Not Always as "Seen On TV"

Reporting From Off Scene:

If you have ever or if you would ever sit around a firehouse table and you spend any amount of time with a crew of firefighters, you could be crying one moment because we're telling you some heartbreaking story about trying to save a victim and not being able to do so.  The very next minute, you could be bent over in a laughing fit trying to catch your breath because we have another story about coming up on scene, and something extremely funny or bizarre that we witnessed.

It's true.  We are naturally good story tellers and we have many to tell you.  We realize that we have an abundance of stories, good and bad, to tell... enough stories to make many hour long TV shows from.  Firefighters can be quite the characters too, as we come from all backgrounds, genders, races and of all ages.  The entire psyche of (someone) who would go into work every day, put on their gear, and run into a building on fire is what attracts some producers and screen writers to want to make prime time TV shows about us.

Courtesy of Paul Combs

Just remember folks.  What you see on TV for the most part, is scripted.  The firefighters at your local firehouse in your neighborhood, are real men under those uniforms.

Firefighting is NOT as glamorous for these real men, as they seem to portray on TV.  They are sacrificing their quality of life at times.  As a firefighter, you're not going to make much money.  One might think that a guy that hurls himself into harm's way to save a complete stranger would get paid something a little more commensurate with the nobility of his occupation, but our reality isn't set up to work that way.  Because as a firefighter you don't need eight years of school and the brain the size of a watermelon to perform your job, you're never going to be flush with loads of cash.  You are also sacrificing much of your personal and social life.  The hours will often be long and grueling.  The firehouse that employs you is kind of your second home. At times, the only thing more dangerous than fighting a raging fire is... well... fighting fire on very little sleep.  Good luck with that!

The job of wearing a badge or a firefighters helmet can indeed be an ugly one so next time you catch yourself watching a TV show/series on firefighters/fire fighting, just remember that what you are watching does not necessarily depict the true nature and character of the firefighting service.

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    LadderJockey
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