What is a Fire Fighter worth?

[Javelin]

What I'm saying is being proven is from my original post, just as y'all are doing is exactly what I don't want to put up with anymore.

JUSTIFYING my job too anyone. You sit here and quote, and relate your job to mine. I don't know about you but I don't ever remember anyone who runs a fishing charter (that was not a cut at whoever stated they were, just the only one that stated what they do for a living) coming under scrutiny or cuts in your pay or any of the above stated PUBLICLY or among your city.

I don't down others jobs or way of life, but you can't compare apples and oranges here.

Sounds to me that you are saying your job is more important or better than other folks jobs. Hate to say it, but it is not. There is NO job that is more important than another simply because we need all the jobs to make the world work, no job is fully self sufficient, they all rely on other jobs.
The simplest thing to do is first pick what sort of income you want to make in your career then find a career that you somewhat like in that payscale. Too many people (teachers and parents) teach their kids that they can have any job they want, as long as they enjoy it, but they fail to teach part of the enjoyment is pay. It is give and take. Nobody gets the whole pie, only a piece, even those who make 6 to 7 figures a year, most of them spend even less time with family than FF or Police or teachers or shift work at a factory. The tradeoff, Money and stress 24/7

[lanceodom]

I guess I'm misunderstanding cause you quoted what I said

Reread the string. I quoted Texasfireguy 2003?

[Txfirerescue]

For the record, never was I complaining but simply relating and agreeing with the OP. This thread went south when someone put their .02 in and we defended what we said. Carry on though, I think this thread has ran its course.

[Txfirerescue]

Sounds to me that you are saying your job is more important or better than other folks jobs. Hate to say it, but it is not. There is NO job that is more important than another simply because we need all the jobs to make the world work, no job is fully self sufficient, they all rely on other jobs.
The simplest thing to do is first pick what sort of income you want to make in your career then find a career that you somewhat like in that payscale. Too many people (teachers and parents) teach their kids that they can have any job they want, as long as they enjoy it, but they fail to teach part of the enjoyment is pay. It is give and take. Nobody gets the whole pie, only a piece, even those who make 6 to 7 figures a year, most of them spend even less time with family than FF or Police or teachers or shift work at a factory. The tradeoff, Money and stress 24/7

Never did I say that, and you assuming is half the problem.

Everything I posted in that statement was a fact, have you ever been PUBLICLY SCRUTINIZED over your profession? If you can't answer yes, then everything I stated was a fact.

[Txfirerescue]

Reread the string. I quoted Texasfireguy 2003?

I saw the TX part, sorry I was replying to all the quotes lol

[East Texas]

As for houston FF. We are fourth largest fire department in US and are not even in the top twenty paid fire departments in the state. Not complaining, just facts.

[Txfirerescue]

As for houston FF. We are fourth largest fire department in US and are not even in the top twenty paid fire departments in the state. Not complaining, just facts.

This is the direction this post should have gone ^^^^^^

[Javelin]

Never did I say that, and you assuming is half the problem.

Everything I posted in that statement was a fact, have you ever been PUBLICLY SCRUTINIZED over your profession? If you can't answer yes, then everything I stated was a fact.

Yes I along with most other teachers have been and are constantly being publicly scrutinized. Some of us are scrutinized so badly that we cannot even buy alcohol in our own hometown as people feel that people who drink should not be teachers (btw, this is not me as I dont drink, but others I know). BTW, I am not assuming anything, just telling you what your words in your post sound like, the bolded ones.

[RiverRat1]

Caddokiller, what you fail to realize is that we didn't get into this career with intentions of getting rich, but we did get into it expecting certain things, namely, a decent living, certain benefits (reasonable health insurance, retirement etc), a certain degree of respect etc. When I got in, yes, I made a good living, had great insurance coverage that cost me next to nothing, and when the cost of living went up, we got a small raise to offset that increase. That all stopped about 4 years ago, we're still making the same money we were back then, but it costs a ton more to live now. Add to that the fact that my insurance coverage has decreased in value and increased in cost every year since I started, about the only thing they haven't touched in my retirement, and that's only because we have a private retirement plan that is not managed by the city.

Sent from my Samsung Captivate using Tapatalk.

Thank you!

My retirement has gone down. I remember when I started 8 yrs ago mine was earning 10.5%, now it's down to 5%. Local politics has nothing to do with that though...


TTT

I understand the frustration. I understand the complaining. And I know as good as anyone that the corruption up top must stop. IMO we should NOT all be fighting for more money. Teachers, FFers, LEO's etc should ban together and fight corruption..not each other saying they are worth more.

You guys get little sympathy because your better off than the 25% without jobs, and still better off than 80% of those with a job. Most peopel get zero retirement plan...and I know no one thats gotten a raise in the last 3 years but plenty who were laid off.

And one more thing and this is important. NO city department should EVER ask for a higher % of money from the taxpayers......EVER. "X" percent is still "x" percent after inflation goes up. If the city grows 100% then "x" percent is double the money coming in. You can not ask for more money when "x" percent brings in less money because that means one of two things.. A. there are less people in your city or B. everyone is now making less money.
If you disagree do you think Churches should start preaching that a tithe is now 13% due to inflation?

[Txfirerescue]

I understand the frustration. I understand the complaining. And I know as good as anyone that the corruption up top must stop. IMO we should NOT all be fighting for more money. Teachers, FFers, LEO's etc should ban together and fight corruption..not each other saying they are worth more.

You guys get little sympathy because your better off than the 25% without jobs, and still better off than 80% of those with a job. Most peopel get zero retirement plan...and I know no one thats gotten a raise in the last 3 years but plenty who were laid off.

And one more thing and this is important. NO city department should EVER ask for a higher % of money from the taxpayers......EVER. "X" percent is still "x" percent after inflation goes up. If the city grows 100% then "x" percent is double the money coming in. You can not ask for more money when "x" percent brings in less money because that means one of two things.. A. there are less people in your city or B. everyone is now making less money.
If you disagree do you think Churches should start preaching that a tithe is now 13% due to inflation?

THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE THE OP should have gone. THANK YOU.

[Txfirerescue]

Yes I along with most other teachers have been and are constantly being publicly scrutinized. Some of us are scrutinized so badly that we cannot even buy alcohol in our own hometown as people feel that people who drink should not be teachers (btw, this is not me as I dont drink, but others I know). BTW, I am not assuming anything, just telling you what your words in your post sound like, the bolded ones.

Then you can understand and I respect that opinion.

I in no other words could describe, but in no way should or did I mean for it to imply anyone's job was more important than any others, as I would not be looking for another job right now in a different field of work.

[Javelin]

Then you can understand and I respect that opinion.

I in no other words could describe, but in no way should or did I mean for it to imply anyone's job was more important than any others, as I would not be looking for another job right now in a different field of work.

cool

[Zookeeper]

I honestly don't mind the city admin as much as I do the citizens. I worked 5 years in a decent community but for the last 5 have worked "the ghetto", higher call volume, worse pay and more to deal with.

Ive heard of burnt out medics, but as a FF Medic I really don't think that's what is, I'm just plain sick of the down talk and I've lost the enjoyment of helping people that could easily help themselves. Don't get me wrong, we run our fair share of serious fire and medic calls but there's more BS than the others.

I have read your post and would agree that you need a change. Either in your job or attitude. If you feel this way at 10 you will never make it to 30. Don't think that I am saying you do not to your job well or anything else. I am saying that you may not have the temperment to hang for the long haul and it is beetter to find out early so that you can make a change.
As far as what a fireman is worth? Well what did he agree to when he took the job? Certainly he would like to have more and when asked he will tell you it is not enough but who doesn't say the same about there own job. It is everything else that keeps him showing up shift after shift, putting on the uniform making the calls ,serving the citizens of the community and not just being a member of a Dept. having the abillity to help those that have put there faith in you is what keeps them showing up. Even on the calls that some may think are BS.

[RiverRat1]

I have read your post and would agree that you need a change. Either in your job or attitude. If you feel this way at 10 you will never make it to 30. Don't think that I am saying you do not to your job well or anything else. I am saying that you may not have the temperment to hang for the long haul and it is beetter to find out early so that you can make a change.
As far as what a fireman is worth? Well what did he agree to when he took the job? Certainly he would like to have more and when asked he will tell you it is not enough but who doesn't say the same about there own job. It is everything else that keeps him showing up shift after shift, putting on the uniform making the calls ,serving the citizens of the community and not just being a member of a Dept. having the abillity to help those that have put there faith in you is what keeps them showing up. Even on the calls that some may think are BS.

Whats anyone worth? They are worth more if no one is in line offering to work for less..They are worth less if qualified people are lined up willing to work for less. Seems like everyone wants to be a firefighter. How many people show up to apply for each opening?

IMO it does not matter what you do or how dangerous the job..It's what people are willing to do the job for that should determine pay.

[Jeremy7306]

Whats anyone worth? They are worth more if no one is in line offering to work for less..They are worth less if qualified people are lined up willing to work for less. Seems like everyone wants to be a firefighter. How many people show up to apply for each opening?

IMO it does not matter what you do or how dangerous the job..It's what people are willing to do the job for that should determine pay.

Just a thought, how can 4,000 people show up to test for fort worth Fd ( just using ft worth as an example) while numerous volunteer dept's around the state are hurting for good volunteers to do the same job.. Is it cuz of the economy? Or people just not wanting to do it for free? Not trying to start a paid/volley argument just the thought came to me when reading your post. Myself, I have been a volunteer for 8 years now and will never leave my dept, even though I would like to also work for a paid dept one day, but simply just cause its what I love to do.