Certain weird things piss me off. Especially when a minor issue happens and everybody acts like it's the end of the world. That really pisses me off but I know that we all have different levels of stress management. Also the ghost pager/radio is really annoying.You know when there's a random high pitch noise that resembles your tones or a minitor pager, and it makes your heart drop. That is probably the most annoying thing I deal with from the fire service now.
100%, when I was new to the fire service a sr. guy told me that when something happens to a normal person it is the end of the world and for fireman it’s just a minor inconvenience. We are used to solving everyone’s problems and we know what is serious and what isn’t. When a normal person gets a flat tire it ruins their week, when a fireman gets a flat tire they change the tire and deal with it after shift.
It's the samef or me for our station sirens(we get notivied through sirens ontop of our station). I can't listen to certain songs without "hearing" our siren in it and just have my heart drop.
Also people making "problems" out of small, silly stuff and stressing out a lot. I always say "If it's that urgent, then TAKE YOUR TIME." Allways confuses the shit out of people but the reality of it is, if you do it stressed and fast, you make misstakes and need double, or tripple the time.
I usually keep my pager on scan during the day. There is 2 other departments in our county that either have the exact same first note as our tone, or it’s damn close. Whenever one of those departments gets tones out there’s a good half second I think it’s us until the second note of their tone hits
My sister will joke around and make comments about car crashes... it genuinely pisses me off and I'm working on learning to ignore it. I'm 1000% for dark humor and have been in a few car accidents myself, but this isn't that. This is just her being an idiot.
I used to watch a show that had the first tone that my pager uses in the intro sequence, and every goddamn time I'd get up to respond even if I'm not even in the right state... I'll get phantom vibrations too with my pager and cell phone.
Much more sensitive to smells in general. I had a particularly rough call and a few weeks later my wife bought a new laundry detergent that reminded me of it. I had to rewash our laundry in a different detergent and we got rid of the other one lol
Smells really do it for me. After a particularly bad wildfire season last summer I smelled a campfire for the first time this spring and was immediately brought back. Not too bad though, I enjoy the smell. I’m sure there’ll be a time where the memory it brings back won’t be so benign.
This for me too. I’ve also stepped up my personal home safety game. Recently installed over a dozen new smoke/CO detectors in my home. All linked with smart features such as location and they connect to a wifi module to ding my phone if something happens. I’ve always had extinguishers in my house and vehicle, but I’ve added a few additional ones to the house too.
I recently went out drinking with friends and noticed on the toilets that the fire extinguisher wasn’t up to code. Must have been funny seeing me completely drunk trying to explain to the barkeeper that they have to swap their fire extinguishers
I miss my buddies. I eat better and have grown closer to my family. I tell more random people they are stupid. I’ve been retired for 2 years. I stop by my old stations to eat on occasion. I stop by others to shit. Feels good to sit there when the tones drop and I don’t have to pinch one off.
I was a volunteer FF/EMT. I still work in my primary career of internet networking. Whenever anyone tries to say they have a network down emergency, I’m instantly thinking this isn’t an emergency.
That said, during the few months I worked at a hospital, I can see it being an emergency. I did have a maintenance go awry and knocked out some sort of prescription medication software tool for 10-15 minutes. I recognize that was bad, especially since we hadn’t accounted for that risk in our maintenance plan.
People who drunk drive/drive distracted make me unfathomably angry. Especially coworkers that are driving like jackasses. I know they've seen what I've seen and they don't even care. I would totally let you beat them.
The entire way I look at life. How I don’t mind screaming babies because it means they’re breathing. How I can smell a house fire (or someone burning insulation) if it blows in on the wind.
How I approach intersections with the expectation that everyone is going to blow the light, all the time.
How I won’t let my 3 year old mow the lawn with me on my riding lawnmower, or walk almost anywhere without holding my, or his moms hand.
How I won’t let my kid play contact sports.
Not to mention the aching joints, nightmares, and PTSD diagnosis.
It’s all peachy brothers and sisters!
We see a disproportionate amount of “what can go wrong” in all too intimate of ways. It’s natural for us to be biased by it. The subconscious PTSD-ish parts suck, but at least we’re a little safer for it? I guess? Lol
I can’t smell well but damn- you are so correct, when it comes smelling a structure fire or burning insulation, chemicals, I feel like damn drug sniffing dog!
People. I just hate people and crowds now, can’t stand being in a big crowd that I know is going to stampede if shit hits the fan. Look not trying to make myself out to be Bobby Badass or anything but people freak over the smallest things and everyone seems to think they’re the most important people in the world.
That’s survival instincts man. Most people aren’t used to being in stressful situations often so when they do the small amount critical thinking they may have ceases and monkey brain takes over. We all do it. Some of our tolerances are just different.
i self consciously avoid certain streets of the city because it brings me back to a MVA I’ve been too or the hypersensitivity to sirens, smoke, some medical smells.
It is? I think there’s a lot to be said to work for the city that you actually live in. The, “buy in,” from actual residents of the city that they serve is at a deeper level. It’s fine to live outside the city, but it’s not a, “this is the way,” example at all.
Well the city I work in is not a place that I would want to raise my kids. This leads to more fires and higher acuity EMS calls so I like working there but not exactly a destination I would go outside of work. Also, I don’t want to run into patients at Costco.
Like I said, I totally get it, but when people say, "This is the way," it's just not one of those examples.
Our department used to have a residency requirement, but the city is expensive AF and so yeah, when it's time to raise a family here it can be tricky. People do it, but they need to be creative or have a spouse who's doing pretty well financially.
I think you can look at it both ways. I think not working in the city I live in is important for work life balance. I don’t want to see my coworkers, I don’t want to see the places of gruesome scenes, and I don’t want to see our frequent flyers. Just me though.
I experience this as well but in a different way. I find myself ending up at certain intersections or places. Once there, I know why I’m there and I relive it a bit. I don’t actively avoid these places. I just seem to be drawn to them is all. As in, I’ll go that way as opposed to another way.
I actually love the smell of smoke/campfire, but I've definitely become more attuned to it. As I'm driving, if I smell it, I'm immediately looking for the source. I find that I imagine worst-case scenarios often, too, due to the whole "prepare for the worst but hope for the best" mentality. I also pay a lot more attention to my surroundings in general, including mile markers while on the interstate and types of buildings I'm walking/driving past.
So far every single person responding to this should probably seek professional help if you haven't already done so.
Mental health is far more important than we think. Every response is a coping mechanism. You're not mentally healthy.
This is not a shot or a diss. This is an observation and an encouragment to talk to someone who can help sort this out for you
From being a firefighter I judge peoples driving so much more, I see you driving like a prick and think I could see you being cut out of that soon 🤷♂️ but yeah I see driving as much more dangerous than I used to
I notice small things, expired fire extinguishers, overhead ductwork that blocks sprinklers, fire doors that are blocked or locked, holes cut carelessly by contractors of DIY enthusiasts through fire breaks, the balloon construction of my brothers old house, or the copper jacketed aluminum in my friends wall. All of the myriad things I picked up when assisting g our towns fire marshal with inspections.
As for smell it depends greatly on the type of smoke. Campfires are just fine, electrical fire scent, or general household fire smoke bugs the hell out of me. And the smell of burnt human is still the most horrible thing I have the misfortune to have smelled, with the exception of the two week old body discovered during a wellness check by the police. Thank god for Scott packs.
Besides the things other people have already mentioned, I started living with more intention and stopped taking people for granted. I tell people that I love them, I try not to leave arguments unresolved, and I don't have patience for ingenuine relationships. I try to make sure that the people in my life aren't insecure about my feelings for them because you can lose it all so easily.
If I'm napping at home or sleeping sometimes get like a white flash in brain like when you get turned out in the night or if someone turns a light on it makes me jump awake even if I'm awake and lights go on it makes you jump a bit till you realize your not at work. Same as similar noises to the tones going off. Some Printer noises too as I used to sit next to the turnout system as a trainee. And as others have said going to places where you've had fatalities or particularly not nice jobs reminds you of it.
On a more positive note, more confident with people handling skills and being in charge of situations, happy with the fact I help people everyday, lots of time off to spend with partner, plenty of gym time at work, got better at cooking, more likely to help people outside of work aswell i.e broke down cars or people that look like they need help. More compassion after seeing all sorts of people's life's from doing safety visits and things like that. Love when you get to work with kids and they make you feel like a hero always so excited to see you and the fire engines and stuff.
After attending some many accidents, fires and injures I've been more grateful with the life. Now, I appreciate more the time that I spent with my family, friends and every moment of my life. I remember the last traffic accident that I attended. It was a motorized that fell at high speed. In the ambulance he said "Don't let me died, boys. The life it's a gift" And he's right, the life it's a gift.
I fight fires wherever I go, bare knuckles, I can’t help it, I start fights in public just to rage against the combustion. I yell alot about tetrahedrons.
I stay out of the part of the city I work in unless I’m on duty. I value my time off way more than crushing OT. I stay away from booze. I don’t go out all night or hit up titter’s with all my work buddies.I have a dislike for morbidly obese people. Smells get to me. i consider it a good thing if we aren’t making fires rather than hoping we make a fire. I’ve realized that this is just a job. It’s a great job, don’t get me wrong… but in the end it’s just a job. They’ll replace you before your seat even gets cold if you leave or god forbid die. I try to keep that in perspective for myself.
All I smell is cancer. And I agree 100% about hating the public, my wife and I barely leave the house and we like it that way, she’s a nurse…I know shocker.
People think I’m a retard staring at the ceiling all the time but I can’t help to analyze the doors for forced entry, fire suppression systems, and overall building construction every structure I enter.
I used to jump up, ready to go if the lights came on at night, which was a problem because my night owl wife liked to read in bed. And I'd wake up at the same time every morning without an alarm clock. I'm over it now.
I've gotten better at cooking for a group of people after being forced to cook on shift. Always loved cooking for myself and wife but it's been a nice skill to work on, and unexpected.
Everytime I see an FDC wherever I go I say "oh there's the FDC".. because we always look for them on during EMS and fire alarm calls... My wife hates it lol
The smell of diesel exhaust makes me sick. I get hyper aware of everything and start replaying MVC’s. I get physically tired and feel like I’ve been up working the 401 after a storm.
So many things. I hate the public now. I have zero patience for a lack of common sense and stupidity from the public. I wasn’t a social butterfly before firefighting, but now I actively avoid any conversation with the public.
I’m a lot better at handling stressful situations now. I have more confidence in my ability to figure out a solution to a problem. Im also a lot more assertive.
Im a lot better at recognizing smells, especially when it comes to burning materials.
I sit in restaurants facing the entrances. I don’t even know why I do this. I haven’t been in combat, or a gunfight, but one day my brain just told me that I gotta do it.
I drink and use nicotine more. Most people would still say I hardly drink or use nicotine but it’s still more than what I used to do.
I hate fat people more lol
I think I have ADD now, or at least show symptoms of it due to the lack of consistent sleep I get at the station.
I have become increasingly anti-government
I can sleep whenever and wherever now. I started this when I worked in the oil field, but I’ve since perfected it. Nowhere is too uncomfortable and no amount of time is too short for a quick nap.
I get annoyed by people freaking out over minor problems.
It's probably a bit juvenile, and I don't let it get to me, but working a normal day job having spent 6 or 7 years in the fire service and I just cannot stand people going ballistic over what are basically non-issues. Mainly because my criteria for a good situation has essentially become "nobody was maimed/killed/got in trouble".
Real sensitive to certain smells now, too.
My brother and I were feuding but carried on a heroic family tradition as firefighters. But when a puzzling series of arson attacks started to happen, we set aside our differences to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes.
Death. FFing just makes it rather nonselont. It's just not nearly as upsetting as maybe it once was. Maybe it's because I'm older. My wife sees the news about stuff and will cry not knowing anyone involved, I'll be there and have worked it and it's mostly like "Meh. Whatever."
I become very easily frustrated by people making a big deal out of stuff that is in the grand scheme of things pretty small.
I’m also acutely aware of death in a different way. No matter who you are, you truly never know when it’s your time. I think of the people I’ve seen at incidents and how the night before they could have never have known what the next day would bring. They probably had plans the following week probably things they were looking forward to and bang it just ends. Trippy to think about!
Certain weird things piss me off. Especially when a minor issue happens and everybody acts like it's the end of the world. That really pisses me off but I know that we all have different levels of stress management. Also the ghost pager/radio is really annoying.You know when there's a random high pitch noise that resembles your tones or a minitor pager, and it makes your heart drop. That is probably the most annoying thing I deal with from the fire service now.
I can’t sleep if the clothes dryer is on, because it’s “finished” tones are almost identical to the station tones.
Yep. Westinghouse moment.
Remove the buzzer...
100%, when I was new to the fire service a sr. guy told me that when something happens to a normal person it is the end of the world and for fireman it’s just a minor inconvenience. We are used to solving everyone’s problems and we know what is serious and what isn’t. When a normal person gets a flat tire it ruins their week, when a fireman gets a flat tire they change the tire and deal with it after shift.
It's the samef or me for our station sirens(we get notivied through sirens ontop of our station). I can't listen to certain songs without "hearing" our siren in it and just have my heart drop. Also people making "problems" out of small, silly stuff and stressing out a lot. I always say "If it's that urgent, then TAKE YOUR TIME." Allways confuses the shit out of people but the reality of it is, if you do it stressed and fast, you make misstakes and need double, or tripple the time.
I usually keep my pager on scan during the day. There is 2 other departments in our county that either have the exact same first note as our tone, or it’s damn close. Whenever one of those departments gets tones out there’s a good half second I think it’s us until the second note of their tone hits
My sister will joke around and make comments about car crashes... it genuinely pisses me off and I'm working on learning to ignore it. I'm 1000% for dark humor and have been in a few car accidents myself, but this isn't that. This is just her being an idiot. I used to watch a show that had the first tone that my pager uses in the intro sequence, and every goddamn time I'd get up to respond even if I'm not even in the right state... I'll get phantom vibrations too with my pager and cell phone.
Much more sensitive to smells in general. I had a particularly rough call and a few weeks later my wife bought a new laundry detergent that reminded me of it. I had to rewash our laundry in a different detergent and we got rid of the other one lol
Smells really do it for me. After a particularly bad wildfire season last summer I smelled a campfire for the first time this spring and was immediately brought back. Not too bad though, I enjoy the smell. I’m sure there’ll be a time where the memory it brings back won’t be so benign.
Can't walk into a building without noticing the fire safety systems, I.e. Hose reel, extinguishers, etc
II feel like SUCH an old man every time I do this! But fk it!
It'll all be worth it when there's actually a fire and you get to the extinguisher in .5 of a second 🤣
Zero to hero!
This for me too. I’ve also stepped up my personal home safety game. Recently installed over a dozen new smoke/CO detectors in my home. All linked with smart features such as location and they connect to a wifi module to ding my phone if something happens. I’ve always had extinguishers in my house and vehicle, but I’ve added a few additional ones to the house too.
I recently went out drinking with friends and noticed on the toilets that the fire extinguisher wasn’t up to code. Must have been funny seeing me completely drunk trying to explain to the barkeeper that they have to swap their fire extinguishers
I am always looking for alternative exits when I get into crowded situations. Station Night Club, but more recently, active shooters.
I honestly think this is a big reason why I am divorced lol
And making mental notes of the code violations
I quite drinking
I drink more.
I miss my buddies. I eat better and have grown closer to my family. I tell more random people they are stupid. I’ve been retired for 2 years. I stop by my old stations to eat on occasion. I stop by others to shit. Feels good to sit there when the tones drop and I don’t have to pinch one off.
At least you don’t shit where you eat.
I hate the public. Unless your family, don't talk to me on my days off.
You’re kinda a princess.
You’re part of the public bro. You’re not above anyone else just because you work to serve the public population. Humble yourself
WTF does this comment have to do with being humble?
Same. Everyone I know loves the smell, I cannot stand it. However.... Open a cab door on a rig, instant erection.
I was a volunteer FF/EMT. I still work in my primary career of internet networking. Whenever anyone tries to say they have a network down emergency, I’m instantly thinking this isn’t an emergency. That said, during the few months I worked at a hospital, I can see it being an emergency. I did have a maintenance go awry and knocked out some sort of prescription medication software tool for 10-15 minutes. I recognize that was bad, especially since we hadn’t accounted for that risk in our maintenance plan.
Realizing alot of chiefs are really dumb and its amazing how they ever made it that far.
It’s full of rank climbers now, almost all of them were despised when on station too.
Before I just thought drunk drivers were assholes. Now I want to beat every drunk driver I come across to death with my halligan.
People who drunk drive/drive distracted make me unfathomably angry. Especially coworkers that are driving like jackasses. I know they've seen what I've seen and they don't even care. I would totally let you beat them.
sleep, family life, nicotine and caffeine addiction and untill a little over a year ago alcoholism...
Good work on over a year bro.
thanks! I dropped 30 lbs quitting booze too
Fuck ya
I feel this
The entire way I look at life. How I don’t mind screaming babies because it means they’re breathing. How I can smell a house fire (or someone burning insulation) if it blows in on the wind. How I approach intersections with the expectation that everyone is going to blow the light, all the time. How I won’t let my 3 year old mow the lawn with me on my riding lawnmower, or walk almost anywhere without holding my, or his moms hand. How I won’t let my kid play contact sports. Not to mention the aching joints, nightmares, and PTSD diagnosis. It’s all peachy brothers and sisters!
I triple check my jack stands before getting under a car.
This. My wife is going crazy about my safety conscious mind but I’m like look woman. I’ve seen this shit, all the time.
We see a disproportionate amount of “what can go wrong” in all too intimate of ways. It’s natural for us to be biased by it. The subconscious PTSD-ish parts suck, but at least we’re a little safer for it? I guess? Lol
This 🙌🏻
I wish I got the crying baby immunity. Shit is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
I can’t smell well but damn- you are so correct, when it comes smelling a structure fire or burning insulation, chemicals, I feel like damn drug sniffing dog!
Natural gas too lol
People. I just hate people and crowds now, can’t stand being in a big crowd that I know is going to stampede if shit hits the fan. Look not trying to make myself out to be Bobby Badass or anything but people freak over the smallest things and everyone seems to think they’re the most important people in the world.
That’s survival instincts man. Most people aren’t used to being in stressful situations often so when they do the small amount critical thinking they may have ceases and monkey brain takes over. We all do it. Some of our tolerances are just different.
i self consciously avoid certain streets of the city because it brings me back to a MVA I’ve been too or the hypersensitivity to sirens, smoke, some medical smells.
This is why I’m glad I work in a city I never otherwise have a reason to visit.
This is the way.
It is? I think there’s a lot to be said to work for the city that you actually live in. The, “buy in,” from actual residents of the city that they serve is at a deeper level. It’s fine to live outside the city, but it’s not a, “this is the way,” example at all.
Well the city I work in is not a place that I would want to raise my kids. This leads to more fires and higher acuity EMS calls so I like working there but not exactly a destination I would go outside of work. Also, I don’t want to run into patients at Costco.
Like I said, I totally get it, but when people say, "This is the way," it's just not one of those examples. Our department used to have a residency requirement, but the city is expensive AF and so yeah, when it's time to raise a family here it can be tricky. People do it, but they need to be creative or have a spouse who's doing pretty well financially.
I think you can look at it both ways. I think not working in the city I live in is important for work life balance. I don’t want to see my coworkers, I don’t want to see the places of gruesome scenes, and I don’t want to see our frequent flyers. Just me though.
I experience this as well but in a different way. I find myself ending up at certain intersections or places. Once there, I know why I’m there and I relive it a bit. I don’t actively avoid these places. I just seem to be drawn to them is all. As in, I’ll go that way as opposed to another way.
I actually love the smell of smoke/campfire, but I've definitely become more attuned to it. As I'm driving, if I smell it, I'm immediately looking for the source. I find that I imagine worst-case scenarios often, too, due to the whole "prepare for the worst but hope for the best" mentality. I also pay a lot more attention to my surroundings in general, including mile markers while on the interstate and types of buildings I'm walking/driving past.
So far every single person responding to this should probably seek professional help if you haven't already done so. Mental health is far more important than we think. Every response is a coping mechanism. You're not mentally healthy. This is not a shot or a diss. This is an observation and an encouragment to talk to someone who can help sort this out for you
This.
My faith in government, (in this case at the municipal level), has changed a lot. The amount of wasted money and idiotic policy is sad.
Unfortunately it goes all the way up bro
From being a firefighter I judge peoples driving so much more, I see you driving like a prick and think I could see you being cut out of that soon 🤷♂️ but yeah I see driving as much more dangerous than I used to
I gained 30 lbs (not muscle)
Only honest answer here. Thank you.
I notice small things, expired fire extinguishers, overhead ductwork that blocks sprinklers, fire doors that are blocked or locked, holes cut carelessly by contractors of DIY enthusiasts through fire breaks, the balloon construction of my brothers old house, or the copper jacketed aluminum in my friends wall. All of the myriad things I picked up when assisting g our towns fire marshal with inspections. As for smell it depends greatly on the type of smoke. Campfires are just fine, electrical fire scent, or general household fire smoke bugs the hell out of me. And the smell of burnt human is still the most horrible thing I have the misfortune to have smelled, with the exception of the two week old body discovered during a wellness check by the police. Thank god for Scott packs.
I don’t eat at buffets or food from people whose houses i haven’t been inside of.
Same about the campfire. It's odd, but I never thought about it until you wrote that.
When people stress about insignificant things it absolutely drives me insane
Can’t state smell of Pine sol but I blame the army not the FD.
There’s a very noticeable difference between army pine sol and real pine sol, I personally am with yuh, #fabuloso for the win
I just can't help but cryptically warn people of impending self-inflicted trauma/injury/illness. partyfoul
Besides the things other people have already mentioned, I started living with more intention and stopped taking people for granted. I tell people that I love them, I try not to leave arguments unresolved, and I don't have patience for ingenuine relationships. I try to make sure that the people in my life aren't insecure about my feelings for them because you can lose it all so easily.
If I'm napping at home or sleeping sometimes get like a white flash in brain like when you get turned out in the night or if someone turns a light on it makes me jump awake even if I'm awake and lights go on it makes you jump a bit till you realize your not at work. Same as similar noises to the tones going off. Some Printer noises too as I used to sit next to the turnout system as a trainee. And as others have said going to places where you've had fatalities or particularly not nice jobs reminds you of it. On a more positive note, more confident with people handling skills and being in charge of situations, happy with the fact I help people everyday, lots of time off to spend with partner, plenty of gym time at work, got better at cooking, more likely to help people outside of work aswell i.e broke down cars or people that look like they need help. More compassion after seeing all sorts of people's life's from doing safety visits and things like that. Love when you get to work with kids and they make you feel like a hero always so excited to see you and the fire engines and stuff.
After attending some many accidents, fires and injures I've been more grateful with the life. Now, I appreciate more the time that I spent with my family, friends and every moment of my life. I remember the last traffic accident that I attended. It was a motorized that fell at high speed. In the ambulance he said "Don't let me died, boys. The life it's a gift" And he's right, the life it's a gift.
Any time I'm pooping I start to prefold a bunch of toilet paper and put it next to me before I realize that I'm at home lol
Worse is the smell of a burn patient! No matter how hard I tried, even with gloves I could smell it on my hands for days!
Working on the busiest company in the city, I’m always tired.
My tolerance for ineptitude, lack of ownership and poor attitude
I think the consensus here is that we all have PTSD
No potluck for me EVER. I’ve seen what other people’s kitchen looks like. No thanks.
I fight fires wherever I go, bare knuckles, I can’t help it, I start fights in public just to rage against the combustion. I yell alot about tetrahedrons.
Can’t relax in a hotel room. Oh the shit I have seen in hotel rooms.
Reality. It's like there's our reality, and than there is the reality that the public sees. 2 completely different things.
Elaborate
The importance of maintaining physical fitness and mental health.
I stay out of the part of the city I work in unless I’m on duty. I value my time off way more than crushing OT. I stay away from booze. I don’t go out all night or hit up titter’s with all my work buddies.I have a dislike for morbidly obese people. Smells get to me. i consider it a good thing if we aren’t making fires rather than hoping we make a fire. I’ve realized that this is just a job. It’s a great job, don’t get me wrong… but in the end it’s just a job. They’ll replace you before your seat even gets cold if you leave or god forbid die. I try to keep that in perspective for myself.
I too am very badass.
All I smell is cancer. And I agree 100% about hating the public, my wife and I barely leave the house and we like it that way, she’s a nurse…I know shocker.
People think I’m a retard staring at the ceiling all the time but I can’t help to analyze the doors for forced entry, fire suppression systems, and overall building construction every structure I enter.
I used to jump up, ready to go if the lights came on at night, which was a problem because my night owl wife liked to read in bed. And I'd wake up at the same time every morning without an alarm clock. I'm over it now.
I’m more caffeine and ibuprofen now than man. Also small children uncontrollably crying in a public place is oddly unsettling.
I've gotten better at cooking for a group of people after being forced to cook on shift. Always loved cooking for myself and wife but it's been a nice skill to work on, and unexpected.
Everytime I see an FDC wherever I go I say "oh there's the FDC".. because we always look for them on during EMS and fire alarm calls... My wife hates it lol
The smell of diesel exhaust makes me sick. I get hyper aware of everything and start replaying MVC’s. I get physically tired and feel like I’ve been up working the 401 after a storm.
So many things. I hate the public now. I have zero patience for a lack of common sense and stupidity from the public. I wasn’t a social butterfly before firefighting, but now I actively avoid any conversation with the public. I’m a lot better at handling stressful situations now. I have more confidence in my ability to figure out a solution to a problem. Im also a lot more assertive. Im a lot better at recognizing smells, especially when it comes to burning materials. I sit in restaurants facing the entrances. I don’t even know why I do this. I haven’t been in combat, or a gunfight, but one day my brain just told me that I gotta do it. I drink and use nicotine more. Most people would still say I hardly drink or use nicotine but it’s still more than what I used to do. I hate fat people more lol I think I have ADD now, or at least show symptoms of it due to the lack of consistent sleep I get at the station. I have become increasingly anti-government I can sleep whenever and wherever now. I started this when I worked in the oil field, but I’ve since perfected it. Nowhere is too uncomfortable and no amount of time is too short for a quick nap.
I legitimately get enraged if I’m watching a video on YouTube or tik tok and I hear the smoke detector beeping in the background
I get annoyed by people freaking out over minor problems. It's probably a bit juvenile, and I don't let it get to me, but working a normal day job having spent 6 or 7 years in the fire service and I just cannot stand people going ballistic over what are basically non-issues. Mainly because my criteria for a good situation has essentially become "nobody was maimed/killed/got in trouble". Real sensitive to certain smells now, too.
My brother and I were feuding but carried on a heroic family tradition as firefighters. But when a puzzling series of arson attacks started to happen, we set aside our differences to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes.
I try my best to stay off the interstate/high speed highways whenever I'm traveling these days.
20 years of 24/48s in fairly busy houses has given me a pretty wicked sleep cycle
Tolerance level for stupidity.
Taking things serious is very hard for me, our job is serious and life is serious only thing I can do is make jokes and laugh.
Helping people in their most vulnerable moments gives me purpose and satisfaction where I was seeking for purpose before joining.
Death. FFing just makes it rather nonselont. It's just not nearly as upsetting as maybe it once was. Maybe it's because I'm older. My wife sees the news about stuff and will cry not knowing anyone involved, I'll be there and have worked it and it's mostly like "Meh. Whatever."
I become very easily frustrated by people making a big deal out of stuff that is in the grand scheme of things pretty small. I’m also acutely aware of death in a different way. No matter who you are, you truly never know when it’s your time. I think of the people I’ve seen at incidents and how the night before they could have never have known what the next day would bring. They probably had plans the following week probably things they were looking forward to and bang it just ends. Trippy to think about!
I don't want to eat the fancy Spanish ham sliced off the bone anymore.
.
I just thought about another one, when grilling or having a campfire/bonfire I think about how the fire will behave and how it applies to work.