The Nest — #femalefirefighter

Credit: Curt Varone , Fire Law Blog.   I was recently hired as a firefighter and my department requires me to get my paramedic license within my first year. The department gives me time off to attend classes when I am scheduled to work but they do not pay me for the time I spend attending class when off-duty. The training chief told me the department doesn’t have to pay for paramedic training. Is that right? They are requiring that I have my paramedic. How can they avoid paying me for my time?     Answer: The general rule under the...

Cancer-causing agents can reach a firefighter, even one in full PPE; here are simple steps to reduce your risk There was a time when dirty bunker gear was a badge of honor. In fact, firefighters often complained when they were forced to clean their gear and sometimes even became creative in finding ways to avoid having PPE appear newer. Similarly, many firefighters delayed wearing SCBA during a structure fire and removed their facepieces as soon as they could get away with it. Fortunately, these practices have diminished significantly. Yet, the dangers of firefighter exposure to carcinogens and other hazardous materials...

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...

  Firefighters may not have the physique of pro athletes, but that doesn't mean they're not fit. Take a moment to visualize a firefighter in action. Picture someone carrying a heavy ax with a big coat and large helmet? Did you notice the thick SCBA tank on their back, or the big boots? Well, the ax weighs close to 20 pounds, and the SCBA tank can weigh up to 50 pounds, depending on how full it is. Imagine carrying all of that while sprinting through a fire! Your local firefighters may not step onto a bodybuilding stage anytime soon, but it doesn't mean...