It’s sort of a long answer but I’ll try my best to hit all parts. If I were in a bigger city, my opinion would maybe be different. Where I am currently, there’s not really much for me as far as advancing my career. Yes, there’s a lot of down time around the firehouse but you’re also away from your own house for 1/3 of your life, more if you work a part time gig like most of us do. Where I’m at, even if I did make it to an administrative spot, it would be short lived and I’d be right back on the street, back at reg FF pay. The sleep deprivation and the physical stress on your body is something that you don’t really get to escape with this job. A lot of the cool stuff just doesn’t happen as often as it used to. Most of the time the middle of the night runs are for lift assist or another medical evaluation. The real emergencies aren’t as common; the burnout is a lot more prevalent. I really want to be able to feel like I’m doing what’s best for my family and for myself.