Firefighting
Firefighting is a fulfilling career because you get to protect your community. “I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives” (http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/i-have-no-ambition-in-this-world-but-one-and-that/821652.html).
I’m striving to become a successful firefighter. A firefighter is someone who is trained to extinguish hazardous fires and rescue people from dangerous situations Not only do firefighters contain blazes of all shapes and sizes but they also provide life-saving medical aid to citizens prior to hospital care. Without them the United States would have absolute chaos. If your house caught on fire and you didn’t have access to a fire department most likely all your belongings would be destroyed and you may even lose your life due to the toxic smoke from the fire. This country would be a hell hole without firefighters. I’m interested in being a fireman because when I was younger a firefighter lieutenant named Jeff Freeman would cut my hair every week. He showed me that money is good but it shouldn’t be the only reason why you want to do a specific job. He inspired me to become a fireman because I would spend a lot of time at the fire station and I loved the working environment because when the firefighters don’t have any calls they have a multitude of things they can do. Such as training, cooking, watching TV, playing games and washing the trucks. Mr. Freeman also inspired me by sharing his experiences with my brother and I. Some of them were brutal others were not, but all of them...
... middle of paper ...
... of the most populated and economically important American cities. The Chicago Fire Department had a crew of 185 firefighters with just 17 horse-drawn steam engines to protect the entire city. The initial response by the fire department was quick but a watchman named Matthias Schaffer made an error and sent the firefighters to the wrong location which allowed the fire to expand. The firefighters were tired from fighting numerous small fires and one large fire in the week before. These components combined to turn a small barn fire into a stupendous fire in hours. There were 100,000 people that were left homeless. There were 120 bodies that were recovered but the death toll may have been as high as 300. The county coroner speculated that an accurate count was impossible considering that some victims may have drowned or had been incinerated leaving no body remains.
The job duties and training set to be a firefighter varies from which occupational source one chooses to be. Experts say, “Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life property or the environment is at risk.”(www.careerinfonet.org online). In other words firefighters are obligated to do the tasks required of them. Another source states, “Include fire prevention, emergency medical source, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster management.”(www.careerinfonet.org online). Another way to explain this is firefighters have many dangers they have to look out for. As one website says, “Fire fighters spend much of their time at the fire station.”(www.allthingspolitcal.org online). Obviously, firefighters spend their time waiting on a call. Experts say, “Abilities Learned – problem sensitivity, - reaction time, - arm hand steadiness, - manual dexterity, - multi-limb coordination, - response orientation.”(www.careerinfonet.org online). In other words, as a firefighter you learn problem...
On the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the 10-floor Asch Building, a block east of Manhattan's Washington Square. This is where 500 mostly young immigrant girls were producing shirts for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Within minutes, it spread to consume the building's upper three stories. Firemen at the scene were unable to rescue those trapped inside: their ladders weren't tall enough. Exits were locked, and the narrow fire escapes were inadequate. Panicked, many jumped from the windows to their deaths. People on the street watched in horror. The flames were under control in less than a half hour, but 146 people perished, 123 of them women. It was the worst disaster in the city's history.
As terrible as the Great Chicago Fire was to the city of Chicago back in 1871, the lessons learned from this disaster and the reconstruction that followed from the ashes and rubble actually helped turn Chicago into one of the great cities in the United States. This paper will examine what happened and why, what the leaders of Chicago learned from the experience, and how the will and spirit of the people of Chicago along with financial support from a sympathetic nation and beyond forever changed the city of Chicago for the better.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a firefighter? Firefighting can be a very rewarding job if you make it one. Not only do you get to ride around in a cool fire truck, you get to help people every day. Even though the job is very physically demanding, if you keep yourself in good shape and train, you will do just fine. The job also gives you a since of pride knowing that you are making a difference in someone’s life.
Think of the most beautiful city in world. You are walking the streets, taking in the scenery in complete admiration of a city built by men. Then one day you go to sleep, a few hours later you awaken, and that beautiful city is completely destroyed. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history (“The Great Chicago”). After many failed attempts to put out the fire, people were left homeless and helpless to rebuild their city. Thankfully, after every tragedy there is always a recovery.
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Practically overnight the great city of Chicago was destroyed. Before the fire there was a large drought causing everything to be dry and flammable, then a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn and spread throughout the city. Many attempts were made to put out the fire but there were too many errors and problems in the beginning. After the fire many people were left homeless and had to help build their city again (Murphy, 39)
Mental health in the fire service is an upcoming problem, but has been occurring for years without firefighters even knowing it. Specifically post-traumatic stress disorder known as PTSD and firefighter suicides are the main issues that have a large impact in the fire service. This outline will lay out the main points that are a result, impact, or other subjects in relation to the two main issues above. Firefighter deaths are rising rapidly, members of the fire service need to be educated on PTSD and suicide to provide treatment before another devastating event occurs in result of the issues effects.
Dry weather combined with many wooden buildings, sidewalks and streets were open to catching fire and eventually led to it happening (Chicago Fire, 1). The fire spread uncontrollably to the northeast and central of the city. The downtown and north of Chicago was taken in flames but the stockyards on the south and west were not touched by the fire (Fire of 1871, 2). 17,500 buildings have been destroyed, a total of 78 miles of pavements were covered in flames (Murphy, 100). That night the wind was at 30 miles per hour, but there were many whirl flames that traveled to and across the city (Great Chicago Fire, 2). Amid the day and age of the fire the populace was assessed roughly around 324,000 individuals. Inside nine years after the decimation the populace was 500,000 (Chicago Fire, 2). Before the tragic event of the fire, the summer of 1871 was extremely hot, and Chicago went threw a horrific drought. From July to the day of the fire there was only three inches of rainfall in Chicago. In fact, one night before the great downfall a different fire began that was battled out by all fire companies to compose it. Many residents felt that Chicago was saved from disaster after putting the fire to rest (The Great Fire, 2). There was a myth that mention that the fire started by a cow tipping over a lantern
In conclusion, on the night of September 25th, two beautiful churches burned and many other buildings were scorched by the flames. The fire brought fear to some residents who thought they would lose everything and exhaustion to the fire fighters. No deaths were reported, and only a few people were severely burned. It was a night that would not be forgotten easily by those who lived in the “Burning District.”
Every year communities struggle each year around the nation with issues of life safety. In 2012, the nation’s fire departments responded to 31,854,000 responses that resulted in the deaths 0f 2,855 civilians and injuring 16,500 causing an estimated $12,427 million dollars in damage. (United States Fire Administration, 2014) These incidents put at risk 345,950 career and 783,300 volunteer firefighters that resulted in the deaths of 81 individuals (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2013) and nearly 70,000 reported injuries. ( Karter & Molis, 2013) These numbers represent incidents that are determined to be in the line of duty but do not take into consideration the long-term health risk issues that may develop. Evidence shows that he hazards associated with Fire and Emergency Services are consistent across the board whether paid or volunteer and jeopardize the lives and health of each individual, placing administrative and physical control measures reduces this risk to firefighter within an organization. While it is impossible to eliminate the hazards firefighters face, it is important to identify these hazards as the first step in reducing the potential for loss of life and wellbeing both physically and mentally.
The Great Chicago Fire occurred during October 8th and 9th of 1871. The weeks leading up to this disaster were spent with an extremely watchful eye on the city due to the lack of rain. So, one spark or one small fire could start an extremely large fire because of how much wood had been used to build the city. There were even warnings given in form of a building inspection department idea that would inform the city that the buildings were “shoddily constructed firetraps”, according to the Tribune at the time. However, the city did nothing about the proposed problem of a dangerous fire breakout and paid the price.
This research topic is originated from my experience in working in the fire service since nineteen ninety seven. In the last sixteen years I have moved up the ranks from probationary fire fighter to fire lieutenant. I am currently hold the rank of fire lieutenant. This topic is very important to me because one day at work I can be the Incident Commander on a incident, to the o...
Since the beginning of the fire service hundreds of years ago, this profession is usually thought of being a male dominate. Since then there has been a large number of females who have been interested and wanting to become a part of this family, as a result of the male domination, a large group has failed due to discrimination from co-workers or management personnel. Furthermore, the laws that have been put into place have helped women become a part of the fire service profession.
The career field I chose is to be a firefighter. The reason why I want to be a firefighter is because they help people and prevent fires from spreading. I’ve always wanted to help people everywhere, because I don’t like it whenever if there is an accident and some people died and lost their loved ones, people talking crap about them and just talking and pointing the cameras in their face watching them cry. I want to help people and make a difference and help protect people’s life, and be someone people recognize when I walk by them.
Everyone has their own interpretation of what a firefighter is or does. The dictionaries definition says, “A person who is trained to put fires out, rescue people from fires, educate the public about fire prevention, and help people in other emergencies.” My definition of a firefighter growing up was a person who runs through burning building and found people who are screaming and crying, to save them. Now growing up with the desire to become a firefighter my definition has changed to someone, a women or man, who not only thinks about themselves but about the lives and loved ones of others. Whether it is rescuing people from a burning building, caring for their medical needs, extinguishing fires in a house, large building, or in a vehicle, this profession is about helping others.