r/volunteerfirefighters

I’m just a volunteer firefighter—

answering calls in the dead of night,

pushing back my chair at the dinner table

when someone else’s world is falling apart.

I’m just a volunteer—

working long hours, chasing a future,

then showing up anyway

to train, to learn, to be ready.

I’m just a volunteer—

looking into the eyes of a stranger,

holding steady in their chaos,

whispering, “It’s going to be okay,”

even when everything says it’s not.

I’m just a volunteer.

Not for money.

Not for glory.

Not for fame.

I’m just a volunteer firefighter—

because somewhere, on someone’s worst day,

saving a life is worth every second of mine.

For anyone here who’s bought or sold a house, how’d you end up picking your realtor? And honestly, would you have cared if they specialized in working with firefighters, or would you still just use whoever came recommended?

Throwaway account. Recently I found out that someone I know who is a volunteer firefighter (~70 yrs of age) and holds an EMR certification was charged with sexual imposition (touching) of a minor ~20 years ago. They entered a no-contest plea and were found guilty. The sentence included a fine, three suspended days in jail, no contact with the victim, no similar offense for two years, and counseling through a center for abuse prevention, they are not on any sorts of registry but I found thru family and it’s all public information on the clerk of courts database. They did their time but the fact that involved a minor is pretty wild. They do community events with children and I’m sure the township and fire department do some sort of background check but I guess what I’m asking you guys as someone not in this field of work but has kids in the community, is this person really allowed to be in a public service role especially doing events with children? They have lots of family in town so I’m afraid of retaliation.

Two days ago I purchased an old F450 fire truck from a former client of mine who is associated with the local VFD. I bought it to use as a farm truck. It currently has a service box on it with lettering calling it a "support unit" for a fire company that is hundreds of miles away. I am making arrangements to have that replaced with a flat bed and to set the service box aside to take up space while a day dream about turning it into a camper.

I tagged/insured it yesterday. Today I drove it to my business just to fill it up and get a feel for anything it may need. I also took it to the grocery store to get lunch. It's sitting in the parking lot as I write this.

This afternoon, I got an angry phone call from the seller laying into me pretty good about not driving it while it has the lettering and the lights on it, not with the lights illuminated, mind you, just with the lights physically on the truck. The impetus for this was several complaints he got from people who were "seeing the truck around town." He is a future former member of the local VFD, and I think there is some bad blood there, but I digress.

Saturday is the day I had planned to do the typical "new to me vehicle" service and pull off all the lettering. What else needs to come off make sure this thing is on the up and up.

I'd like to change the lights to amber if I can. My state allows both agricultural escort vehicles and construction vehicles to run whites/ambers. Since the truck is already set up for it, I'd like to take advantage of it. I'd appreciate any input you have on that. The box has whelen edge lights on it, and the bar a red/white led, but I can't see any name plate.

Thank you.

Currently wanting to join my town's combined department on the volunteer side. Just for some quick background, I work rotating 12hr shifts at my full time job, and I have several years experience with industrial fire/rescue/HAZMAT with my job basically similar to a volunteer basis, so it won't be completely foreign to me. I'm also married with one child less than a year old. I get a fair amount of days off due to my work schedule, and the department typically runs about 80-90 calls per month between full-time and volunteers. I say all that to say my biggest concern with joining, if accepted, is time management. I've wanted to give this a try and do something to serve the community for a while, but I worry that this might take too much time away from my family.

Is or has anyone been in my current situation? Or anyone volly with a wife and small kids that can offer some insight or advice?

Hello! I have recently become aware of the option of becoming a Firefighter after going to a Carnival, seeing that my local volunteer fire department was in look for volunteers, so I applied and got accepted, and now I'm thinking I could do this for real. I don't really care about a salary or such but look, Heavy lifting? Helping people? Power tools? I mean it fits my dream job as far as I'm concerned (Saying it like that in a humurous way) But I am not from the States and I moved to NY recently with my student VISA and I was wondering if there's anything I need to study, or do. Anything to become a proper firefighter, because apart from the volunteering I have no idea what to do, I'm about to turn 21 too, so I just really need some guidance and I was checking the guidelines to see if there was FAQ but it seemed like it was not working. I have plenty of experience in multiple fields such as in Engineering, Assisted living, Child counseling and more but I doubt any of that would help.

Just, please could anyone guide me? I have never set my goal this badly on something and I have no clue where to start, please PLEASE

Hi everyone,
I’m a teenager, and becoming a firefighter has been my dream for a long time. My dad is a firefighter, and I’ve spent time around the fire service, watching training and learning about the job. Helping people is what I want to do with my life.
The problem is that I’ve made some mistakes that I deeply regret, and I’ve been worrying that they’ll ruin my chances of ever getting hired.
Here are the things I’m worried about:
I viewed inappropriate content online as a teenager and struggled with it for a while.
I posted some inappropriate pictures online for a period of time but later deleted them.
I also spent money on App Store purchases using one of my grandpa’s cards. He told me one of the cards was okay to use, but I didn’t tell him about all of the purchases at the time. Later, there were other unauthorized charges on his account that he believes came from a company scamming him, not from me. I still feel guilty about my own purchases and wish I had handled the situation better.
I’ve never been arrested, and I haven’t been charged with a crime. I’ve deleted the inappropriate content and accounts, and I’m trying to make better decisions. I genuinely want to grow into someone who can be trusted and serve the community.
My question is:
Based on what I’ve described, would these mistakes likely keep me from being hired as a firefighter, or am I overthinking this?
I’m not looking for people to tell me what I want to hear. I’d really appreciate honest answers, especially from firefighters, fire officers, or anyone involved in hiring. If you think there are things I should do now to improve my chances in the future, I’d appreciate that advice too.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I’m currently on the waitlist for LAFD Crew 3 and I’m looking for some information from anyone who has experience with the program or a similar wildland volunteer crew.
I’m interested in learning more about the process and what I can do to better prepare while I’m waiting. How does the scheduling work? Is there anything you recommend having, completing, or learning beforehand? What should someone expect during the process, and how difficult is it to get accepted?
I’m starting from the beginning and looking to gain experience, learn, and be part of something where I can contribute. Any advice, tips, or insight from past or current members would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Just seen that the state of Ohio is eliminating the Ohio volunteer firefighter certification ("36 hour card"). I was curious what everyone's thoughts were on it.

Personally, considering a majority of the volunteers in the state hold that level of card I think it will be catastrophic to the service. But I'm sure there are plenty of paid guys who are "10 times the firefighter" then I will ever be who think it should have gone away years ago.