Are City Firefighters Overpaid?

[Blacktocomm]

Did anybody else read this whole thread to find out where firefighters make $200k a year.

Somebody let us know - I am sick of desk jockey work.

 

[wapitibob]

Did anybody else read this whole thread to find out where firefighters make $200k a year.

Somebody let us know - I am sick of desk jockey work.

post #25 lists salaries for my town

 

[Wyo_hntr]

Did anybody else read this whole thread to find out where firefighters make $200k a year.

Somebody let us know - I am sick of desk jockey work.

Base pay? Or base plus specialties? Or base+specialties+2nd job?

 

[Lawnboi]

Base pay? Or base plus specialties? Or base+specialties+2nd job?

All those salaries that are up there look to be management positions.

 

[Blacktocomm]

Base pay? Or base plus specialties? Or base+specialties+2nd job?

I was thinking base pay no overtime.

A couple of chief's leading a team and working overtime I totally understand why they cross the $200k barrier.

But those people are kind of the exception to the rule? At least I assume.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

I was thinking base pay no overtime.

A couple of chief's leading a team and working overtime I totally understand why they cross the $200k barrier.

But those people are kind of the exception to the rule? At least I assume.

Some places don't count specialties like paramedic, engineer, high angle rescue, etc. Those are "extras"....

 

[Lowg08]

A good friend of mine is a city firefighter and here it’s like barely 50k a year. For what he deals with it’s no where near enough. When they deal with crackheads and week old bodies or the generally lazy that will call for help to the bathroom because they are 600 pounds. Nah. Not enough.

 

[coloyooper]

Here's what Bend-area public employees were paid last year

Bend-area public agencies spent more on employee pay last year than the year prior, and among the highest paid were firefighters, law enforcement officers and lawyers.

www.bendbulletin.com

So basepay for firefighter is $99k

edit- some even down to $84k

 

[StupidLightweight]

Being a first responder is tough work, no doubt. Whether paid or volunteer — paramedic, EMT, firefighter, law enforcement, etc — I have the utmost respect for anyone taking care of others during their time of need. As a former volunteer EMT myself and the son of parents with a combined 80 years or so of volunteer medial/firefighting, I know how hard this can be.

I have no issues with pay, but I do have issues with the shifts firefighters work. Outside of staffing emergencies, it makes no sense to pay someone for a 24-hour shift, let alone a 48-hour shift. Come on. I don't want to share the road with someone who has potentially been up all night, and I certainly don't want these people making critical medical decisions for me or my loved ones. No thanks.

Now, 8- or 12-hour shifts? That makes sense. Put in your time. Earn the big money that you deserve. Go home to your family and sleep. And then repeat the process with a sharp mind. Getting paid to sleep and regularly having a week or more off would be sweet, but I wouldn't want to do it. Too much emotional baggage from the horrific things these people see on a daily basis.

 

[Lawnboi]

Some places don't count specialties like paramedic, engineer, high angle rescue, etc. Those are "extras"....

Many of those management positions are non union. That city obviously wants to pay for the talent.

 

[Billinsd]

It depends on the city. Big cities usually pay firemen a lot, but they pay all public servants a lot and can be a racket. Small towns can be volunteer and there is everything in between. Being a fireman is hard work, they breath smoke from fires with who knows what in it, lots of stress going to emergencies, are away from families for a long time. Most people won’t do it. I have a buddy who is a fire chief, very high up and he works very hard and has a hard time hiring and keeping competent staff.

 

[CorbLand]

So basepay for firefighter is $99k

edit- some even down to $84k

I dont know about Oregon or other states but just as an FYI, Utah use to include benefits in the pay they listed on their Right to Know webpage. Utahs benefit rate is ~50%, so when it said someone was making 75K, they were really only taking home 50K. Dont know about other states but wanted to get that out there.

 

[Billinsd]

A good friend of mine is a city firefighter and here it’s like barely 50k a year. For what he deals with it’s no where near enough. When they deal with crackheads and week old bodies or the generally lazy that will call for help to the bathroom because they are 600 pounds. Nah. Not enough.

I wouldn’t do that for $200,000 myself.

 

[Billinsd]

I dont know about Oregon or other states but just as an FYI, Utah use to include benefits in the pay they listed on their Right to Know webpage. Utahs benefit rate is ~50%, so when it said someone was making 75K, they were really only taking home 50K. Dont know about other states but wanted to get that out there.

Utah seems to pay rock bottom for public salaries.

 

[Lawnboi]

Being a first responder is tough work, no doubt. Whether paid or volunteer — paramedic, EMT, firefighter, law enforcement, etc — I have the utmost respect for anyone taking care of others during their time of need. As a former volunteer EMT myself and the son of parents with a combined 80 years or so of volunteer medial/firefighting, I know how hard this can be.

I have no issues with pay, but I do have issues with the shifts firefighters work. Outside of staffing emergencies, it makes no sense to pay someone for a 24-hour shift, let alone a 48-hour shift. Come on. I don't want to share the road with someone who has potentially been up all night, and I certainly don't want these people making critical medical decisions for me or my loved ones. No thanks.

Now, 8- or 12-hour shifts? That makes sense. Put in your time. Earn the big money that you deserve. Go home to your family and sleep. And then repeat the process with a sharp mind. Getting paid to sleep and regularly having a week or more off would be sweet, but I wouldn't want to do it. Too much emotional baggage from the horrific things these people see on a daily basis.

It will be interesting to see where it goes. It’s not uncommon to be up for 24 hours straight. We have had times where guys were up for 40 plus hours without sleep due. It is dangerous and stupid, but I don’t know the answer.

Part of the issue is management and prioritization of health and safety of the workers. Iv worked for many leaders (read managers) who have no problem working a guy who hasn’t slept in over 24 hours just because they can.

 

[Lawnboi]

Utah seems to pay rock bottom for public salaries.

Geographically salaries are all over the place. We are looking at what I’m assuming is an extreme example.

 

[CorbLand]

Utah seems to pay rock bottom for public salaries.

Depends on what position it is. Base level stuff is pretty bad but some of the Admin positions are pretty solid. At least where I work.

Utah pay scale for the vast majority is bad but comparing the benefits to other states, they are damn good. My insurance is cheap for what it is and my retirement is damn good. Its give and take for most of it. What Utah is going to have to grip with for the foreseeable future is the cost of living has risen so fast, its hard for them to keep up. My area, housing prices basically doubled in 4 years. Anyone that was able to buy before then are fine, anyone trying to come in cant do it. Its going to be hard to replace people as they retire or move onto better paying jobs. We already feel that.

Pay is bad but the benefits help some.

 

[Lowg08]

I wouldn’t do that for $200,000 myself.

Me neither. I told him nope. Walk in and someone sitting in there own filth for 6 months nope.

 

[Billinsd]

Geographically salaries are all over the place. We are looking at what I’m assuming is an extreme example.

Yes. And government jobs in deep red Utah pay much less in relation to cost of living than blue states. That’s a component too. Decades ago, I hired a guide who was a fireman in NM and he could pay another co-worker fireman to work his shifts while guiding. I’ve read where some firemen would work other, higher paying jobs for weeks at a time, while maintaining their benefits.

 

[BRTreedogs]

All the people that criticize my job are just jealous haters that couldn't get an interview.
And I'm not fire ot ems btw.

If you want the fire pay, volunteer, go to fire school and do what it takes to get the job.