Wacker Vs. proud, dedicated employee

[HeavyRescueTech]

just some random thoughts of mine.

A wacker spends all his/her free time at the fire house.

A dedicated employee works his shifts, and signes up for all the extra shifts he can for extra $$$

a wacker visits the local firehouse on vacation, to see how they do things and to trade/buy shirts or patches

a dedicated employee can visit a firehouse not in their area to learn how another organziation operates, in hopes of improving his/her organization

a wacker puts FF/EMS stickers all over his car

a dedicated employee puts IAFF stickers on his/her car, so show he supports the union he is proud to be a member of

a wacker takes every firefighting course he can, in hopes of one day becoming a career firefighter.

a dedicated employee takes every FF course he can, so he can do the job to the best of his ability.

a wacker will purchase a leather helmet because it makes him look cool, even though the department issues salad bowls

a dedicated employee will purchase a leather helmet out of his uniform allowance, even though the department issues salad bowls.

a wacker will wear a firefighting-related novely shirt when not on duty.

dedicated employees would never do anything like this

a wacker will wear his department t-shirt/job shirt in school, work, while shopping for groceries, at the mall, etc.

a dedicated employee will wear his department t-shirt/job shirt while at fire school, on the job, when with the crew shopping for groceries, and I did see one FDNY guys in his FDNY job shirt (with station number) and hat in Victoria's Secret shopping with his girlfriend, but I'm sure he's the exception to the rule.

a wacker is proud to show off that he is a member of a FD or EMS squad.

a dedicated employee comes to work early, leaves late, and keeps his work and the rest of his life seperate.

a wacker has a closet full of FD t-shirts from all over the US, some purchased, some traded for, some obtained as gifts.

a dedicated employee has a closet full of shirts, mainly of his department, but a few obtained through trades.

a wacker aspires to be as good as (insert big city FD name here, be it FDNY, LAFD, Syracuse FD for those from upstate NY, Chicago FD, DCFD, PG County FD, etc), or even the neighboring 24/7 paid department.

a dedicated employee aspires to be as good as (insert big city FD name here, be it FDNY, LAFD, Syracuse FD for those from upstate NY, Chicago FD, DCFD, PG County FD, etc).

and the biggest difference (also edited to because people seem to be misinterpretting the statement):

if a non-paid firefighter does one of the above mentioned things, he is considered a wacker

if a paid firefighter does the same thing he is considered a proud and dedicated employee

just some random thoughts

edited to add:
What some people consider to be a trait of a (volunteer) whacker, and what some people consider to be a trait of a dedicated (career) employee are sometimes very similar. but because people look at career guys and volunteers differently, the same "event" or "description" can be used to form a different opinion about someone. I was just wondering if anyone else noticed that too, or was it just me.

[FFTide]

Wow Dr.

You're just asking for trouble huh?
I'm giving you the soup spoon award for stiring the pot on this one

~Tide

[firekid1234]

BWA ha ha ha ha!

[stm4710]

[SamsonFCDES]

You are all a bunch of WACKERS!!!

[Resq14]

Why do I get the impression that someone was a poor, abused, misunderstood fire explorer at one (recent) time?



(and I'm glad to see we're being more lively and "graphic" in our replies... gotta love em. lol)

[UDFD26]

You would make a great candidate for a contraceptive ad. be safe

[sts060]

Let me take the DrParasite test:

1. Not all my free time, but a lot of it - riding or doing administrative stuff or PT. I do my assigned duty shifts and some extra ones; I don't get $$$ for either one. Result: wacker.

2. When I can, I go to stations to "see how they do things" "in hope of improving (my) organization" If I can trade a patch or a shirt, fine, but that's not why I'm there.
Result: ???

3. No stickers, but an MSFA plate. Since the career folks have PF plates,...
Result: ???

4. I have no intention of going career, but I take all the courses I can to "do the job to the best of (my) ability" and be an asset to my department.
Result: dedicated employee.

5. I use a department issued salad bowl. Result: ???

6. I hate novelty T-shirts.
Result: dedicated employee.

7. I do sometimes wear a work shirt in everyday life, to "show the flag" in my community.
Result: wacker.

8. I come in early and leave late, but I do sometimes let one part of life leak into the other.
Result: ???

9. Mostly department shirts.
Result: dedicated employee.

10. I aspire to be as good as I can be, period.
Result: ???

11. I don't get paid.
Result: wacker.

That's a 3-3 tie on the ones that have a definite answer. Or (my own random thought) does #11 override all the other considerations in your book?

[Steamer]

Using the Parasitic Allegory, that makes you a "dedicated whacker".

DrParasite, you've gotta start taking reading material with you when you hit the head.

[firekid1234]

Im just joking doctor. This images are just too good to pass up. Im gonna use these for all my responses.

[mglax13]

Wow....well then I guess all 800,000 volunteers should just quit and let the US burn to the ground since we are like the most horrible people in the fire service.

Get yourself a ****en life....pardon my language

[ROOKIELZ]

I guess I'm a borderline whacker

I'm surprised there were no mentions of scanners, lights, sirens and all the other paraphenalia that usually defines whackers. I guess they aren't that much of an issue after all.
I don't feel particularly insulted by all this; it's just a "parasitic opinion" and shouldn't be enough to really bother people.

[firekid1234]

Its not that offensive to me either. Ive just been trying to find a excuse to use these great pictures.

[42VTExplorer]

Originally posted by firekid1234
Well after reading that I guess im an extreme whacker. Insulting voulenteer firefighters is WAY over the line. Espically implying they dont care about doing the best they can.

Soo....

Hey bud, you may want to restrict yourself to not using images like that... The WT might spank you....

[FlyingKiwi]

Its time for a TROUT SLAP.

[FlyingKiwi]

Or two

[FlyingKiwi]

Maybe to much time on the...

[FlyingKiwi]

Maybe in the presence of such a Non Whacker we all should...

[firenresq77]

Sorry, but I think some of you are getting your panties in a bunch over nothing. I think this was meant as a joke. I thought it was amusing. not fu%&(ng hilarious, but amusing. If you took offense to it, maybe it ought to tell you something!

[FF1DeLaHoya]

I just don't get it?!!? Does that make me a wacker?