First Call

[JGallagher]

I am wondering, what were some of the first calls that you went on. I mean like your very first. Be it nothing or a major call. Mine was a eletric fire. I had just got my pager and had put my gear on the truck and a noise went off. I had no idea what it was but was quickly told that it was my pager. I turned out to be nothing at all. Just had to clear smoke from the house. What a rush though!!

[bfrd22]

1st call was over 15 yrs ago an I remember it better than the last call I was on.
2 AM
County call, Fully involved car fire next to a Moble home. We hooked a tractor to the car while pumps etc were set up and pulled the car away from the home with a tractor.

didn't get to involved as I was brand spanking new. But it was amazing. The chief holler for my to grab the Rockwell Nozzle I didn't have a clue and stood there like a deer in the Head lights. Watching the blaze, He hollered again "The Navy Nozzle" Shrugged my sholders, "Long curved chrome thing with the funny ball on the end in Comp #" That I found.

All in all it was a great call. We got back to station and after clean up one of the Captains at the time agreed to meet me the next day, and We went through every single piece of equiptment on the trucks.

[remya]

My fist call was a structure fire. Only five guys on scene when I arrived, Talk about feeling useless!!. I learned to change bottles pretty quickly and the teachers were the one's wearing the packs (poor guys). I was so new that I was being introduced to people as the night went on. I'm lucky enough to have a photo of my arrival on scene (taken by a bystander that I knew).

[TiSme]

My first call was a vehicle fire at night. It was the first time I had heard the pager go off while I was sleeping (Had heard test pages at the hall and a couple of calls that the guy's went on durning training nights that I couldn't as a rookie). My assigned officer told me to make sure it was turned right up before bed each night (hmmm ..... I think that might have been an initiation thing ;) ). So after I peeled myself off the ceiling and finally got dressed (uncontrolled adrenaline causes one to vibrate, makes it hard to put on clothes) I was off to the hall. Due to my quick (not) response I missed the pump unit rolling and joined 4 others in the rescue. On route the chief told me and the guy who originally invited me to the hall that we were the attack crew and to put on BA as soon as we got there. It wasn't that big of a fire when we first got there. I jumped out with my partner and started to get geared up with BA (again with the uncontrolled adrenaline and mind racing not easy to put all that on), so after some assistance and I was on the hose backing up my partner ..... the fire was from a leak ( on the top right under the vehicle frame) in the plastic gas tank, not an easy thing to get out. It was also my first introduction to a bursting tire (wow talk about startling the daylights out of someone).

I may have spent most of the time just holdin the hose for my partner. But I don't think I will ever forget that call. I know I still chuckle when I hear a tire burst and see the new ppl jump. :)

[bfrd22]

:p
OMG You have to love those tire pops... We had 3 probies dive for the dirt at our last training burn.

How I enjoy seeing new members woken from a deep sleep.

Funny thing is it takes a year or so before they think to run to washroom B4 the run out of the house at 3 AM.

One of these days a rookie is actually going to take us seriously when we tell em to fill thier boots.:D

It's great to hear the 1st time stories. Thanks JGallagher for the topic, A lot of fun memories are comming back.

[Red_Devil]

interesting stories guys,

[Michael13]

I wish I had memories like that. The company that made my gear screwed the order up, so i only had pants and a helmet for 3 months. i had to wait for my coat. so i responded to calls for a while with half gear. i cant honestly say i remember my first call. i remember my first few calls where i went but did gopher duties. i can remember all my first times using BA and my first house fire, and my first accident on 401. those are the calls that stick with you for ever. And we always remember the fatalites and the ones where the victim lives. really good feeling to get a letter from the trucking company thanking the department for our efforts to extricate their driver from a wreck. stay safe everyone.

[Whitewater_419]

I remember my first call clearly, too :)

It was called as a structure fire, but ended up being a kitchen fire that was under control when we got there. I rode with our station captain out to the scene, nervous as all get out, but he told me to simply stick with him the whole time.

I was introduced to everyone on scene, he (my hall captain) explained all the procedures that were happening (attack lines were already charged when we got there and they were just bringing in the smoke fan to clear the house out, while other guys were checking the walls and ceilings with an IR heat sensor).

I was walked around the scene and shown hazards that should be noted and reported to the IC, like overhead hydro wires, a crapload of propane, acetylene and oxygen tanks in a detached garage, as well as a full swimming pool in a couple of backyards that could have been used as water sources.

I think the most I got to do that day was drain and roll hoses on scene, but yeah, I'll still remember that first call clear as day :)

[Brando]

Ive only been on the local volunteer dept for about 4 months, so I can recall pretty clear my first call.
It was at about 4:30 on a Monday morning, a cottage on fire. Unfortunately is was pretty far outta town, so when we got there it was no more than a bunch of 2x4's smoldering away. Anyways, I made it to the hall 2nd and had no idea what to do. Went with the 1st tanker out. Hooked up to the main pumper on scene, that was about it. After coming back and filling up the tanker and clean-up, I just made it to work on time.

[resqteacher]

I'll never forget my first call. I'd had my pager for about 4 days and it went off aroudn 8pm one night. "Structure fire!!!!" I tried to stay calm driving to the hall, telling myself the whole time that it was probably a false alarm. After all, who could be so lucky as to catch a fully involved structrue their first time out? Me
Not only was it fully involved, it was a cottage on an island we cover. We had to take all the gear we thought we were going to need for initial attack off our pumper and load it onto a dinky little ferry. Including portable and floater pumps, hoses, packs etc.

We could see the cottage from the other side of the river and it looked like a giant bonfire! Going across the river in the ferry while the chief told us what the game plan was reminded me a lot of the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan -"I'll see you on the beach!" haha

Anyway - it was great night - long - but great. Oh and guess what me second call was - structure fire - the next night! Awesome.

[racerrescuebc]

My first call was actually on my very first night. I had literally just signed all the paperwork 30 secs before and the tones went off. Our whole hall was there to induct the rookies and so we had like 30 guys all respond to the call(probably the best turn-out ever!!) It was a truck fire just outside of our boundary, but not in another fire district. I went with the Chief in his POV and we were right behind the truck. When we rolled up and the doors of the pumper opened and f guys rolled out in full turnouts and scba's I knew I was hooked for life!!!!! What an awesome feeling!!!

[ndvfd_ff33]

My First Call Was A Double Warehouse Fire...Pretty Good One

[daveb]

my first call... pager toned and i sat in my truck, thinking what the hell is wrong with this pager...beeping so fast? Oh a fire! turned out to be a false alarm. My first structure fire about 6months later. My captian's house (i kidd you not) we managed to save the foundation. It was a farm house built in the late 1800's (real dry) went up fast and furious. My captain just stood their watching is disbelief. Later on that night I shook his hand and said how sorry i was and if there was anything i could do to let me know. He smiled and said "your having fun arnt' ya". I smiled and said "Oh Yea". I'll never forget my first structure fire.

[BillyBlazes]

My first call!
It was almost 24 years ago, when I joined the local volunteer department.
My first call was a house fire which was the aunt and uncle of a girl freind. My job at the call was to ventilate on the roof with an axe. A bad way to impress the girl friend's family.
The best part of the call was responding the 15 km in my 1976 Corvette Stingray! A good reason to exceed the speed limit a little.

[daveb]

billy blaze that's awesome. nothing like chopping a hole in a roof to express your love for the young girl !

[fireman2697]

MY FIRST CALL WAS A CAR FIRE ABOUT 2 IN THE MORNING FIRST TIME I WAS WOKEN UP BY MY PAGER AT THAT LATE HOUR.I HAULED ON MY COVERHALLS AND OUT THE DOOR I WENT IN THE DARK. HOWEVER THE DOOR WAS STILL CLOSED I RAN IN TO IT HEAD ON BUSTING IT IN THREE PLACES NOW THAT WAS A WAY TO WAKE UP TRY AND TOP THAT

[shaneb]

My first call was a call to the airport (an automatic 2 alarm) I had yet to be issued my turn out gear so I was wearing one of the Captins! Everyone thought I was Incident Command. Let me tell you how fast I got out that "white hat." It's a 7km drive to airport and I was with my friend in the rescue unit. Full lights and sirens all the way. 4 fire units cops all over the place! It was all I could do to keep from giggling like a school boy. It was the best call I' ve ever had. By the way it was just a burnt landing gear light in cock pit.

[firefighter9calt]

My first call I actually got to go to was a house fire. Didn't have a clue what I was doing. My first job was helping the pump operator hold down a 4" charged supply line flowing 1500 gpm that had twisted of the pumper. Mostly helped hold ladders and drag hose. It was still better than spending the afternoon at work.

[firemama]

hello guys!;)
my first call...I didn't even have a pager, I heard it come in on my scanner. I stood there frozen wondering if I should go. I was brand new to my Volunteer dept. Well, I went and had that "Uncontrolled adrenaline" thing happen but got overr it quickly as I donned my gear for real not training. It was a "Controlled" burn that went crazy......accelerants will do that! LMAO the fellow said he didn't know what happened but you could smell the fuel. Anyway I ran nozzle and felt as if the s**t was kicked out of me the next day. Im hooked forever and now am a first responder/AED qualified firefighter. Lovin' It!!!:D

[bestcoast]

My first was a few hours into my very first shift on the job. It was an MVA that unfortunately was a fatal. It gave me a quick realization of what the job entails. You do the best you can for the person but it doesn't always have a happy ending like on Rescue 911. Kind of a downer for a first call but such is life in the emergency services field.....

[heavyduty]

It wasnt my first call but it was my first call when I transfered into a different hall in the region. I was at work(right across the road from the hall) when the tones went off I ran to the hall and we were off, it was a truck that had rolled down the middle of the road. Nothing new, until dispatch said he was hauling nuclear products. Everbody looking at each other wondering what the hell we were getting our selves into. The capt got dispatch to phone the company and find out what the guy was hauling. When we were told that if the case was still intact then it was safe, everbody was very relieved and it just became another clean up.

[Fireknight]

My first call was also a fatal MVA, head on, SUV v.s car. More than nine years ago, but unlike countless calls since then, I remember it all to well......

[Toxic]

I honestly don't remember my first call. It must not have been much of a call. However one of my first ones is the one I cited as my funniest calls in another post...

[Kirk]

My first call was to a suspected suicide. While enroute we turned a corner and a chemical fire extinguisher fell over and went off. Filled, I mean FILLED the truck with powder, it took about a week to get the stink out of my skin,not to mention the truck. To this day when ever I smell one, it reminds me of that first call.

by the way, that was over 10 years ago......

Stay safe.

Amatures train till they get it right, professionals train till they can't get it wrong.

Kirk

[911Caddy]

Unfortunatley, I don't recall my first call?? But I do recall my first house fire one January morning in Qualicum Beach. I was 17.. Rode my motorcycle to the hall at about 0300..Brrr. (My only mode of transport at the time) It took me a little longer to get to the hall as the side roads were still snow covered... My tardyness put me on the tail board of an old Ford Cab over Engine. Last engine in...
On scene the fire was coming through the roof of a single story dwelling... We stretched a 2.5 inch line to the front door. Due to the snow an ice on the ground when we opened up the nozzel...we began to be pushed down the ice covered driveway. Rubber soles and ice don't work while trying to hold onto a large attack line. The line was quickly gaited and broken into two 1.5 inch lines and we went inside after the bulk of the fire was knocked down.
How I miss those days!

[Scuba]

First fire was about 15 minutes after I walked through the doors of the hall for my first training and meeting night I still didn't have a pager.

Lightning had struck a tree, and followed the folks noma lights back to their cottage. There were chunks of 100+ yr old maple for 300 feet around the stump..... All the wires in the cottage had the insulator melted off them, as well all the fuses in the pannel had blown & were partialy melted....

An easy call - we didn't really do anything execpt make sure their cottage wasn't burning anywhere, and cut the 10 feet of the tree that was left leaning.

I was hooked. That was 3 years ago in July.

[Courtenay42]

My first call was not more than an hour after i had gotten my pager, the warning tones went off and i was filled with suspence if it was gonna be for us or not. It was a barn fire out in our one of our rural districts and was fully envovled on arrival. I was on the first truck to the call and was nervous as hell. I was paired with a good guy and he let me do all the work and he did a excellent teaching job as i came away with a big smile and an excellent job well done!

Two years later and many many fires later, i stilll enjoy getting on that truck as much as that first day.

[rescue1008]

WOW lets sweep away the dust to recall.......

Lets see i was in the middle of helping the wife set up bunk beds when almost got the top part on when i hear the weird beep beep beep then i heard there was a MVA on the main bridge into town, So i went flying out the door down to the hall. A few minutes later we arrived on scene and a water truck got hit from behind and knocked of the bridge and dropped 50-60 feet down. Well about 7 MVA'S all together and 15 hours later it was a pretty wild first call. AWWW the joys of winter

[mutts252]

well like so many others, i didn't even have a pager at the time... i happened to be driving through town, when our pumper and rescue units came barelling around the corner towards me, hell-bent going to a call. soooo naturally i made a quick detour to the hall, to wait for more guys to arrive (only our 2nd pumper was left, and i don't have a D license to drive it).

long story short, an ex-FF from our department had decided to chainsaw a tree in his backyard, and somehow thought it would be a wise move to fell it directly towards his hydro service lines! needless to say, there was a nice little brush fire going on, and the hydro lines were ripped right out of his garage. after standing around twiddling our thumbs for a while, hydro finally de-energised the lines, and we could put the (very small) flames out with piss-packs. :-)

not the most exciting in the world, but a lot of fun for a first-timer!

(let's just say that they *still* haven't let the poor guy live it down... LOL)

[miraroadfire]

This summer will be seven years ago I join the Volunteer Fire Department. And 7 years ago when I showed up at the hall for my gear and to meet the guys none of them ever told me hoe things would start out for me.

Three days after starting that beep beep beep went nuts. I can remember the dispatcher saying there was a forest fire and that all firefighters were need as soon as they could get there. I pulled over to the side of the road and tried to think straight. When I arrived at the hall all trucks were gone. One of the guys showed up and said to jump in with him. When we arrived close to the fire we started to walk down the highway when a turk from another department came by and jump on. I will never forget sitting on the back of that truck and all of a sudden I couldn't see the guy sitting next to me bacause the smoke was so thick. Just as my heart came back down my throat we pulled up to where our guys were. When the cheif came walking out of the woods he looked at me and said welcome to the department.

I followed everything the guys told me and after three days it was out. My feet were so sore from the boots size 11 and I talke size 8. I have never been so scared in my life and never been that scare since.

When we were back at the hall sitting around all the guys kept coming up and saying forget that six month trial you just pass in three days.

No has ever started with a fire as big as this and I hope that no one ever does again. lol

Art
Mira Road Volunteer Fire Department
Sydney Nova Scotia

[mutts252]

When we were back at the hall sitting around all the guys kept coming up and saying forget that six month trial you just pass in three days.

No has ever started with a fire as big as this and I hope that no one ever does again. lol


hehe sounds like quite a time! my goal for this summer is to be a forest FF for the MNR in ontario (get to do hover exits and all that fun jazz)... here's hoping :)

[thebuds]

How memorable was your first call on the trucks? Mine was a VSA, and was less than a month ago, as I have just started my career. I thought I'd get a few med calls before a VSA, but I guess I'm just lucky.

[cdnbacon]

I think the first call I can remember where I made a truck was for smoke in a building. It didn't turn out to be much, somebody was melting wax on the wood stove and it boiled over. The occupant is now one of our Lt.

I'm pretty sure that was my first it was almost ten years ago now.

[firefighter26]

It wasn't my first call, but it was my second that I went on as firefighter was about three days after I joined (my first call being the night I joined for a shortness of breath where I didn't get off the truck because BCAS stood us down). I had already become accustom to what the "job" was about because firefighting is a HUGE part of my family.

I was sitting at home and I didn't have a pager yet, but since we where only about 2 blocks from the station I heard the siren. I think I showed up with two different shoes on!

It turned out to be a fully involved washroom fire. One of those really fancy 15x15 cedar washrooms at one of the scenic look outs.

I remember pulling up and seeing this thing ablaze with about 30-40 foot flames already broken through the roof. The two trees closest to it where involved in flames and already starding to crown (didn't know it at the time).

I was told to man the nozzle on a 2-1/2" nozzle to knock down the fire in the trees and control exposure as well as hitting the fire from the left flank. Of course, that is the "technical" dutys I was assigned..... really, I just tried to spray everything that was on fire!

[HOSE_HOUND]

I remember my first day and my first run, almost 11 years ago. A fellow rookie and I started our first tour just after dinner time. Though we were starting in a busy station downtown there were no calls that afternoon. We were taught how to use the poll to get down to the apparautus floor and we cleaned dirty hose most of that afternoon, but we were anxiously waiting for that first call to come. Then finally, just as we sat down for our supper the toner sounded and we were on our way to our first call, an MVA with injuries. We arrived on the scene of a T-boned compact car with the female driver still pinned between the door and center console. Needless to say we finished extricating the lady from the vehicle and sent her to hospital.

The thing that I do remember the most was wearing that brand new bunker gear on the call, us rookies looking like 2 guys in Sesame St., Big-bird suits, lots and lots of bright yellow. Was I ever glad once I had a few calls and a bit of dirt on that gear.

[Punctualdeer]

All off you describe very well your first call. Mine his almost the same: 2 months after been volunteer in summer 75 a saturday afternoon had a phone call from an other VFF to go directly to the scene a block off 6 app. and we had to pull down all the ceiling to get the fire.
When i became permanent the first day in duty january 14, 76 we respond an hour later for an alarm systeme on Steinberg where one off my hockey freind was working ask me what i was doing her and i respound :i start this morning. After that i got my first real fire on duty 3 mounths later.It bring me good souvenir since it left me 9 months to work to be eligible to my retreat next year.

[smoke286]

My first call was with a Volunteer Dept that I was more or less drafted into 22 years ago.Literally I had been issued my firefighting gear 2 days before (Long coat, rubbers gloves and helmet, no bunker suits then) and most of all no training.

I received a call about 3 am of a structure fire in a club two communities distant from mine. At this point I had not been living in the community long .I responded in my car to the fire station and discovered the trucks were long gone. So with far from a clear idea of where I was going I set off in the direction of the call following another volunteer responding in his own vehicle. He soon disappeared into the distance.

I need not have worried however. When I topped the hill in the community there was the club, fully involved, right on the side of the main road. Needless the to say my involvment was limited, but it was an eye opening experience. As both volunteer and career depts were at the fire. I was able to observe the difference in their operations. I did get to assist and to learn, I think back to it 20 odd years later and marvel at how green I really was.

[JustinB]

My first call was a structure fire in rural area we cover. Got to the hall just as the rescue was pulling out. I grabbed my gear and dressed in the back on the way. Turned out to be fully involved farm shop about 10 miles north of town. We could see it for a long way, about 10 minute drive. About half way to the scene my feet were hurting, I was so excited I put my boots on the wrong feet. Was an excellent call and I learned alot.

From that night on I was hooked.

[Firefighter1680]

My first call was a structure fire in rural area we cover. Got to the hall just as the rescue was pulling out. I grabbed my gear and dressed in the back on the way. Turned out to be fully involved farm shop about 10 miles north of town. We could see it for a long way, about 10 minute drive. About half way to the scene my feet were hurting, I was so excited I put my boots on the wrong feet. Was an excellent call and I learned alot.

From that night on I was hooked.

How did you get your boots on the wrong feet and manage to pull up your bunker pants? You are talented if you got fully dressed and then after awhile noticed !!!!

[Forest]

First call was a logging truck took a corner to fast and flipped over. Cab was completely torn apart and when i showed up (minus my helmet and gloves because I forgot all about those) the EMTs asked me to take C Spine on the guy and I Wa;led over tp the ambulance trying to find it.....that was acyually kind of funny and made me feel like an idiot when I found out what he meant. After that it was waiting around doing traffic control until the company got there to pick up the logs and a tow truck to get there to take away the truck.

[BCFFFV]

S#!^ I can't remember my first call in my dept. I do remember my first meal though. BBQ Teriyaki chicken burgers with wedge fries. Man was it ever good.

[bestcoast]

S#!^ I can't remember my first call in my dept. I do remember my first meal though. BBQ Teriyaki chicken burgers with wedge fries. Man was it ever good.
We could almost start a new thread for this topic....my first meal was eastend roast even though we were on the west side of town!!...BC....

[JustinB]

How did you get your boots on the wrong feet and manage to pull up your bunker pants? You are talented if you got fully dressed and then after awhile noticed !!!!

Hey FireFight1680,
Was my first call so I never had a set of bunker gear yet, just grabbed from here and there. If I remember correctly the boots were a little big. Glad I could give you a laugh!!

[Doug246]

My first call after being hired fulltime came after three nights of stting around doing nothing. It was only a false alarm but what a rush screaming out of the station with lights and sirens!
My first fire was only a BBQ but I did get my picture in the paper for it! LOL Still have it today, 20 years later.
My first call as a volunteer was about 1k from where I lived. It was a car fire but I didn't even have my gear yet. talk about feeling usless!
Doug

[1SweetFF]

My first call was smoke in a drug store... and my boots were like 5-6 sizes too big.

[telesquirt]

Friends don't let friends cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto who?----sounds like some kind of sports team. :confused:

[bestcoast]

Friends don't let friends cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto who?----sounds like some kind of sports team. :confused:
Amen Brother!!!!...;).....BC...

[dentedhead]

On my first shift out of training we had an apartment fire,old house converted.Impaired cooking passed out....kitchen fire.Apparently I handled it in a text book manner...imagine that right out of 6weeks trainingLOL.We actually had to fight with the tennant pulled my captains mask off so I hooked him.Cops pulled well threw him out when we dragged him to the hallway.Right, thats me a FF had a fire found a guy did everthing like I was taught,wrong.

Next night alarms for a large well known auto parts manufacturer.Show up a guy meets us and says they are missing someone and he works in the area of the fire, a paint booth.

No probs I am a seasoned FF now,we make entry ....OH F@#K ME this place is massive, floor to cieling heavy black smoke we were given directions to find the booth (see previous statement) flames being fed by paint and varsol still being injected to the robotic painter shooting straight up through the vent. The roof was starting to buckle and the trusses were twisting.The eeriest part was the noise,nobody shut their machines down that combined with the fire alarm it seemed to make noise worse.

The missing guy was already out, we got the fire knocked down and I learned a valuable lesson,they dont teach you everything in trainingLOL.

My shift were worried they got a black cloud.Im more like grey really.

Dentedhead

[Scuba]

The Toronto who?----sounds like some kind of sports team. :confused:

A sports team? Come on....If they were a real sports team they'd have a commanding name like "The Senators".....

[Hosehog176]

Mt first call was an apartment fire with fatallity "poor hamster"but boy what a rush.

[vancity]

Mine was a car had gone into a irragation canal. We pulled up and there was a car, an oil slick in the water, a torn up ignition/steering column and no driver in sight. We unloaded some equipment called for a constable and then we got another call...given we had just unloaded a heap of equipment and i was the rookie, i had to sit along side a back road shooting the breeze with 2 cops for an hour while the others went to a car vs telephone pole. Not great but kinda funny. The police showed up to a the call to find a full bunker gear clad firefighter with no truck. And chuckled "your friends coming back?" Good times.

[FireChef]

My first call was about 1am, it was for a car fire, so I hop out of bed and go flying down the stairs at full pace(sounding like a heard of elephants) Throw my shoes on and out the door to my truck, hop in and hit 100km/hr before I hit the stop sign 3 blocks up the road, touch the brakes and fly around the corner, and it is a straight stretch about 1/4 mile long and I just hit the gas, I pulled into the lot(gravel) and sort of slid and parked. One of the Captains was just opening up the bay door of the first truck, so I ran in got my gear on and we were off. Once we were on our way, we started talking about how each others Thanksgiving dinner was. The RCMP had called it in by fluke, they were actually out looking for a couple of people missing up the mountain, and the cop came across it, and called it in, we put it out, needless to say it was a lost cause, but go the blood pumping.

[Fire_scuba]

well, my experience had the same feelings as everyone else on there first call. had a bush fire started by a train but spread all down the ditch by the tracks. took 3 hours to put it out. but the one thing i will never forget is the first time you roll out of the station and the lights and sirens start wailing. and you realize that for the first time in your life, instead of looking at the firetrucks all the time, your actually in one looking out. definitly a feeling never to be forgotten.

[mutts252]

but the one thing i will never forget is the first time you roll out of the station and the lights and sirens start wailing. and you realize that for the first time in your life, instead of looking at the firetrucks all the time, your actually in one looking out. definitly a feeling never to be forgotten.


amen brother!

[TomC]

First official call was last night. Grass fire called in at 2101hrs. I was 8th to arrive at the hall and secured a spot on my favourite truck, ladder 15. Sat with another new recruit and you coulnt smack the smile off our faces. The Fire was small, went in with brooms and a water pack and by the time I got back into the field it was actually out. I did see flames from the road though...Was home within 40 minutes wound up like a cookoo clock. I was Impressed to see how many people pulled over for the green light. I say first official call because i did a 6 week ride along with Toronto Fire and went on many calls...I'll never forget either of my firsts....

[dave5171]

My first call changed my life. I just sat down to dinner with my Dad. I just had gotten hired the day before, I just got my gear, I didn't even have a pager yet, but my dad did though. The beeper went off scared the crap right out of me. Single Vehicle MVA Highway 69 extrication required. My blood was just pumping. I will never forget my father talking to me on the way to the hall, telling me what to do, "Set up lights because it was getting dark and just stay to the outskirts" We get on scene and I do exactlly what he told me to do. After I was done a Paramedic saw me and yelled for me to give her a hand I ended up standing on the trunk with a backboard ready to pull the victom out of the car. I will never forget the look on her face when she looked at me and took her last breath and died. The first thing I learned on the dept was the tremendous support I recieved from my fellow firefighters and my dad after that. I have to amight I almost quit. I'm glad I didn't. My second call I recieved was another single vehicle MVA. I was first at the hall my Dad was second. To make a long story short my father and I help save a guy's life that night. That was the most rewarding thing I ever have done in my life. I will never forget. I've been a firefighter ever since and loving every momment of it.

[fireman-911]

Well, my first call was certainly nothing interesting.... It was my first day of training & as we where getting ready to head out for training, a call came in for a chimeny fire.

Our Engine, Pumper/Tanker and Rescue truck all went to the scene. Usually, this would be a 2 vehicle response, but the chief felt it was a good introduction to the world. It was kinda neat & it actually took up most of our monday night training.

[firemedicbern]

My first call as a firefighter, I had not received my pager yet, but our cheif was at a BBQ that my parents were having. The cheifs pager went off and my heart rate went through the roof. We ran to his car and took off. It was a medical call. The young man had a MI. Sadly he had passed on before we arrived. I was the guy outside the house explaining to his kids that the paramedics were doing all they could. I will never forget that day.
My first call as an EMR was not very long ago. The page came over as a code red, 56 yr old male with chest pain. I heard the address and just about lost my mind. It was my dad. Wow try to keep yourself together. I arrived on scene and did everything I could to make my dad as comfortable as possible. Everything went so fast and to tell you the truth it is still blurry to me. All I know is that I kept it together and everything went well.
My dad is doing great now, and he has a great respect for my passion as a EMS worker.

[442]

Hello all, first post.
My first call was about 2 months ago, I had only recieved my radio the week before at a drill. I was at home working around the house when I noticed what appeared to be smoke to the east. I grabbed my handy ladder and climbed up to see a wall of smoke in a farmers field a couple of miles to the east. My radio was five feet away and I hadn't heard any tones so I assumed it must not be working. I proceeded to the hall fully expecting it to be empty. I walked in and all the trucks were still there. That's when the tones went off and my heart skipped a beat or three and then started to pound. I started putting on my borrowed gear when a senior FF walked in, looked at me and asked "Who are you again ?" We began moving trucks out when one more person showed up. I ended up driving our bush buggy while she was getting geared up in the moving truck. When we got on scene I couldn't believe the size of the fire. I had no real clue of what to do at that point because I had just joined. The senior FF gave me a crash course on running the BB pump and nozzle ending with "...put the wet stuff on the hot stuff...". Three hours later we were back at the hall cleaning up and re-equipping the truck. When I finally got a chance to sit down and have a gallon or three of water it donned on me.I had actually DONE this !! A feeling of pride I had never felt before came over me. Every call I've attended since then as well the trainning courses I've been on reinforces the fact that joining the Fire Department is the best thing I've ever done.

[MFDFF33]

Mine was a major one, MVA with injuries is what came across the pager... However it wasn't that simple 2 people lost their lives and one is handicapped now, DUI, and the truck was totalled, there were 3 distinct piles... the Chasis, the box and the Cab all within 5 meters of each other. I'll never forget that night.

[Whitewater_419]

(snip)
When I finally got a chance to sit down and have a gallon or three of water it donned on me.I had actually DONE this !! A feeling of pride I had never felt before came over me.

Okay, so after two years, I'm not exactly new anymore, but does anyone else still get that feeling ; Come back from a major fire/event in which we kicked butt/saved a ton of property and think "OMG, I actually was a PART of this?!?" ?

I know what you mean, 442 - looking back at some of the stuff we've done just makes you feel proud as all hell to be a part of the fire crew! :)

[firecadet911]

I remember my first call clearly.... after-all it was just yesterday :P It was for a burn complaint. The Assistant Chief notified us via telephone and we were instructed to respond cold. The Chief was already on scene by the time we had arrived. It was just a big bonfire from the previous night that was smouldering. It was a great first call. Very low stress and low pressure but I was still able to practise pulling the line off the truck, change nozzles (we used a piercing nozzle to penetrate the burned leaves and logs to cool the remains of the fire), fill up the supply tank from a hydrant. Then later on that day we got called to a vehicle fire on the highway. Talk about an adrenaline rush!! We were on scene in about two and a half minutes and used the piercing nozzle again to get under the hood without lifting it up. Fire was contained to the engine compartment and spread slightly in the dash, but there was no fire damage to the passenger compartment (can't say the same for smoke or water damage). Another good call that I did not feel stressed at. Good inter-agency cooperation with the help from Calgary Fire Department and the RCMP. No injuries in either of the two calls. Feel really lucky... I popped my fire cherry on my second shift :D