View Poll Results: Do you prefer us lobbing Potatoes or Grenades to take care of spammers?
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Mustangs Coast to Coast
Even for those on payroll, the nature of the job is to 'sit and wait'. Which is a good thing right? I realize they do a lot of training in between, but thankfully there aren't non-stop fires, so there is a lot of 'stand-by' time. No way around that. As for someone bragging about doing little while being on the taxpayer's dime, those thoughts are best not expressed because we taxpayers are a little touchy about our ever increasing property tax being used wisely.
I've looked into volunteer work at my local law enforcement agencies - they don't really have anything other than teenage cadet programs.
And that is very admirable. I'm all for the discussion. Heck I respect that a lot more than the ones getting $80-100k a year who brag about doing nothing all day. I've looked into volunteer work at my local law enforcement agencies - they don't really have anything other than teenage cadet programs.
Again I think its great that these guys get paid this well. Even better that they don't have to respond very often. But they get paid to be there at the station, waiting for the call. If it was just sit around and never put your life on the line, everyone would be a firefighter. I watch the trainees at the academy when we go. It's like military boot camp literally. These guys are training for battle every morning. It's worth $80k if you're lucky enough to even get paid for it.
And yes it's just like going into battle.
Hell yes! Every day those guys don't have to respond to a fire is a small victory. Another day they didn't get a chance to die. You should try it sometimes. Or even just observe a real incident. I can be an asshat all I want knowing what these guys have to do when that bell rings. Cops and military service people should be making that much also but unfortunately they don't. So let them brag about not doing anything all day and getting paid well. How much is one life or one families home worth in comparison?
And yes it's just like going into battle.
And yes it's just like going into battle.
PS, if their Chiefs or Captains saw them making comments like that, they would be canned. Fact.
The bolded part is absolutely truth. That doesn't give you the right to disrespect the job by going around flaunting how much you make in that fashion - there's a big difference in "I make $80k a year to sit on my *** all day" and "I make $80k a year and today I was lucky that I didn't have to peel someone's burnt dog off the floor in their housefire or scrape someone's child off the ground because some asshat couldn't have self control and drove under the influence."
Two ways of saying the same thing, but very different mentalities. The guys saying the latter respect the job, the guys saying the former are disrespecting it and those are the guys I don't have respect for.
Last edited by laserred38; 7/31/14 at 02:29 PM.
Go fight a fire buddy. Just one time and get back to me.
He might see why that 80k a year is worthy of being proud. I don't agree with bragging about it and all, but that's not my personality. I agree with Al though, if you can make 80k a year in that profession, hell ya! Average salary for a firefighter/emt basic like me here is around $32k a year. Everyone ask me why i don't do it as a career and its because i cant afford to.
Oh and just for the sake of knowledge, here's some numbers for you to get an idea of how many people do this without getting paid. Here's some national statistics for you.
- 8 percent are career
- 5 percent are mostly career
- 16 percent are mostly volunteer
- 71 percent are volunteer
As for the rest of this argument, why i do it, how i feel about the other parts of your statements, im just going to ignore it.
Last edited by Scothew; 7/31/14 at 03:26 PM.
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I don't recommend him do that. He might start seeing the things that are truly horrific and hopefully no one should have to go through on regular basis. Especially dont volunteer in the community you live in, then you might have to see those same horrific things that happen to not only people in the community you know, but even family members. All of this is mostly just ems related too... not talking about the countless hours of training put in (weekly), the middle of the night 2am calls sometime for total BS and other times its not and you end up calling into work cause your either still on scene or just to **** tired to make it in. He might see why that 80k a year is worthy of being proud. I don't agree with bragging about it and all, but that's not my personality. I agree with Al though, if you can make 80k a year in that profession, hell ya! Average salary for a firefighter/emt basic like me here is around $32k a year. Everyone ask me why i don't do it as a career and its because i cant afford to. Oh and just for the sake of knowledge, here's some numbers for you to get an idea of how many people do this without getting paid. Here's some national statistics for you.[*]8 percent are career[*]5 percent are mostly career[*]16 percent are mostly volunteer[*]71 percent are volunteer As for the rest of this argument, why i do it, how i feel about the other parts of your statements, im just going to ignore it.
Our locals or completely volunteer. The chiefs get a very small salary and all have day jobs. I'm not part of any department simply because there's a surplus of volunteers. I know the chiefs of two different departments personally and if they needed bodies, I would help. Kinda glad I don't have to though. Always though of myself as a pyro or a firebug until I saw real fire and fought it. Still fascinated by it but I'm also fascinated by tigers. Not about to spray one with a water hose. Lol
Like Father...
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From: Just outside the middle of nowhere
I don't recommend him do that. He might start seeing the things that are truly horrific and hopefully no one should have to go through on regular basis. Especially dont volunteer in the community you live in, then you might have to see those same horrific things that happen to not only people in the community you know, but even family members. All of this is mostly just ems related too... not talking about the countless hours of training put in (weekly), the middle of the night 2am calls sometime for total BS and other times its not and you end up calling into work cause your either still on scene or just to **** tired to make it in. He might see why that 80k a year is worthy of being proud. I don't agree with bragging about it and all, but that's not my personality. I agree with Al though, if you can make 80k a year in that profession, hell ya! Average salary for a firefighter/emt basic like me here is around $32k a year. Everyone ask me why i don't do it as a career and its because i cant afford to. Oh and just for the sake of knowledge, here's some numbers for you to get an idea of how many people do this without getting paid. Here's some national statistics for you.[*]8 percent are career[*]5 percent are mostly career[*]16 percent are mostly volunteer[*]71 percent are volunteer Go through the list of states and check out their career vs volunteer... it'll shock you. http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/census/summary.cfm#f As for the rest of this argument, why i do it, how i feel about the other parts of your statements, im just going to ignore it.
Clearly you guys aren't breaking down what I'm saying. I broke it down as clear as day on one of my last posts. There's a HUGE difference with being proud of what you do, and bragging about sitting on your ***. I can't believe you guys don't see the difference. Quite honestly, it would be better if it was like that around here, volunteers working day jobs. Those that don't do it for the $80k a year and benefits, but for the honor, would obviously respect the job more.
I must have missed this post. Patrick that was the most ignorant post you've made in a while. And that compared to your regular ignorant posts. Your friend stays in shape and practically lives at the station. So yes he eats and sleeps there. Just waiting for the call to jump straight into a burning building to save lives and property. If you ever get a chance to fight a fire, you would see why everyone doesn't do it for a living. You would also see why he works out often to stay in shape. It's great to hear that some people actually get paid well to do that job. Out here there are mostly volunteer only departments and those guys will jump into a fire whenever the call comes out for no pay at all. The skill, the experience, the training these guys go through to properly fight a fire is insane. Every time you respond, you realize quickly that you might not be coming home. It's like going toe to toe with the devil himself. Just be glad your buddy is one of the few brave or insane enough to take on a career like this. I'm sure Scott can add a lot more since I don't choose to fight fires but I'm pretty much forced to. Just happy I don't have to do it very often.
The only ignorance being thrown around here is the support of the bad apple douchebags flaunting the salary that they're getting with their down time. If you read what I've said, no where did I say I expect them to do anything different with their down time waiting for the next emergency - I am appalled you guys support ANYone let alone our first responders flaunting that they're getting paid to sit on their ***.
My brother in law is a captain in Alameda, CA
He doesn't make $80k
If the guy you're talking about openly says he gets to sit around and make $80k doing nothing then he sounds like a douche. There are douches everywhere. I don't talk about what I make to anyone. That's just not good manners.
He doesn't make $80k
If the guy you're talking about openly says he gets to sit around and make $80k doing nothing then he sounds like a douche. There are douches everywhere. I don't talk about what I make to anyone. That's just not good manners.
Really Scott? I grew up as a police officer's son. You don't think I've seen stuff? You don't think it was hard growing up with my dad working graves most my life, never home for holidays, never letting me go trick or treating with my cousins because some psycho *might* put poison in the candy, or go watch fireworks because they *might* malfunction? Clearly you guys aren't breaking down what I'm saying. I broke it down as clear as day on one of my last posts. There's a HUGE difference with being proud of what you do, and bragging about sitting on your ***. I can't believe you guys don't see the difference. Quite honestly, it would be better if it was like that around here, volunteers working day jobs. Those that don't do it for the $80k a year and benefits, but for the honor, would obviously respect the job more.
The job itself entails a lot of just hanging around waiting for something to happen. THATS THE JOB. That's the job they signed up for and that's why they are happy there. These guys are trained professional firefighters. Not just goofballs with a fire suit riding on a truck. I don't see why you have a problem with them except for a lot of jealousy.
My brother in law is a captain in Alameda, CA He doesn't make $80k If the guy you're talking about openly says he gets to sit around and make $80k doing nothing then he sounds like a douche. There are douches everywhere. I don't talk about what I make to anyone. That's just not good manners.
1 1/2 times pay and gave them maybe 1 hour of real work out of the 12 I was there. Yes I had a good day.
Sometimes I work the whole time I'm there. Thank goodness I have more good days than bad.
My brother in law is a captain in Alameda, CA He doesn't make $80k If the guy you're talking about openly says he gets to sit around and make $80k doing nothing then he sounds like a douche. There are douches everywhere. I don't talk about what I make to anyone. That's just not good manners.
The bragging shouldn't be done but they are very fortunate for getting paid that well at a department that doesn't respond that often. It's a shame that all firefighters don't get paid that well or at all even. That goes for cops and soldiers also. That's what is a shame. All service jobs should pay this well. The job itself entails a lot of just hanging around waiting for something to happen. THATS THE JOB. That's the job they signed up for and that's why they are happy there. These guys are trained professional firefighters. Not just goofballs with a fire suit riding on a truck. I don't see why you have a problem with them except for a lot of jealousy.