The Nest — #female

Please note that this truth is written from a females perspective, but applies to both male and female Firefighter spouses/fiance's. By Kym Harper Styers Dear Future Fireman's Girlfriends and Wives, I am going to lay out some truth for you. It's harsh, but honest. I wish someone would have said this to me 18 years ago when I became one.  One misconception I had was the sexiness of the job. That turnout gear is something isn't it? Makes a girls heart melt. Nothing like seeing your man all decked out looking like he's about to pose as Mr. July in...

You know what IFSTA, IAFF, SCBA, WSFTA, and ARFF stand for.Your spouse's wardrobe looks like this: non-descript bottoms paired with any navy blue shirt/sweatshirt with a fire department logo on it.You've eaten more gas-producing foods in a 24 hour period than any sane person should (unless they're a firefighter).You know the difference between a police siren and a fire siren.Your kids think the fire station is "Daddy's/Mommy's house".You know where EVERYTHING is on their department's trucks. You come to realize that the trucks at their station are their "babies" and they'll spend more time washing them and cleaning them than they do cleaning your house.You've received...

Coworkers, men and women, bullied and tormented a young paramedic during a difficult period of her life instead of training, mentoring and supporting her In the days after the body of firefighter-paramedic Nicole Mittendorff was found and allegations of bullying and harassment were made public, we received messages from women who have experienced bullying, harassment and sexual assault in their EMS agencies and fire departments. This article is from Sarah Mielke, creator of the Emotional Trauma Life Support program. The first time I really faced bullying was as a probie on a skilled, well-regarded part-time fire department. I had come from...

Sharee Page (left) and her sister, Annette Page, at Sharee's home in Farmington, Utah. Photo: (AP) Two Utah sisters grew up in the same bedroom, went to the same college, worked for almost a decade at the same company and have visited over 50 countries side by side. Now every three weeks, they sit together in matching chairs and chat as their bodies are pumped full of chemotherapy drugs.   Sharee Page, 34, and Annette Page, 36, were recently diagnosed with breast cancer within about two weeks of each other, a coincidence that doctors say is extremely rare. But that...

Credit CREDIT KATE WELLS Michigan firefighters came in from across the state to rally in Lansing, trying to force lawmakers to finally put some actual money in the First Responder's Fund.It doesn't seem like it should be that hard, since the Legislature created that fund more than a year ago to cover firefighters who get job-related cancer.More than half of all states already have something similar. But Michigan lawmakers never got around to putting any money in the fund they created. Since then, 8 active-duty firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer, according to the state union. One of them passed away just...