As a firefighter, working at a fire station is a full-time job. When not battling fires, firefighters will train to keep their fitness up, cleaning the firehouse, studying, polishing the vehicles, and so forth. Despite the busy schedule of firefighter times, there will be moments where there is a little bit of spare time while at the station. At times, there might not be any runs until later in the night.
The bosses do not want to see you slacking off or sitting down and doing nothing. Some firehouses may even have two or three different companies. This means that there are at least eight to twelve people, plus sometimes a chief, making a mess for you to clean up and organize.
While this may seem like an annoying event to occur, the truth is that these events allow you to remain busy. A firefighter’s job is to be busy all day long, and the cleaner up there is to do, the easier it is to remain busy throughout the working hour. When you are not out dealing with an emergency, there are tons of things for you to do around the fire station.
However, if you do find yourself looking for something to stay occupied in the fire station, then here are several ideas.
Cleaning up
Cleaning is an essential part of being a firefighter. The fire station should remain clean as possible since the amount of dirt and ashes that cling to the firefighters could potentially impact the equipment used to combat fires. After successfully dealing with a fire, most of the firefighters will come back covered in soot. The uniform they wear and tools they use will return covered in this stuff, so ensuring these are all cleaned up will prevent any potential dangers while out in the field.
Firefighters also eat at the firehouse in the cafeteria section. The kitchen and cafeteria need to remain clean regularly to ensure no bugs get into the firehouse. Keeping things clean and tidy will prevent these vermin from damaging the equipment or spoiling the food.
Not only that, but firehouses sometimes get families that come and visit the firehouse. Usually, the children want to see what firefighters do daily, and seeing a dirty firehouse will not inspire any confidence or trust in any of these family members. Keeping a clean and orderly place will make a great impression on anyone that visits the firehouse.
Maintenance
Firefighters are always using various equipment to deal with any fire outbreaks. These tools will require constant maintenance to ensure they remain in tip-top condition. Checking over them will ensure that none of the damaged or broken equipment is taken out in the field during a fire emergency. The worst thing that could happen to a firefighter is experiencing faulty equipment that breaks down during a critical moment.
Fire trucks are one of the most crucial pieces of equipment a firefighter will have. The fire truck allows them to get to their destination and use it to drown out the flames. If the fire truck does not have its daily maintenance performed, issues could arise during an emergency call. Having a fire truck break down in the middle of the road, right when you were nearing the fire zone, hence, why you should always keep performing maintenance on your equipment.
Retrain with equipment
Firefighter gear can change at any time. Retraining with your equipment will allow you to maintain familiarity with every bit of your equipment. Being aware of which tools need to be used during which situation will allow you to remain cool-headed during a stressful situation. The training you undergo each day will make sure these skills are sharp and ready to be activated during critical situations.
Extra training never hurts anyone; it shows the dedication you have to your career as a firefighter. You can even turn this retraining into a team training session to further bond with your teammates and spot any mistakes either of you makes.
Physical training
Equipment training is not the only type of training you should be doing regularly. One of the most important features a firefighter can have is physical fitness. Firefighters need to remain in tip-top shape so they can perform their duties and haul around heavy equipment. Firefighting gear is known for being heavy, and if you start losing the strength to pick up these tools, you could be out of a job.
Furthermore, you will need to carry civilians who are incapable of moving themselves in certain situations. If you are incapable of carrying them out of a blazing household, then you are putting that person in danger. These training exercises will ensure your body remains fit and allows you to retain the skills needed to perform at your best as a firefighter.
Studying
Training your mind is another way to keep yourself busy and in tip-top shape. Firefighters do far more than merely taking out fires. They also need to perform other duties on the field such as emergency medicine, marine operations, dive operations, hazardous materials, technical rescue, and a multitude of other things. Updating your knowledge of these specialized skills will make sure you are aware of new techniques and remain aware of what to do during these situations.
Most firehouses have these types of classes that you can join if you need to brush up on your knowledge or learn a new skill. Taking these classes will expand your skillset and should prepare you for any emergency you are called upon to deal with.
Furthermore, most of the people who work there will be rookies who are still going through college courses. Studying will help you remain on top of your classes and ensure you learn everything you need to know about being a firefighter.
Grocery shopping
Firefighters will regularly eat at the firehouse instead of at a home or outside. Once their daily tasks are completed, everyone will generally decide on the meal for the day, create a list, collect some money from everyone, and take a daily trip to the grocery store. Keeping the kitchen in stock of food is vital to keeping everyone fed and nourished during a grueling day of hard work.
Shopping for food is an excellent time because you can interact with the citizens of your community by answering their questions and generally being lighthearted and friendly. Usually, the moments when citizens see you are during stressful times, which makes you less fun to be around.
Sometimes, a firefighter may be waiting with the truck and give any kids a tour of the fire truck or take a person’s blood pressure for them. Interacting with the public can be an enjoyable pastime and lets you get close to the people you are saving from harm.
Public Outreach
Firefighters will regularly conduct public outreach programs to remain in touch with the local community. For example, they will often provide station tours for the public, showing off what they do regularly, the equipment they use, check the fire truck out, and so forth. Most citizens may have never even met a firefighter before, so inviting them to your firehouse could be an excellent way to reach out to them.
Doing so allows the community to know what you are doing to ensure you are ready to help them during emergencies. These firehouse tours can also inspire the younger children into one day becoming firefighters themselves.
Public speaking events are also another option for a public outreach program. These talks allow you to cover plenty of topics such as exit drills at home, wildfire safety, babysitting safety, fire prevention, and how to use a fire extinguisher.
Spending some time to come up with a public outreach program during your spare time will allow you to remain productive. That way, you can come up with ways to become closer with the citizens of your community.
Get certified
As mentioned before, firefighters are not only dealing with fires regularly. They are required to deal with other emergency matters when called for assistance. Medical emergencies are some of the more common calls a firehouse may receive, so knowing how to perform basic medical first-aid is necessary during these times.
Some states also enforce the need to have an EMT certification, so using your spare time to study for these exams is an option. Training classes are always available for firefighters to increase their skill skit. While EMT certificates are the most common and obvious ones to get, there are other certifications you can earn to improve your skill set. Use your time to learn about these skills and use them to save people’s lives.
Play a simulation
Video games are an excellent way to train for real-world situations without placing yourself in severe danger. Whether the simulation you use is consumer or professional, firefighter simulations are an excellent way to relax while training. These simulations can be used to pass the time and become a fun activity among team members to brush up their communication skills.
Video games have been known to introduce cooperative play. That makes teamwork together and ensures they improve their communication skills. You can play these simulations with a group of rookies. They can be a great icebreaker between them and lets you offer any advice that could help them during specific situations.
Furthermore, you could always send a message to developers of these games and let them know what they could do to improve their simulation. As a firefighter, you are in a position that lets you live out these virtual scenarios. The input you offer them could assist them with improving their game and allow others to get a clearer idea of what firefighters do during an emergency situation.
Documentation
Even firefighters have to deal with paperwork throughout the day. Firefighters are required to document each event they respond to, no matter how minor or severe the situation was. Most of these reports can take somewhere between 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Furthermore, each piece of equipment checked or maintenance needs to be documented and recorded by the maintenance crew. That documentation will let the bosses know that everything is in good condition or if anything needs to be replaced.
At times, a firefighter can spend somewhere between two to six hours a day dealing with reports and documentation.
Online forums
There are plenty of online forums where firefighters get together and share stories, tips, ideas, news, and so on. These places are an excellent place to spend some time and allow you to remain up to date with everything related to firefighting. Some posters may even be civilians who are curious about what firefighters do or what they need to do to become one. You can use that time to answer their questions and offer your own personal insight on these matters.
Sleeping
As night starts to break through, most firefighters are completing their work and eating some dinner. Once the clock hits 10 pm, most of them go to bed to try and get some rest between the calls that come between midnight and 7:00 am.
The late hours should be used to rest if you are not on the night shift. Rest up so you can be fully prepared to tackle anything that may happen during the nighttime. At around 8:00 am, every firefighter needs to give a report and then head home to their families.
Conclusion
Fires are not a common occurrence that happens every day. There will be times when firefighters experience some downtime at the station between all of the calls, chores, and work tasks. During these moments, firefighters should use that time to improve themselves and get anything else out of the way. If you find yourself stuck with nothing else to do, this list should serve as a reminder of what you could be doing in that spare time.
