The Nest — #firefighters

Cancer-causing agents can reach a firefighter, even one in full PPE; here are simple steps to reduce your risk There was a time when dirty bunker gear was a badge of honor. In fact, firefighters often complained when they were forced to clean their gear and sometimes even became creative in finding ways to avoid having PPE appear newer. Similarly, many firefighters delayed wearing SCBA during a structure fire and removed their facepieces as soon as they could get away with it. Fortunately, these practices have diminished significantly. Yet, the dangers of firefighter exposure to carcinogens and other hazardous materials...

Hey Mom!, he called from the attic door,What's these old heavy boots and helmet for? With a lump in her throat and a tear stained cheek,His mother swallowed and started to speak. Come here my son, his mother said,There's things to tell when I clear my head The past raced madly through her mind.She searched her heart for words to find. At last she signed and rubbed his hair.And the words that followed I like to share. Those boots and helmet, she said with pride,Were worn by a man with grit inside. He wore them to help people in need,Though...

You know what IFSTA, IAFF, SCBA, WSFTA, and ARFF stand for.Your spouse's wardrobe looks like this: non-descript bottoms paired with any navy blue shirt/sweatshirt with a fire department logo on it.You've eaten more gas-producing foods in a 24 hour period than any sane person should (unless they're a firefighter).You know the difference between a police siren and a fire siren.Your kids think the fire station is "Daddy's/Mommy's house".You know where EVERYTHING is on their department's trucks. You come to realize that the trucks at their station are their "babies" and they'll spend more time washing them and cleaning them than they do cleaning your house.You've received...

Bob, a firefighter and EMT didn’t realize he had breast cancer until he was in stage 3. He didn’t want to admit anything was wrong. “It’s that bravado, ego. We don’t go, ‘Hey, my boob hurts.’ You don’t say anything about your body because it just feels like whining.” He says he waited too long to have the pain in his right breast checked out. “I knew six months ago I had a problem. My nipple actually started to dimple.” After that he felt a lump in his chest. Luckily his wife, who is a nurse, insisted he get checked...

  You're a firefighter and let's face it, you're a little different from the rest. As the years go by, and the experiences pile up, parts of “the job” begin to define who you are. It doesn’t happen all at once, and most of the time you can't even notice it. Your kids, not knowing the pre-firefighter you, simply accept you the way you are. Ask a kid how he knows his dad is a firefighter and these are some of the things you might hear: 1) He says weird things like “Stand by,” or “Roger that,” instead of “Wait...