#volunteer firefighter

[mashupofmylife]

I've been in fire/EMS for almost 17 years (since 2007!)

I got my first state EMT card in 2009

I applied for medic class in 2011, but dropped out before it started because it conflicted with my college classes

I finally started medic class in 2021

I officially got my NREMT-P in 2022

Today, 3.5 years after medic class started, I finally got cut loose to operate independently as a paramedic. Right now, there's only one other volunteer medic in our whole jurisdiction.

It took way longer than expected. There were barriers and heartaches that I never could have imagined. I'm not working in the same system that I was when I started medic class anymore.

All the time, people ask me why the heck I still do this. I don't need to. I'm not trying to get hired as a firefighter/medic anywhere. I definitely didn't need to use vacation days to work a 24-48 shift schedule for the past several months, on top of my full time job where I'm a physician. I'm definitely not the best firefighter or medic out there, but I love this. I love the work, I love the people, I love the community. There are some other big fire department goals that are sitting on the horizon for me, but right now I am so excited that I've finally achieved one of the biggest goals that I set for myself when I first started volunteering. There aren't too many goals from that time left that I haven't yet achieved (and fewer that I still want to!).

[vfdinthewild]

"Blueberry grower, volunteer firefighter, dairy farmer."

-via a sponsored instagram ad

[brucestambaughsblog]

There's Great Joy in Decluttering

The cowboy hat. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh My wife and I have been cleaning the house item by item for longer than I can remember. And we’ve been married for 53 years. She has always been ahead of me in the disposing game. I’m finally beginning to understand the joy of discarding items I have clung to for far too long. Gone is the brown felt stetson cowboy hat my daughter’s family gave me as a…

[botanyshitposts]

since the beginning of this blog people have asked me. how do i get a job in botany. and i am here to say i do not know because the only jobs i have ever had have been in agriculture, the section of applied botany other than natural resources that makes stable 9 to 5 money long term. my career path is more winding than i wanted it to be...... my motivations complex..... i want to go to plant grad school some day for plant evolutionary biology my deepest most heartfelt love but at the same time manual labor entices me with a deep urgency right now at age 25.... ive been hitting the gym for the past 2 months daily for the arduous pack test because i NEED to toil or i WILL perish and i also find helping people rewarding and these things come in direct conflict with what i thought was a pretty straightforward academia storyline. i can carry 20 pounds 3 miles in under 45 minutes now which doesnt sound like a lot but in my defense i didnt play sports in high school. just got my healthcare CPR certification and im starting EMT classes soon tbh

[spearxwind]

Hi Alex! Are you still volunteering for the Valencia catastrophe? How's it going?

It's going bad. We are going back on wednesday again to help some more because we havent been able to go back for a couple days

There is barely any help at all from the authorities, most of the work is being done by volunteers, farmers with their heavier equipment, and a few emergency vehicles they could spare to pump water out of the flooded areas.

A couple days ago they barred the entrance to affected areas to volunteer workers so that the president of the province, the president of the country, and the king could go in there and take some pictures and say a speech. But they only made it three streets in before being shooed out with calls of "MURDERER" and people throwing mud, eggs, and sticks at them. (All three of these people have power to override bureocracy and send help to the people, but they are all refusing for some reason. despite the catastrophe being the size it is. Theres nuance to the situation but the response from the people is very warranted)

People are only receiving supplies and aid from volunteers so if it wasnt for the thousands of people volunteering they wouldnt have anything.

On a brighter note, my friends houses are pretty clean, and some people are now able to consider getting new furniture, but it's still gonna be a while until everything has been cleaned up.

[robbiereyesangr114]

@cicada-candy @wazzappp @belushiii I know this may be an odd request, but would any of you be up to draw Robbie as a firefighter? I recently started volunteering at a local fire company and after thinking about it for awhile it'd work good as a cover job for him (would give him a better understanding of how fire works, explain him being on scene during fires and crimes, would help explain to Gabe or a S/O his late nights out in stories, etc). If not, I totally understand, but I figured it'd be worth a shot asking

[flyboytracy]

[grumpy-mare]

Sunrise at the beach for our first visit back to Muriwai after the February cyclone devastated the area taking peoples lives and houses. The main road has only just reopened, seeing the land slips and damage in person is unreal and the continuous rain and storms we have had since then have only made things worse. What a nightmare of a year

[mashupofmylife]

Finally. I finished my 10 in a row without stuffing anything up too bad. Now I just need to pass the written and practical and have a meeting with the medical director and I will finally be able to ride as a paramedic without supervision. Only took 3.5 years to finish the "accelerated" process.

[minisugakoobies]

Okay but name 7 idols that would be in your ideal firehouse

LMAO are they dating an entire firehouse?! That's amazing 🤣🤣

See if you can figure out the common thread here:

Mingyu

Choi Minho

Mingi + Yunho (DO NOT SEPARATE)

Changbin

Jungkook

Jeno

BM

Hope they like my cookies 🍪

[larryshapiro]

Pierce Lance pumper - Clinton VFD, Prince George's County, MD for #TBT

[steamclouds]

Apologies to those I haven't been replying to in dms for the last couple days, life's been really stressful recently

[twinsunsintatooine]

all this gay firefighter business is making me think of not only my future as a gay firefighter but also the gay firefighter days of promare

[drdumaurier]

I liiiiiiiive (if you get the reference, well done). Health has been awful, so my inspiration to write hasn't really been there. But my need to write is back and kicking my butt, so...

Hi, hello, it's me, your local firefighter and Bedelia writer.

[kebriones]

I need to remind myself i am doing the driving classes so I can sign up for the volunteer firefighters, I need to remind myself that, or I'm going to go insane. I've never hated classes so much before, maybe with the exception of french classes. They make me feel so useless.