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    26 Secrets Firefighters Will Never, Ever Tell You

    You never forget the first time you save a life.

    1. We don't just put out fires.

    2. And we're not all men.

    3. You never forget the first time you save a life.

    4. You never forget your first "real" fire, either.

    5. It's really hard to describe what it's like to be inside a burning building.

    6. Plus, we usually can't see anything at all.

    7. We're often called out by people who have ended up in deeply embarrassing positions.

    8. It's not a myth: we do rescue cats from trees.

    9. We get called out for deeply dumb reasons as well.

    10. We don't care whether you broke the law.

    11. Our co-workers are like a second family.

    12. We also love to play pranks on each other.

    13. Our kit is pretty damn heavy.

    14. We fight over who gets to hold the hose.

    15. And we all want to drive the fire engine, too.

    16. We spend a disproportionate amount of our time responding to AFAs (automatic fire alarms).

    17. Bonfire Night may be hectic, but Christmas is our real busiest time of the year.

    18. We witness some truly haunting things.

    19. Male firefighters must be clean-shaven at all times.

    20. We're not paid as much as you might think.

    21. We work really long shifts.

    22. We get yelled at by homeowners a lot.

    23. We get hit on all the time.

    24. Hoax calls are a constant and dangerous problem.

    25. And so are disaffected, stone-throwing kids.

    26. But we wouldn't change our jobs for the world.

    This post was written with help from a UK-based firefighter with three years' service. Also H/T this Reddit thread.