Sally

Very good.

Bob

firefighter...it's pretty adaptable if he wanted to, it's not like the police where he'd need citizenship to get a job.

Chorlton

Good luck, Partystar - take it easy

Rete

I know his career choice but can see where it would not be the same in the UK as it is in the US. He would most likely have to start from stratch and being a non-citizen and all would most likely have a bit of a difficult time of it with the other fighers.

I do wonder sometimes why people in relationships like this don't talk about these issues openly and honestly. I'm lucky that my husband has never lived in just one place or just one country and as such has no preference for where he lives.

Still wish the three of them god speed.

Tootsie Frickensprinkles

Sounds like that was Partystar's problem, he said he'd go back to the UK. Being misleading in these situations is not only emotional suicide, it's grossly unfair on the person you are lieing to and even if the motivation is entirely unmalicious it is selfish to the final degree.

Dont know whether to think his guilt would make this easier or harder.

Jerseygirl

You are quite right Rete...I believe US firemen fight fires in a totally different way to the UK...probably because of the different construction methods and materials. It was discussed earlier last year when Liz mentioned her husband was qualifying to be a firefighter here in the hope it would help him in the UK.

Elvira

And they have to double up as ambulance men... WTF

Jerseygirl

They do? I thought paramedics were assigned to both...do you mean those?

Elvira

Local practices vary...

Let me tell you a little story......... are you sitting comfortably......... so I'll begin

Some years ago we were vacationing in LA when one of my little ones was suddenly taken violently ill. Scary enough to dial 911.

10 minutes later 4 firemen in full regalia - oilskin and all - invaded our holiday apartment and checked him over ...... before telling us to take him to the ER at the local hospital.

(Where he was eventually seen - after they got our CC number... as for the eventual bill........... but that's another story )

Rete

Here in New York (in my city at least) the fire department comes with the ambulance.

fatbrit

Because many folks will refuse the ambulance as they have no health insurance!

bromleygirl

PS: I was in a similar situation 3 years ago. I was divorcing my husband and taking our two children back to England. We started off amicably however as the divorce drew nearer things did get difficult. What I would say to you is consult with a lawyer, ideally one that has dealt with international custody issues.

We decided not to involve lawyers and came to an amicable arrangement in terms of our children. With this said, we still had to go before a judge and I had to answer several questions as to how I would provide for our children and how they would maintain contact with their Father. As your son will be seen only as an American citizen and resident of AZ, they will see it as though you as a foreign national are trying to take an American child out of the States and away from his normal residence. I was lucky in that I had a contract lined up for work in the UK and was able to use this in my arguement. When the time comes try to have an answer for every question the judge could ask you. I can't tell you how relieved I was when the judge finally agreed to sign off on our agreement.

In terms of financial matters, make sure that your husband has disclosed any and all financial concerns that he may have. My ex had opened up a stock option account after we had decided to divorce secretly stashing funds into it and never intended to tell me. It was only because i came across statements, photocopied them for evidence and then confronted him that he came clean.

Also another thing to look out for is that although your ex may seem 'ok" with you and your son leaving, as the time gets nearer he may start to act very irrational and difficult and this will add to an already stressful time for you.

Please feel free to PM me if you need any advice at all.

jumping doris

We have two friends in the UK who are both firemen. In our area there had been a lot of cutbacks, so I don't know how easy it would be to get either a job or into training (not relevant anyway).
Where we are here we have lots of firemen and fire-engines but the town is much, much smaller.

veronica jayne

When I broke my ankle someone in my building heard me scream and called 911 at once. The firemen came first, whole group of them, then the ambulance, I heard the police came too but met the firemen on the way out!!!

penguinsix

All the firemen in my town are volunteers. In fact, the whole county is all volunteer, which means you often hear this big huge siren go off (can hear it for miles) whenever there is a fire in the middle of the night calling the volunteers to the station.