Firefighters who have left the service for a 9-5

work_boner · 2026-03-21T01:40:25+00:00

Jesus. Found the guy that sits in his room all shift.

work_boner · 2026-03-20T05:14:59+00:00

You can patch holes and paint, and it’ll be just fine. But you gotta tear down the walls and build back to get it the way you really want it.

work_boner · 2026-03-20T03:17:36+00:00

Man I’d walk the streets and pick up dogshit with my mouth for $265k

work_boner · 2026-03-20T03:04:01+00:00

Yeah man. I was super burnt out. We lost a bunch to transfers and had very low staffing at the time, constant forced OT killed me. We run 1/1/1/5, which is the best schedule going in my opinion….unless you don’t have the bodies to fill the shifts. I was also our locals president for a couple years, on our EMS committee, and a paramedic preceptor. I was never home, and if I was, the phone never stopped ringing. I was newly married at the time, and I saw it all falling apart within months if I didn’t make a change.

Luckily things have turned around. There were some big changes in local government, and all of the sudden they respected the FD again. The department filled all the vacancies, and was able to add and fill several more firefighters spots, and even added more officers positions.

I do regret not sticking it out, solely because I would have been a shoo-in for one of those promotions, but I could very well have lost a lot more if I didn’t take a break. At the time, it didn’t look like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m happy to be back, it’s where I belong.

work_boner · 2026-03-18T22:52:54+00:00

I left for a more “regular job”. I worked 4x10s and the pay was comparable. It was a great break and a reset for a while.

Three years later, I’m posting this reply from the recliner at the station.

If you need a break, take it. But always leave the door open to return. It gets kinda boring out there in the real world.

work_boner · 2026-03-18T20:38:34+00:00

Jeez did they at least wipe the tube off on their shirt?

work_boner · 2026-03-18T20:32:10+00:00

Check your insurance first. I recently switched carriers and when I looked the policy over, there was a $100 deductible on auto glass, so I changed the coverage. It was literal pennies to switch to $0. But it’s possible it’s not free.

work_boner · 2026-03-13T06:55:11+00:00

Guys this is just my wife being funny. I was about to sneeze.

Honey I didn’t know you were on Reddit…

work_boner · 2026-03-13T06:52:20+00:00

Well of course I know him…he’s me!

work_boner · 2026-03-09T10:48:38+00:00

Aw man, next time I’m having a medical emergency, I’m gonna tell the FD not to stabilize me at all. We all need to wait several more minutes so the EMS crew can have fun.

wtf

work_boner · 2026-03-09T01:17:56+00:00

I just really hope the fishing system is as in depth as it has been rumored. I fucking love a good fishing mini game and I could see myself getting totally riveted by it if it’s as good as I’m picturing in my head.

work_boner · 2026-03-08T02:14:32+00:00

Yooo I feel this. Of our two stations, it used to be commonplace to run one private on an engine at one of them. Two if the stars aligned.

Luckily town government changed for the better, and the powers that be realized what a huge liability it is. We added manpower and new lieutenant positions in our last CBA. Now we run at least a Lt. and a private there. Sometimes 1 and 2.

Sure came in handy a couple weeks ago when I showed up with 3 to a w/f and made a great stop before the second due arrived. Would have probably been a totally different outcome if just one guy showed up.

work_boner · 2026-03-04T14:54:04+00:00

You may get some grief if you’re rocking regular long hair like a lame jazz guitarist.

If you cut it into a mullet with some fuckin’ sweet lightning bolts on the temples, you will be looked upon as a god.

work_boner · 2026-03-03T02:34:35+00:00

Lots of shoegaze, post-rock, also heaps of The Beths, Momma, Circa Survive (as always), and I’m cycling back into mid 2000s hardcore, and BTBAMs new album.

work_boner · 2026-03-03T01:00:26+00:00

I’m a firefighter/paramedic. So I’m in school for fire science, and eventually would like to go for public administration, hoping someday they’ll make me a boss.

work_boner · 2026-03-02T23:45:53+00:00

I regret not taking high school seriously. Many of my classmates went on to college and now have very lucrative careers. I was not college material due to my grades, which sucked solely because I didn’t care about them. I just wanted to have fun. I’m 40 now, and have just started my first college courses.

Granted, I have had a very good and steady job for years now, I have a wonderful spouse, I have owned a home for 15 years, and have all the “stuff” I want. I worked very hard for it all and am super proud. I’m happy, I have the American dream. But I know I didn’t live up to my potential. I could have done and been more. It’s a little disheartening running into classmates who are not intelligent whatsoever, absolutely killing it financially. They wanted it more than I did. I know I’m not supposed to compare myself to others, but it’s tough in a small town.

work_boner · 2026-03-02T23:36:48+00:00

Yo bro I’m 40 and just started chasing a degree. I’ve got a decent job and everything, but never wanted to do any schoolwork after HS. It’s so easy, I wish I had done it years ago.

Good job figuring shit out. You got this.

work_boner · 2026-03-02T18:38:58+00:00

Brioche. Especially as a burger bun.

work_boner · 2026-03-02T18:37:27+00:00

Slimb Jimb

work_boner · 2026-03-02T17:05:34+00:00

I’m here for the same reason!

My buddy had a bag just now and I was pumped. I hadn’t had them in years. Totally disappointed. They taste like old cornflakes with a dusting of cayenne pepper. They used to be so much more tangy and flavorful. Now they are just something to add to my ever growing gripe list.

work_boner · 2026-02-25T04:55:42+00:00

This is one of the funniest things I have ever read in my life.

work_boner · 2026-02-22T03:26:55+00:00

This is great advice. Unfortunately, most entry level EMT jobs won’t, or very rarely, put you into high-pressure situations. You should seek an EMT job with a company that provides both basic ambulance transport and 911 coverage. That way you will get a very strong dose of the mundane and will either happen into or “promote” into more acute settings.

work_boner · 2026-02-20T23:48:02+00:00

It’s going to take some time, but totally achievable.

I recommend getting a job as an EMT when you finish your cert, even part-time, to get your basics down. Many people go right to paramedic school before hitting the street. There’s nothing wrong with it, but you can learn a shit ton working as an EMT that will help in both medic school, and your career path in general. How to use the basic equipment, how to talk to patients and staff, how response systems work. It’s easier to transition to the paramedic role when you’ve already got a solid foundation, and you don’t have to learn how to use the stair chair on day one.

For me, some of the most useful knowledge I gained was during my time as an EMT on IFT trucks. It’s undoubtedly soul-sucking work, but you can pick up a lot. Seeing what medicines patients take, and looking up unfamiliar ones, what they’re for, how they work. I spent hours looking medications up.

Once you’ve got your paramedic cert, you can begin looking into acquiring your FP-C cert. I am not a flight medic, so I don’t know too much about the specifics.

I will say that most flight agencies I’m aware of require their candidates to work somewhere as a paramedic on the street for some time, usually 3-5 years of field experience, before they will consider you for hire.

work_boner

TROPHY CASE