What It's Really Like To Be A Firefighter

Rituals with Laura Ling is a series that takes viewers on a journey through the psyche and habits of extraordinary individuals to find out how they survive, thrive, and gain focus. This episode shares the ritual of Greg Collaco, a San Francisco fireman who uses stair climbing to fight PTSI.

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Executive Producer: Laura Ling
Producer: Paige Keipper (Hansen)
Cinematographers: Alex Gerhard, Spencer Snider
Editor: Jordan Dertinger

[frozeneternity]

A brave man for being a fire-fighter, but an even braver person for picking himself up after his breakdown. Seriously takes a special kind of person to do this type of work. Salute!

[brandonhowarddd]

Started the fire academy last week. Couldn't be more excited to start my own story.

[smokediver]

I'm retired firefighter. Atlanta Georgia. I loved it and still miss it everyday

[HaiAut]

This hits me hard. Lost my father (20+ year veteran firefighter) to suicide in 2010. His demons had no mercy on him. Things that could never be unseen. Crushing chest pains that would leave him breathless, sending him to the hospital only to leave with no diagnosed cause... but we all know what it was now.

As I head back in the direction I began 10 years ago, I'm scared. Not of the fire. Not of putting my life at risk for others. I'm afraid of the aftermath. Of my daughters faces replacing the deceased pediatric patients I have to see. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it properly, and that I will fall into a darkness that I can't pull myself out of. Hoping I'm not making a mistake in pursuing my dream.

My heart goes out to all of our first responders suffering with PTSD. Please don't wait until it's too late to get help. Know that you are loved, and that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Everything has the possibility to get better

[obiesunstreak]

I grew up with a father who was a volunteer firefighter. I saw his face when he came home from calls. I remember him trying to hide it so we, his kids didn't see it.

To all of you 1st responders, To the ones who rush headlong into the fire when even angels run away. To the ones who watch for smoke, who ignore their own fears to help us that can't help ourselves in our darkest hours.

Thank you.

It doesn't feel like enough to say, but, thank you.

[ShawnRyanShow]

This is a great video. It brings a needed dose of reality and appreciation to people who do not put their life on the line every day. I can relate to this video being a former Navy SEAL. Thank you for doing this.

[DonRaynor]

As an Ex-Volunteer Firefighter I can tell you, some of us were emotional. I didn't but I see and understand the pain we felt, for me the work was emotional void but I saw all the pain, joy and sorrow our deeds brought us. I think that I was too young to understand death. I think I still am. I try to share the feelings of others. Without understanding them. I think I was lucky not to feel. But my heart goes out to all those who try to make this world safer. 4 years in Force. 
Thank you all.

[PuffleFuzz]

firefighters ARE superheroes, and they just look like humans

[douglasscott]

Thank you for speaking out on PTSD. It is far too often swept under the rug in the Fire Services. Hero's speak out.

[SeekerStories]

It was a great honor to work with Fireman Greg Collaco to discuss his struggle dealing with PTSI and how a stair stepping ritual saved his life. We greatly appreciate our firefighters and wish them all a wonderful National Firefighter Day today! #firefighters   #nationalfirefighterday  

[omgstoptakingnames]

it was always one of my dreams to be a firefighter, but here i am failing at EMT school it's so depressing. kinda cried watching this not gonna lie

[hammerlane]

this guy nailed it on the head. people, put on the uniform and see heroes, and the woman in distress, and all the people who are thankful, but the truth is it's not about that, it's about getting your gear on when the tones ring and being there when you're needed for the victims and for your brothers on the job, even if it means the end of your time. Brother, I am more than happy to hear you've overcome the urge to use and drink. Too many other first responders let themselves be defined by what they couldn't do and it takes a toll. It's a lifestyle that many want for the wrong reasons, and few achieve for the right reasons. One day you'll meet all your victims on the other side and they will thank you for caring and for being there when others weren't. That girl may have been lost, but one thing is for sure. While everybody was getting pictures, videos and posting all over social media about it, you were trying. And nobody can be mad at you for that. Keep up the good work brother and God Bless

[CurtisAyukawa]

Luv this channel and god bless all the firefighters of the world and all the men and women who bravely serve their respected countries doing whatever job they do best.

[robbynelson]

Nothing is stronger than the heart of a volunteer! The people in the fire service have huge hearts helping people every day, but this makes them more susceptible to emotional injury...Thank your firefighters and police... Trust me, they deserve it.

[silentteeth]

I remember sitting in the den after a bad call. It was a dark room with recliners at our station. We had just listened to a girl scream for her parents until she died slowly. She was so young. She was trapped in a ball of steel and we worked to free her and others from it. I also worked another person (as a fire medic) in the opposite vehicle. The patient I was working also died, but I just remember listening to the screams throughout the call. It was difficult and distracting. I heard them fade to silence. It was all futile. The scene looked like a warzone. There were 4 dead. Later that night (in the den) I remember my old salty Captain starting to sob in the darkness of the room as we all began to decompress. Nobody said anything. We all sat there together in the silence. I felt my eyes well in tears as I listened to him. He finally spoke after his gentle sobbing subsided after about a minute. He stood up and said " It's like water Chinese water torture, one drip after another until you finally break. He put in his retirement that week. I think he did 27 years. I'm going on 15 years and I've seen some things. I used to count the number of people I have seen dead. Now I count on seeing a number of dead people

[discovery]

Firefighter Greg Collaco of the SFFD turns to a cathartic stair stepping ritual to cope with PTSI induced by his emotionally taxing job.

[dnfd]

When I started watching this I thought wow Ive been doing the job for 27 years now and all the stuff Ive been through from line of duty death to close saves but just couldn't get patients through it, I though wow this guy doesn't have what this job is about. But continued watching ptsd is horrible he found a great way to deal with it, I think everyone has a point where its just too much with this job, I didn't find it on duty, my breaking point was finding my wife dead one morning on an off day and doing cpr on her while my 7 year old daughter watched while calling was it for me that put me in the spiral, Im still in it because I cant find that fix in life being widowed sucks.  Stairs suck even more but tomorrow at work im going to start climbing.

[oliverdavalos]

this week im taking my initial exam, hope i can become a firefighter for my community !!! thx for the motivation

[corywickert]

I know exactly how that feels and somehow through the wreckage in our minds we have to find peace with the things we see and the lives that we couldn't save and remember we still are human beings and we do feel emotions but in the end we should never forget the choice we made to do this, and that's what makes us unique

[xGolBLiiN]

It's a job that has difficult situations that you must overcome, but that's in the job description; what isn't in the job description is that some of these situations will stay with you.. I find it easier to cope with a life that you just couldn't bring back, or a house that you could not save, if you are able to talk with another firefighter that was on scene or someone else about it and what it is that is giving you an issue.