I have a story idea that involves firefighters. Specifically a firefighter character. I know nothing about firefighters or fighting fires, so any information you could provide would be very helpful. One thing I wonder about is if they really live in the firehouse, or is that just on TV? Also, what is it like being in a relationship with a firefighter? Thank you!
Consider visiting a fire station, be prepared with some specific questions. Ask ahead of time, don't just show up. And not many departments would let just anyone ride along. You have to be in a program. That means when the engines go out you need to also leave the building as they lock the doors. Some volunteer firefighters do live at the station. Most though stay overnight but live elsewhere. I'm pretty sure there's not much different about their relationships compared to other occupations.
I'd agree with @GingerCoffee that you would need to be part of some sort of program to ride along, and I doubt if many such programs exist. It's different than with police. I have a firefighter in my family who is a member of a paid, largish city department. They work 24 hours on, 72 hours off. During the 24 on, they eat and sleep at the fire station. There's a lot of flexibility and swapping of shifts. I think the shift work would be the main aspect that needs to be dealt with relationship-wise. My relative's wife is an ICU nurse who also works various shifts. They and their two young kids make it work, but it involves a lot of Grandma babysitting.
There are only voluntary fire stations around me so I would have to travel. But that's a great idea. Thank you.
If you want to write about firefighters, you should think about underlying unconscious motives, which are often the opposite of a person's surface stance. According to the show Rescue Me a lot of firefighters actually like to start fires, and tend toward arson, in the same way you sometimes hear that some police took the job because they wanted to be able to shoot at people and break traffic laws etc, or just to abuse the power. I'm sure on the show they amped it up to dramatize things, but it seems like there may well be some truth to it.
I imagine it's very different depending on the size of the population that they serve. What is the setting of your story? Small towns are usually entirely made up of volunteers. Taxes may pay for some things, but most of their maintenance costs are paid for by donations. Big cities have professionals, whose salaries are paid for with taxes. I've never been directly involved with either, but I had a bunch of friends who were part of the Honesdale Fire Dpt, which is a tiny little town. The firehouse itself usually had very few people in it. Firemen had real jobs and were simply "on call." There was always a schedule for who was supposed to actually be at the station, and that person was usually the driver of the truck. The rest usually worked nearby and when they got a call, they would leave work and rush to the firehouse or to their car. Their employer knows this will happen and are okay with it. Lots of times they would have equipment in their personal vehicles and they would often actually beat the firetruck. My friends in the department say they're never supposed to go into a building alone but every single one of them has done so. They aren't going to stand around waiting for backup if they can hear a dog barking upstairs. They probably get chewed out afterwards for risking their lives like that, but they do it anyway.
Firehouse.com forums will be able to help a ton. Anyways, career firefighters do live in the firehouse while on shift, which are almost always 24 hours. And they have very weird schedules. 24on/48off mostly. Some lucky ones get 24/72. Then you have the f*ck you and your sleep schedule schedules like the NoVa split schedule: on/off/on/off/on/off/on/off 4 days. Many FFs prefer that schedule, but those are the same FFs that will definitely develop sleep disorders (almost all FFs do anyways). Additionally, actual fires are pretty rare. Even in relatively large metro areas, it's rare you'll get more than a couple in any given month. It's almost all EMS calls. Chest pain and stuff like that. And yes, if a call comes in when you're pooping, you better be able to wipe clean in a few seconds. Any other specific questions?
Ehh, not really much truth to it. At least it larger departments. Most large departments have background checks out of the ass, and multiple psych exams, where they make damn sure you're not an arsonist. I was a candidate for Fairfax (Va.) County Fire and Rescue, and in just my first psych alone, I must've been asked twenty different ways about my thoughts or experiences with arson. Now, it's not 100% fool-proof. People lie, obviously, lol. And the term that describes those people is hero complex. They create situations where they can be heroic.
What's the setting? You may want to look at the fire fighting in first nation (aboriginal/indian) communities in Canada. There was one situation where the guy with the keys to the fire truck went out, got drunk, and nobody could find him when there was a house fire. Several people died in that event. Then there are situations where they have a donated fire truck but no water....bah, depressing situation. Most reserves don't have enough people to justify a Fire Department. It's all volunteers and haphazard equipment.
One minor point, just for the sake of complete accuracy: divorce rates for firefighters (at least in the U.S.) is far lower than that of police, military, and paramedic. Honestly, probably because it's a job that leaves you far less jaded. Outside of massive sleep deprivation, and the occasional horrifying call, it's probably the most comfy position you can get. Great pay, great benefits, tons of time off, people stroke your ego all the time, etc.
They kinda live there like a second home when they are on shift. Being on call 24hrs means that they have to kinda be there to answer the call(s) at any hour.
