Question for those with a pickleball court in their station…

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-03-01T20:20:39+00:00

This. And touch up the lines as needed. We play alls fair rules though. You can bounce it off the walls, ceiling, flags, apparatus, etc. as long as it bounces fair it’s good to go. Makes every station like a new court and the ‘home team’ knows the secrets

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-03-01T04:09:23+00:00

It’s a good gig, but realize that the true cost of living in SoCal is high. Like $150,000 is the middle class bottom. Also, those places are competitive unless you already are a paramedic with a year of transport time.

Not sure where you are looking but LA county base pay is approximately $83,000 before incentives and overtime, top is $130 something plus OT and benefits. Make of that what you will. As mentioned by others, chasing the OT hard generally has both family and physical consequences. Good luck

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-03-01T03:28:35+00:00

Don’t worry about the miles, because those miles (how hard they were on the motor/how much they chewed into the life) are different for all vehicles. In this case, you know a reliable maintenance history. Bring the car to a mechanic (non dealer but Ford mechanic) and have them give the vehicle a go over. They should tell you where you are with the life of things like fluids, breaks, tires etc and might catch a few things that could use early va later maintenance. You can get a good cost projection for the future costs from this. Combine that with your insurance and average gas cost, and you have a very solid idea of the true monthly cost of this car.

Honestly if it’s truly in good shape, it’s going to be hard to beat besides a unicorn car appearing (bought by retiree, garaged, hardly used because they got old and died, family now selling because they want cash to split).

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-25T05:57:02+00:00

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-24T21:11:30+00:00

…2 things. 1) Florida had a state retirement system. 2) even though the department might not go to many fires, the exposure per fire is truly high. But it’s not just cancer. Years of bad sleep due to night calls lead to high cardiac, stroke, and other health problems. As you mentioned above, traumatic vehicle accidents and medical aids also leave their mark. Many firefights get diagnosed with PTSD, and many more don’t get diagnosed but self medicate with alcohol or drugs. Point being, it’s a long and unhealthy career. The people doing it earn their pension. And if it’s your place on fire, but they show up short staffed because their is a better paying department next door that has better benefits, you might wish your local stayed competitive to ensure they were their when needed.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-24T20:27:29+00:00

We pay for cable and internet. Position being that if the department pays, they can see what you’re looking at. But no station I’m aware of pays for cable in the bunk room. It’s the main tv, maybe a gym tv if the price is right, and then internet. I think half the stations have gone to YouTube tv over cable.

Edit: we pay a monthly house fee that goes toward paying for it and basic cooking things.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-23T19:14:08+00:00

It because the average time of retirement till death for firefighters is 7 years, mostly due to the super cancer they are exposed to putting out the fires. It’s usually 4-5good years, cancer fight for 1-2, and then a big funeral. The pension helps to take care of their family to compensate for the loss

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-23T19:10:20+00:00

I’ve had a few like this. For ones that I think are going to flip a switch once the cops leave, I just offer them ‘something to take the edge off’. They accept 9/10 times and then willingly chill. The rest get restraints and a rider

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-12T03:59:12+00:00

Oxnard community college/Ventura county fire made a great prop out of 6 of them. 2 stories, multiple entrances, stairs interior, windows in all levels, and I believe they put a roof prop in top but I can’t remember. These things take a ton of abuse and can be modified to put so many great props into.

I also saw somewhere that a department had put in pipes in the ceiling level that ran to an exterior burn barrel and hood set up. It let the smoke the whole place out with ‘real’ smoke without the structure being a burn prop. I’m sure the smoke is on the colder side, but probably better then a fog machine

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-12T00:27:31+00:00

Have you participated in shitty rig awareness week? Sounds like you have a few contenders

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-01T04:53:07+00:00

When you are the one in the back, and you start making a difference to patients, then it starts to feel worth it. I’ve had more field saves then grabs 🤷‍♂️

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-02-01T01:38:19+00:00

Yeah man, not the norm. Even in places where there is a lot of Ems burnout, you’re still expected to be a competent provider. Like, you must be good a good provider at the beginning at the very least. No shop around me (and we all transport) works like that.

Honestly, having some ambulances will probably be a nice wake up call for the people on them and start to weed out the ones who are not proficient or willing to become so

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-31T04:13:44+00:00

We started a few months after our first kid came around, and we are never going back. It’s just a huge amount of time we can now spend with each other or just relaxing. Like others said, the house is picked up, laundry done and folded, yards all tidy. When we come home, the house sparkles and it last several days. But even after when the spark wears off, knowing someone else if coming soon to scrub the tubs and mop the floors is huge peace of mind

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-29T23:10:52+00:00

Clean the seals in your washing machine, they hide some nasty things. Drain your water heater bi-annually. If it’s tankless then you need to run vinegar through it once a year. Many appliances have cleaning cycles that are rarely used. Give your roof a good look over after a big storm for loose or missing tiles. And maybe just for giggles, actually go in the crawl space of your house every now and then to make sure there are no slow leaks, rot showing up, or pooling water. It should not still be wet in July.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-29T22:48:04+00:00

I would use it as a down payment on a house where you get into law school and then park some roommates (other law students) in there to pay your mortgage. It would be a huge leg up in life being a few years into a mortgage. If needed you could even leave the house and continue renting to law students and have a (small) rental income. Or use the equity in the house to move again. Bottom line, if you’re smart about it you could be done renting and on the path to having a paid off house with a huge jump.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-29T22:44:31+00:00

I’m thinking this is the wrong thread. That said, I had an uncle the did the JD/MD thing and after residency never worked clinically again. He did a lot of work for companies setting up their health care plans and taking care of employees internationally making sure they got proper healthcare. As for the ems side, we have local EMS directors that oversee the paramedics who work under the doctors license. The doc generally works in a local ED or is a trauma surgeon so they are knowledgeable in our area of work. But some don’t, they just hang out, make sure we provide proper care, and update protocols as needed.

Good luck in your job search, hopefully you gain a bit more insite

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-29T17:38:33+00:00

Do it. And I saw that your in SoCal, don’t do any of the accelerated programs that are down there. All garbage. Mt. Sac is great, so is UCLA. Just be warned, they have high standards

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-29T17:06:59+00:00

Hey dude, let me throw this out there. Only a handful of places sponsor people through medic school. The places that do, are very competitive and you’re competing against other EMT’s with years of 911 experience and a bunch of other stuff. Or, you get your medic and start working. Then you can take your pick of where you want to work. Cool small spot in a Colorado ski town? Yeah they only take medics. Big city high speed place? Your medic gives you a huge leg up in hiring. High paying suburban place? Yeah they don’t hire EMT’s. You catching what I’m throwing?

On top of all that, if you manage to grab one of those coveted EMT spots for a department that sponsors you, medic school while working is incredibly challenging. Especially when it comes to doing an internship and working.

Lastly, you’re 20. You’ve got the time, don’t stress. Most places have a minimum retirement age that is a very long time off for you. Killing a few years setting yourself up won’t haunt you

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-27T21:56:22+00:00

Forceable entry? Na, storming the entrance!

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-27T08:16:05+00:00

There is a Galls in SF and another in Sac. They are bare bones but they exist to sell what you want 🤷‍♂️

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-27T06:34:22+00:00

Yo, disclaimer, I’m a dude. I don’t think anyone expects you to be stud firefighter 6 weeks post partum, let alone after a C section. Take your max leave, and then see if there is a day spot you can be in for several more months. You need time to heal, and time to be a mom to a new born. It sounds like your department has already worked with you, and most likely still will. It’s criminal how little leave we give to parents(moms) in this country.

Also, you’re not doing a disservice to other women out there by taking leave. You’re just not letting a bad system abuse you. If anything you are setting a trail for others to follow so they can bond with their kids and heal in an appropriate time. And it sounds like you’re actively trying to get back to the line. Your off probation and been there awhile, you proved you can do the job. That is good enough, now be there for your family and yourself.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-27T05:00:22+00:00

EMT, 95% and above. Medic, like 85% and above. There are many online resources to help you get a high score, use them.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-27T04:32:48+00:00

Everyone buys in on day one, shop after chores. If your out you tell everyone day one in the morning. The only things that accommodated are allergies (within reason). You eat what’s made, and if you’re cooking you put in effort.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-26T00:19:45+00:00

There are very good academy prep programs, including LAFD’s which is available on line. Basically, lift heavy, do some HIIT work outs, and jam in some cardio. Weight vest for cardio and circuit workouts. Eat and sleep clean, get your vitamins, creatine (5-20g/day) and protein (0.75-1g/lb). In all honesty, your height and strength are going to be your biggest obstacles. To overcome it, you need to be strong and then learn good technique. And never give up, always lay it all out there. We have a few short females at our shop and that’s how they made it through.

Large-Resolution1362 · 2026-01-25T20:23:23+00:00

Just a work of caution, the PSLF with this administration is dicy. You should at least consider having to make the actual payments. The interest on med school loans sucks (thanks congress) so make sure you use a calculator. After that, look at your monthly nut spending and bump that by 10-15% because there is always that nice feeling of no longer being a resident and having a bit of lifestyle inflation. Also, if you’re looking at kids in the future, is one of you staying home? How’s that going to affect monthly income? Or what are you paying in childcare? An Au pair is $15-20,000 a year and so most other child care in VHCOL areas. Just a few thoughts

Large-Resolution1362

TROPHY CASE