[DangeloInspections]

Well, against my better judgement, I will post. I should bite my tongue, but sometimes I find it hard to.

In my previous life, I was a carrier firefighter/medic/EMS Instructor in New York State. (IAFF Union Local 896).

I loved my job. I think I was paid well, but there were days where I earned my whole pay in 5 minutes. I did and saw things most could not or would not do. I've pulled folks out of burning buildings, cut people out of unrecognizable vehicles, pushed drugs and IV's into people trying to keep them alive, etc,etc.

I loved my job. I worked crazy hours, holidays, etc. Missed birthday parties, etc.....no complaints, as it was the career I chose and I knew the deal.

Yes, I slept at night.....sometimes. There were also nights when I did not, going to one call after another. When a firefighter sleeps, it is always a light sleep. You go from pillow to turnouts in less then a minute, and out the door driving to a fire in less then a minute. You instantly know the address, where it is and the best way to get there. Where to park the rig, where the hydrants are, etc,etc.

It was a great job, as no two days were the same.

So..now I'm retired with a good firefighter pension. I move to Florida. I find out my taxes and cost of living are much less down here. I also meet the local firefighter's and medics. I see many of them are Paramedics. Good. I see they make way less then I did. Sad.

I see my taxes are way less then they were in NY. I guess that is good.....but I'm also smart enough to know that as I get older, my chances of needing a good Paramedic/EMS crew goes up significantly.

So......I think I will support the firefighters and the EMS service and law enforcement.....I KNOW I'll need them some day, and I want them to earn a good living wage. If my taxes need to go up to do that....it's fine with me.

As to the volunteer comment, I support and respect volunteers. I taught hundreds of them and made them EMT's, etc. The fact of the matter is that there is no "free lunch". With the huge population here and the volume of calls, you NEED a paid department. Be careful what you wish for.

The way I see it, a good fire and EMS department is more important then a lot of places money goes down here.....many times the folks who complain about these essential services always seem to find money for going out to that fancy restaurant, greens fees, that new driver, etc, etc. Where are the priorities?

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I know I should stick to answering home inspection questions. I hope I did not offend anyone. When looking at the current state of the world, we are all very blessed.

Respectfully, Frank