[willed]

This article is about the rising number of attacks against fire crews - often while tackling a fire! The one thing it doesn't explain is why anyone would do this. It's just beyond belief, it really is.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4454285.stm

[bstone]

WTF.....

I'm an EMT and work on an ambulance. Thankfully nothing like this has ever happened to me or any of the other EMTs I work with (to my knowledge).

FFs are hailed as heros in my area. I think the UK is just weird.

"Hey, the house is burning down!"
"Ok, call 911 and get the rocks ready."
"Rocks?"
"Yeah, you know, we have to attack them. That's what happens."

wtf....

[ghporter]

This sort of behavior is nhillism at its worst. Of course if Aunti or Gramps is in a fire, these wonderful folks will be the first to complain that the firefighters didn't get there fast enough, didn't do enough, didn't save their Beanie Baby collection, etc.

I (figuratively) spit on such wastes of space and breath.

[bstone]

One day my partner and I were waiting at a red light, heading north. The cars going east and west had a green light. Right in front of us in the intersection there was a head-on collission. We hit the lights, called for a firetruck and police, and got out to help. They were both fine- seat belts and airbags saved the day.

Fastest response ever.

[Patty]

Well that's not very nice now is it?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Patty

Well that's not very nice now is it?

My nominee for "biggest understatement of the week"-and it's only Monday!

During the riots in Detroit in 1967 there were people taking shots at firefighters who were trying to put out buildings that were torched by rioters. Let's just say that the ones that were caught did not do well, either in police custody or in prison.

I think the most "just" thing to happen to the individuals (I can't call 'em people) who abuse firefighters and EMTs this way would be to have them NEED the services of firefighters and/or EMTs and have them show up-and just watch as the fire gets closer and closer to the individual or as the individual bleeds. That just ain't gonna happen because firefighters and EMTs are so damned altruistic that they'd go ahead and help these bad excuses for humanity. It's nice to think about though...

[11011001]

Originally Posted by bstone

One day my partner and I were waiting at a red light, heading north. The cars going east and west had a green light. Right in front of us in the intersection there was a head-on collission. We hit the lights, called for a firetruck and police, and got out to help. They were both fine- seat belts and airbags saved the day.

Fastest response ever.

Are you a cop? I'm assuming your lights weren't your head lights. I initially assumed partner meant significant other not patrol partner, hence the ambiguity.

[wolfen]

Originally Posted by 11011001

Are you a cop? I'm assuming your lights weren't your head lights. I initially assumed partner meant significant other not patrol partner, hence the ambiguity.

Read his post a couple up from there...

[bstone]

Originally Posted by 11011001

Are you a cop? I'm assuming your lights weren't your head lights. I initially assumed partner meant significant other not patrol partner, hence the ambiguity.

Cop? No. We were in the ambulance. I'm an EMT and drive around in an ambulance using advanced training and skills in order to save lives.

We're woefully underpaid, mistreated, threatened by the public because we can't dodge cars and speed through red lights fast enough, screamed things with the word "lawsuit" in it, yet simply continue on because we have a passion- to help people, whoever, wherever, whenever, whyever.

[Superchicken]

I can't imagine attacking someone who is a public servant... that's just pathetic... though people in general are stupid... it's not just fire fighters that get attacked physically or otherwise by the public, anyone in any sort of wilful servant role these days is treated like human waste. Think of Pastors, Social Workers, even clerks at your grocery store. People in general these days are just narcissistic asses.

[wdlove]

This is certainly the first time that I have heard of this type of behavior. No excuse for it at all.

[11011001]

Originally Posted by bstone

Cop? No. We were in the ambulance. I'm an EMT and drive around in an ambulance using advanced training and skills in order to save lives.

We're woefully underpaid, mistreated, threatened by the public because we can't dodge cars and speed through red lights fast enough, screamed things with the word "lawsuit" in it, yet simply continue on because we have a passion- to help people, whoever, wherever, whenever, whyever.

Sorry, I missed your previous post, or didn't associate the two.. I don't know..

I can't understand some people, what jerks. You help them, and they do that to you? People are selfish I guess. Ungrateful for what other people do for them.

It makes me wonder if this is the same situation for emergency personal all over the world.

[Kilbey]

Originally Posted by bstone

Cop? No. We were in the ambulance. I'm an EMT and drive around in an ambulance using advanced training and skills in order to save lives.

We're woefully underpaid, mistreated, threatened by the public because we can't dodge cars and speed through red lights fast enough, screamed things with the word "lawsuit" in it, yet simply continue on because we have a passion- to help people, whoever, wherever, whenever, whyever.

Thank you for your passion.

[bstone]

Originally Posted by Kilbey

Thank you for your passion.

It is my pleasure.

Actually, it is. I love working on the ambulance, despite all the many drawbacks (crappy pay, lousy working conditions, the G-d awful things we see and have to live with, etc).

Your words do mean a lot. If you ever feel like randomly making an EMS ambulance crew feel great, send them a card. Maybe buy then a small token of appreciation. Something. It helps when we are passing away the long, boring nights only to be jarred into overdrive with a desperate plea for help.

[Kilbey]

Originally Posted by bstone

Your words do mean a lot. If you ever feel like randomly making an EMS ambulance crew feel great, send them a card. Maybe buy then a small token of appreciation. Something. It helps when we are passing away the long, boring nights only to be jarred into overdrive with a desperate plea for help.

Great idea! Will do.

[MilkmanDan]

Man, people are just so stupid sometimes. Cops, Firemen, EMTs. They're all their to help. Even those you don't always deserve it.

[bstone]

Originally Posted by MilkmanDan

Man, people are just so stupid sometimes. Cops, Firemen, EMTs. They're all their to help. Even those you don't always deserve it.

Everyone deserves it by virtue of the fact of being human. Some, however, don't appreciate it.

Reminds me of the Israeli soliders who shoot and wound bomb-strapped Arab terrorists on their way to murder innocent Jews, and then those same Israeli soliders providing first-aid until an ambulance arrives to cart the terrorist off to the ER.

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by Superchicken

I can't imagine attacking someone who is a public servant... that's just pathetic... though people in general are stupid... it's not just fire fighters that get attacked physically or otherwise by the public, anyone in any sort of wilful servant role these days is treated like human waste. Think of Pastors, Social Workers, even clerks at your grocery store. People in general these days are just narcissistic asses.

Well, i can imagine it on Social Workers sometimes (just imagining of course).... sometimes they seem to do more harm than good.

This doesn't seem to be a problem in the USA with the firefighters, I kinda wonder what the firefighters are doing in the UK that is causing this to be a problem. I can't imagine people are just doing it for kicks... there's gotta be a reason for it. Maybe over there the firefighters are super punks or something. I don't know, but something doesn't seem right.

[Chris O'Brien]

Originally Posted by torsoboy

Well, i can imagine it on Social Workers sometimes (just imagining of course).... sometimes they seem to do more harm than good.

This doesn't seem to be a problem in the USA with the firefighters, I kinda wonder what the firefighters are doing in the UK that is causing this to be a problem. I can't imagine people are just doing it for kicks... there's gotta be a reason for it. Maybe over there the firefighters are super punks or something. I don't know, but something doesn't seem right.

No. Firemen over here are just like on your side of the pond. The vast majority of people respect them and would never even give something like this the most remote consideration. It's hard to stress the tiny, tiny minority of people doing this. From TFA:

Our correspondent said attacks were happening in areas with poor youth facilities and poor housing where "bored young people" were using drugs and alcohol.

I had the misfortune of growing up in an area such as that described above until I was 11. It's a strange mindset that you fall into, and the views you have are different. There's no thought of consequences - except for the painful one where your peers will beat the shite out of you for not joining in. There's always some big bastard heading it, who will never be the one to throw a rock. Plus, the drugs and alcohol skew your interpretation somewhat. Not that I did the drugs part.

It's most definitely inexcusable, I won't question that. What's also wrong is for you yanks to sit there and say all of us in the UK are weird. Especially since you lot are generally the first to scream the place down when you're grouped into a stereotype you don't belong to.

Yes, all of this is disgusting, but damn the perpetrators not a whole effing nation. Of course, I did just that above with 'you yanks'. Making mah point

[theolein]

I suppose every nation has its quirks, the gun arguments, lawsuits and moral prudity in the US, UK hooliganism (soccer, this firefighting article etc), German (lack of) humour, French thick headedness. Nowhere is perfect, I think.