
So there you go, I'm giving something back to the community and it feels really good.
Mar 5th 2005, 8:23 am
#21
little snowy owl
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,921
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Sean!
This thread made me smile when I read it back in November, and it's made me smile again today!!
Thank you very much!
... and well done!! (for volunteering I mean, not for making me smile!
This thread made me smile when I read it back in November, and it's made me smile again today!!
Thank you very much!
... and well done!! (for volunteering I mean, not for making me smile!
Mar 5th 2005, 10:19 am
#22
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Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Huntingdon and NOW Nova Scotia
Posts: 392
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
Just in case anyone is interested, I finally joined the volunteer fire service last week.
So anyway, we haven't had any fires in the 4 days since I've joined. In fact they've only had one all winter, unfortunately they got there a bit late (probably couldn't get out of 1st gear) and the house had completely burnt down.
So anyway, we haven't had any fires in the 4 days since I've joined. In fact they've only had one all winter, unfortunately they got there a bit late (probably couldn't get out of 1st gear) and the house had completely burnt down.
You'd offer the complete service!
Joking apart it sounds great! Good for you! I shall be looking into similar opportunities but funnily enough in construction.
Mar 5th 2005, 12:35 pm
#23
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Joined: May 2004
Location: Fall river,Nova Scotia
Posts: 284
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Hi
i have been a fireman for 22 years and i have never seen such up to date and well equipped pumps and stations and that was just in NS.Beats anything the London fire brigade has hands down.
Mike
i have been a fireman for 22 years and i have never seen such up to date and well equipped pumps and stations and that was just in NS.Beats anything the London fire brigade has hands down.
Mike
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
Since I arrived I feel I've been treated really well by all the Canadians I've met plus I've been really lucky in finding a house and work, Canada is treating me very well.
So now I feel like giving something back, I think I'm going to join the local volunteer fire service and save people from burning buildings and cats from trees.
My wife wants to volunteer for something too but doesn't fancy being a firelady.
Has anyone else done anything worthwhile?
So now I feel like giving something back, I think I'm going to join the local volunteer fire service and save people from burning buildings and cats from trees.
My wife wants to volunteer for something too but doesn't fancy being a firelady.
Has anyone else done anything worthwhile?
Mar 5th 2005, 1:24 pm
#24
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
Now that's not a bad idea at all, I didn't want to have to resort to setting fire to stuff.
Mar 5th 2005, 2:00 pm
#25
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Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,062
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by iaink
My wife thinks it would:
A: Be too much of a commitment time wise with a young family.
B: Be a bit of a boys drinking society.
Any thoughts?
A: Be too much of a commitment time wise with a young family.
B: Be a bit of a boys drinking society.
Any thoughts?
She's probably seen Carrey's "Fireman Bill" too often.
Mar 5th 2005, 2:22 pm
#26
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by dawnwynne
LOL...good luck!! I wonder why I'm picturing you throwing a few cats up trees!
Mar 9th 2005, 2:36 am
#27
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Posts: 800
Re: What have you done for me lately?
I thought that from time to time, I might let you all know how I'm getting on as a fireman.
Well tonight was my second weekly meeting at the station, I've now earnt $44!
During the winter it seems that not a lot of training goes on, most of the guys sit around drinking beer and talking about sport. They assured me they actually do train once it gets warmer.
A couple of the guys showed me round the firetrucks and taught me how to operate the pumps (although it was too much to take in at one time). It turns out my job at the first fire will be to go to fetch more water in the second truck while the first one battles the blaze; there are no hydrants out where we live.
We also rolled up some hoses that were drying out because guess what? . . . there was a fire last week! I haven't been given my pager yet so they had some trouble getting hold of me. They gave me a phonecall to show up for duty but I was out at the time, I'm really disappointed. Anyway, it turns out that it was only a small chimney fire which they got to in time so they were pretty happy about that.
I got my uniform and I have to say I look very smart, it's a hand me down which I'm quite happy about as I won't look like a complete lemon in a bright new yellow outfit. The trousers are a bit tight but apart from that it's great, red braces, black & yellow boots and a yellow helmet with a plastic visor.
So that's about it, stay tuned for my next report when something exciting happens.
Fireman Sean.
Well tonight was my second weekly meeting at the station, I've now earnt $44!
During the winter it seems that not a lot of training goes on, most of the guys sit around drinking beer and talking about sport. They assured me they actually do train once it gets warmer.
A couple of the guys showed me round the firetrucks and taught me how to operate the pumps (although it was too much to take in at one time). It turns out my job at the first fire will be to go to fetch more water in the second truck while the first one battles the blaze; there are no hydrants out where we live.
We also rolled up some hoses that were drying out because guess what? . . . there was a fire last week! I haven't been given my pager yet so they had some trouble getting hold of me. They gave me a phonecall to show up for duty but I was out at the time, I'm really disappointed. Anyway, it turns out that it was only a small chimney fire which they got to in time so they were pretty happy about that.
I got my uniform and I have to say I look very smart, it's a hand me down which I'm quite happy about as I won't look like a complete lemon in a bright new yellow outfit. The trousers are a bit tight but apart from that it's great, red braces, black & yellow boots and a yellow helmet with a plastic visor.
So that's about it, stay tuned for my next report when something exciting happens.
Fireman Sean.
Mar 9th 2005, 3:24 am
#28
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by prodigyking
I have been thinking about this for a while, and definitely want to join the volunteer firefighters in Montreal
Were you allowed to march into Quebec brandishing your enormous weapon, or was it confiscated at the border?
Mar 9th 2005, 6:21 am
#29
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,715
Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by Sean Boxer
The trousers are a bit tight but apart from that
.
Mar 9th 2005, 1:30 pm
#30
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Re: What have you done for me lately?
Originally Posted by hot wasabi peas
Hmmm, a fireman in tight trousers. I'm trying to understand how that's a problem .
.