Re: Hurricane Helene - Part 2
Posted by Pete on October 13, 2024 at 22:03:18
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in Reply to: Re: Hurricane Helene - Part 2 posted by J-LEM on October 13, 2024 at 21:35:53:
Thank you for your kind words, and thanks for at least giving emergency services a try. Most people don't even get so far as shadowing. Turns out, real life isn't like how we're portrayed on TV.
FWIW, I ended up not sticking with fire/EMS as a full time career, because I also learned that it wasn't for me. When I first got into it, I admit, I was young, immature, and probably needed to get my butt kicked once or twice. I also ended up in a department that was pretty old school. The senior guys weren't interested in mentoring us young guys, and certainly weren't interested in being patient with my immaturity. It just wasn't a good fit, and I ended up stepping back from that field. I did stay in health care, and everything worked out. God knows I'm making more money in my current job than I would as a firefighter. But, the department I help out at now has a much healthier culture compared to where I started. If I had landed in a place like this, instead of the place that I started, maybe I would have stuck with it full time.
Long story short - its totally fine if you decide that its just not for you. But if you're still open to it, maybe try connecting with a different department or shadowing in a different department of the hospital. Every fire/EMS department has a unique culture, and sometimes its just about finding the right culture fit. And health care is a huge space. If the ER wasn't for you, maybe a different department might be.