Do your departments have no tobacco clauses? Mine does not, although I'm in backgrounds for my career dept and I think they might.

Stay safe out there brothers!

Derek

FF/PM Borrego Springs Fire

Not exactly an answer to your question, but my brother started a blog after he retired as a firefighter last year. It makes some pretty interesting reading.

http://30yearsoffirefighting.blogspot.com/ 

I know my bro's does not. Most of them chew and smoke.

3. Author: bassdude Date: 10/27/2005 04:47 PM Reply

I know my bro's does not. Most of them chew and smoke.

I guess they chew in the station house and smoke after a fire

Sorry bad joke

I am in the process for Montgomery County Maryland...

They DO HAVE a no tobacco clause, as do Fairfax County Virginia and several other department in the DC Metro area. These policies dictate no tobacco use of any kind, on or off duty.

The departments that I am familiar with in Pennsylvania do not have such policies, yet...

Ya I am in backgrounds for a SD area dept. I dont know if they do. My brother works for Poway fire and they do, as well as a lot of the others that I worked in when I was a paramedic. However, you walk into a SD city station and there will be a humidor right in the bullpen. Weird, must be a big city thing.

to all firefighters.

you always have and will always will have my unequivocal respect and support. i know several firefighters and that they would risk their lives to save my ass, is sometimes hard to believe, but they do, and i am grateful for them.

Thanks Rick, that is so true!

None in San Antonio

Oh, and I would save your ass too RICK. Just part of the job!!

When I first started almost all FF's smoked cigarettes. Then it became a negative and all stopped. It wasn't until a few years before I retired that an edict was passed by city that no smoking allowed in city buildings but nothing saying that you couldn't smoke outside or on your own time. A few of us would get together on weekend shifts with some paramedics and smoke cigars but outside in the patio area. X

The Clark County Fire Department does since 1993. The City of Las Vegas Fire Department also does but I don't know when it started. Both government agencies also have the no smoking in government buildings. The No tobacco use policy is for all new hires since 1993 and covers on and off duty. The unofficial stance os that know one will lose their job if found to be using tobacco they will just lose the Heart Lung Bill designed to cover police and fire personnel for all type of cancers and job related diseases. Technically they could fire anyone caught using tobacco but only after they go through the proper disciplinary(sp) routes.

Lance