While some of these secrets may seem like common knowledge, the media and general public often do not know the intricacies of the fire service.
We asked our fans on Facebook to share some firefighting secrets they know that the average person does not. Here are some of their responses.
Don’t see a secret you know? Add yours in the comment section.
1.“There is no volunteers left to respond in many communities and the career staff has been systematically reduced to unsafe levels.” — Barry Nechis
2.“Most firefighters are nothing more than children in adult bodies. We get the coolest toys. Most of us really enjoy our jobs because it’s like a giant playground for us.” — Matt Petersen
3.“That certain streets, intersections, county roads, buildings, etc. cannot be driven past without reminding a firefighter about the scene they attended at that location.” — Marj Skoropadyk
4.“Cats do come down from trees.” — Matthew Camp
5.“Locks only keep out honest people; they’re terrible at stopping firefighters and thieves.” — Will Dixon
6.“It doesn’t matter where you are from, hearing that a firefighter died, even across the nation, is heart-wrenching.” — Aaron D. Cox
7.“We put our lives on hold and on the line for complete strangers.” — Jimmy Hodge
8.“It takes a lot of money to fund even the smallest department to minimum standards.” — Albert Tyner
9.“We are some of the best cooks around.” — Mika Hendrix
10.“When you refill a water fire extinguisher, after you fill it with water, squirt just a little bit of Dawn liquid soap in the can. The soap breaks the surface adhesion of the water and makes the water more slippery.” — James Clanin
11.“Brake fluid and chlorine can spontaneously combust.” — Nick Gautreau
12.“Hours of boredom punctuated with moments of terror. We all have a healthy respect for the beast. But ultimately it’s your brother by your side that helps subdue those terrors.” — Michael Fangman