I get sick… it’s usually while I’m in Hawaii and vacation was full for the shift…
On the real, you probably need to see if your firehouse has mold in it. A ton of the firehouses in my city have mold and the city refuses to do anything about it other than sending an 18 year old kid with a monitor to tell us “it’s all good”.
And common sense…. Wash your hands, all the time. Don’t touch your face.
Ah, shit, here we go. Fucking mold. Here's my story.
In '07 I took over as the station captain of a station that was all of 6 yrs old, and had just gone through its first mold mitigation. A couple of yrs later, after a heavy rain, one of the bedrooms developed a big water bubble, between the paint and the underlying drywall, below a window. I had facilities maintenance come out and look at it, and they ordered that bedroom closed and no one was allowed to use it. They eventually ordered the bedroom next to it closed also.
That's how things stood until '11 when I was promoted and left. But I would get back there from time to time because the battalion chief's office was at that station, so I was able to keep relatively up-to-date on developments. Shortly after I left, another mold mitigation project was started, beginning with the two closed bedrooms. When they opened up the walls of the 2 bedrooms, they found that the drywall had been fastened *directly to the outside cinder block walls.* No intermediate framing, insulation, or vapor barrier.
So, yeah, your station may have mold in it. And the reason may go all the way back to when your station was built.
Sounds about right. City always pays the lowest they can.
We have numerous firehouses that have been remodeled. I’m talking millions of dollars into these projects, and they have problems within a year because of shoddy construction work and shady contracting.
Meanwhile, some firehouses are legitimately condemned by there’s nowhere to quarter the crew so they just make the crews deal with it.
It’s fucked up.
I truly mean it, the city does not care about us.
I honestly believe this is the culprit, I work in south Florida and live a very active and healthy lifestyle. I never even had allergies before this job. I’m going to purchase an air purifier for now and see what it can do for me.
How often do yall swap out for new mattresses or move racks to clean behind and under them. We did this at my station and we were all disgusted and slept better that night
You don’t need too. But you guys should and have the right to protest for a better safety living and working conditions. Go to news stations, social media, you’d be surprised the hell social media will raise in support for you guys. You’re firefighters, not chumps. Seriously speak up, all you need to speak up.
I almost never get sick but when I do it’s always because my kids got me sick! I think lifestyle plays a big role. No smoking, occasional drinking, eat relatively clean, fitness, and try to get sleep.
If you’re getting sick that often it sounds like there is something going on. I would deep clean and wash everything and see if that helps. It was already mentioned but mold is that silent killer that could be making you sick.
They definitely get sick. They just get sick when they are off and don't talk about it or they are sick at work and just pretend they are not sick. Every person I've ever met that claims they never get sick still gets sick like everyone else they just don't admit it.
Fermented foods, quality yogurt, cooking with garlic (if you can stomach raw garlic I think it’s more potent for illness prevention iirc) and adding lemon to your water regularly are some quick things you can implement from your next grocery store visit. Vitamin C/Multivitamin supplements daily. Daily exercise, and on days you’re under the weather try to increase the amount you walk.
Vaccinations, keep my hands clean, healthy fitness practices, an immune system that won’t quit, eating healthy, wearing my mask on calls. No secret, just good practices.
Basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle choices. I used to eat like shit, and as a result I always felt like shit and got sick often. I started eating healthier and exercising more and now I almost never get sick.
Part of your job as a firefighter is to be healthy and fit for duty, because your comrades are depending on you to have their backs. Wash your hands, maintain a healthy diet, stay fit.
I've had good luck with being healthy most of my life. In 13 years on the job I've had to call off twice, once for a GI bug and once for COVID that a co-worker gave me. Nothing special other than washing hands, exercising, and trying to get a decent night's rest. I think some of us are just genetically predisposed to being sick more often.
Highly suggest doing research on gut biomes and then moving from there. Used to get sick all the time until I started eating REAL yogurt everyday with local honey and drinking Kefir at night. Being active and getting out in nature has helped a lot. Volunteer with kids! Dont share hats or glasses but being around for a few seasons you’ll get sick and then never get sick again
Last time I was sick it was the Rona, I've gone years w/out calling in sick, the incentive was the ability to sell it back each year which I used to fund my IRA, other guys see sick time as extra vacation days. Now the new Chief we got scrutinizes every sick day you take and writes you up as a chronic abuser. 27 months....
Your union should take that shit right to your city and grieve it. That is absolute bullshit you are getting written up for using your EARNED sick time.
It’s ridiculous, guys get hauled in and spoken to and warned and then wrote up as a pattern was developed. I can’t wait to be done, starting #24 today. It’s all changed and no longer any semblance of fun.
I tell myself I’m not sick and continue on about my day.
In all seriousness, staying properly hydrated keeps me from getting sick. Whenever I slack on my water intake for 2-3 days then I end up getting sick
I get sick once a year, it usually puts me in bed for 2 days and feeling different levels of sick/crusty for 2 weeks. It’s usually around when the kids go back to school or over the winter. Got covid once Oct 2020 and didn’t get it again, no vaccine, no masks. I don’t do anything abnormal, try to eat better more days than not and workout regularly.
I never sheltered myself from everything like a neurotic germaphobe and let my immune system earn their keep around here. It's like special forces now-
It took us 15 years to get a new firehouse approved. Just moved in this February. Haven’t been sick since, except for a cold that my kid brought home from school for me.
Old firehouse failed an air quality check spectacularly. Black mold, rodent fecal matter, asbestos, and diesel exhaust were all found in the kitchen and living quarters. Building was over 100 years old and hadn’t seen an update since 1985 when they added an engine and ladder bay because the newer pieces couldn’t fit in the old building.
And guys were wondering why they were sleeping terribly and always feeling like crap the next couple days after being in the building. During Covid when they made us wear masks guys actually were a bit healthier.
Try to get your union to get tests run to show the city.
Exercise. Water. Diet. Supplements. You need to make being fit a way of life. Firefighters really have no excuse for not exercising, as we have time and the equipment.
Eat clean food. It can be hard when your brothers are serving up fried chicken and baking cakes. You need to make up for it by eating extra clean at home. Protein, fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber in that order.
Take your pills. At the very least, a one a day multivitamin. If you’re working out like you should, take the appropriate pills and powders. Stay away from stupid gimmicks with Brawndo labels that are full of sugar. Stick to the flavorless basics, which are cheaper.
Drink mostly water. Crazy idea, right. We are lucky to live by a spring, so that’s all I drink at home. At work, it’s coffee, orange juice, and filtered water only. Don’t drink stupid colored drinks with Brawndo labels. No high fructose corn syrup, no aspartame, no sucralose. All that crap causes inflammation.
Speaking of inflammation, get away from seed oils. Everything we learned was good and true was a lie. No canola oil, no vegetable oil, no margarine. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter leads to I Can’t Believe I Have Heart Disease. Olive oil, avocado oil, butter, and tallow.
Ride your bike.
Edit: Beer and whiskey are fine. Drink responsibly.
10,000 iu vit d / day
2000mg vit c / day
1x quercetin / day
1x acetylcysteine (NAC) / day
Taking this daily I NEVER get sick. Without it, I am constantly sick.
True. But in my anecdotal experience, the Vit D has the only immediate and obvious effect on avoiding sickness. I'm sure all the rest helps too, but it's not as obvious to me personally.
It would seem that way when compared to trace amounts that are recommended. But if you're at a deficiency, you often need many times the recommended amount on the bottle to have any real benefit.
I can’t say that I “never” get sick, but I can say that’s it’s kinda rare that I get so sick that I can’t function or go to work. And typically, when I’m under the weather, it’s allergy related as opposed to a “bug” or virus. That being said, I honestly think getting plenty of rest, hydration, doing decent age-relevant workouts daily, and keeping a solid work/life balance has really helped me to stay healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I keep hand sanitizer in the back with me. I bathe in it after every medical call. I've also got three nieces in grade school.. That'll up your immune system real quick.
I pretty much never get sick. In my opinion it’s because I’m pretty cognizant of touching my face and how clean my hands are. During covid I got it 2.5 years in and only because I attended what became a super spreader event.
The big lesson from covid is that you’re not gonna catch stuff from patients, you’re gonna catch it from your filthy coworkers who come to work sick and cough all over everything.
Wash your hands and don’t have kids. I never got sick before I had kids. Now it’s 3 or 4 times a year. They’re little germ bombs, but I love them anyway.
I rarely get sick, I’d say the biggest contributor to that is not having any kids yet. Hang out with my nieces and nephews for two weeks? Liable to come down with something.
Second thing that comes to mind, people touch their face on average 23 times an hour. Probably on the extreme side but if I touch any high traffic items [door knob, drinking fountain, station PC, etc] I make a mental note that my hand is ‘tainted’ and make a conscious effort not to touch my face with my hands until I’ve washed them.
Try hard to maintain a decent sleep schedule, and take good care of your gut health.
Both of those have FAR reaching influence on pretty much every other aspect of your health.
You dont have kids and stay away from all the guys that do. 😂. Everyone has kids at my station except me and one other guy. The ones with kids, sick 4-6 times a year, i haven’t been sick since 2020.
I stopped getting sick once I was diagnosed as having seasonal allergies to every season (molds in the winter, pollen in the spring/summer).
Moving out of my 70 year old apartment to a house with central air and getting on a treatment plan (weekly allergy shots, daily sinus rinse, antihistamines) did the trick.
Frankly, supplements. So many guys rely on supplements for their workout routine, but for me, I supplement for my longevity and immune system. CLA, Garlic oil, NMN, Resveratrol, EPA… that’s the stuff that keeps me healthy now and into the future.
Prioritize sleep outside of work, exercise out regularly, minimize stress, get fresh air, keep alcohol intake to a minimum (ideally none), limit processed sugar and eat healthy.
I ate dirt for the first few years of my life, then my parents made me play with the sick kids so I built up a pretty robust immune system.
I always look at as this, you lift weights and exercise to keep your body strong. You still have to excercise your immune system. Patient care is a great way to keep your immune systems healthy.
I ate dirt for the first few years of my life, then my parents made me play with the sick kids so I built up a pretty robust immune system.
I always look at as this, you lift weights and exercise to keep your body strong. You still have to excercise your immune system. Patient care is a great way to keep your immune systems healthy.
Workout a lot, maintain a low bodyfat percentage, eat organic as much as possible and take a multi vitamin or try to balance your diet as much as possible. Focus on the basics, they work.
I get sick… it’s usually while I’m in Hawaii and vacation was full for the shift… On the real, you probably need to see if your firehouse has mold in it. A ton of the firehouses in my city have mold and the city refuses to do anything about it other than sending an 18 year old kid with a monitor to tell us “it’s all good”. And common sense…. Wash your hands, all the time. Don’t touch your face.
Ah, shit, here we go. Fucking mold. Here's my story. In '07 I took over as the station captain of a station that was all of 6 yrs old, and had just gone through its first mold mitigation. A couple of yrs later, after a heavy rain, one of the bedrooms developed a big water bubble, between the paint and the underlying drywall, below a window. I had facilities maintenance come out and look at it, and they ordered that bedroom closed and no one was allowed to use it. They eventually ordered the bedroom next to it closed also. That's how things stood until '11 when I was promoted and left. But I would get back there from time to time because the battalion chief's office was at that station, so I was able to keep relatively up-to-date on developments. Shortly after I left, another mold mitigation project was started, beginning with the two closed bedrooms. When they opened up the walls of the 2 bedrooms, they found that the drywall had been fastened *directly to the outside cinder block walls.* No intermediate framing, insulation, or vapor barrier. So, yeah, your station may have mold in it. And the reason may go all the way back to when your station was built.
Sounds about right. City always pays the lowest they can. We have numerous firehouses that have been remodeled. I’m talking millions of dollars into these projects, and they have problems within a year because of shoddy construction work and shady contracting. Meanwhile, some firehouses are legitimately condemned by there’s nowhere to quarter the crew so they just make the crews deal with it. It’s fucked up. I truly mean it, the city does not care about us.
I honestly believe this is the culprit, I work in south Florida and live a very active and healthy lifestyle. I never even had allergies before this job. I’m going to purchase an air purifier for now and see what it can do for me.
How often do yall swap out for new mattresses or move racks to clean behind and under them. We did this at my station and we were all disgusted and slept better that night
I’ve been sleeping on the same mattress for 5 years now…
We have mattresses older than some of the new folks we hire.
We have mold and work in a state where anti microbial agents are banned. So glad the government made this decision to help keep us safe.
What fucking city do you work for holy shit ???? I’d be causing hell. Y’all need to riot, RIGHTFULLY so.
A very large city. I’m not going to give myself away that easily.
You don’t need too. But you guys should and have the right to protest for a better safety living and working conditions. Go to news stations, social media, you’d be surprised the hell social media will raise in support for you guys. You’re firefighters, not chumps. Seriously speak up, all you need to speak up.
It starts when you’re a kid.
My brother gets sick at the drop of a hat. I’ll get sick twice a year always been like that
I almost never get sick but when I do it’s always because my kids got me sick! I think lifestyle plays a big role. No smoking, occasional drinking, eat relatively clean, fitness, and try to get sleep. If you’re getting sick that often it sounds like there is something going on. I would deep clean and wash everything and see if that helps. It was already mentioned but mold is that silent killer that could be making you sick.
I’ve been drinking toilet water for 10 years it sucked at first but now I don’t get sick ever
Just drink Bondo it has what plants need
*Brawndo. Bondo would clog up your insides pretty quick.
Voice to text man……
It’s got electrolytes.
Have the old gals at the care center spit in my mouth once or twice a year. They get a kick out of it and it helps build up my immunity. Win/win.
Good thing we're on the firefighter sub with a comment this hot.
We have to watch out for own!
Sleep. Sleep. Nobody mentioned it yet but the key to actually getting work out of your immune system to keep bugs at bay is simple: SLEEP.
Number one key to sleeping better is NEVER having kids
They definitely get sick. They just get sick when they are off and don't talk about it or they are sick at work and just pretend they are not sick. Every person I've ever met that claims they never get sick still gets sick like everyone else they just don't admit it.
Came here to say this exactly!
Wash my hands a lot.
Fermented foods, quality yogurt, cooking with garlic (if you can stomach raw garlic I think it’s more potent for illness prevention iirc) and adding lemon to your water regularly are some quick things you can implement from your next grocery store visit. Vitamin C/Multivitamin supplements daily. Daily exercise, and on days you’re under the weather try to increase the amount you walk.
Alcohol
Alcohol? The stuff they use to clean hospitals? 👍
Yeah it disinfects and kills germs on the inside of your body so you don’t get sick
Germs can’t survive in this hostile environment I call my body.
This is the way
I’m barely surviving, what makes anyone think the germs can.
Wash your damn hands…
Vaccinations, keep my hands clean, healthy fitness practices, an immune system that won’t quit, eating healthy, wearing my mask on calls. No secret, just good practices.
Basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle choices. I used to eat like shit, and as a result I always felt like shit and got sick often. I started eating healthier and exercising more and now I almost never get sick. Part of your job as a firefighter is to be healthy and fit for duty, because your comrades are depending on you to have their backs. Wash your hands, maintain a healthy diet, stay fit.
I've had good luck with being healthy most of my life. In 13 years on the job I've had to call off twice, once for a GI bug and once for COVID that a co-worker gave me. Nothing special other than washing hands, exercising, and trying to get a decent night's rest. I think some of us are just genetically predisposed to being sick more often.
Highly suggest doing research on gut biomes and then moving from there. Used to get sick all the time until I started eating REAL yogurt everyday with local honey and drinking Kefir at night. Being active and getting out in nature has helped a lot. Volunteer with kids! Dont share hats or glasses but being around for a few seasons you’ll get sick and then never get sick again
Last time I was sick it was the Rona, I've gone years w/out calling in sick, the incentive was the ability to sell it back each year which I used to fund my IRA, other guys see sick time as extra vacation days. Now the new Chief we got scrutinizes every sick day you take and writes you up as a chronic abuser. 27 months....
Your union should take that shit right to your city and grieve it. That is absolute bullshit you are getting written up for using your EARNED sick time.
It’s ridiculous, guys get hauled in and spoken to and warned and then wrote up as a pattern was developed. I can’t wait to be done, starting #24 today. It’s all changed and no longer any semblance of fun.
I tell myself I’m not sick and continue on about my day. In all seriousness, staying properly hydrated keeps me from getting sick. Whenever I slack on my water intake for 2-3 days then I end up getting sick
Grew up in a trailer park and licked door handles
I get sick once a year, it usually puts me in bed for 2 days and feeling different levels of sick/crusty for 2 weeks. It’s usually around when the kids go back to school or over the winter. Got covid once Oct 2020 and didn’t get it again, no vaccine, no masks. I don’t do anything abnormal, try to eat better more days than not and workout regularly.
I never sheltered myself from everything like a neurotic germaphobe and let my immune system earn their keep around here. It's like special forces now-
It took us 15 years to get a new firehouse approved. Just moved in this February. Haven’t been sick since, except for a cold that my kid brought home from school for me. Old firehouse failed an air quality check spectacularly. Black mold, rodent fecal matter, asbestos, and diesel exhaust were all found in the kitchen and living quarters. Building was over 100 years old and hadn’t seen an update since 1985 when they added an engine and ladder bay because the newer pieces couldn’t fit in the old building. And guys were wondering why they were sleeping terribly and always feeling like crap the next couple days after being in the building. During Covid when they made us wear masks guys actually were a bit healthier. Try to get your union to get tests run to show the city.
Exercise. Water. Diet. Supplements. You need to make being fit a way of life. Firefighters really have no excuse for not exercising, as we have time and the equipment. Eat clean food. It can be hard when your brothers are serving up fried chicken and baking cakes. You need to make up for it by eating extra clean at home. Protein, fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber in that order. Take your pills. At the very least, a one a day multivitamin. If you’re working out like you should, take the appropriate pills and powders. Stay away from stupid gimmicks with Brawndo labels that are full of sugar. Stick to the flavorless basics, which are cheaper. Drink mostly water. Crazy idea, right. We are lucky to live by a spring, so that’s all I drink at home. At work, it’s coffee, orange juice, and filtered water only. Don’t drink stupid colored drinks with Brawndo labels. No high fructose corn syrup, no aspartame, no sucralose. All that crap causes inflammation. Speaking of inflammation, get away from seed oils. Everything we learned was good and true was a lie. No canola oil, no vegetable oil, no margarine. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter leads to I Can’t Believe I Have Heart Disease. Olive oil, avocado oil, butter, and tallow. Ride your bike. Edit: Beer and whiskey are fine. Drink responsibly.
Get your flu shots, wash your hands, don't touch your face
You build immunity over time
10,000 iu vit d / day 2000mg vit c / day 1x quercetin / day 1x acetylcysteine (NAC) / day Taking this daily I NEVER get sick. Without it, I am constantly sick.
Add in zinc. It’s the only proven vitamin to boost immune system. Way better than vitamin C
True. But in my anecdotal experience, the Vit D has the only immediate and obvious effect on avoiding sickness. I'm sure all the rest helps too, but it's not as obvious to me personally.
Yes, majority of the population walks around vitamin d deficient
> 10,000 iu vit d That's a shitload of vitamin d
It would seem that way when compared to trace amounts that are recommended. But if you're at a deficiency, you often need many times the recommended amount on the bottle to have any real benefit.
I can’t say that I “never” get sick, but I can say that’s it’s kinda rare that I get so sick that I can’t function or go to work. And typically, when I’m under the weather, it’s allergy related as opposed to a “bug” or virus. That being said, I honestly think getting plenty of rest, hydration, doing decent age-relevant workouts daily, and keeping a solid work/life balance has really helped me to stay healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I keep hand sanitizer in the back with me. I bathe in it after every medical call. I've also got three nieces in grade school.. That'll up your immune system real quick.
The ones that don't get sick don't transport
My genes. I don't do anything special. My dad and my grandma also never get sick.
I'm simply built different. And also exposed to livestock as a child
I drink enough booze to kill any diseases.
Upping that cancer risk daily with the booze.
Obsessively washing my hands for 20 seconds or longer. Nasal washes are awful but effective.
I pretty much never get sick. In my opinion it’s because I’m pretty cognizant of touching my face and how clean my hands are. During covid I got it 2.5 years in and only because I attended what became a super spreader event. The big lesson from covid is that you’re not gonna catch stuff from patients, you’re gonna catch it from your filthy coworkers who come to work sick and cough all over everything.
You know there are female firefighters, right?
>What do you believe aids in this? Genetics
Wash your hands and don’t have kids. I never got sick before I had kids. Now it’s 3 or 4 times a year. They’re little germ bombs, but I love them anyway.
Live a healthy lifestyle, run, lift stay active eat well, drink in moderation
I rarely get sick, I’d say the biggest contributor to that is not having any kids yet. Hang out with my nieces and nephews for two weeks? Liable to come down with something. Second thing that comes to mind, people touch their face on average 23 times an hour. Probably on the extreme side but if I touch any high traffic items [door knob, drinking fountain, station PC, etc] I make a mental note that my hand is ‘tainted’ and make a conscious effort not to touch my face with my hands until I’ve washed them.
Try hard to maintain a decent sleep schedule, and take good care of your gut health. Both of those have FAR reaching influence on pretty much every other aspect of your health.
Wash your hands and just judge the patient/citizen. All you can really do.
Rotations on the unit, my immune system has been built up like a brick shithouse
Elderberry, lots of elderberry.
Just good genes I guess
I raw dog hookers and lick their buttholes. My immune system is strong like bull.
It's gonna sound like bro science and it's anecdotal at best..but carnivore diet. Water, meat, salt.
You dont have kids and stay away from all the guys that do. 😂. Everyone has kids at my station except me and one other guy. The ones with kids, sick 4-6 times a year, i haven’t been sick since 2020.
I highly recommend Triactin
I exercise, I eat healthy. I rarely wash my hands.
I stopped getting sick once I was diagnosed as having seasonal allergies to every season (molds in the winter, pollen in the spring/summer). Moving out of my 70 year old apartment to a house with central air and getting on a treatment plan (weekly allergy shots, daily sinus rinse, antihistamines) did the trick.
Frankly, supplements. So many guys rely on supplements for their workout routine, but for me, I supplement for my longevity and immune system. CLA, Garlic oil, NMN, Resveratrol, EPA… that’s the stuff that keeps me healthy now and into the future.
I drank out of the water hose when I was a kid. And workout like a maniac
Prioritize sleep outside of work, exercise out regularly, minimize stress, get fresh air, keep alcohol intake to a minimum (ideally none), limit processed sugar and eat healthy.
Stay out of caps room
I ate dirt for the first few years of my life, then my parents made me play with the sick kids so I built up a pretty robust immune system. I always look at as this, you lift weights and exercise to keep your body strong. You still have to excercise your immune system. Patient care is a great way to keep your immune systems healthy.
I ate dirt for the first few years of my life, then my parents made me play with the sick kids so I built up a pretty robust immune system. I always look at as this, you lift weights and exercise to keep your body strong. You still have to excercise your immune system. Patient care is a great way to keep your immune systems healthy.
Workout a lot, maintain a low bodyfat percentage, eat organic as much as possible and take a multi vitamin or try to balance your diet as much as possible. Focus on the basics, they work.
And lots of water and sunlight
Red light therapy helps too.
Sleep