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What does a day in the life of a big city firefighter look like?
I know every day must be different but how does a typical day go, how does a slow or boring day go, how does the scariest or most exciting day go?
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Ryan’s Answer
Hello Josiah. Honestly, a day in the life of a big city firefighter is no different than a day in the life of any other firefighter, albeit they will probably respond to a larger number of calls.
All firefighters begin their day with briefings. First, a hand-off or "pass down" report. The offgoing firefighters deliver a briefing to the incoming firefighters about how the shift went, any known malfunctions with equipment, etc. Once the offgoing firefighters leave, the incoming crew will usually conduct a briefing of their own to ensure everyone is on the same page about the weather forecast, road closures, schedule for the day, etc.
Once the crew is briefed, they will perform daily equipment checks - we need to be certain that our vehicles, gas powered tools, battery powered tools, and other equipment will function at a moment's notice. Likewise an inventory of supplies is conducted daily, to ensure the things like expendable medical supplies (bandages, exam gloves, needles, etc.) were restocked from the prior shift.
It is at this point that you will get some deviation - while all of the following activities occur in every fire station, the order they occur in depends on department policy, crew schedules, and personal preferences. At some point in the day, all firefighters will perform rotating station chores (i.e. Mondays are kitchens, Tuesdays bathrooms, etc.), perform some kind of workout, and conduct some kind of training (may be as simple as placing ground ladders against the station, or as complex as going out of service and driving to the department's training center to participate in live-fire exercises).
All firefighters can have their day interrupted by calls at any time. Calls are the same no matter what size department you work for. Most medical calls and routine alarm type calls will take 20-30 minutes, while more complex calls like fires and hazardous materials spills can take hours. Slower departments will respond to a handful of calls per day, while your busy big city departments can run one to two dozen calls per day. These numbers are just approximations as there are many many factors that play into call volume.
Many smaller / slower fire departments that don't run as many calls may have a longer list of additional duties to keep them busy while not running calls, such as conducting fire safety inspections of local businesses. Larger big city departments have dedicated full-time inspectors that perform those tasks.
Lastly, all firefighters have the same administrative duties to complete during the day - checking and responding to emails, reviewing policies, meeting with supervisors, writing reports, etc.
As you can see, the average day is very very similar between all firefighters everywhere - big city or small. Thats part of what makes firefighters such a close tight knit community. The main differences in terms of "day in the life of" are the call frequency, training opportunities, and number and type of additional duties.
I hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you have more!
All firefighters begin their day with briefings. First, a hand-off or "pass down" report. The offgoing firefighters deliver a briefing to the incoming firefighters about how the shift went, any known malfunctions with equipment, etc. Once the offgoing firefighters leave, the incoming crew will usually conduct a briefing of their own to ensure everyone is on the same page about the weather forecast, road closures, schedule for the day, etc.
Once the crew is briefed, they will perform daily equipment checks - we need to be certain that our vehicles, gas powered tools, battery powered tools, and other equipment will function at a moment's notice. Likewise an inventory of supplies is conducted daily, to ensure the things like expendable medical supplies (bandages, exam gloves, needles, etc.) were restocked from the prior shift.
It is at this point that you will get some deviation - while all of the following activities occur in every fire station, the order they occur in depends on department policy, crew schedules, and personal preferences. At some point in the day, all firefighters will perform rotating station chores (i.e. Mondays are kitchens, Tuesdays bathrooms, etc.), perform some kind of workout, and conduct some kind of training (may be as simple as placing ground ladders against the station, or as complex as going out of service and driving to the department's training center to participate in live-fire exercises).
All firefighters can have their day interrupted by calls at any time. Calls are the same no matter what size department you work for. Most medical calls and routine alarm type calls will take 20-30 minutes, while more complex calls like fires and hazardous materials spills can take hours. Slower departments will respond to a handful of calls per day, while your busy big city departments can run one to two dozen calls per day. These numbers are just approximations as there are many many factors that play into call volume.
Many smaller / slower fire departments that don't run as many calls may have a longer list of additional duties to keep them busy while not running calls, such as conducting fire safety inspections of local businesses. Larger big city departments have dedicated full-time inspectors that perform those tasks.
Lastly, all firefighters have the same administrative duties to complete during the day - checking and responding to emails, reviewing policies, meeting with supervisors, writing reports, etc.
As you can see, the average day is very very similar between all firefighters everywhere - big city or small. Thats part of what makes firefighters such a close tight knit community. The main differences in terms of "day in the life of" are the call frequency, training opportunities, and number and type of additional duties.
I hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you have more!
Updated
Angel’s Answer
A typical day for a big city firefighter starts with a briefing and equipment check. On slower days, they maintain readiness, train, or clean gear. Exciting days involve responding to fires, rescues, or medical emergencies. The scariest days include high-risk situations like building collapses or hazardous material fires, requiring quick thinking and teamwork.