The public is watching

[lad12derff 283]

With the current fiscal nightmare we are going through and my job looking to lay off 6 FF and not fill the 15 positions we are down it is a slap in the face when you post stupid things on the recent status updates or any forum for that matter. Over the last few week I have seen more and more people post about their tours and how they did nothing and raked in the OT. The final straw is from a member today who who claims to have worked 17 hours and did nothing except the hardest part and that was fill out his OT slip. This is an absolute disgrace to all emergency service providers who actually do work during their tours. I sat down today and read the NY Post and they had 4 pages full of how the unions are killing NY and how greedy we are. And I want to go and talk to the author about how he has no idea about what we go through and what it is like to do our jobs and then I go home to my computer and find one of us who apparently does nothing at work all day and tells the public. W.T.F.? Please people do not show the public how stupid you are because it only took a HS diploma to get your job. This job is for real and some of us do it quite often.

[Tanker 10eng 140]

wow, with comments like this, you can FULLY understand why the general public, and Municipal leaders are trying to cut back on man power, and can you really blame them ???

[lad12derff 283]

wow, with comments like this, you can FULLY understand why the general public, and Municipal leaders are trying to cut back on man power, and can you really blame them ???

No I can't. We are our own worst enemies

[JAD622 40]

With the current fiscal nightmare we are going through and my job looking to lay off 6 FF and not fill the 15 positions we are down it is a slap in the face when you post stupid things on the recent status updates or any forum for that matter. Over the last few week I have seen more and more people post about their tours and how they did nothing and raked in the OT. The final straw is from a member today who who claims to have worked 17 hours and did nothing except the hardest part and that was fill out his OT slip. This is an absolute disgrace to all emergency service providers who actually do work during their tours. I sat down today and read the NY Post and they had 4 pages full of how the unions are killing NY and how greedy we are. And I want to go and talk to the author about how he has no idea about what we go through and what it is like to do our jobs and then I go home to my computer and find one of us who apparently does nothing at work all day and tells the public. W.T.F.? Please people do not show the public how stupid you are because it only took a HS diploma to get your job. This job is for real and some of us do it quite often.

I couldn't agree more. If some of us think this is as bad as it will get they are VERY wrong! The writing is on the wall and it will get MUCH worse before it will ever start to get better. Guy's really have to start THINKING (remember how to do that!) before making idiotic statements like that in public! Those of you who are foolish enough to say such things only reinforce in the minds of politicians (and the public) that we are "ungrateful lugs who they can easily lay blame to" and not the dedicated professionals most of us are. Anyone who is caught doing this should have their Union come down hard on them . Many of us have worked hard many years to better this job and do the right thing and that all gets tarnished by a couple of nitwits making public statements like this. Hence the saying "The Bravest - not the Brightest"! Stay Safe.

[64FFMJK 21]

While I do agree that people need to engage brain then mouth or keyboard in this case. The public can all to easily find out how much every municipal employee makes and what occurred on your shift with out us posting stupid things here.

I had some one walk up to me and tell me how much I made the last 2 years not long ago and it was a wake up call to not complain about my job when so many are out of work.

Remember the public does not understand the concept of minimum staffing and what Fire Fighters, EMS, and Law enforcement really do.

also If you promote having the union take action for thing done when not at work I would suggest you take a hard look in the mirror because once you let them enforce what you do off shift you are in a world of trouble. My union can stay at work where all my thoughts about work stay.

[x635 4,066]

Even if we do nothing all shift, we still do something. We are there at the ready, 24/7/365. We sacrifice time away from our families on holidays, nights, and weekends. The nature of the public safety profession takes it toll on our health. For you guys in NY, it costs a fortune to live on many of the salaries.

Yes, civil service may look like a "cake job" to some, but there's a reason why we deserve what we recieve for compensation.

People do need to be more concious about social networking and how they present themselves, and this is becoming a huge issue nationwide. Many departments are adopting policies about members use of social networking sites, some even prohibiting members from using it off duty.

We do have a responsibilty to be transparent to the taxpayers. If you're going to work overtime details, do something to try and keep busy and document it. Hold a citizens fire or police academy to educate the municpal and civic leaders as to what we really do, what we need, and why. And if you're going to represent yourself online, do it in a professional manner. Social networking is becoming more intergrated into our lifestyles every day, and it can be a bad....or very good thing.

We must keep in mind that the public and media can read anything we do online while at work. News media across the country are feeding on this, even members personal emails to family members and bank statements. It can all be seen and used to your and your departments disadvantage if you use your work computer.

Please people do not show the public how stupid you are because it only took a HS diploma to get your job. This job is for real and some of us do it quite often.

As for that statement, going through the fire or police academy, or especially most paramedic programs, and all the associated training, is just like going to college. Even though the intial requirments may be a HS diploma, many members, the longer they've been on the job, have more relevant training then a college graduate with a Bachelor's degree.

[helicopper 1,050]

No I can't. We are our own worst enemies

How true! And we constantly strive to prove it on a daily basis.

[helicopper 1,050]

Even if we do nothing all shift, we still do something. We are there at the ready, 24/7/365. We sacrifice time away from our families on holidays, nights, and weekends. The nature of the public safety profession takes it toll on our health. For you guys in NY, it costs a fortune to live on many of the salaries.

Yes, civil service may look like a "cake job" to some, but there's a reason why we deserve what we recieve for compensation.

The problem is perception and right now we're being portrayed as union thugs holding communities hostage for handsome contracts and unheard of benefits. Nothing could be further from the truth but when Lohud publishes salaries that include overtime and other benefits, it leads people to believe that we're overpaid. There is little if any counter-argument to those stories and the fact that in some cases overtime is cheaper than more full-time employees or that communities have tried for years to do things on the cheap and are now paying for it.

As for that statement, going through the fire or police academy, or especially most paramedic programs, and all the associated training, is just like going to college. Even though the intial requirments may be a HS diploma, many members, the longer they've been on the job, have more relevant training then a college graduate with a Bachelor's degree.

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. The police or fire academy is definitely not like going to college; it is more of a trade school. That's why most police departments now require at least some college before you can get in the door (I don't know what the fire academy requires so I can't comment). Personally I think requiring more education is a good thing, it brings in better qualified, more experienced candidates who will be able to adapt to the changing environment of law enforcement more easily. At least that's one theory.

Getting back to the original post and the problems that he was pointing out - there could not be a more important time to be professional and highlight all the things that make us a valuable commodity to a community.

Some may think this applies only to paid or career services but that is absolutely not true. There is more and more scrutiny of volunteer services and their budgets these days and the public is becoming more intolerant of increases regardless of good intentions.

[RescueKujo 130]

Out here in the West the same thing is happening. People, and this includes elected officials, believe public safety employees are overpaid. The local fishwrap in San Diego, publishes the top 100 salaries for the City of San Diego every year. Firefighters hold at least 3 of the top 10 every year. But no one points out the OT and pay from strike teams to campaign fires or members being on State or Federal Incident management teams, and how that pay is paid back to the city by that respective agency.

Unions need to do a better job of educating their officials on what their members get in their benefits and why. The life expectancy after retirement of both police officers and firefighters needs to be part of that education.

Quote by Chris192

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. The police or fire academy is definitely not like going to college; it is more of a trade school. That's why most police departments now require at least some college before you can get in the door (I don't know what the fire academy requires so I can't comment). Personally I think requiring more education is a good thing, it brings in better qualified, more experienced candidates who will be able to adapt to the changing environment of law enforcement more easily. At least that's one theory.

I know its apples and oranges, but out here there are paramedic programs, fire academies and police academies run by the community colleges. And a lot of colleges are now giving credits for work related courses, so my opinion is any extended course is like going to college, especially as tough as the grading can be...

[64FFMJK 21]

Going to a police academy, fire training school or paramedic training is not the same a college no matter how you slice it. You tell me how that benefits you in any world other than your professional career. A college education gives you more than just a basic skill set, it teaches you how to approach the world and various challenges from new and different perspective.

Obviously you have never been to an academy. They push you to if not slightly over the breaking point and teach you how to save some one else or your own life when there is no one else there but you. Putting your life on the line and not knowing if when you step out the door to work each time and not knowing if you will survive your shift definitely is more then a "skill set".

And from what I have seen from College degrees which most Law enforcement and now more and more FD's are requiring, I am not impressed. But what would I know I only have the experience of BOTH.

And you get collage credits for Academies so Colleges most not think they are that different.

Edited December 20, 2009 by 64FFMJK

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Going to a police academy, fire training school or paramedic training is not the same a college no matter how you slice it. You tell me how that benefits you in any world other than your professional career. A college education gives you more than just a basic skill set, it teaches you how to approach the world and various challenges from new and different perspective.

so i guess the other 85% of the people on this site who did not graduate or go to college have no skills and cant approach any challenge in life? AHHHHH i dont think so !!!!!!!!!!

That is not what I am saying....all I am saying is that a college degree will help you significantly more with a lot of things other than just your job.

[Danger 160]

Going to a police academy, fire training school or paramedic training is not the same a college no matter how you slice it. You tell me how that benefits you in any world other than your professional career. A college education gives you more than just a basic skill set, it teaches you how to approach the world and various challenges from new and different perspective. You do not take Russian classics because you want to study Mid 19th Century Russian authors, you take that class because it teaches you how to tackle, overcome and master various challenges that you will be faced with. In the academy you are trained to do one thing and one thing only. With a college degree you can tackle just about anything. Those with a degree know that you really do not do what you think you will do in college and rarely do you actually use your degree. The average college graduate has major changes career paths on average three times in there life. A college degree will prepare you for almost anything from law to business to science, while police academy will only teach you to be a cop, not a firefighter and not a paramedic.

I honestly believe that almost all public servants should have some form of higher education than the same diploma everyone got from the state when they showed they had the minimum it took to graduate high school. That goes for cops, firefighters, EMS, even truck drivers and street sweepers.

Bold statement from an 18-20 year old who has never worked his a** off in a fire academy, nor finished college, nor had the adult perspective to reflect back and weigh the difference! It's ok kid I don't blame you, I thought I knew it all when I was 18 too, it took some real life experience to realize how little I do know!

Edited December 20, 2009 by Danger

[lad12derff 283]

Here is my full disclaimer: I have 1 month of college education under my belt and 15 years (12 as a FF and 3 as a Lt) for New Rochelle. My life experience has taught me to not let the public know what I do or do not do at work. The comment about HS diploma also includes myself but I have enough time on the job to know when I am going to say something stupid. If you have to ask yourself before you hit post "is this smart to talk about?" it probably isn't

[Raz 14]

Going to a police academy, fire training school or paramedic training is not the same a college no matter how you slice it. You tell me how that benefits you in any world other than your professional career. A college education gives you more than just a basic skill set, it teaches you how to approach the world and various challenges from new and different perspective. You do not take Russian classics because you want to study Mid 19th Century Russian authors, you take that class because it teaches you how to tackle, overcome and master various challenges that you will be faced with. In the academy you are trained to do one thing and one thing only. With a college degree you can tackle just about anything. Those with a degree know that you really do not do what you think you will do in college and rarely do you actually use your degree. The average college graduate has major changes career paths on average three times in there life. A college degree will prepare you for almost anything from law to business to science, while police academy will only teach you to be a cop, not a firefighter and not a paramedic.

I honestly believe that almost all public servants should have some form of higher education than the same diploma everyone got from the state when they showed they had the minimum it took to graduate high school. That goes for cops, firefighters, EMS, even truck drivers and street sweepers.

This is hilarious to me, for a few reasons:

-The academy isn't the equivalent of college, even though many of us received college credit for our time at the academy.

-People will take a college level literature study class, not for the purpose of studying literature.

I'm sorry, I understand that you're worldly and wise beyond your years, boldly stating how a college degree will prepare you for anything, despite not being old enough to have graduated college yourself. You even go on to state how there is a good chance that you will not actually use any of the skills or knowledge learned at your school. With this level of logical thinking, that college degree might just prepare you to tackle making coffees at Starbucks. I would know, I used to work there with a bunch of people who had useless degrees in Liberal Arts and the like. The only difference is that I didn't have $50,000 in student loans to pay off, while bringing home $200 a week.

The fact is that having a college degree, just for the sake of having a degree, isn't worth a damn in today's world. If that degree is in an applicable science, trade, or useful field; that's great. That degree represents an honest boon to the recipient. A boon that may very well be worth the large investment of time and money needed to earn such a thing. The fact is that, in modern society, there are a great number of absolutely useless college courses, and by extension, useless degrees. Colleges offer courses that study TV shows, they offer P.E. credits for bowling. I realize that I'm using extreme examples here, but these are the very things that are included under your blanket statement that a college degree is superior to a trade school certificate.

This is the problem with our generation, it's been drilled into us that higher education is a necessity, regardless of what that higher education may entail. This is the reason why a high percentage of people my age and younger are damn useless at 1) working with our hands, and 2) applying knowledge in real world situations. I am obviously not anti-education, I just don't kid myself into thinking that learning about pet subjects will somehow help me get ahead in life and pay my bills.

[firecapt32 282]

to stay on the subject- we must always be aware that we are taking public monies-salary-pension-overtime is all part of that equazion. They have a right to know where the tax dollars are going. So show them--have an aggressive fire inspection program-- a fire education program in the schools--maybe put "in the public training" so that they can see what we do in our "down time". They have a right to expect the best and we have the obligiationto give it to them.

Off the subject--Police and Fire academys are somtimes better then colleges-- in the academy you learn not only your chosen profession--but you learn about life--how to overcome--adapt.You are put into situation that require "real life" thinking. Young men and women learn how to handle interpersonal relationships with each other. The lessons learned at either the police or fire academy are carried through out an officer or firefighters career and they wil rely on that initial training for many years. Just my thoughts

[FirNaTine 370]

College, smollege! Give me a break already! What the Fire Service needs are more applicants who know how to use a hammer then some Dope who can hack a website. Give me a guy with a trade, military service or at least some common sense and I'll be happy, instead of someone whose biggest worry prior to the FD was what color tie he was goin to wear with his suit. Let's face it, the biggest concern of most College Grads was what time was free keg or the toga party starting. I should know, I was one of them.

Edited December 21, 2009 by FirNaTine

[JAD622 40]

also If you promote having the union take action for thing done when not at work I would suggest you take a hard look in the mirror because once you let them enforce what you do off shift you are in a world of trouble. My union can stay at work where all my thoughts about work stay.

Just to clarify; I wasn't promoting that a Union take any specific "action" against a member for anything they do off duty. I meant that Union's should "caution" it's members against doing anything that cast's a negative light on us as we are under much scrutiny these days. So maybe I phrased it incorrectly during my frustration. As for looking in that mirror, I've been doing it for over 20 years and aside from the increasing gray in my hair, I'm OK with what I see.

[hudson144 150]

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? Did someone raise the standards recently and didn't tell me??? lol

[CountryGrl1 0]

Wow,

THis is all from someone's status update???

I happen to know that this is a person who busts his a** at work most tours, he loves his job and is tired just like the rest of us. Let me know how you feel after working 17 hours, and NO he dosen't have a bed to sleep in at work , like FF or EMS . Like alot of us he also puts his life on the line each day, but also volunteers whenever he's not at work.

I'm an EMT and let's be serious how many of us refer to EMS as Earn Money Sleeping???? or tell Police officers to turn in thier gun for a pillow and become FD. This is not said out of disrespect for the others job.

I understand some of your concerns about depts cutting back, but lets lay off , it was a comment that wasn't meant to be disrepectful let alone start a s*** storm.

WE all complain, or have something to say about our jobs. So let it go!!!!!

Happy Holidays to all

[grumpyff 1,159]

With the current fiscal nightmare we are going through and my job looking to lay off 6 FF and not fill the 15 positions we are down it is a slap in the face when you post stupid things on the recent status updates or any forum for that matter. Over the last few week I have seen more and more people post about their tours and how they did nothing and raked in the OT. The final straw is from a member today who who claims to have worked 17 hours and did nothing except the hardest part and that was fill out his OT slip. This is an absolute disgrace to all emergency service providers who actually do work during their tours. I sat down today and read the NY Post and they had 4 pages full of how the unions are killing NY and how greedy we are. And I want to go and talk to the author about how he has no idea about what we go through and what it is like to do our jobs and then I go home to my computer and find one of us who apparently does nothing at work all day and tells the public. W.T.F.? Please people do not show the public how stupid you are because it only took a HS diploma to get your job. This job is for real and some of us do it quite often.

Ladder12,

It was my post you got your panties in a knot over. go back and look it over again.

"

is. heading home after a long 17 and hours doing nothing at work. The hardest part. was staying awake to fill out the OT slip ."

Yeah I did nothing for 17 hours and 35 minutes ,that was due to the weather. If it snowed or not, I was expected to be there, awake and ready to go, standing on my post. I was on patrol that entire time, with a Not sleeping in a bunkroom after 11 pm in a city owned bed. I was tired, cold and my feet hurt from standing most of that time, I was so tired when I finished, that filling out my OT slip ( for 8 hours55 minutes) was a real challenge. I take my job serious, but there are times when you need to blow off steam. If it had not snowed I would have gotten a lot less OT, but do to the weather, people had trouble getting in, and as a result people got forced to stay, and reliefs had trouble getting out to the posts.

PS I have a Bachelor of Science, and I am a couple of credits short of double minor.

Edited December 21, 2009 by grumpyff

[FFLieu 70]

Way to flip out over nothing. Just because New Ro isn't going to fill the 15 slot shortfall doesn't necessarily mean that other people in public safety positions are either uneducated, abusing the system, or otherwise "getting over." Maybe it only took you a H.S. Diploma and a month of college to get your job, but I have a Bachelor's Degree, a Master's Degree, and extensive experience in a very specific area, and I'm still waiting to get picked up on the job. Therefore, you should consider yourself extremely lucky.

Grumpy stood on a fixed footpost for 3/4 of the day and did so in frigid temperatures. Have you ever done that? Oh wait, you sit inside the nice warm house until the next alarm comes in.

[Guest]

Ladder12,

It was my post you got your panties in a knot over. go back and look it over again.

"

is. heading home after a long 17 and hours doing nothing at work. The hardest part. was staying awake to fill out the OT slip ."

Yeah I did nothing for 17 hours and 35 minutes ,that was due to the weather. If it snowed or not, I was expected to be there, awake and ready to go, standing on my post. I was on patrol that entire time, with a Not sleeping in a bunkroom after 11 pm in a city owned bed. I was tired, cold and my feet hurt from standing most of that time, I was so tired when I finished, that filling out my OT slip ( for 8 hours55 minutes) was a real challenge. I take my job serious, but there are times when you need to blow off steam. If it had not snowed I would have gotten a lot less OT, but do to the weather, people had trouble getting in, and as a result people got forced to stay, and reliefs had trouble getting out to the posts.

PS I have a Bachelor of Science, and I am a couple of credits short of double minor.

I spent my fire service career working in a very busy ghetto neighborhood. The local cops were always welcome to come in our quarters to: get out of the weather, have a hot cup of coffee, eat dinner with us, etc. Many times after midnight while we were responding from one alarm to next, they would be napping comfortably in our TV room. We never minded, we even covered for them when their 'boss' would come looking for them to put a 'scratch' in their books. The fact that we always went out of our way to do the right thing by the local cops makes it very difficult to accept the 'bed comments' that so many cops like to make about us. My employer always got 110% out of myself and my coworkers. Many of us are permanently disabled due to line of duty illness and injury. Many others were not fortunate enough to survive until retirement. I have always respected the job that cops have to do and never wanted any part of it. I take great exception to any derogatory comments that are made about firefighters.

[grumpyff 1,159]

i think this thread should be closed by the moderators, nothing good is going to come of.

PS I have a degree in Fire science, and wanted to be a firefighter, but PD called first, and due to economic circumstances at the time, had to turn down FDNY when the time came in 1999.

[JFLYNN 681]

No, I'm not jealous, I'm just calling a spade a spade; I resent being called uneducated, just like I'm sure you would.

And just as an aside, those who can't use proper punctuation, grammar, and syntax shouldn't be talking smack about other peoples' grades, either, my friend.

...qtip...

[JFLYNN 681]

No, I'm not jealous, I'm just calling a spade a spade; I resent being called uneducated, just like I'm sure you would.

And just as an aside, those who can't use proper punctuation, grammar, and syntax shouldn't be talking smack about other peoples' grades, either, my friend.

P.S. Smoke Showing doesn't resent being called "uneducated"...he knows he's uneducated, and I'll bet he's getting a good laugh out of all this right now...

[Guest bigal8]

So it seems that quite a few people in this thread have two goals. One is to have the public take fire, police and EMS more seriously and understand the hard work that it entails. The second goal is to "prove" how college is overrated and a waste. For one, from a PR standpoint, I don't think it's wise to try to gain public empathy while simultaneously bashing college...in an area of the country with a very high percentage of people holding undergraduate degrees.

Secondly, think about what you're doing when you bash higher education. When you get hurt in a fire, a doctor is going to help you (college degree + medical school and residency at least). What about the inventor of the various chemicals used in the fire service? Do you think a high school chemistry class was sufficient for that? What about the kevlar in bunker gear? Anyone here want to tell me how to make that? How about the tax code, the thing that is responsible for your salary as civil servants. Does anyone here truly understand the details of it? I am a volunteer firefighter and have respect for people who take the job on as a career. But firefighting and police are not the only two professions that exist. There are far more complicated (albeit less dangerous) jobs out there that require formal education. I do not suggest that college is perfect or even close to it. But to bash higher education "because it doesn't prepare you for the real world" is foolish.

[lad12derff 283]

Ladder12,

It was my post you got your panties in a knot over. go back and look it over again.

"

is. heading home after a long 17 and hours doing nothing at work. The hardest part. was staying awake to fill out the OT slip ."

Yeah I did nothing for 17 hours and 35 minutes ,that was due to the weather. If it snowed or not, I was expected to be there, awake and ready to go, standing on my post. I was on patrol that entire time, with a Not sleeping in a bunkroom after 11 pm in a city owned bed. I was tired, cold and my feet hurt from standing most of that time, I was so tired when I finished, that filling out my OT slip ( for 8 hours55 minutes) was a real challenge. I take my job serious, but there are times when you need to blow off steam. If it had not snowed I would have gotten a lot less OT, but do to the weather, people had trouble getting in, and as a result people got forced to stay, and reliefs had trouble getting out to the posts.

PS I have a Bachelor of Science, and I am a couple of credits short of double minor.

Yes I did get my panties in a bunch. I am also part of John Q Public and without your explanation would still have thought you did nothing all tour. How do we know that you did not work the desk, or dispatch, or some other duty the PD does that does not require much physical duty? That was the whole point of my post, the public does not know what we do. People go to parties and tell their friends and wives how I got "8 straight" last night. How I am on my 3rd tour of OT for the week and crap like that. Then the public goes out and tells their friends and families. Do we all see the problem here? We have a rule in my firehouse: what happens in the firehouse stays in the firehouse. We do not let other companies know our problems that happen during our tour. We do not tell our wives if we were "lucky" to get a good night sleep. It is nobodies business but ours. I did not want to start a $hit storm over education and should have left that out but as I disclosed I do not have a college degree but I am smart enough to know what the public wants to hear. I am sorry if you felt I was attacking you personally because I was not. I just want people to know that we are being watched more now than ever.

( I am not going after desk officers nor dispatchers with my comments here I have the utmost respect for their jobs and have commented to my guys what a great job you do. To listen to you dispatch us to jobs with your cool and calm voices is a pleasure to hear. We know when we are " going to work " and when we are not. You guys do a great job so keep up the great work.)

Edited December 21, 2009 by lad12derff

[efdcapt115 1,511]

I spent my fire service career working in a very busy ghetto neighborhood. The local cops were always welcome to come in our quarters to: get out of the weather, have a hot cup of coffee, eat dinner with us, etc. Many times after midnight while we were responding from one alarm to next, they would be napping comfortably in our TV room. We never minded, we even covered for them when their 'boss' would come looking for them to put a 'scratch' in their books. The fact that we always went out of our way to do the right thing by the local cops makes it very difficult to accept the 'bed comments' that so many cops like to make about us. My employer always got 110% out of myself and my coworkers. Many of us are permanently disabled due to line of duty illness and injury. Many others were not fortunate enough to survive until retirement. I have always respected the job that cops have to do and never wanted any part of it. I take great exception to any derogatory comments that are made about firefighters.

Nice post. I wanted to quote you so maybe some of the brothers would sit back for a minute, re-read what you said, and remember how they really all do work together at emergencies, aside from this "pillow for your gun" cr@p. It's a shame that cops and firefighters are taking shots at each other. The Fire Officer that started this thread got upset because he cares. If the job is under pressure in New Rochelle, it spills onto all of it's members, particularly those who care the most. I think that's the biggest thing that the general public doesn't understand about being a firefighter or a cop; the pressure. I used to ride around in the duty car and think about the thirty plus thousand people that lived in the district, the five thousand plus apartments, over eight thousand structures, and think to myself " well whatever is going to happen on this shift, it's going to be my responsibility." That's what I got paid for, and when the proverbial hit the fan that's exactly the way it was. And that pressure did take it's toll on my health. That's why I'm retired now.

The police officer that posted his status came back and explained what he meant. I think now, particularly during the holiday season, and with all of the economic pressures coming down on all the jobs, it might be a good time to remember that everyone, cops and firefighters, are really on the same team. I have to admit I read the status update in question the same way the Fire Officer from New Rochelle did. I thought it wasn't appropriate. But I do know what cops are forced to endure and how difficult that job is. I think back to the day Michael Frey was killed. I'm thinking about Pipi who died in his patrol car. I'm thinking about Fred, who endures his pain and busts his @ss rehabing after being run down by a truck. These men are giants in my eyes.

As far as the public is concerned listen; corporations are squeezing everything they can out of the private work force. Then these same people come home and get their tax bills. They aren't thinking that they might be the next victim that needs a cop or a firefighter; they're thinking fifteen grand for property taxes. They don't take the time to break it down; the County, the City, the District, the School, they are mad as h#ll and can't take it anymore. Not while their 401K has been destroyed and their plans and dreams for the future are in jeopardy.

Yes it's a sad state of affairs that we are all in as a country these days. But to all the brothers on the job; keep your heads held high as you deliver a VITAL AND NECESSARY SERVICE to your community, and stick together k. Merry Christmas.

Edit: to reflect the correct rank of the Brother from New Rochelle. God Bless.

Edited December 21, 2009 by efdcapt115

[lad12derff 283]

Nice post. I wanted to quote you so maybe some of the brothers would sit back for a minute, re-read what you said, and remember how they really all do work together at emergencies, aside from this "pillow for your gun" cr@p. It's a shame that cops and firefighters are taking shots at each other. The firefighter that started this thread got upset because he cares. If the job is under pressure in New Rochelle, it spills onto all of it's members, particularly those who care the most. I think that's the biggest thing that the general public doesn't understand about being a firefighter or a cop; the pressure. I used to ride around in the duty car and think about the thirty plus thousand people that lived in the district, the five thousand plus apartments, over eight thousand structures, and think to myself " well whatever is going to happen on this shift, it's going to be my responsibility." That's what I got paid for, and when the proverbial hit the fan that's exactly the way it was. And that pressure did take it's toll on my health. That's why I'm retired now.

The police officer that posted his status came back and explained what he meant. I think now, particularly during the holiday season, and with all of the economic pressures coming down on all the jobs, it might be a good time to remember that everyone, cops and firefighters, are really on the same team. I have to admit I read the status update in question the same way the firefighter from New Rochelle did. I thought it wasn't appropriate. But I do know what cops are forced to endure and how difficult that job is. I think back to the day Michael Frey was killed. I'm thinking about Pipi who died in his patrol car. I'm thinking about Fred, who endures his pain and busts his @ss rehabing after being run down by a truck. These men are giants in my eyes.

As far as the public is concerned listen; corporations are squeezing everything they can out of the private work force. Then these same people come home and get their tax bills. They aren't thinking that they might be the next victim that needs a cop or a firefighter; they're thinking fifteen grand for property taxes. They don't take the time to break it down; the County, the City, the District, the School, they are mad as h#ll and can't take it anymore. Not while their 401K has been destroyed and their plans and dreams for the future are in jeopardy.

Yes it's a sad state of affairs that we are all in as a country these days. But to all the brothers on the job; keep your heads held high as you deliver a VITAL AND NECESSARY SERVICE to your community, and stick together k. Merry Christmas.

Great post Capt!!!

[lad12derff 283]

Way to flip out over nothing. Just because New Ro isn't going to fill the 15 slot shortfall doesn't necessarily mean that other people in public safety positions are either uneducated, abusing the system, or otherwise "getting over." Maybe it only took you a H.S. Diploma and a month of college to get your job, but I have a Bachelor's Degree, a Master's Degree, and extensive experience in a very specific area, and I'm still waiting to get picked up on the job. Therefore, you should consider yourself extremely lucky.

Grumpy stood on a fixed footpost for 3/4 of the day and did so in frigid temperatures. Have you ever done that? Oh wait, you sit inside the nice warm house until the next alarm comes in.

And to just make myself clear it is not about the 15 vacant positions that I am upset about. There will be 6 of my brothers who will not have a job on Jan 1, 2010. You will never understand that because you are not on the job.