Firefighters have one of the toughest jobs in the world, but behind the scenes, there’s a lot more going on than putting out fires. Firefighters do a lot more than you might initially think, leading to them often going underappreciated. Continue reading to learn about some firefighting facts you didn’t know about that will change the way you look at firefighters forever.
The Dangers
Firefighting is dangerous, as they handle one of the most threatening things in the world—fire. The fires themselves are dangerous because of burns and heat exhaustion, but working in and around these fires also leads to other issues. The amount of ash and smoke that firefighters work around, even with respirators and oxygen tanks, contributes to developing conditions such as cancer and chronic respiratory disease.
Many think that the most common killer of firefighters is fire, but in reality, heart attacks are the most common cause of death on duty. The fires themselves are deadly, and that environment quickly leads to stress, exhaustion, and heart issues. Even when firefighters don’t have a heart attack, they can develop heart disease later in life, partially due to their elevated stress levels and fatigue.
Work Outside of Fires
One interesting fact to note about firefighters is that they still have a lot of work to do outside of fighting the fires. Fire stations have a lot of different equipment that they’ll use, such as:
- Fire trucks
- Fire hoses
- Flame retardant
- Firefighting clothing
- Air-purifying respirators (APR)
- Oxygen tanks
All of this equipment needs to be in proper working order in the event of a fire, so that’s what firefighters spend a lot of their downtime doing. It isn’t easy, either. For example, there are many rules for maintaining a clean fire hose nozzle, like washing the nozzle and checking over the various components. If any piece isn’t working as intended, the firefighters will have a much more difficult time putting out the fire.
Defects and loose components can interfere with the pressure and render the hose ineffective, something that the firefighters don’t want to happen at the scene of a fire.
The Role of Dalmatians
For a long time, you couldn’t see a drawing, symbol, or picture of a firefighter without their trusty dalmatian by their side. There are many specific dog breeds used for specific jobs, like German shepherds and police, so why are dalmatians the firefighting dog? Well, in the old days of firefighting, the firefighters didn’t have the sizable fire trucks they have today. Instead, they had horse-drawn carriages, and the breed of dog that got along best with horses was the dalmatian.
Plus, these dogs protected the carriage while the firefighters were taking care of the fire, and they could travel alongside the carriage for miles. They don’t have as big of a role today, but they are still great companions for firefighters!
These are some of the most important firefighting facts you didn’t know about, and hopefully, they’ve changed the way you look at firefighters. Firefighters were always admirable figures, but now, you can better appreciate just how much work they put into their demanding and dangerous job!
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