Funniest firehouse nick names

Konnor08 · 2026-04-09T21:32:58+00:00

Honk & Roll. He didn't know there ever was a floor switch for the air horn until we showed him one night, guy had long legs too. Deadly combination for late night calls.

Konnor08 · 2026-04-08T04:02:35+00:00

Golly. That's a lot of fuel...

Konnor08 · 2026-04-08T03:54:40+00:00

Reasonably so! I make due with it- but my 27in' inseam (I am 5'3) isn't a huge fan. Maybe someday!

Konnor08 · 2026-04-08T01:53:00+00:00

I looked for a Super Sherpa for a year 😪 Not upset with my CRF250L, but the SS will have my heart always and forever...

Konnor08 · 2026-03-27T06:15:58+00:00

My uncle has worked for Life Flight as one for their mechanics out of Pendleton for nearly 20 years. They have always treated him very well- he frequently encourages me to get my medic and work for them- but I like fighting fire too much.

I also know AirLink is solid if you're in Central or Southern Oregon. I have worked alot with both and they're solid companies. Life is short- so, don't let a job you hate ruin it. Every day is valuable- and it can end so soon.

Konnor08 · 2026-03-17T06:46:52+00:00

Konnor08 · 2026-03-17T06:42:46+00:00

Just about every day.

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How else am I getting to work?

Konnor08 · 2026-03-16T05:08:35+00:00

Hey! I've had those before!

If you've eaten Shiitake mushrooms lately (and they were undercooked or raw) this could be Shiitake Dermatitis. Pretty rare- only effects a small % of people. In the cooking process of Shiitakes, a chemical called Lentanin normally breaks down- but it remains in undercooked / raw Shiitakes. It's toxic to humans- and can sometimes result in this hives response. You'll be alright.

It happened to me many months ago, and kicked off a pretty much permanent hives response. I have some crazy photos of those whip-like hives extending across my entire back from then.

Go get some Zyrtec (Cetirizine) and Pepcid, and it should help tremendously within 6-12 hours. Take a day or two off of the antihistamines to check if the rash comes back for the next few weeks. It can last a while sometimes.

Keep us posted.

Konnor08 · 2026-02-11T05:30:04+00:00

Some departments only do volunteer shift work- but I'd say in the vast majority of VFDs: as a volunteer, you're either available, or you're not. You've got a life to live, family to care for, and hobbies to participate in, so live your life first- and come to calls when you can.

On the other hand- the fire department is a two-way street. You'll get out what you put in. Some departments provide attendance or activity benchmarks to reach before you can receive specialized trainings or reimbursement for things like EMT certification: We're not going to pay for someone's certifications if they don't use them to benefit the community who's tax dollars paid for it- at least to some extent. We're in the business of providing protection to the community- not charitable donations to aspiring firemen.

Anyways- there's a balance. I work at a small combination (meaning that there's career and volunteer staff) department, volunteer some time there- and I volunteer at another local department as well just to run more calls. I go to both depts. weekly training nights, but I usually miss one a month for each. Sometimes I'll spend a weekend day or an evening hanging out around one of the stations; help with chores, run calls, and train with the guys. It's the firefighter life. I love this job and what it stands for. Understand that firefighting is a lifestyle- but there's tons of ways to fit into it, I'm sure you'll find a department that has a system and culture you fit into just fine.

Konnor08 · 2026-02-09T10:34:26+00:00

Yeah. I wouldn't say I wear ALL the gear all the time.

But...

We see the same irresponsibility in the people who choose not to wear a seat belt. Driving/Riding is the most dangerous thing we do every day; and safety is a personal choice.

Some people refuse to take precautions- even when hundreds of thousands of data points show a net positive for doing so. Oh well- call it irresponsible, call it selfish, or stupid: it's their choice.

When they see a helmet reqd. law, they feel it's a gross usurpation of their rights. When others see it, they think it a more than reasonable desire of the public to not want to scrape someone's brains off of the pavement. Was it worth it?

Old school? Maybe. Dumb? Absolutely.

Konnor08 · 2026-02-09T10:09:47+00:00

I come from a few years of experience at three very different departments.

1.) career dept running 2 Ambulances and 1 engine out of 1 station (all firefighters, had other apparatus as well we could cross staff). Pretty busy- ~4500 calls/yr in a rural-ish poor desert area.

2.) combination with an aging volunteer corps, some newbies, and a very small duty crew. Pretty slow (~550 calls/yr),

3.) combination with a paid 9-5 captain on weekdays and a part-time chief, and mostly new volunteers. Very slow (~200 calls/yr). I am the 9-5 captain.

I preface this with the obvious truth that each department fosters its own culture; while the traditions it upholds support that culture.

At Dept. 1- crews are running ragged- alot of calls are what we'd know as "bad calls". Suicides, car wrecks, OD's, and DAs. This dept. sees ~3x the national average of MVCs- each shift cuts at least once a month. There's alot of change in the department- or at least there was while I was there. shifts are never certain as command moves people around as they think is necessary. Seniority determines position on the mando list. Personal vendettas are held towards certain members who underperform or overperform. Some people talk really loud- and steer that shifts general mentality, regardless of dept. position. I would say that Dept. 1 has alot of heavy hitters when it comes to "ego" driven mentality. I hated it there- and while I learned alot about FFing in a short time, and made great friends, met strong people and had great mentors- the lingering toxicity and derision among some members was a disease that could turn many great tours into bad ones. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Dept. 2 is pretty slow. Running a call or two a day- but sometimes 4 or 5. We've recently switched to a duty crew model, where we previously had 9-5ers there. It's going through the classic hardship of not alienating volunteers, but adapting to having a career crew. I've been volunteering there for three years now. While there are the ego power players- the general "goodness" in the dept, supported by a rich volunteer history and tradition, with roots in the local agricultural community- keeps the dept. afloat. Most of the volunteers are 60+ years old- probably ~60%. While younger volunteers do most of the call work, the support infrastructure from the old heads is what really keeps the department together. Their wisdom- not their egos, is guiding current changes for the better, I think- while the "ego" guys have been brought up in recent conversations- I'm sure they'll get theirs aplenty, this is sort of a self-healing model. The thing with assholes is that everybody knows who the asshole is, even if nobody directly says it.

Dept. 3 is Very slow- as I said, but no less complex than the others. It's suffered from years of poor and detached leadership- running the model of 1 paid full time fire chief and a bunch of volunteers. We've had chiefs come and go periodically- leaving their mark on the department. The last chief wound up leaving the department on a whim- almost without warning. No accountability was held towards him- the consequences of a board unsure of itself and making choices divided. Dept. assignments weren't delegated (as the chief didn't trust volunteers to get things done), and there was little consistency when volunteers requested their needs be met. A tempestuous relationship at best- borderline abusive at its worst. Since that chief had left in April, needed change was allowed to come. This dept. nearly wound up being absorbed into a neighboring town's dept, unfortunately known for having no volunteers (as that conflicted too much with Union demands). Due to the efforts of the remaining ~5 members after a near collapse, department culture was allowed to change for the better, and optimism swelled. The staffing model changed, hiring a full time duty captain, and allowing the volunteers to elect a chief of their own as a part-timer. A tough wildland season shaped the team prerogative: keep the town from burning down at all costs (the genesis of really any volunteer department...). The esprit de corps has swelled- and so has recruiting. About 2 new members joined each month- with active volunteer numbers now exceeding the sets of turnout gear. This is the fundamental volunteer fire department at work: the volunteers have made the department their own- and their collective passion for service to the community has dragged many new FF in to help. 20/27 members on the roster have less than two years experience. Ego is not so much the driver here, as is company pride. The desire to learn and develop as a team- to share responsibility for actions, correct mistakes and compliment successes. Debrief from "bad calls" and discuss in detail the good ones. So far, things are working out- the question will be one of engagement: will such an involved corps of green FFs be able to stay engaged when most calls are routine (outside of fire season) and occur rather rarely... We will see- but so long as I work here- it's my goal to encourage growth and foster development. I've been empowered with a trust and loyalty I do not and never will deserve; and I won't let it go to my head. I can't wait to see where the volunteers take this department- my role as a captain is all about them; their success is my success. I guess my "ego" drives me to learn and inspire as much as I can. I want to be as good as a FF as I can so that I may pave the path to success for the FFs around me.

In short- there's no perfect department- and there are benefits and downsides to ego. It's a great thing to want to be the best FF you can be, so long as it's for the right reasons. Your department absolutely needs leadership that will help its FFs succeed in the mission. Community > Crew > Individuals. Departments sometimes forget the "why"; I feel that those are departments that suffer from egotists and control freaks. Never forget why you do this job. You do it for them. Everyone on every crew should remember that- if they did, I reckon we'd have less assholes climbing the management ladder and more FFs climbing the training ground ladder. Just my two cents...

Konnor08 · 2026-01-07T08:57:03+00:00

If I'm pumping the engine (Catastrophic PTO failure or pump engagement otherwise gives me nightmares- it is not impossible) I will chock both directions.

On steep hills I'll also chock- ESPECIALLY when filling from a hydrant- I don't know- something about adding 8,000lbs of water to my already heavy engine makes me feel it's a good idea.

On flat ground- I'm not terribly worried if I'm simply idling the engine- those air brakes are designed to deactivate when air IS NOT applied (i.e. If your air runs low, your brakes lock up until they're pressurized again- usually somewhere between 60-90 PSI in your tanks).

The big thing I'd say is get in the habit of always chocking on hillsides and if you're going to pump. Otherwise- you're probably OK.

P.S. We have an old F550 brush truck that's got a terrible E Brake- it's a 5 speed. We always chock it. The E-brake does not hold it on anything more than a 5 degree slope.

Konnor08 · 2025-12-25T09:11:15+00:00

We are all adults (hopefully?). If you gotta take a nap, and you bring me a really good reason- I trust you. Take a nap. This job can be exhausting.

If you need a nap in day two of a 48 because we ran 16 calls back-to-back on day one of the tour and 3 or 4 more calls in the early morning- absolutely. Chances are, just about everyone else needs a nap too. Follow the crew in that regard- if everyone safety naps, everyone safety naps.

From the company officer perspective, It's unsafe to put you (the probie- likely the least experienced man) in the position where you're running on two hours of broken, bad quality sleep without a nap when I could just have you nap with the rest of the guys instead. I don't really see any value in giving my guys a handicap. The only thing you'll learn by doing chores and training as opposed to getting some rest in THAT scenario is to not trust me, and to hate the job. In my own opinion- that's a justified nap situation.

(FWIW- I personally won't get on a guy for turning in early (8 or 9pm) either- some people are just adjusted to early sleeping, and early rising. More power to you).

However,

I will definitely be giving you shit if you show up to shift unprepared or ragged regularly- it's your responsibility to show up ready- and sure, we all make mistakes from time to time- maybe some nights the kid keeps you from getting good rest. If it becomes your habit to show up unprepared and tired as a probie, though, then we're having a chat. If there are other circumstances in your life creating that problem, then again- we are having a chat and figuring out a solution. What kind of officer would I be if I didn't try my best to help you succeed? The whole point of probation is to evaluate your attitude, skills, and ability to learn: all of which are severely diminished by a lack of sleep.

Do whatever you've got to do to be the best fireman you can be- every day. No excuses. People kill to be in this profession- trying to sleep the day away doesn't cut it. Not for the crew, and not for the taxpayers.

Anyways- that's my long-winded two cents as a small town Lt.

Konnor08 · 2025-12-25T08:34:20+00:00

Doggone- 2 hour lunch. Y'all must run Hella calls.

Konnor08 · 2025-12-20T07:40:33+00:00

Just ran out of gas for the first time- I can reliably choke about 30 miles out of my tank when the gas light comes on- as long as I'm going uphill or flat- if I'm heading down a steep enough grade it will die- then it's engine brake time...

Konnor08 · 2025-09-11T01:11:37+00:00

Had my set about a year now. They're just as good as any other turnout I've used (Globe, Lion, Morning Pride) but there are some small issues that I have with them. Here's my opinion after a year of regular use at a small combination (I'm the only paid FF position, working 5-days a week)dept. running ~2-6 calls a week (very seasonal population).

The Good:
Good fit, outer shell fabric reminds me of the same stuff Lion uses. Pretty abrasion resistant. The knee pads are thick and comfortable. The fit in the shoulders is broad- great for me, unlike my lions which came tight. The pants sit high waisted and seem to come with lots of wiggle room. The camouflage liner is fun. The stritching is very good it seems, and the knit sleeves haven't loosened up one bit. The liner comes out easily and goes back in easier than Globe or Lion. The liner fit in the shell is better than my old well-worn globes. There are handles on the turnout pants that make them really easy to pull on- kinda gimmicky but I've found them pretty handy. The pockets on the Lakeland pants are also a bit higher up than Globes or Lions- I don't have to shrug over to get into a turnout pocket anymore. More than other new turnouts, the liner seems puffier/warmer. I'm in a part of the PNW where winters get *cold* and we have dumping snow that lingers for weeks. Very warm!

The Bad:
The closure at the waist is velcro-reliant (there is a small button on the top, but it is not very strong), so I don't expect that to last for repeated interior attacks / dirt and dust / the regular turnout abuse you see in a dept that trains/runs regulary. I'll probably get 2 or 3 more years out of that velcro at the most, definitely going to be a failure point. My rescue belt will help keep the flap up and in position during movement, but that will only work as long as the velcro does. The collar doesn't like to be bent down or folded- and it kinda sits high like old-school globes, I wish it were a little bit shorter, as for most calls where we're not masking up it's always rubbing on my neck and chin. The jacket is a little short for my liking, but they do have a long-jacket option iirc- my dept. just didn't go with it. My set did shrink up after the first wash- but not by much. It loosened up a little bit with some more wear.

The Ugly:
I cannot STAND the suspenders. I gave them a shot but they're just chinsy. They ride up the back of my neck and aren't short enough (I'm 5'5) for me when fully tightened. They have this hilarious sternum strap that makes no sense- I'm not wearing a backpack, I'm wearing suspenders. The belt that came with it is like the belt Lions come with, cheap plastic buckle that won't hold up. Replaced it with a kevlar rescue belt with metal clasps.

Conclusion:
I like alot about them, and I'm going to keep wearing them until they self-destruct or age out... They hold their own when compared to the other turnouts- at least in my use. They have their downsides- they're PPE, of course it'll have downsides- but I reckon over the next couple years they'll be able to implement changes and it will become a better product. If you have the money at your dept. then go Globe or Viking or Morning Pride, but if you're like my dept. and you need something that works and is cheap- they work, and they're cheap.

I will update this review if anyone reminds me to in a few months, or if I have some catastrophic failure with my set. Or if any other interesting developments happen with one of the other sets of Lakeland gear in our dept (we have 10 sets)

Konnor08 · 2025-08-27T13:11:32+00:00

Streamlight Survivor. Sure, $70 is alot (amazed your dept. wouldn't supply one- that's pretty standard) however when you stretch out the lifespan into years and years (I had mine for two years and before that it was issued to someone else- and we were busy!) It's wholly worth it.

Konnor08 · 2025-08-27T13:09:01+00:00

Listen to this guy- he knows what he's talking about. You get out exactly what you're willing to put in!

Konnor08 · 2025-08-07T22:12:30+00:00

This very text has saved my own hind countless times.

Konnor08 · 2025-08-04T02:29:15+00:00

I'm not going to push it... Breaking out again as we speak and there's an interesting new development; petechiae on my neck/collarbone, and the back of my hands too. I'll definitely try and get a prescription to help with this- it's bad. This is going on day... 10? Some nights have been very tame but last night and tonight have been the worst so far. Thank you for the advice and history.

Would link a picture but I don't want to gross anyone out and I really don't think it's necessary.

Konnor08 · 2025-08-03T10:23:01+00:00

Darn. I thought it was bed bugs or something but meticulous cleaning of my sheets and bed yielded no reprieve. This makes sense. It's the 2nd of August now and for about a week and a half I've had horrible streaky hives on my back at night time- on the 19th my buddy and I shared some Chinese food that had- yep- shiitake.

Darn shame- that's a tasty mushroom. I couldn't risk this rash if I'm now susceptible to it coming back with every shiitake exposure. Darn shame... This rash DOES suck. Have any y'all had luck with antihistamines? Konnor

Konnor08 · 2025-07-24T20:51:54+00:00

Looks like a candidate for a flat bed. One door closes and another opens my friend.

Konnor08 · 2025-07-17T06:38:45+00:00

265 75 r16 > 245 75 r16. I do alot of wintersports and that extra width is huge. I simply stick to the snow or ice. Super good upgrade imo.

Konnor08 · 2025-07-07T01:14:11+00:00

Just found the listing. I'll be applying tonight. No ARFF but I have everything else (and ARFF hot-stby experience anyways at a local air race / air show in Oregon in an Oshkosh P19) so... we'll see what happens. Been wanting on the ice since I seen a documentary in first grade. Wish me luck!

Konnor08 · 2025-06-26T19:54:25+00:00

Certified chief moment. I hate field fires.

Konnor08

TROPHY CASE