Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 >
Topic Options
#160622 - 12/31/08 01:39 AM I just quit the fire company
MartinFocazio Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
It had been building for all of 2008, I was President of the company, I had been a Lieutenant, and I, like all the other officers, had issues with the Chief's lack of ability to delegate and collaborate on the scene. I stepped out of the Lieutenant post mid '08. Stayed on as President of the company, with intentions to drop back to Treasurer in '09, assuming also that Chief would not be re-elected.

Unfortunately, nobody wanted Chief and for a month, we didn't have a candidate. With great reluctance, the membership voted him in for a 4th one-year term this month.

Tonight, a long-simmering dispute over how to finance the replacement of an engine boiled over, the culmination of three years of frustrating arguments and situations on the fireground. I decided that I wasn't able to do a 4th year with this Chief on the scene or at the firehouse. With a hearty stream of expletives and a dramatic tossing of a pile of paper, out the door I went.

When I came home, I turned off my pager. Unless you've been a volunteer firefighter, you have no idea how hard that is. Here I am one of a few rescue medics and extrication specialists in an area where the majority of calls are for car wrecks and tonight, if someone calls 911, I'm not coming. I'll still get the text message dispatch and if the wind is right, I'll hear the siren.

My wife says she "can't imagine" me not running emergency calls, and to be honest, I can't either. But respect and dignity count for something, and I can only hope that I'll be able to connect with another company (I'm equidistant between three companies) and get back to it.

I feel exactly like I have after a breakup of a long-term romance, possibly worse.

Top
#160623 - 12/31/08 01:57 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
Grouch Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 395
Loc: Ohio
I'm sure that this was one of the toughest things that you've ever done. Good luck on getting on one of the other departments!

Top
#160624 - 12/31/08 02:00 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: Grouch]
Stretch Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 707
Loc: Alamogordo, NM
That's tough, Martin. Being a volunteer for so long, in any outfit, requires such dedication and love that I can;t imagine you'll stay gone for long. I mean, it sure seems you'll get "talked back into" service before too long....
_________________________
DON'T BE SCARED
-Stretch

Top
#160626 - 12/31/08 02:07 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
CANOEDOGS Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 1853
Loc: MINNESOTA
don't beat youself up..in a world full of "let George do it" sort of people to be involved day and nite in an unpayed job that has to have had moments of hell is something not many people can have claimed to have done..also--with all the money this country tosses down the drain i think every company should be equipped by the goverment,just like the military.

Top
#160627 - 12/31/08 02:10 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
Jeff_M Offline
Addict

Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 665
Loc: Northwest Florida
It was a romance, of sorts. As the old saw goes, you gotta love it to do it. So there will be a grieving process, too.

They say in the old days that even the retired fire horses wanted to run when they heard the fire bell ring.

I predict that you will be running calls again within days. It's not just something we do, it's a big part of who we are.

Jeff

Top
#160628 - 12/31/08 02:13 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: Stretch]
KenK Offline
"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2208
Loc: NE Wisconsin
Martin,

My heart absolutely aches for you. Please consider this forum full of shoulders to lean on.

Ken

Top
#160629 - 12/31/08 02:15 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
Desperado Offline
Veteran

Registered: 11/01/08
Posts: 1530
Loc: DFW, Texas
Tough break. I know the feeling. When I left the sheriff's department the only advantage I had was that I was moving. Since the pager was my personal pager, I would still see the requests for reserves when it was a one paid deputy night.

I wish you luck in finding a new home (company).
_________________________
I do the things that I must, and really regret, are unfortunately necessary.

RIP OBG

Top
#160633 - 12/31/08 02:27 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
Sherpadog
Unregistered


Martin:

I know how you feel. I left the fire service for many reasons...and none for the reasons that you had to experience and left because of.

It was the most difficult decision I ever made and haunted me every time the trucks rolled from the hall ( we lived 1/2 block away).

Over years, I have had my share of romances and got over all them. However almost 12 years later, I still have never really gotten over leaving the fire service and even though I am hundreds of miles away, I think about it still every day when the trucks roll from a different fire dept which is only 2 blocks away from our present home.

In our living room, I have a photo of a fireman holding a 3-4 year old little girl who was saved from a fire. I wrote a caption for it (partly from a Dan Rather quote) that says:

We are older now, and irrevocably changed, however we can look back with no second thoughts and a measure of quiet pride and say "We cared, we tried, and we gave it everything we had...because we knew it mattered."

I look at and read this every day and that Martin, is all that matters.

PM me if you would like a copy.


Top
#160636 - 12/31/08 02:34 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: MartinFocazio]
snoman Offline
Member

Registered: 09/22/02
Posts: 181
Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully - somehow - it'll all work out. People like you are hard to come by.
- Dave

Top
#160637 - 12/31/08 02:38 AM Re: I just quit the fire company [Re: snoman]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
I'm sorry you had to reach the point where that had to happen. It has been obvious to all here how much you cared.

Sue

Top
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, chaosmagnet, cliff 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 474 Guests and 15 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
Zippo Butane Inserts
by NAro
Today at 11:57 AM
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:21 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.