I am not a fire-fighter (actually I'm not anything any more...) but I know I couldn't cope with some of the incidents they deal with.
No, but the firefighters can, which is why they chose the profession. They also knew about the pay and conditions before they joined.
And they're not drinking tea in those mugs.....
During the last strike I was working at a civvy ambo statio behind a fire station. We watched the day shift sitting out the front round their brazier all day, and was surpried when they were still there a couple of hours after shift change, so I wandered over and asked them why.
It was because the night shift were in the pub up the road and the day shift had stayed on to maintain a presence.
During the last strike I was called to an RTA that the green goddesses had also been called to, although (thankfully) it turned out they weren't required, and nor were we.
We returned to station and witnessed the green goddess going past the fire station on its way back to wherever it was based, but not without stopping to deliver a whole load of abuse to the firefighters.
The didn't utter a single word in reply.
I find the strikes disgusting because of the knock on effect they have, and how so many people are stitched up, obviously mainly the army and RAF crews that have to stand in, but also the other emergency services who could be, and occasionally are put in very difficult situations by the strikes.