I was walking past my local fire station recently which always looks a bit mysterious because of the darkened windows and there never being any visible activity inside. So it got me thinking, what are the people inside doing when they’re not heading out to fight fires?
Fires are only a small percentage of the calls most departments respond to. The majority is EMS, with various calls for some type of service making up the rest. As such, firefighters spend a lot of time in training for the various kinds of situations they’re called to. There’s also maintenance of equipment and gear, certifications, and in some cases, inspection of buildings for compliance. In my area, local departments have been funded to hand out smoke and CO detectors to homes that don’t have them, as well as change batteries.
Add to that eating, sleeping, and exercise. Firefighters go from 0 to 100% when the alarm sounds, and that can be taxing on the heart, so cardiovascular fitness is essential.