Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash
Just to keep things in proper perspective. I am not sure why you think a roofer or a landscaper does not put their life on the line.
Here are the death data:
There are about 1.2 million firefighters in the US not including private and federal. There are about 70 deaths per year in that group and more than half are heart attacks or stress and this includes things like a 66 yo who died after 20 mins on a treadmill which is not clearly a job related death. A death rate including all 70 as job related gives 58 per million.
Roofers have a death rate of over 300 per million or more than six times that of firefighters, and 12 times if you don't include sudden death from heart disease.
So if risk of death is going to be brought up as a main criteria then roofers have a much better argument for a huge pay raise.
Landscapers? I don't have data for the workers but I do for the supervisors. Fatality rate of 181 per million on the job, or double that of firefighters.
Do I think our public servants are underpaid, yes. But the risk of firefighting is much lower than many other fields. And the risk in the Villages is certainly lower than in most other departments.
Just FYI here are the highest fatality risk occupations and deaths per million in 2015
Logging 1327
Fishing 548
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 404
Roofers 397
Refuse collection 388 yes the "garbage man" is five times more likely to die doing the job than a firefighter
Iron and steel workers 298
Drivers 243
Farmers 220
Electrical install and repair 205
Supervisors of landscapers 181
Estimating this one
Police 145 [2016 data 145 death and estimated 1 million police]
and Firefighters 58 |
Might need to change you stats,,, FHP Tropper killed on 75 while working another accident. Trooper for 30 years. Where was the Plumber or Landscaper on that deal. Do not think either one of them where out there.
Get the point. I do think that I read in a article that most job related deaths among trades like that where completely avoidable had a training program been in place. Fall Safety is a big issue in all trades as in Firefighting.
You can not fix stupidity, but you can train it to be less of a concern.
Funny you mention fishing. Just like the show Deadliest Catch. Not sure if you noticed but them CATS GET PAID to brave that crap in the Bering Sea.
What about Military since you are comparing. Lets take their Rate of Pay versus all of this. Should our Military not make More Money than all, and not have to worry about having no arm or leg or eye or what have you and having to rely on a charity to help them or build them a house.
LEO and Firefighters as a whole face danger daily. Not sure how many of the above mentioned would have volunteered to run into the World Trade Centers to go up to the fire and try to save a life if only just that one life.
Sure The Villages Fire Dept is not going to have to worry about a big threat like 9-11. But they have to be trained and trained hard for you never know when Lighting will strike your house, the gas blow up, fall asleep with a cig in your mouth or hand, or a major accident and they have to rescue you. That training my friend you will be glad they got.
As far as 401k and benefits. Make sure you know which Fire Dept pays what benefits. Not all of them pay the same or even offer the benefits that a neighboring county pays. My daughter just past her State test and CPAT to be able to apply to TV FD. But as they were told in training, go to where the total benefit package is the best. It may not be the highest paid per year, but get the total package, retirement and all. I have 2 friends on The Villages FD. Really great guys. And they always say TVFD is a stepping stone for most to move on. It is not the responsibility of the Firefighters to change that.
It is the Employers responsibility to make them want to stay. 
Just saying
http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-researc...ture-of-injury