Plus one to what hotel said. All of it.
I don't always agree with Sasha or HotelCo, but +2
Not even the FD? They should never enter burning buildings? Never enter confined spaces with who knows what kind of atmosphere? Never enter rushing water? It is the FD's job to train and practice for these hazards. It is why they take the job and is their obligation!
18G, do you have any experience as a firefighter? ever heard the phrase "exterior operations?" it's when firefighters won't enter a burning building to search for trapped people, because the danger is too great for the responders.
as for your confined space example, you know that the majority of secondary victims are those who attempted to enter the confined space, and end up being incapacitated by the same thing that trapped the initial victim. that's why firefighters and rescue personnel do air monitoring, breathing hoses (SCBA or an SCBA mask and long air hoses), and have specialized confined space rescue teams.
entering running water? no, they won't, at least not with the appropriate equipment and manpower (ropes, swift water vests, rafts/boats, etc). That means the engine company is going to stand there and wait for the Rescue company to show up.
Not even the PD? They should never pursue or approach an armed gunman? They should never engage in a firefight? Never taken down an assailant? They should turn and run?
PD can shoot back, they have body armor, and have SWAT teams.... and have metal/plastic restraints to contain the opposition party... can you say you have the same?
Not even our armed forces? They should not do all that they do? They should not patrol roads with potential IEDs? Engage the enemy? All because they may get killed? They do what they do because it is part of the job!
military is much different than civilian life. the military has a phrase which scares the :censored::censored::censored::censored: out of me: "acceptable losses." thankfully most jobs in civilian life don't have that term in their operational plan.
There is an obligation and duty to act. It has absolutely nothing to do with fantasy, playing hero, or romanticizing. Fire/Rescue/EMS/Law Enforcement are dangerous jobs and you never know what situation you may find yourself in. That's why we train to be able to handle the situation and work through it.
yes, and if you lack the training or the equipment, you shouldn't get involved, let those who are trained and equipped handle it
A firefighter does not fight fire or search an apartment building engulfed in flames to be a hero. They do it because it is their job and obligation.
A cop doesn't pull his side arm and fire shots to be a hero. It is his/her job.
A Paramedic does not attempt to rescue a person entrapped in an auto or attempt to pull someone from a house fire to be a hero. They do it because it's their job and obligation.
I do my job; if its a bad MVA, car teetering over a cliff with a badly injured person, then on, I, an EMS worker,will not be climbing into the car in my uniform shirt and pants and rendering care. nor will I, as a heavy rescue technician, go near a car with downed power lines on it, regardless of who is dying, until the power company has cut power to the lines that are on top of the care
RISKING YOUR SELF IS AN OBLIGATION AND PART OF THE JOB. YOU DO IT SAFELY, NOT BLINDLY AND IGNORANTLY. SOMETIMES WE DON'T ALL MAKE IT HOME AND THAT PART SUCKS. BUT WE SACRIFICE BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE FOR OUR FELLOW MAN AND STRIVE SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE AND CONTINUE WITH A FUTURE. JUST AS WE WOULD EXPECT THE SAME IN RETURN. IF YOUR IN A SITUATION WHERE YOUR GONNA DIE UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE PUTS THEMSELVES IN EQUAL DANGER, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THEM STANDING BY WATCHING YOU DIE? OR ARE YOU GONNA BE HOPING THEY HAVE THE TRAINING TO GET YOU OUT OF WHATEVER SITUATION YOUR IN?
I don't plan on sacrificing myself for anyone, and wouldn't expect anyone to sacrifice them self for me. I want to come home after every shift, as well as every cop, firefighter, EMT/Paramedic, and HazMat Tech that I work with. and if you are OK with not making it home, well, then you scare me, and a dead hero is still dead.
ITS NOT ABOUT BEING A HERO. ITS ABOUT TAKING THE TRAINING AND SKILLS YOU WORKED YOUR *** OFF TO ACHIEVE AND PUTTING THEM TO USE TO SAVE ANOTHER'S LIFE.
yeah, and saving the other life, not losing your own.
As FireTender basically said, it's a calculated risk based on all information available at the time. We can only hope when its all said and done that the math adds up and we end up okay.
Has the world really turned that selfish where we no longer can support someone giving their all to aid another human being? Where we no longer expect our emergency services providers to put themselves in harms way to save another's life? That we just want to stand back and watch?
I would never ask someone to put themselves in a situation they are not trained to handle and have NEVER advocated that in this thread. Bottom line... if your trained, experienced, and based on your calculations you can carry out a safe rescue in spite of extreme hazards than you decide what your gonna do. Just don't tell someone else that they are foolish or stupid for putting forth the effort and skill to save someone else when the decision is of sound judgement based or training and professional experience.
If you lack the equipment, or the training, or the PPE to do the job, call the people who have the equipment, training, and PPE. once they have mitigated the unsafe condition, then you can step in and save the injured people.
