I have vertigo. Is there anyway i can still be a fireman even tho im scared of heights?
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I have vertigo. Is there anyway i can still be a fireman even tho im scared of heights?
"Ability to climb and work on ladders without suffering from vertigo."
www.wsfb.co.uk/retained.html
"The applicant must not suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia"
http://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/recruit_eng/firefighter.htm
I dont think so bro. :(
You would have to overcome your fear.
lol i have both. Anyone know how i can get over these things?Quote:
Originally Posted by BUBBA74
by not looking down? :unsure:
:lol:ha ha. It's a shame, if only everything was one storey high. Oh well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Narkissos
I need to find a career and fast. ill be 22 soon and past it!
Bungee jumping!!! Have the guy push you and after its over you will feel alot better about heights.
as stupid as this sounds it works on certain pp;Quote:
Originally Posted by BUBBA74
im the same way, but i doubt bungee jumping would work, ive been to cedar point in ohio many times (big roller coaster park) and been on every roller coaster they have, but when i have to climb a ladder to the top of our 1 story house, its a very slow process, dont really see myself getting over it....
Lets get to the root of your challenges... First, just as an observation, I would have guessed you were dropped on your head as a baby. Not that this confirms it but how was your childhood?
Fine ta. I used to be a gymnast and had no trouble on the high bar. But i get dizzy standing on a table :lol: I dont have a fear of falling as much as a fear of jumping. I have found myself actually subconciously priming my body to jump as i have walked past the open gallery at the top of a shopping centre. That scared the **** outta me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mesomorphyl
I have the same thing, at the top of multi story car parks I just cant look over the edge because it feels like im going to fall even if theres a wall in the way. Strange feeling in my legs and stuff hard to explain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime
Hate to tell ya this bro, but if you're afraid of heights or enclosed spaces, firefighting is not for you.
At the fire academy they test for that pretty early on... for claustrophobia they strap on your SCBA (air bottle and face mask) and send you in a dark cramped maze. Most claustrophobic people won't make it thru... I've seen a few that could not even keep the mask on more than a minute (go to an army surplus and get an old WW2 gas mask and try wearing it around the house).
As for fear of heights, they'll send ya up a ladder onto a roof or a high platform and make you perform a task that forces you to look down. We had people go up a ladder to a roof carrying a rope, then you had to thrown an end down the edge of the roof and bring up tools tied to the end.
Remember that there is no getting around working in heights in firefighting... one of the most common and important jobs in a structure fire is to go up and open up the flashing on the edge of the roof and cut a ventilation hole to get the hot gasses out before they cause fire spread.
If you want to get into that line of work you'll definetly have to get over vertigo and claustrophobia.
Red
I know exactly what you mean, it's like you start thinking about it and in and instant you go through this whole thought process about actually doing and getting scared that you might actually do it, and then freaking out because you even thought seriously about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime
I'm not afraid of bungee jumping, skydiving, etc. but I don't like leaning on the balcony rail on the 3rd floor of a hotel.
No idea how to fix it bro. Let me know if you figure it out.
wearing a mask wouldnt bother me, looking down from the roof may. I may get out the ladder and see how comfortable i am climbing it. I dont like being unable to do something. Id like to think i could cope with the pressures of the job but in all honests sometimes it's not that black and white. Id like to see if i could cope with the challenge but dont want to waste the time of myself and the service itself if i cant do those things. Oh well i'm sure ill figure out something to do with myself eventually.Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Ketchup
Cheers Red.
Join the royal marines....
its all good!
Id probably enjoy most of it but i dont like the fact that you can be told to do something and you cant say no.Quote:
Originally Posted by CoRnErBaCk_BlItZ
You can always say anything you want...Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime
true just if you don't do it you get the metal scrub down.Quote:
Originally Posted by co2boi
or just a plain ass beating...
To be honest you will get that in any job...boss tells you to do something ur not just gonna turn around and say no...
but i do know what you mean..
My brother is a firefighter and he is rarely in those situations. Probably depends on the town. We don't have any skyscrapers/really tall buildings here.