gaelicfirefighter

God created firefighters so Cops could have heroes. My X wife was a Cop. Ha Ha

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1h-34RbXBKk

http://www.emergencyvehicleshow.com/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c...0,4762621.story http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Ho...mp;pageId=1.1.1 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...,0,148534.story Please take care and always be aware of your surroundngs. Remember SCENE SAFE. And NEVER go anywhere alone! http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c...0,4759068.story

http://www.cfdexpo.com/index.po

And practice with your ems/fire departments on water rescue. A healthy 18 year old boy died last night in Chicago right down the street from my house in a 10-12 foot deep retention pond. I played as a child near that pond. Its about 50 feet across and 2-300 feet long. He was just out having fun playing volleyball when the ball traveled over some bushes and down a hill into the pond. He went in to get it with a friend. Something horrible happened and one boy drowned. He was an athlete and in good shape. Our Assistant Fire Chief was visiting friends down the block and arrived at the scene minutes after the 911 call was placed. The boy was gone. Some family lost their precious son. Please review the dangers of waters, lagoons, ponds and river with all your kids. No matter what their age. Also go to areas that hold or have water in your response area and practice your rescue tactics. Please keep this family and the rescuers in your thoughts and prayers. This didn't have to happen. http://www.chicagotribune.com/video/?slug=...-xavier-body-wn Stay safe and take care. Gaelic

If you are a paramedic and have firefighter II, you would obviously be qualified and desireable. In the Chicagoland suburbs, you must have both to even be considered. Single role medics and single role firefighters are a thing of the past around here. If you want to be even more desireable, join a paid on call or volunteer department. You will get more training and experience. Any class you take like Hazmat Ops or Tech A is always good as well as TRA (technical rescue awareness), NIMS classes, Confined Space and Trench or Vertical Rescue. There are two lists and tests here in Chicago. Firefighter/EMT-b and Paramedic. It is easier to get on as a medic as the list s usually shorter. After X amount of time, a medic can cross over (after going thru FF academy - 3 months) and become a FF/Medic. Look at where you are working or where you want to work to see if its worth all the trouble. Here in Chicago, a FF/Medic makes 6% more and it's going to go up to 8% with the next contract. And it's pensionable. Good luck. Anything that takes you up the ladder quicker and makes you more desireable is highly suggested in this very desireable field.

Unbelievable. But typical. The general public has no idea what we do. When they go to bed and rest their empty head on their little liberal politically correct pillow, they don't realize that's when we get busy. They forget all about us until little Johnnie falls off his bike and skins this wussy little knee. God I hate people. Also a word to the wise. Keep your overhead doors shut at all times. There was some idiot here in Chicago a couple of years back sitting across from firehouses, filming us walking around and not doing anything. Its all about PR now. When you go on a run everyone is watching you. In Chicago, they give millions to people who sit around on their asses and never try and improve their situation, yet they criticize men and women who risk their lives to save them. They waste money on flower pots and landscaping and invest less and less on public safety. They dont realize we do more than fires. We do everything for them when they need us. Imagine the mess if our local governments told people their call is not an emergency because of the gas prices. If they ever realized all the BS calls we go on and all the money we waste helping people who have no desire to help themselves, they would be amazed. Politicians continually give themselves double digit raises. Corruption is rampant in government. I suggest they look elsewhere.

Hey Ruff, I commend all envolved all the time. I do not differentiate medics from firefighters. I dont do this because this is the system I work in. I wouldnt do this even if we were seperate. Its all about perception. The general public sees all of us as their local hometown heroes who rush in and help them in their time of need. They dont see firefighters and medics as being different. Its like saying the Army and the Marines are different. To those who are in those forces, there are great differences. But to the public, they are our protectors and we are grateful for their service to us and our country. I dont subscribe to the hero theory all the time. We are all heroes when the call arises. Otherwise, we are regular guys and gals trying to make a living and provide for our families. We are all more alike than we are different. I just get soo sick and tired of ignorant, selfish and narrow-minded people. All they care about is theirselves and the glory they receive or somehow missed out on. I do my job, get paid and go home. It's really simple. To me it's all about the personal gratitude I get. Not what others think. If I worried about what others think, I would never go out o the house in the morning. I am always the first to step forward and pat someone on the back and say good job! I am also always the first one there to help those who might not have done it correctly or screwed up. So, my support is not always for firemen. Fellow firemen, fellow emt's and fellow medics. We are all in this together. I commend all of US! Read my posts a little closer. I try not to single people out as we are a team. I truly belive in this.

Bla Bla Bla Wine Wine Wine Sob Sob Sob Quit your beotching and grow up. Who cares who gets the credit. If thats what you are worried about you might be in the wrong business. I have never seen an ambo with one person on it. Its team work people. I still think he/she did a good job, whatever the scenario. Whatever he did or didn't do, the outcome was a good one. Nice to hear good ones now and then. Like I said earlier, the negativity is amazing. Poor single role medics not getting any of the spotlight. I feel so bad! How many people have I saved that did not make the news or print media. Who cares. I went to bed that night and felt great. My co-workers and family knows and thats l that matters to me. But thats just me.

Cindy, I went through the Chicago Fire Department's Acedemy. They are rather hard as they are compressed into such a short time. We were also subjected to daily "beatings" described at physical training. We immediately broke into study groups depending on where we lived. We stayed after class for about two hours and reviewed the days classes. It woked well for us. But as anything, it is as hard as you let it. You will need to turn off any distractions if this is what you want to do. You will need to study and have a great understanding for the information provided as you are not only taking an important job, but you are also dealing with people's lives. If you dedicate yourself, you will be fine. Me for one could care less of the graduation. They beat us soo bad all I wanted to do was run out of the building. But that was a long time ago. Good luck!

My God you are a pathetic bunch of insecure and miserable people. I really wonder what you people are thinking. I have never seen such childish behavior from a bunch of people who run around and pound on their chests and spew that they are professionals. How about GOOD JOB!

I had a call for a 1 month old who fell out of a bed (?). She fell approximately 2.5 feet. Not 1.5 times height but I still treated as a trauma as piece of ______ mother did not witness fall. We have nothing to immobilize someone this small. How would you have immobilized PT. I put rolled towels around torso and head and strapped to the backboard. This did not work and really pissed this kid off. Man babies are strong! Any ideas or things that worked for you? Are there products I could show to my EMS officer? Thanks in advance for any replies.

So I worked yesterday on the ALS Engine in our house. We got a call at 12:00 noon for a suicide. We get to one of The University of Chicago's dorms (one of the most prestigeous medical schools in the world) and found a 22 y/o male patient who had supposedly taken a whole bottle of anti anxiety pills he had a prescription for and chugged a $200.00 bottle of red wine that i could not pronounce. This idios dorm and its electronics and furnishing were nicer than my house. His twerpy room mate said he just took the pills and locked himself in his room. He was not being very cooperative and was fighting all our efforts. CPD showed up, cuffed him and he freaked out. Kicking legs and spitting. I put a non-rebreather on him and strapped his legs and torso to the stair chair. He was swearing and threatening everyone. He kept swinging his head around try to get the mask off and insult me as I was wheeling him down a narrow hallway with beautiful old wood paneling covering the walls. I told him repeatedly to quit moving as he was going to hurt himself. Being a brain-iack from the University, he obviously knew better. He said "man I really dont feel good, I think I'm gonna get sick". I said (as I had enough of this poor over-priviledged guy) "If you think you don't feel good now, wait until they start to pump your stomach Einstein." Well he went nuts and I told him to stop. He moved his brain filled head one too many times. BOOOOOOOM! As I was crossing another hallway he caught his head on the hard wooden wall corner. Man it was loud and boy that must have hurt! My ofifcer turned around and said "Was that his head?". Everyone including the cops began to laugh as the PT was moaning. No cut be he will have a nice egg. I know patient care is important and it was probably wrong to laugh, but boy that made my day. God works in mysterious ways and he does have a great sense of humor!

Way to go buddy. I hope to follow in your footsteps shortly. Any suggestions? Gaelic