Fire Department admission questions (Chicago: skyscraper, jobs, house)

[KevK]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Well I would think that when your home is burning to the ground with your family photos, clothes and sweet little shih tzu all inside that you would want someone extremely intelligent, educated and prepared to face any of the hazards involved with successfully putting out a fire.

If you're so curious as to what they study I'd go take a class instead of insulting someone's livelihood - especially someone who might well give up their life to save yours.

I wasn't insulting the firefighters. I really like them. I sure as hell would not run into burning buildings. But they basically put on gear and spray water on fires and get cats out of trees (you know the cat will come down on its own eventually) and, unless you wish to enter the ranks of management, why do you need a degree to do that job? It is not a put down of the job, just a question. I have a degree but I don't need it to do my job. What can they teach you in 4 years of college about putting out fires that you don't learn on the first year of the job? Maybe a fireman can answer? But no, I am not knocking the firemen.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by KevK

I have never understood the whole "science" thing with firefighters. I mean, you have colleges that actually have full DEGREES in "Fire Science"- whatever that means. To me there is nothing scientific about it. It is simply- like this: Here you have a FIRE. Here you have WATER. Put the WATER on the FIRE. FIRE goes out.
That seems to be simple enough.

Would you put water on a grease fire?

[aragx6]

They also learn first aid and emergency skills. firefighters often arrive on the scene of accidents before anyone else. You wouldn't just want them standing around with their thumbs in their a**es -you want them to know how to help you.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by KevK

I have never understood the whole "science" thing with firefighters. I mean, you have colleges that actually have full DEGREES in "Fire Science"- whatever that means. To me there is nothing scientific about it. It is simply- like this: Here you have a FIRE. Here you have WATER. Put the WATER on the FIRE. FIRE goes out.
That seems to be simple enough.

Geez, haven't you ever watched Backdraft?!

[deegers]

Originally Posted by KevK

I have never understood the whole "science" thing with firefighters. I mean, you have colleges that actually have full DEGREES in "Fire Science"- whatever that means. To me there is nothing scientific about it. It is simply- like this: Here you have a FIRE. Here you have WATER. Put the WATER on the FIRE. FIRE goes out.
That seems to be simple enough.

Wow, that's quite a naive post. like some one else said about grease fires, there's quite a plathera of knowledge out there regarding fire fighting and fire investigations which is where Fire Science comes in. though movies are one way to see how investigations and fire fighting works, there's a lot we civilians don't understand about fire and how it works. Like any profession, you need to learn everything about your subject. There's materical out there that can combust without a spark and fighters/investigators need to know that for understanding how to fight it properly.

I can go on about this but that's not what the original poster is askinga bout. so, KevK, see what you think about Fire Science once you do a little research. A good learning experience.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Would you put water on a grease fire?

I don't know. If it was in my own house, we have an extingusher on the wall in the kitchen so I would use that. If it wasn't there, I would probably use the dish sprayer to put it out.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by cdc3217

Geez, haven't you ever watched Backdraft?!

I did and it was a great movie but in that movie, those guys did what firemen do- knock down doors, recuse little kids and spray water on fires. Again they are heroes for doing that. I would not run into a burning building so they are braver than I am. I am only questioning what it is that a college degree does for a firefighter. What exactly is studied in "Fire Science"? If Axe (Backdraft) had a degree in Fire Science and Bull had only his Fire Academy and on the job training, would Axe be a better firefighter than Bull?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by KevK

I don't know. If it was in my own house, we have an extingusher on the wall in the kitchen so I would use that. If it wasn't there, I would probably use the dish sprayer to put it out.

You dont put water on a grease fire unless you want it to flare up and burn the skin off of your face and hands.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by KevK

If it wasn't there, I would probably use the dish sprayer to put it out.

Then you would probably die.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

You dont put water on a grease fire unless you want it to flare up and burn the skin off of your face and hands.

Oh?? So what do you do if you do not have an extingusher? Let it burn down the house?