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What is a Fire Fighter worth?

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    What is a Fire Fighter worth?

    Well written! This puts it in perspective.

    Last edited by TXFireFighter; 05-04-2012, 02:46 PM.

    #2
    . Too bad it will probably never change for us though.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by texantax View Post
      . Too bad it will probably never change for us though.
      x2 ^^^^^^^^^^

      Comment


        #4
        Jack, get back to work!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Not much without mechanics to keep the trucks running, field ops ans street crews to keep the streets and infrastructure intact, water department employees to keep the water flowing...

          I'm not saying this for every city, but my city council has thrown the general employee under the buss the past few years in order to keep the police and fire unions appeased.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by strait shooter View Post
            Not much without mechanics to keep the trucks running, field ops ans street crews to keep the streets and infrastructure intact, water department employees to keep the water flowing...

            I'm not saying this for every city, but my city council has thrown the general employee under the buss the past few years in order to keep the police and fire unions appeased.
            Last edited by rocky; 05-04-2012, 07:48 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              glad to see this being printed somewhere...

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                #8
                Great Post, and thank's to all FireFighter's and Police who put their life
                on the Line Daily.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by strait shooter View Post
                  Not much without mechanics to keep the trucks running, field ops ans street crews to keep the streets and infrastructure intact, water department employees to keep the water flowing...

                  I'm not saying this for every city, but my city council has thrown the general employee under the buss the past few years in order to keep the police and fire unions appeased.
                  Did you even read the passage or did you just comment? Sorry your city has thrown the "general" employee under the "buss". I however dont believe that the police and fire unions are at fault. Have you ever looked at your citys payroll from top to bottom? Brother we are general employees! And yes I do appreciate all the other general employees that keep us out doing our job everyday. As long as you keep that mind set neither of us will get ahead. My city just hired some kind of biologist for 125K+/yr to tell parks and rec how to properly trim trees and where to plant trees. You think those employees that are out all day everyday doing this need someone behind a desk to tell them how to do there job! Take a look at the big picture before you start pointin fingers. Oh and sorry you never made it into fire school.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Txfirefighter, I was attacking you or any other firefighter. I was just stating what has happened here.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Straight Shooter, I understand your position, however, don't forget that firemen and cops are general employees as well (like was stated). When the City Manager puts the city on a "strategic hiring freeze" yet continues to make $250,000 a year, and continues to hire his personal "assistants" while we can't fill open positions in Fire or any department, something is WRONG. In many cities, the City Counsel refuses to raise taxes (a mixed blessing from my persective of being an employee AND taxpayer), yet also refuses to reduce any services. Simple economics tells us that you cannot expect to get the same service for the same price from year to year. Inflation makes it so that the cost of everything rises, why would city services be any different? You just have to come to the realization that either some services will have to be reduced, or revenew will have to increase somehow. What gets me is that these cities hire City Managers to run the business of the city and make budgetary recommendations, and pay them very well. City Managers of all people should understand simple enconomics, yet many seem to think they can do the same thing from year to year without increasing the budget, it just doesn't work that way. I've presented a plan that would reduce fuel consumption in one particular department by 3/4 (yes, that's 75%, meaning they would only spend 1/4 what they currently do) and would also reduce maintenance costs in that department significantly, but it falls on deaf ears because they refuse to reduce a service which is not neccessary at the level they are at currently. The police and fire services are already operating at minimum staffing in most places, but you want to cut those services instead of.....say.....Parks and Recreation? Priorities my man. And I do understand that my priorities are going to be different than the priorities of the next guy, but come on, life safety vs new parks with lush green freshly cut grass and trash trucks that drive every street and alley in town in both directions twice a week? Seems like a no brainer to me. We can build new parks, fertilize and water the grass (even when citizens are on water restriction) keep the grass mowed, etc, but we can't give employees (from any department, not just police or fire) a standard cost of living adjustment? There are certain services that are essential to any city, water/sewage, police/fire/ems, trash pickup, streets etc. The rest, well, unfortunately, they are non-essential services and should be the first to be cut. My personal oppinion is that water service and life safety services should be the last to take budget cuts. Your oppinion may differ, and that's okay with me, but please don't assume that police and firemen are overpaid or getting benefits that other employees are not getting. If you want to see CITY EMPLOYEES getting the cream of the crop in compensation (pay, benefits etc) look away from civil service employees, and look just above department heads, as in CITY HALL....kinda like our federal government.

                      Sorry for the rant, we've gotten off topic. The OP posted an article about what firemen were worth, same article could be written in regards to soldiers, police officers, etc. The point of the article, as I read it, is that certain occupations get paid certain wages, and some of them may (or may not) be unjustly low when you consider the risks they endure and the normal comforts of living they give up. Is it wrong for a firefighter to make more money than the guy who keeps his fire engine on the road? I don't know, maybe it is, but is it also wrong for a bank president to make more money than a teller? Is it also wrong for a mechanic to make more money than the guy who sells delivers parts?
                      Last edited by txfireguy2003; 05-04-2012, 10:33 PM.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by txfireguy2003 View Post
                        Straight Shooter, I understand your position, however, don't forget that firemen and cops are general employees as well (like was stated). When the City Manager puts the city on a "strategic hiring freeze" yet continues to make $250,000 a year, and continues to hire his personal "assistants" while we can't fill open positions in Fire or any department, something is WRONG. In many cities, the City Counsel refuses to raise taxes (a mixed blessing from my persective of being an employee AND taxpayer), yet also refuses to reduce any services. Simple economics tells us that you cannot expect to get the same service for the same price from year to year. Inflation makes it so that the cost of everything rises, why would city services be any different? You just have to come to the realization that either some services will have to be reduced, or revenew will have to increase somehow. What gets me is that these cities hire City Managers to run the business of the city and make budgetary recommendations, and pay them very well. City Managers of all people should understand simple enconomics, yet many seem to think they can do the same thing from year to year without increasing the budget, it just doesn't work that way. I've presented a plan that would reduce fuel consumption in one particular department by 3/4 (yes, that's 75%, meaning they would only spend 1/4 what they currently do) and would also reduce maintenance costs in that department significantly, but it falls on deaf ears because they refuse to reduce a service which is not neccessary at the level they are at currently. The police and fire services are already operating at minimum staffing in most places, but you want to cut those services instead of.....say.....Parks and Recreation? Priorities my man. And I do understand that my priorities are going to be different than the priorities of the next guy, but come on, life safety vs new parks with lush green freshly cut grass and trash trucks that drive every street and alley in town in both directions twice a week? Seems like a no brainer to me. We can build new parks, fertilize and water the grass (even when citizens are on water restriction) keep the grass mowed, etc, but we can't give employees (from any department, not just police or fire) a standard cost of living adjustment? There are certain services that are essential to any city, water/sewage, police/fire/ems, trash pickup, streets etc. The rest, well, unfortunately, they are non-essential services and should be the first to be cut. My personal oppinion is that water service and life safety services should be the last to take budget cuts. Your oppinion may differ, and that's okay with me, but please don't assume that police and firemen are overpaid or getting benefits that other employees are not getting. If you want to see CITY EMPLOYEES getting the cream of the crop in compensation (pay, benefits etc) look away from civil service employees, and look just above department heads, as in CITY HALL....kinda like our federal government.

                        Sorry for the rant, we've gotten off topic. The OP posted an article about what firemen were worth, same article could be written in regards to soldiers, police officers, etc. The point of the article, as I read it, is that certain occupations get paid certain wages, and some of them may (or may not) be unjustly low when you consider the risks they endure and the normal comforts of living they give up. Is it wrong for a firefighter to make more money than the guy who keeps his fire engine on the road? I don't know, maybe it is, but is it also wrong for a bank president to make more money than a teller? Is it also wrong for a mechanic to make more money than the guy who sells delivers parts?
                        Well said brother.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by strait shooter View Post
                          Txfirefighter, I was attacking you or any other firefighter. I was just stating what has happened here.
                          No problem and I apologize if I offended you. I think txfireguy stated the point that I was trying to get across. To each his own.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by TXFireFighter View Post
                            Did you even read the passage or did you just comment? Sorry your city has thrown the "general" employee under the "buss". I however dont believe that the police and fire unions are at fault. Have you ever looked at your citys payroll from top to bottom? Brother we are general employees! And yes I do appreciate all the other general employees that keep us out doing our job everyday. As long as you keep that mind set neither of us will get ahead. My city just hired some kind of biologist for 125K+/yr to tell parks and rec how to properly trim trees and where to plant trees. You think those employees that are out all day everyday doing this need someone behind a desk to tell them how to do there job! Take a look at the big picture before you start pointin fingers. Oh and sorry you never made it into fire school.
                            You sound like a real loser...

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Well written!! and thank you to all firefighters i hope to be with yall some day!!

                              Comment

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