Agreed

I'm four years behind you Zim. I've been trying to scale back work a bit and spend more time woodsbumming, but the customers won't leave me alone! Thanks in part, in my opinion, to Trump's economics, I'm having my busiest year since I started in business twenty-three years ago.

I don't get the logic behind special benefits for 1st responders, either. I'm a volunteer firefighter and absolutely love it. If I could change careers and be a full-time, paid firefighter I'd do it in a heartbeat. Alas, it can't be done at my age.

I don't think the public owes first responders anything more than they do anyone else. I'm glad police, paramedics, and firefighters get respect, honor, and trust from the public. In most cases, I think they deserve it. But the risks and hazards of these occupations are often greatly exaggerated. I admire my brother firefighters who are willing to take great personal risks to their health and lives to help other people when needed. But the truth is... these emergencies where firefighters need to do something especially dangerous to save someone's life or property are increasingly rare. Most police and firefighters do their job because they like the work and they get paid to do it - same as everybody else in every other career. I completely disagree with the attitude of any first responder who thinks they deserve something special because they are some kind of hero. I'm proud to be a volunteer firefighter. It costs me money, it takes up my time, inconveniences my family, and sometimes I have to do dangerous and unpleasant things. But I do it by my own choice because I love it and I like helping other people. I like it it when people appreciate my service and enjoy the trust they place in me to help them out when they are in need. But in no way do they owe me anything out of the ordinary.

The biggest hazard to firefighters isn't dying in the collapse of a burning building - it's the risk of dying from cardiac arrest. Firefighting is a heavy-duty, intense physical workout - often starting from a dead sleep, while exposed to toxic gases, severe heat (from high physical exertion in thermal protective gear, usually not flames), dehydration, and restrictive breathing apparatus. When a firefighter gets to be much over 50, I don't care how much you workout, fighting a structure fire can be a serious butt kicker! If a front line-firefighter hasn't transferred to an office position or progressed to a command position where less physical activity is required by the age of 50, it might be time to retire before they have a heart attack in the middle of a firefight. So, in that way, I can see some reasoning for a younger retirement age for some kinds of first responders. I know firefighting, and many times probably law enforcement, is definitely a young man's game!

But even if a firefighter or police officer is too old to do the physical work of law enforcement or firefighting after age 50 and they can't move to an officer's position, they will have to find another job just like everyone else in the world. That's how I see it.

Having said that, I do think it makes sense for firefighters who come down with cancer to have their illness presumed job-related and covered by workers compensation. I also think PTSD in police and firefighters should be presumed job related and covered by workers compensation.

Google is your friend and if you’re interested in job related deaths and pay look it up. No one is shaving their head and sending them off to Vietnam. They signed up for the job. We all are forced to pay in we should all get our return at the same time.

Kart29 made some good points! Muskeg, no one shave your head and set you to Vietnam, the draft was over year ago. Most people do not know that most fire department are volunteer fire fighters. With little or no pay. I work a full time job and raised a family. Was a fire fighter for 28 years and held every position except Chief. Had fire officer 1&2, fire fighter 1&2 EMT, FF 1&2 took 260 of training on my own time. When I retired I was the safety Officer another 25 hours of training. There is no glory in fire fighting, it is hot and dirty work and then the work after the fire before you go home. We had a meeting and training once a month and just training once a month. Most small towns and villages can not afford a full time paid department. But we still have to have the training as do the full time fire departments. You want to have some fun, go to your local fire department and ask to put on full turn out gear with a SCBA and 50 foot of 2-1/2 inch hose and run 200 feet and go up a 20 ladders. I got a jacket with my name spelled wrong. LOL my fellow fire fighter payed for the jacked because you can not use tax payers money for such things. My take on the subject you have to be 60 years old and have 25 years of service. JMO

I'm with Zim on this one!

Please let's not forget Fords $750.00 rebate to first Responders, Great Clips discount for Service Men, and discounts on magazine subscriptions for veterans. My favorite is the policeman in front of me at the McD's counter picking his bag of free food, and trying to squeeze behind the wheel of his squad car!

I'm still waiting for Reagan's Trickle Down Theory to reach me. Let's keep wavin' that flag and hoping things will change.

I have been a paid on call fire fighter for a 11 years in a town with a population of 3200 people and Within 5 years of me getting on applications to become a firefighter have gone from a pool of 15 or more to we the firefighters have to go and recruit applicants. Nobody want to do extra work in life anymore. Firefighter recruitment and retention is horrible. Wednesday night we brought on a new firefighter that we have been working on getting to apply for 2 years. Later in the meeting a firefighter we have had for 8 months handed in his pager and since the only other application was still open to hire we brought him on too. We only had 2 applications, we don’t get to sort for good applicants we get who we get so we recruit heavily. Politicians are hearing from fire marshall offices and FD association that something needs to be done with recruitment and retention and it’s a nation wide problem. Kart 29 Said heart attacks are the #1 killer of firemen but cancer is going to overtake that statistic if it hasn’t already. Politicians are trying to resolve staffing level problems and using the tools they have available “government healthcare”. I don’t know if it is the right tool for them to use but they need something or everyone will be paying more in homeowner insurance because their fire departments insurance safety organization (ISO) rating takes a hit due to staffing. The smaller towns around us all have open firefighting positions already.

When I started on the FD in 1982 we had 32 FF, they now have 17FF. The only thing that has kept above water is dual tone, If we get a structure fire they call the closest fire dept. If they need a water tender anyplace in the county we respond if requested. We only have water in the Village, if out of town the water has be to be trucked in. Only a small % of our fire district has water. We have a lot of land that is forested so we have to deal with wildfires. Our department is the highest paid, we get $25.00 a fire. The avg. fire is about 4 hours by the time you get home. Some department get paid nothing.
Your insurance is rated on the FD ISO rating, and it is hard to keep that rating with only 17 members, remember not all 17 are on the end of a hose. Also remember some of the 17 fire fighter maybe at work out of town. I would suggest you go visit your FD in your town. There is a hole lot more then meet the eye. JMO

Not sure how they decide who should get what benefit at what age. Everyone seems to think they know best for others?? It's all relevant to your health a physical condition though how a person works. I spent 30 years in fire service came to it from construction job didn't see either as more dangerous than the other. I could hold my own with the kids on either job until cancer took me out at 57..I got nothing form anyone for that. I was the guy doing time in the gym when I worked construction and continued that into the fire service. That was just what I did and I did that for myself not to save anyone but me.. I'm 62 now still doing the volunteer Dive thing I'm 35 years in that mess. I for sure can't run and gun like I used to physically.. I still have a lot I can bring to the table for knowledge. I think lot of the young guys rather learn for a book even if your the old guy that wrote the book.. They all got ideas of what they want things to be with their job. reading a post like this makes me think I been just a dope for 35 years diving for free. I chose to help people because I could do something other couldn't or wouldn't... What a Dummy I've been..
Most job can be more dangerous just because of the people who are doing them are reckless and dangerous.
So every one tries to get what hey can for them selves just how it is.
I think offering benefits is more about just trying to get recruits. I know we have hard time getting new younger divers and I can't do it like I used to. Really got to pick and choose.
Every one wants a first responded when they punch in 911 on the phone. Get Po'ed when their not there right now and expect nothing but a professional to arrive.
But they don't want to pay taxes for a professional service. Them public employee's just milk the cow ya know. But everyone being just like that same person who calls 911 for first time. They don't want pay taxes or to waste their time doing anything for someone else free or reduced pay.. Vicious thing.

Rant over..
I got mine :-)

Mac

Why would anyone want insurance from a failing entity.

Macthediver, we had to give up our dive team because we could not get anyone interested in diving, be put a TON of money into that program.
A volunteer department is much different that a full time department. If you get some guy Po'ed he is gone. On a full time department this is there job and living. Also on a volunteer department you have to know and do every job, it depends who show up for the call. Our department does not have a gym or health center.

What about veterans.

Now you are talking.