Where you live compared to where you serve?

[ccarlin52]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to see if anyone lived outside the city where they worked or if they lived within the city limits. Just kinda seeing what the general outlook on this kind of thing was. I am planning on trying to join my hometown FD which is a town of about 117k but live outside the city limits in a rural area or smaller rural town within about 15 miles. Anyone else make this kind of commute?

[NY911Bowhunter]

I used to commute 75 miles each way to my old job, but it was nice as I did a 16 and a 24...done..an hour an 15 minutes door to door.

Now I commute 22 miles each way, 5 days a week, working straight 8's...33 minute ride.

We have a 20 mile radius (as the crow flies) for residency requirements.

[ccarlin52]

oh wow that is quite the drive everyday! I'm just trying to figure out whether or not I want to make a drive every 2 days or stay in town. For some reason I almost feel obligated to live within the city limits of the town i serve but I have always wanted a home in the country so I think I'll just go with the later and make that drive haha.

[voyager9]

Honestly, apply for both. Getting a job at either one may take longer then you expect.

[BoxAlarm187]

I live 2.5 miles from my volunteer house.

I live 20 miles from my current station assignment at work. My last station assignment was 35 miles from my house. I love to work in this county, but have no desire to live in it.

[len1582]

You call that a commute???? There are people who work 5 days a week and commute 40-50 or more miles and/or sit in traffic for 2-3 hours 5 mornings and 5 evenings a week.

As for the other question. I live about 30 miles from where I work. I would not want to live there. It's very economically challenged and there are too many shootings

[ccarlin52]

lol yeah its not much of a commute at all I was just trying to compare whether people lived where they worked. My city isn't a bad one, I mean there are your "ghetto" neighborhoods and gang activity but its only a town of 117k so its not bad at all I love it. I've just always wanted a home out in the country but just didn't know if many firefighters did the same.

[ccarlin52]

[QUOTE=len1582;1283554] There are people who work 5 days a week and commute 40-50 or more miles and/or sit in traffic for 2-3 hours 5 mornings and 5 evenings a week.

I don't think I could survive that! lol.

[footrat]

I live about 25 miles from the county line, and about 40 miles from my station.

My department is in the Metro Atlanta area. We have guys that drive from the north GA mountains, Chattanooga, a good ways into Alabama, and nearly up into South Carolina. My commute is probably average. I would wager that maybe a quarter of our department actually lives inside the county, if that.

[hwoods]

No Disrespect, but you've never seen the Mid-Atlantic area have you??... A one minute count, right off the cuff, tells me that we have folks who work or Volunteer in our County coming in from at least 10 States. My station has Volunteers from Maryland (79), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Pennsylvania (4), New Jersey (1), Delaware (2), North Carolina (6), Florida (2), and Rhode Island (1). Closest Member lives about 1/4 mile from the station, fartherest is in Ft. Myers Fl. Within Maryland, about half live in a different County from the Station.

For the Full Time folks, I know plenty who drive at least 2 hours one way. Since they work 24 on, 72 off, it's not that big of a problem........ One thing in this region is that Residency Requirements are non existant for all practical purposes........

[ChiefKN]

You call that a commute???? There are people who work 5 days a week and commute 40-50 or more miles and/or sit in traffic for 2-3 hours 5 mornings and 5 evenings a week.

Yea, 25 miles on Route 80 could be 2 to 3 hours given the right circumstances and when school is back in session.

Why do teachers slow down traffic so much?

[BSFD140]

I live within the District I work for - 15 sq mile district. Live right up the street from our Station 2 although I am assigned to our headquarters. Takes about 5 minutes to get there.

[GRAYHORSE]

32 miles from my Station and it's all hwy. Takes about 30min to get there. Not too bad 10 days a month.

[scottmillernj]

I live 64 miles my station. Takes just over an hour door to door. Mostly highway miles. Been doing that for 5 and a half years now. Used to live 5 minutes from station. It was quite an adjustment at first but you get used to it. Actually start to enjoy the quiet time. We work a 24/72 so I only have to do it 2 days a week. Don't know if I could handle doing it 5 days a week.

We have 8 guys living in the city limits, another 13 in the county limits, and 11 out of the county limits including myself. I happen to live the farthest from my department but I know guys from surrounding departments that travel 70 to 80 miles from home to station.

It's a very expensive city and county to live in. Many firemen and cops can't afford it anymore. I was able to give my family a better life out of the area and that was my main motivation for moving. The house I live in now would cost twice as much to purchase in the area I work in and the property taxes would be twice as much. I have the expsnse of gas and tolls now but in the end I come out ahead of the game. One of the best decisions I made.

In my department you have to live in town or a surrounding town to get hired but once your hired you can move wherever you want.

[tajm611]

86 miles to my career, 55 miles to my part time, and 2 miles to my volunteer, 3 miles to the academy I was at.

It's really not that bad, I leave at 2am, listen to FE's podcast on the drive in, go to the gym, show up for early relief, my part time is on my way home, spend 8 hours there, hit the gym until the traffic dies down, home by 7. It's not bad.

[len1582]

2am !!!!!! If I got up at 2am on a work day it would be to take a leak and go back to bed for 4 hours.

[tajm611]

2am !!!!!! If I got up at 2am on a work day it would be to take a leak and go back to bed for 4 hours.

It's really not bad, as hot as it gets in south louisiana, it's the only way to run without dying from the heat.

I think it's 91* right now at 2030.

[PaladinKnight]

My legal home is in another State... it takes a 500 mile plane trip to commute each way on Monday morning and Friday evening. I rent an apartment in the city. I may stay over weekends depending on local events or conditions. My normal schedule is 0730 to 1700 M-F.

My wife, also, works in another State and commutes back and forth Fridays and Mondays. She works basically the same schedule as I. We're only about 90 miles apart during the week so we take turns a couple of times each week driving over for dinner.

Works for us and we don't have to raise the grandkids....

[tajm611]

My legal home is in another State... it takes a 500 mile plane trip to commute each way on Monday morning and Friday evening. I rent an apartment in the city. I may stay over weekends depending on local events or conditions. My normal schedule is 0730 to 1700 M-F.

My wife, also, works in another State and commutes back and forth Fridays and Mondays. She works basically the same schedule as I. We're only about 90 miles apart during the week so we take turns a couple of times each week driving over for dinner.

Works for us and we don't have to raise the grandkids....

Geeze PK. What do you do?

[PaladinKnight]

I'm the Chief (Interim) at a medium size department in the Midwest (since April 1). My Wife is where I lead until about 5 years ago.

Our son is a DC and three of our four daughters work in Fire/EMS; a Captain, a LT/Training Officer, and a EMS Shift Commander. Our oldest grandson is in his 2nd year at a dept near Vegas.

Only 12 grandkids left to get assigned to a truck.