Are You Is or Is You Not?

[firedoc5]

I know this has already been discussed, but...After years of putting in service, professionally or as a volunteer, one day it's time for you to hang up your helmet and coat. For one reason or another, physically, injury, retirement age, etc., some reason comes up to respond to the last bell and hang it up.

But my question to you is, once a Firefighter, always, a Firefighter. Same for EMT's (It's just the argument is stronger for firefighters for some reason). I'm not talking about these rookies that just made it past probation or ran just enough calls to get their gear covered in soot and just up and quit. I'm talking about those guys/gals that run for years, days and nights, no matter how minor the scrape on the lady's knee was to the severity of the trauma of someone that that you checked on them daily while they were in the hospital.

I might not be giving the best descriptions, but in short, I'm talking about those who served for years with distinction and pride, humility, and with sacrifice.

But to get right down to it. Does the phrase "Once a Firefighter, Always a Firefighter" hold true?

And to stir the waters a bit, does the argument for EMT's or Paramedics also hold true? Some argue that since those in EMS are always having to recertify, their "time" would run out when their certs expire. But I give the acknowledgement that being in EMS still takes the same kind of commitment, bravery, sacrifice, pride, and so forth and so on.

But I'm not talking about the wankers that hang around the station (usually volunteers), never doing anything unless their is a call, and when it time for clean up they couldn't be found, and the more minor the call the better. I've known vollies that knew their crews were out there screaming for mutual aid but stayed in bed because it seemed a "little cold" out. And there were those who put in a few years professionally that were "drummed" out (fired) due to lack of professionally, deficiently academically, social morality issues or just didn't give a "rat's a$$". Those don't count.

My question to you is Once a Firefighter, Always a Firefighter And does the same apply to Once an EMT, Always an EMT.

Now this took me a while to come up with so if my wording is incorrect or not appropriate, I apologize now.

[Dustdevil]

Anytime you start a topic here about firemonkeys, the wording is inappropriate. :wink:

I am not exactly clear about what you are asking, but I think your theory holds true in most cases. Those who actually retire from either field do tend to keep the "head" for the rest of their lives though. Anybody who sticks with it for that long, usually through their formative years, can't help but have it become a part of their permanent personality.

But those with less than fifteen years in the field usually move on and never really look back. Interestingly though, it seems to work a little different with cops. I would say the 'once a cop, always a cop' mentality holds true more for them than for us. Once your mind starts looking at society and everything in it with a jaundiced critical eye, that is something that rarely goes away completely over time.

[Richard B the EMT]

I am not able to state my sources, but I seem to remember seeing, not "Once a fire fighter..." but more along the lines of either a "retired to pasture" fire horse, starting to where he would be hooked up to pull the fire apparatus when hearing the alarm bells, or a war horse, doing similar on hearing bugle calls.

[BVESBC]

I think it holds more for firefighters than EMS, I have seen many EMT's leave and never look back. But I know several firefighters that retired years ago that still find their way to their house for coffee with their brothers. Maybe someone else has seen the reverse I would like to know.

[Asysin2leads]

I think it holds more for firefighters than EMS, I have seen many EMT's leave and never look back. But I know several firefighters that retired years ago that still find their way to their house for coffee with their brothers. Maybe someone else has seen the reverse I would like to know.

You know, some people see being able to move on with your life after retirement as a healthy thing. People get all misty eyed over things like that, but you have to ask yourself, why would someone with a nice, stable lretired life be spending his time at firehouses?

[Dustdevil]

You know, some people see being able to move on with your life after retirement as a healthy thing. People get all misty eyed over things like that, but you have to ask yourself, why would someone with a nice, stable lretired life be spending his time at firehouses?

Ya know, I hadn't thought about it before now, but I have worked a couple of stations where old retired guys would come around frequently to hang out and drink coffee. I remember thinking how sad those individuals were.

[BVESBC]

Ya know, I hadn't thought about it before now, but I have worked a couple of stations where old retired guys would come around frequently to hang out and drink coffee. I remember thinking how sad those individuals were.

I never really thought of it as sad, for one guy I know they were not only his brothers they were his only family. That is kind of sad in a way. There is definitely something to be said for being able to move on to the next thing in your life.

[MSDeltaFlt]

To answer your question, firedoc, it depends. Once an EMT, always an EMT? I believe you have to answer two questions first. 1) Do you romanticize the career, or 2) do you answer your calling?

If you do romanticize the career, you will soon find out that the honeymoon is over. EMS is not always fun, at times very UN-fun. Very rewarding as you well know, but no fanfare or tickertape parades; just a pat on the back or a firm handshake from your partner saying, "Good job. See you tomorrow. Drive safe." is all we can count on when we make the "big saves".

There's no romance in this career. It is a definite calling. When you do answer your calling, in whatever career you choose, it is the best damn job in the world. That's where the longevity comes from.

My humble opinion.

[AnthonyM83]

Well, it's so easy to become am EMT and so many do it just to try it out, that I can see how it'd be easy to abandon it easily. Whereas, at least around here, getting onto a FD takes YEARS...for those who make it on, it's something they really want and they emerge themselves into that culture...there's also more camaraderie in that field, so it'd be harder to leave it behind.

I agree with Dust on the LE stuff, though...I wasn't fully sworn, but a cadet/explorer/CSO for about 7 years and during formative/influential teen years...some part is left behind, some never will be.

[firedoc5]

Ya know, I hadn't thought about it before now, but I have worked a couple of stations where old retired guys would come around frequently to hang out and drink coffee. I remember thinking how sad those individuals were.

We'd regularly have retiree's come in for morning coffee, usually at shift change. Some of the 'old' old timers would said they would come in just to be sure everyone was safe during the night and to stay in the next tour of duty. Some would come in at night and have card games until mid-night or so. Never considered any of them sad.