When I was new firefighter we had a senior guy who always had to take a dump after a structure fire. He was caught on the can a few times during overhaul. Must have been either something in the smoke or he was marking his territory.
Some buddies have told stories that he had to shit mid fire. Still on air somehow got his ass out of his bunker pants and shit in the toilet
Heard other stories of guys shitting in the bushes mid fire also
This happens to me. Every time I breathe smoke at a structure fire, I immediately get bubble guts during and end up getting the shits after. Almost positive I’m gonna die of colon cancer.
Currently on the toilet in the station. I always take care of business when I can. If I’m pooping and the tones drop, I just do a few good wipes and get out the door.
this. I pee often, I drink a lot of coffee and water (and beer off duty). I have stopped to pee in a factory fire (after things were under control). I pee'd in some bushes after pumping a dumpster fire yesterday
We had a guy who used a technique he called the "Bunny Tail". If you get caught on the bowl you give a, yes a single, wipe and then shove a wadded up bunch of paper in your ass.
A friend of mine told me this dead ass serious a few years back, and I believe him. You know those hard turds that you push and push and they come out millimeter by millimeter? The kind where if you stop pushing it just goes right back up in you? He said he “reached back and broke that sumbitch off”.
Uhhhh…. that’s not normal, he needs to drink a lot more water and should probably consider asking the med unit for some IV fluids, I’d bet he sucks that bag down like a sponge.
I think we’ve all been there. He’s a fit dude, I’m a fit dude, we both are pretty diligent with our fluid intake. Could be an imbalance between protein and fiber intake.
Never pass a bathroom without using it. You will have calls where you have to hold it for sure. You’ll hear tons of stories. In my previous life working private EMS I had to pee in a urinal once while patient loaded in the back of an ambulance during a long distance transfer (patient was intubated, on a vent and sedated). A semi wrecked on the highway causing us to get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for 3+ hours on our already 3 hour transport. I’ve used porta podies on scene to take a pee before. Generally on EMS scenes it’s less of an issues because the incidents are usually under an hour from dispatch to getting back to the station. And you can always use the bathroom at the hospital.
It’s on fires where things can get dicey. I’ve got a friend that had to drop his bunker pants and shit in the bathroom of a mostly burnt house during salvage and overhaul (thankfully for him the bathroom was still intact.)
Your basic human needs (food/taking a shit/showering/sleeping) come second to everyone else in your response area. You gotta fit it all in when you can.
Generally, I have a morning smoothie with 24g of fiber. I shit like clockwork 95% of the time.
As for peeing, I can hold it an insane amount of time, but yes, I’ve asked patients if I can use their bathroom.
I use a bullet blender. Fill it about halfway with frozen blackberries, a quarter with frozen mango, add a Dannon activia shot, a tablespoon of vanilla protein powder, a teaspoon of psyllium powder, and top off with orange juice. It’s so filling that I don’t even get hungry until 1:30-2pm… but I shit every day between 9-9:30 every single day. 🤣
I know of a guy at my department who took a deuce during a working fire…. in the bathroom of the house on fire. It might have been during overhaul (honestly, most likely during overhaul), but you know how firefighters never let the truth get in the way of telling a good story…
I’m thinking of a guy that had a few, shit in a fire stories. He is a notorious bullshitter and I don’t believe much of what he says. Solid FF though. We did have a guy with ibs. He had a stash of toilet paper on the rescue (trans unit ) and we would find empty Imodium foils often. 😂. He has been rumored to have pulled over with a patient to go shit in the woods and has missed calls from pooping. Claimed certain foods and spices would set it off. The above poop in a fire guy claimed it was in his head , he would add these things into dinner and unless ibs knew about it, he wouldn’t have any episodes. 😂Seemed to have flare ups at 6-8 pm often and would go home sick or when they had training that was physical. He would often eat Chinese food or fast food for lunch and claimed that didn’t hurt his stomach. 🤔 Both are gone.
On a fire I’ve used whatever toilet isn’t absolutely destroyed or a secluded area near the scene.
On an EMS call I’ll just hold it. 99% of EMS calls are at some disgusting ass house. No way I’m exposing my junk to the open air there lol.
Unless you have to go really really bad, the feeling of needing to use the restroom tends to go away once you start working.
My old Lieutenant took a shit in a blanket on a fire one time and then wrapped it up and left it on the bumper without telling anyone. And one time a medic took a shit in the trash can in the ambulance during a parade.
I’ve taken more shits on calls than I can count on one hand. Taken a shit in a tree grove on a controlled burn once, taken a shit in a ditch on a medical call. Shit in the back of our rescue in a bucket on a water rescue call. Taken a shit on a structure fire, thankfully in a gas station. Had to leave another structure fire call to take a shit at the station and return to the fire.
Needless to say, it’s not fun, but when you gotta go, you should go before you go, you know? Take care of your health, I’m working on this. When you get a slight urge, GO, before you get stuck in a bad spot.
I’ve been on fires where I just walk to the nearest tree line and pull out my pre connect through the maze of clothing I have on. I was in the military so it was a pretty normal thing to hit the wood line, so post military I didn’t really give a shit what people thought when I kept doing it. Never really had to shit so bad on a call I couldn’t hold it. But I’ve heard of guys going to neighbors houses. There will usually always be a toilet within a short walk of you and nobody is going to freak out of you are gone for 5 minutes during your stop through rehab.
Just like the military, if you have an opportunity to go to the bathroom, and you have a slight need to, do it. Otherwise Murphy's law is bound to come into play.
I've also used the bathroom in homes while on a call, but only if I had to go very badly and my "work" was done. Thankfully I haven't had to blow up anyone's toilet yet though.
I have gone pee while maintaining a hoseline on exterior exposure protection.
Hose up over the left shoulder aimed where it needs to be. Left hand stabilizing the nozzle. Right hand to pop the fly on my bunkers, turned to the side and peed.
It helped that I was behind the structure as well, so no concern with randos seeing lol.
Had a captain sneak off and take a shit during overhaul once. Found a bathroom in a non involved portion of the structure.
Working a roof on a taxpayer and my partner had to pee so he went to the corner of the roof whipped it out and along come a live news crew, he just smiled and waved! RIP Tv Don
In the past at my department you just hold it till the major work is done, then during rehab you could take the chief car back to the house to shit. That or our on-call firefighters come straight to the scene in their personal cars, you can usually ask one of them to use their car to run back 🤷🏻♂️
On long brushfires I’ve gone in the woods a few times. For structures I’ve heard of guys just using the bathroom in the house on the other side of the involvement after the fires been put out. One dude shit himself and he filled his boots.
I have been to the following loos (not limited):
- some neighbours' house, or a nearby shop
- a shrub
- a ditch
- a portable loo on a trailer
- the downstairs one of a building that burnt down (hallway and loo survived, tp was wet though)
As a female ff I do get jealous of the guys just peeing on the side of the road...
Same girl! I am a female too and so that’s what made me think about it😭 I have to use the bathroom all the time and today my tummy was cutting up ! I normally hike to the fancy bathroom on the other side of the building and it got me thinking about when I’m not gonna have a fancy bathroom to use 🤣🤣
When you have down time, always go when you need to go. Always try to pee before going to a call. Penis havers might have an easier time discreetly peeing anywhere else.
As for the pooping part, I only bring my safe foods. Nothing that will irritate my stomach, nothing super high in fiber throughout your shift, no new foods. This includes going out to eat. Do not try that cool new restaurant you’ve been seeing ads for. Wait till you’re off shift.
Never pass a bathroom without using it.
Once I was taking a leak in the back yard at a house fire after things settled down. The police chopper as overhead, shine the spot light on me and asked if I needed a hand over the loud speaker.
The best defense is a good offense IMO.
I have IBS so I use my off time to make sure constipation doesn't sneak up on me.
I also know what foods trigger me, and I avoid those. It sucks sometimes watching the crew eat greasy pizza or dripping cheese steaks while you're eating a turkey sandwich, but in the end, you gotta know what triggers your stomach and do your best.
Sit down, get mentally prepared to take a dump. Let everything rip all at once, wipe up quickly and always have the wet wipes ready in case you have a persistent one and the tones drop while you’re taking care of business.
For ladies I can't stress enough how thankful you will be to have a SheWee or similar in every rig. I was stuck at a warehouse fire that was just hours of dumping water and taking a pee behind a dumpster squatting with my whole ass out made me say never again. Some of the guys gave me a hard time about it but it was definitely worth it.
Honestly one time I stayed for 15 hours (massive fire and forced for fire watch). My gear was soaking and would continue to get soaked so I just pissed my pants. Lol 🤷♀️
My driver has an uncle that lives in district. We made a first in on the next street over from his uncles house. After the fire was out, He called and asked if i could take a disrespectful ass shit in his house. I thought he was gonna do me like craigs dad did smokey on friday. But he was cool about it thank god. Thats up there in times i almost shat myself on a fire.
So, the answer to your question is going to vary based upon the clientele and demographics of the patrons we serve.
For example, if you work in an upscale area w gated communities and clean streets, you better hold that dump in or die trying.
If you work somewhere w maybe a high crime rate, abandon houses and the majority of your calls are gun shot wounds, assaults and fighting fire is a common occurrence, you can let that shit rip just about anywhere your heart desires, within reason of course. Doing overhaul and need to dump? go ahead and use the commode, but maybe pull some ceiling while you're at it. On a med call and duty calls? go pop a squat behind a dumpster or between couple of shotgun houses, just be sure to lean far enough back so you don't land a turd inside your trousers.
youre welcome
I have stopped drinking caffeine, as that causes most of my problems. I've definitely taking dumps mid fire multiple times before I stopped caffeine.
I also am found on the toilet anytime I have a thought that I have to poop when at station.
One of the first things my chief told me when I joined.
Always take the time to piss before bunking up. You have no idea how long it may be before you have the opportunity to go again.
My past captain had Crohn's or colitis or something like that. He'd wear his bunker pants without the suspenders. He was found more than once on the can, pants around his ankles, BA in the sink or on the tub next to him, still in air. Had a bumper sticker on his truck, "I'm only speeding because I have to poop".
Passed away from cancer -- almost certainly a specific fire that's now taken at least four or five of my friends -- about three or four years ago now. Love and miss you, Larry.
A little late to the game but I actually have a funny story that happened not that long ago. About a month or two ago we were maybe an hour before getting off shift we had gotten toned for a mutual aid for one of the volunteer departments near us for a RV fire. We got our stuff and went over to assist and was second due in. Well maybe about half an hour goes by and I get a familiar roar in my stomach and think nothing of it. 5 minutes goes by and the roar is accompanied by cramps. It starts getting serious. I try to ignore it but feel something knocking at the gates. I go up to my Battalion Chief and ask him if I can be relieved to go the bathroom. He proceeds to laugh and tell me sure. Luckily it was an RV park and they have a public toilet. I proceed to blow it up and walk back out 10 minutes later like nothing happened. Now every morning we wake up during shift I get asked if I need to go to the bathroom before we get the day started. But to answer your question. There’s not really much you can do. Sometimes you have to play it by ear or if you’re on a call just be bold and knock at a house and ask to use it. If you’re unlucky and are not around a house then if the situation allows it, just go behind a bush or in your bunker pants.
I think you will find that a LOT of firemen have pooped in a house after a fire :) We also keep a roll of tp on the truck in case we have to go off in the woods or something :)
As soon as I sit down to take a dump. I get bare minimum 3 “pads” of toilet paper pulled off and folded and at the ready in case we get a call. Has come in handy many times
I took a shit in the backyard during a structure fire a few weeks ago. Gotta make it happen.
Other than that I just go as soon as I feel the slightest urge at the station
I know mfs that have shit in their bunker pants, shit in someone's bathroom running a medical, in the bushes on a fire. You gotta do what you gotta do. My old preceptor imparted the wisdom of eating and using the restroom *while you can*
I'm lucky that my adrenaline rushes make me constipated rather than open me up, so I've never had this issue during fires lol. EMS calls on the other hand... My policy is, if nature calls while I'm at the station, even the slightest hint, just go, cause you never know.
Where to start?
Guy I worked with when I was new had a dad who worked in a ghetto inner city house. When he started in the fire service he asked his dad if he had any advice thinking his dad would have had sage advice from 20+ years of ghetto firefighting, instead his dad said “whenever you first start to fell like you might have to shit, go shit, cause you never know when you’ll end up on a 4 alarm fire.”
My brother had to pull over on the way to a CO run so his Lt could shit in a porta potty.
A guy at a nearby department was driving the medic to the hospital and pulled over and ran between 2 houses to shit.
On a 3 alarm condo fire one of our captains forced entry into an uninvolved unit to “check for extension,” his dirty boot tracks went straight to the bathroom.
Another guy I know on a different fire was checking uninvolved units and found an old guy shitting in a bathroom smoking a cigarette.
Our old EMS chief kept urinals in our medics because he said he’d had to use them multiple times.
A guy I know was on an engine waiting for a tow truck after a car crash when he had to go off in the woods and shit and wipe himself with his sock.
My crew and another crew were around the back of a house fire on a line at 0300. Me and another firefighter (female) were stepped back taking a break when I had to pee. I asked her if she could watch out while I did to warn me if anyone was coming. Apparently instead of saying “can you watch out for me” I said “can you watch me”
> On a 3 alarm condo fire one of our captains forced entry into an uninvolved unit to “check for extension,”
No extension, but definitely a IDLH environment in there.
Tiny bladder = “you guys go ahead and load the patient up, start a 12 lead and iv, I’m gonna check the bathroom for medications”.
Never had to use that but I know some who have in dire circumstances.
It's happened a couple times where we've knocked on the neighbors door and asked politely to use the toilet. Also one time I made it back to hall by the skin of my underpants, stripped off bunker gear outside and made a run in my sock feet.
Edit.. added "it"
You find a way. On longer calls you usually have toilets dispatched, in the city there are enough shops etc. and outside of the city are enough trees lol.
I used a hallway restroom after a cardiac arrest once. We had pronounced and were cleaning up and I literally couldn't bend over because I had to pee so bad, so I just stepped in and used it.
Well. I have known guys to literally shit at a fire (in the bushes, knew one guy who dropped one in the basement while doing overhaul) or you’re gonna learn to hold it. TBH, I have stomach issues but once the adrenaline starts going, the stomach shuts up and usually doesn’t bother me. Standing around after overhaul or something or packing up is usually when the stomach “remembers” I had to go 🤷🏻♂️…… immediate rush to the bathroom when we’re back at the house
It’ll make the best stories bruh!!! When I was a probie I had to poop really bad while on a mission w another probie in the training capt truck, I said pull over I gotta poop, my bro shook his head and said “just go bro…. You’ll be a legend in this department “
I had trouble with this for a while. When tones drop while you’re sitting on the pot, you’d get as many good wipes in as you could in a reasonable amount of time as possible and call it good. Never a good result.
Then, one day, I tried wet wipes. Holy shit.
Spotless in literally 2 wipes. No fear for getting a run on the can ever again.
I was kind of the same mindset when I started.
IMO when the tones drop, you just kind of forget about it. Like your body clenches up. Or at least mine did.
When I was Wildland, we used to get out of the truck in the morning after a long drive up the mountain and guys would just go piss wherever on a tree. I accidentally saw a girl taking a piss once and immediately diverted my eyes, but it’s kinda just like “fuck it”. She didn’t care.
When you gotta go you gotta go. I’ve never taken a shit in the wilderness on the job, but have definitely done so while camping.
If you’re structure, there is always going to be a bathroom where you are. And again, when adrenaline is cranking you won’t need it. But after a job yeah just go. Nobody is going to be forcing you back on the truck to get to the station.
Not really worried about it, just a passing thought I had haha lol out of all the things I heard about fire service and read in this subreddit, I never saw anything about the bathroom and I am a female so I can’t just piss where I please unfortunately…so it was definitely a thought for me 🤷♀️
> I am a female so I can’t just piss where I please unfortunately
Gotta leave defeatist attitudes like that behind if you want to get anywhere in life.
When I was new firefighter we had a senior guy who always had to take a dump after a structure fire. He was caught on the can a few times during overhaul. Must have been either something in the smoke or he was marking his territory.
Some buddies have told stories that he had to shit mid fire. Still on air somehow got his ass out of his bunker pants and shit in the toilet Heard other stories of guys shitting in the bushes mid fire also
Know a guy who somehow got locked/trapped in the bathroom (on accident) during overhaul, had to radio his crew to get him out
He couldn't self-extricate? That seems... bad.
My department has (at least one confirmed) mid room&contents bathroom shitter too. I aspire to that level
This happens to me. Every time I breathe smoke at a structure fire, I immediately get bubble guts during and end up getting the shits after. Almost positive I’m gonna die of colon cancer.
Not entirely uncommon, and always funny when found
Oh yeah we have a guy that always has to take a dump on a call.
Currently on the toilet in the station. I always take care of business when I can. If I’m pooping and the tones drop, I just do a few good wipes and get out the door.
this. I pee often, I drink a lot of coffee and water (and beer off duty). I have stopped to pee in a factory fire (after things were under control). I pee'd in some bushes after pumping a dumpster fire yesterday
You didn't pee into the dumpster?
gotta aim up to hit the mark
too many community eyes brother, hah, you know I woulda loved to
Hey, I know that nurse is a badge bunny and a little nuts, but I don't think it's cool of you to call her that.
We had a guy who used a technique he called the "Bunny Tail". If you get caught on the bowl you give a, yes a single, wipe and then shove a wadded up bunch of paper in your ass.
A friend of mine told me this dead ass serious a few years back, and I believe him. You know those hard turds that you push and push and they come out millimeter by millimeter? The kind where if you stop pushing it just goes right back up in you? He said he “reached back and broke that sumbitch off”.
Uhhhh…. that’s not normal, he needs to drink a lot more water and should probably consider asking the med unit for some IV fluids, I’d bet he sucks that bag down like a sponge.
I think we’ve all been there. He’s a fit dude, I’m a fit dude, we both are pretty diligent with our fluid intake. Could be an imbalance between protein and fiber intake.
That’s foul and I love it
We call that the manpon.
Nooooo
Always have some spare ready to go sitting in your pa to to quixk wipe in case of a fire.
Never pass a bathroom without using it. You will have calls where you have to hold it for sure. You’ll hear tons of stories. In my previous life working private EMS I had to pee in a urinal once while patient loaded in the back of an ambulance during a long distance transfer (patient was intubated, on a vent and sedated). A semi wrecked on the highway causing us to get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for 3+ hours on our already 3 hour transport. I’ve used porta podies on scene to take a pee before. Generally on EMS scenes it’s less of an issues because the incidents are usually under an hour from dispatch to getting back to the station. And you can always use the bathroom at the hospital. It’s on fires where things can get dicey. I’ve got a friend that had to drop his bunker pants and shit in the bathroom of a mostly burnt house during salvage and overhaul (thankfully for him the bathroom was still intact.) Your basic human needs (food/taking a shit/showering/sleeping) come second to everyone else in your response area. You gotta fit it all in when you can.
Generally, I have a morning smoothie with 24g of fiber. I shit like clockwork 95% of the time. As for peeing, I can hold it an insane amount of time, but yes, I’ve asked patients if I can use their bathroom.
What ingredients in the smoothie?
I use a bullet blender. Fill it about halfway with frozen blackberries, a quarter with frozen mango, add a Dannon activia shot, a tablespoon of vanilla protein powder, a teaspoon of psyllium powder, and top off with orange juice. It’s so filling that I don’t even get hungry until 1:30-2pm… but I shit every day between 9-9:30 every single day. 🤣
I know of a guy at my department who took a deuce during a working fire…. in the bathroom of the house on fire. It might have been during overhaul (honestly, most likely during overhaul), but you know how firefighters never let the truth get in the way of telling a good story…
I’m not gonna lie, I could definitely picture somebody saying “fuck it” after knockdown and just going in and going for it.
I’m thinking of a guy that had a few, shit in a fire stories. He is a notorious bullshitter and I don’t believe much of what he says. Solid FF though. We did have a guy with ibs. He had a stash of toilet paper on the rescue (trans unit ) and we would find empty Imodium foils often. 😂. He has been rumored to have pulled over with a patient to go shit in the woods and has missed calls from pooping. Claimed certain foods and spices would set it off. The above poop in a fire guy claimed it was in his head , he would add these things into dinner and unless ibs knew about it, he wouldn’t have any episodes. 😂Seemed to have flare ups at 6-8 pm often and would go home sick or when they had training that was physical. He would often eat Chinese food or fast food for lunch and claimed that didn’t hurt his stomach. 🤔 Both are gone.
On a fire I’ve used whatever toilet isn’t absolutely destroyed or a secluded area near the scene. On an EMS call I’ll just hold it. 99% of EMS calls are at some disgusting ass house. No way I’m exposing my junk to the open air there lol. Unless you have to go really really bad, the feeling of needing to use the restroom tends to go away once you start working.
We call them “Code Browns” when you have to shit but you’re done with a call it’s lights and sirens to the nearest firehouse.
We call the patients covered in shit “code browns”
Fenton taught me “trip to Mudville”
If you try this with the wrong crew, they will purposely take longer and hit pot holes trying to make you shit your pants…….Good times!
I have pissed all over town.
It's your town now
This is the way. Once you piss on it, it’s yours.
I've asked to use the restroom at patients' homes before. Also, at fires, neighbors are usually kind enough.
My old Lieutenant took a shit in a blanket on a fire one time and then wrapped it up and left it on the bumper without telling anyone. And one time a medic took a shit in the trash can in the ambulance during a parade.
I’ve taken more shits on calls than I can count on one hand. Taken a shit in a tree grove on a controlled burn once, taken a shit in a ditch on a medical call. Shit in the back of our rescue in a bucket on a water rescue call. Taken a shit on a structure fire, thankfully in a gas station. Had to leave another structure fire call to take a shit at the station and return to the fire. Needless to say, it’s not fun, but when you gotta go, you should go before you go, you know? Take care of your health, I’m working on this. When you get a slight urge, GO, before you get stuck in a bad spot.
Never pass the opportunity to use the rest room.
Shitting in your turnouts sucks. Puking you mask sucks. But it happens. Seems like our guys get used to it.
I’ve been on fires where I just walk to the nearest tree line and pull out my pre connect through the maze of clothing I have on. I was in the military so it was a pretty normal thing to hit the wood line, so post military I didn’t really give a shit what people thought when I kept doing it. Never really had to shit so bad on a call I couldn’t hold it. But I’ve heard of guys going to neighbors houses. There will usually always be a toilet within a short walk of you and nobody is going to freak out of you are gone for 5 minutes during your stop through rehab.
Just like the military, if you have an opportunity to go to the bathroom, and you have a slight need to, do it. Otherwise Murphy's law is bound to come into play. I've also used the bathroom in homes while on a call, but only if I had to go very badly and my "work" was done. Thankfully I haven't had to blow up anyone's toilet yet though.
I have gone pee while maintaining a hoseline on exterior exposure protection. Hose up over the left shoulder aimed where it needs to be. Left hand stabilizing the nozzle. Right hand to pop the fly on my bunkers, turned to the side and peed. It helped that I was behind the structure as well, so no concern with randos seeing lol. Had a captain sneak off and take a shit during overhaul once. Found a bathroom in a non involved portion of the structure.
Working a roof on a taxpayer and my partner had to pee so he went to the corner of the roof whipped it out and along come a live news crew, he just smiled and waved! RIP Tv Don
I’ve been on super long calls where they contract out porta-pottys
In the past at my department you just hold it till the major work is done, then during rehab you could take the chief car back to the house to shit. That or our on-call firefighters come straight to the scene in their personal cars, you can usually ask one of them to use their car to run back 🤷🏻♂️
On long brushfires I’ve gone in the woods a few times. For structures I’ve heard of guys just using the bathroom in the house on the other side of the involvement after the fires been put out. One dude shit himself and he filled his boots.
I’ve peed in the woods on a structure fire. We now keep tactical toilet paper on the trucks bc we’re rural and have women on our crews
I have been to the following loos (not limited): - some neighbours' house, or a nearby shop - a shrub - a ditch - a portable loo on a trailer - the downstairs one of a building that burnt down (hallway and loo survived, tp was wet though) As a female ff I do get jealous of the guys just peeing on the side of the road...
Same girl! I am a female too and so that’s what made me think about it😭 I have to use the bathroom all the time and today my tummy was cutting up ! I normally hike to the fancy bathroom on the other side of the building and it got me thinking about when I’m not gonna have a fancy bathroom to use 🤣🤣
Invest in wet wipes. I use dude wipes. Never put off going if you can. If you feel it, just go. Because you never know when the tones will go off
Always use wipes 🫡
My first captain told me, “there’s no call so important that you can’t properly clean your ass.”
Firefighter with Crohn’s disease. I learned It doesn’t matter you just bring an extra pair of underpants because no one gives a shit.
When you have down time, always go when you need to go. Always try to pee before going to a call. Penis havers might have an easier time discreetly peeing anywhere else. As for the pooping part, I only bring my safe foods. Nothing that will irritate my stomach, nothing super high in fiber throughout your shift, no new foods. This includes going out to eat. Do not try that cool new restaurant you’ve been seeing ads for. Wait till you’re off shift. Never pass a bathroom without using it.
usually for me even if i barely feel like i gotta go i still go because i never know when a call will come in
Once I was taking a leak in the back yard at a house fire after things settled down. The police chopper as overhead, shine the spot light on me and asked if I needed a hand over the loud speaker.
Is the bathroom on fire? If yes I’m going behind the house. If no, I’m using the bathroom
The best defense is a good offense IMO. I have IBS so I use my off time to make sure constipation doesn't sneak up on me. I also know what foods trigger me, and I avoid those. It sucks sometimes watching the crew eat greasy pizza or dripping cheese steaks while you're eating a turkey sandwich, but in the end, you gotta know what triggers your stomach and do your best.
Sit down, get mentally prepared to take a dump. Let everything rip all at once, wipe up quickly and always have the wet wipes ready in case you have a persistent one and the tones drop while you’re taking care of business.
For ladies I can't stress enough how thankful you will be to have a SheWee or similar in every rig. I was stuck at a warehouse fire that was just hours of dumping water and taking a pee behind a dumpster squatting with my whole ass out made me say never again. Some of the guys gave me a hard time about it but it was definitely worth it.
I’ve seen these before but never thought about how useful they might be !
Honestly one time I stayed for 15 hours (massive fire and forced for fire watch). My gear was soaking and would continue to get soaked so I just pissed my pants. Lol 🤷♀️
Not fire but I've shit and pissed off the back of a moving truck in the army.
My driver has an uncle that lives in district. We made a first in on the next street over from his uncles house. After the fire was out, He called and asked if i could take a disrespectful ass shit in his house. I thought he was gonna do me like craigs dad did smokey on friday. But he was cool about it thank god. Thats up there in times i almost shat myself on a fire.
So, the answer to your question is going to vary based upon the clientele and demographics of the patrons we serve. For example, if you work in an upscale area w gated communities and clean streets, you better hold that dump in or die trying. If you work somewhere w maybe a high crime rate, abandon houses and the majority of your calls are gun shot wounds, assaults and fighting fire is a common occurrence, you can let that shit rip just about anywhere your heart desires, within reason of course. Doing overhaul and need to dump? go ahead and use the commode, but maybe pull some ceiling while you're at it. On a med call and duty calls? go pop a squat behind a dumpster or between couple of shotgun houses, just be sure to lean far enough back so you don't land a turd inside your trousers. youre welcome
I have stopped drinking caffeine, as that causes most of my problems. I've definitely taking dumps mid fire multiple times before I stopped caffeine. I also am found on the toilet anytime I have a thought that I have to poop when at station.
One of the first things my chief told me when I joined. Always take the time to piss before bunking up. You have no idea how long it may be before you have the opportunity to go again.
My past captain had Crohn's or colitis or something like that. He'd wear his bunker pants without the suspenders. He was found more than once on the can, pants around his ankles, BA in the sink or on the tub next to him, still in air. Had a bumper sticker on his truck, "I'm only speeding because I have to poop". Passed away from cancer -- almost certainly a specific fire that's now taken at least four or five of my friends -- about three or four years ago now. Love and miss you, Larry.
A little late to the game but I actually have a funny story that happened not that long ago. About a month or two ago we were maybe an hour before getting off shift we had gotten toned for a mutual aid for one of the volunteer departments near us for a RV fire. We got our stuff and went over to assist and was second due in. Well maybe about half an hour goes by and I get a familiar roar in my stomach and think nothing of it. 5 minutes goes by and the roar is accompanied by cramps. It starts getting serious. I try to ignore it but feel something knocking at the gates. I go up to my Battalion Chief and ask him if I can be relieved to go the bathroom. He proceeds to laugh and tell me sure. Luckily it was an RV park and they have a public toilet. I proceed to blow it up and walk back out 10 minutes later like nothing happened. Now every morning we wake up during shift I get asked if I need to go to the bathroom before we get the day started. But to answer your question. There’s not really much you can do. Sometimes you have to play it by ear or if you’re on a call just be bold and knock at a house and ask to use it. If you’re unlucky and are not around a house then if the situation allows it, just go behind a bush or in your bunker pants.
I think you will find that a LOT of firemen have pooped in a house after a fire :) We also keep a roll of tp on the truck in case we have to go off in the woods or something :)
I worked with a guy who loved to take massive dumps while waiting for the ambulance company to show up. It was like a goal or something. 😅
As soon as I sit down to take a dump. I get bare minimum 3 “pads” of toilet paper pulled off and folded and at the ready in case we get a call. Has come in handy many times
I took a shit in the backyard during a structure fire a few weeks ago. Gotta make it happen. Other than that I just go as soon as I feel the slightest urge at the station
I hold it, then shit later. Idk, you just do what you can do
I know mfs that have shit in their bunker pants, shit in someone's bathroom running a medical, in the bushes on a fire. You gotta do what you gotta do. My old preceptor imparted the wisdom of eating and using the restroom *while you can*
In the bunkers is crazy. I’d have my bros hold up a blanket before I do that.
I'm lucky that my adrenaline rushes make me constipated rather than open me up, so I've never had this issue during fires lol. EMS calls on the other hand... My policy is, if nature calls while I'm at the station, even the slightest hint, just go, cause you never know.
Ya find the time. Go when ya when you have a minute to spare.
Prairie dog that shit
One of my buddies got the shits in one of our frequent flyer’s apartment who is a nasty hoarder. He shit in that guys bathroom with no shame.
Where to start? Guy I worked with when I was new had a dad who worked in a ghetto inner city house. When he started in the fire service he asked his dad if he had any advice thinking his dad would have had sage advice from 20+ years of ghetto firefighting, instead his dad said “whenever you first start to fell like you might have to shit, go shit, cause you never know when you’ll end up on a 4 alarm fire.” My brother had to pull over on the way to a CO run so his Lt could shit in a porta potty. A guy at a nearby department was driving the medic to the hospital and pulled over and ran between 2 houses to shit. On a 3 alarm condo fire one of our captains forced entry into an uninvolved unit to “check for extension,” his dirty boot tracks went straight to the bathroom. Another guy I know on a different fire was checking uninvolved units and found an old guy shitting in a bathroom smoking a cigarette. Our old EMS chief kept urinals in our medics because he said he’d had to use them multiple times. A guy I know was on an engine waiting for a tow truck after a car crash when he had to go off in the woods and shit and wipe himself with his sock. My crew and another crew were around the back of a house fire on a line at 0300. Me and another firefighter (female) were stepped back taking a break when I had to pee. I asked her if she could watch out while I did to warn me if anyone was coming. Apparently instead of saying “can you watch out for me” I said “can you watch me”
> On a 3 alarm condo fire one of our captains forced entry into an uninvolved unit to “check for extension,” No extension, but definitely a IDLH environment in there.
If ya gotta go ya gotta go
Tiny bladder = “you guys go ahead and load the patient up, start a 12 lead and iv, I’m gonna check the bathroom for medications”. Never had to use that but I know some who have in dire circumstances.
Always have emergency prefolded wiping toilet paper on the ready in the stall w you.
It's happened a couple times where we've knocked on the neighbors door and asked politely to use the toilet. Also one time I made it back to hall by the skin of my underpants, stripped off bunker gear outside and made a run in my sock feet. Edit.. added "it"
You find a way. On longer calls you usually have toilets dispatched, in the city there are enough shops etc. and outside of the city are enough trees lol.
I used a hallway restroom after a cardiac arrest once. We had pronounced and were cleaning up and I literally couldn't bend over because I had to pee so bad, so I just stepped in and used it.
That's why I always kept a roll of TP in a coffee can on the rig.
Well. I have known guys to literally shit at a fire (in the bushes, knew one guy who dropped one in the basement while doing overhaul) or you’re gonna learn to hold it. TBH, I have stomach issues but once the adrenaline starts going, the stomach shuts up and usually doesn’t bother me. Standing around after overhaul or something or packing up is usually when the stomach “remembers” I had to go 🤷🏻♂️…… immediate rush to the bathroom when we’re back at the house
Just take your coat off (ours have the name on the tail) before you walk into the bushes
It’ll make the best stories bruh!!! When I was a probie I had to poop really bad while on a mission w another probie in the training capt truck, I said pull over I gotta poop, my bro shook his head and said “just go bro…. You’ll be a legend in this department “
It was easier with pull up boots.
You are overthinking it. You hold it or find a place to go.
I had trouble with this for a while. When tones drop while you’re sitting on the pot, you’d get as many good wipes in as you could in a reasonable amount of time as possible and call it good. Never a good result. Then, one day, I tried wet wipes. Holy shit. Spotless in literally 2 wipes. No fear for getting a run on the can ever again.
I was kind of the same mindset when I started. IMO when the tones drop, you just kind of forget about it. Like your body clenches up. Or at least mine did. When I was Wildland, we used to get out of the truck in the morning after a long drive up the mountain and guys would just go piss wherever on a tree. I accidentally saw a girl taking a piss once and immediately diverted my eyes, but it’s kinda just like “fuck it”. She didn’t care. When you gotta go you gotta go. I’ve never taken a shit in the wilderness on the job, but have definitely done so while camping. If you’re structure, there is always going to be a bathroom where you are. And again, when adrenaline is cranking you won’t need it. But after a job yeah just go. Nobody is going to be forcing you back on the truck to get to the station.
Had a guy fall off the wharf during a boat fire while taking a dump. Nearly drowned with his bunker pants at his ankles
If this is what you’re worried about, I’m begging you not to pursue a career in the fire service. Please, for everyone’s sake. This is not for you.
Not really worried about it, just a passing thought I had haha lol out of all the things I heard about fire service and read in this subreddit, I never saw anything about the bathroom and I am a female so I can’t just piss where I please unfortunately…so it was definitely a thought for me 🤷♀️
> I am a female so I can’t just piss where I please unfortunately Gotta leave defeatist attitudes like that behind if you want to get anywhere in life.