[Sean Kelly]

Depends where in the country you live

[Sean Kelly]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

[Perfect Windows]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

Indeed.  And a great deal of that is spent fast asleep because you work a shift pattern that doesn't reflect when fires actually occur.

I'd LOVE to be paid while fast asleep.

Vin

[Paul H]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

Indeed.  And a great deal of that is spent fast asleep because you work a shift pattern that doesn't reflect when fires actually occur.

I'd LOVE to be paid while fast asleep.

Vin

 

somewhere pension contributions was mentioned in this debate too ...

Opt out that will make you better off monthly ... Ooo and scrap your union contribution too while you're on ...

Sure all that will give you an extra £££££ s disposable income ..

You see what people are saying is you have a decent job , decent wage , government pension , cushy shift pattern where you sleep at work then get up go home and go and do your "fiddle job" ...

[PoleKing]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

Indeed.  And a great deal of that is spent fast asleep because you work a shift pattern that doesn't reflect when fires actually occur.

I'd LOVE to be paid while fast asleep.

Vin

 

somewhere pension contributions was mentioned in this debate too ...

Opt out that will make you better off monthly ... Ooo and scrap your union contribution too while you're on ...

Sure all that will give you an extra £££££ s disposable income ..

You see what people are saying is you have a decent job , decent wage , government pension , cushy shift pattern where you sleep at work then get up go home and go and do your "fiddle job" ...

If it was your house on fire with your kids inside-would the tone of the post differ...

[8weekly]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

Indeed.  And a great deal of that is spent fast asleep because you work a shift pattern that doesn't reflect when fires actually occur.

I'd LOVE to be paid while fast asleep.

Vin

 

somewhere pension contributions was mentioned in this debate too ...

Opt out that will make you better off monthly ... Ooo and scrap your union contribution too while you're on ...

Sure all that will give you an extra £££££ s disposable income ..

You see what people are saying is you have a decent job , decent wage , government pension , cushy shift pattern where you sleep at work then get up go home and go and do your "fiddle job" ...

If it was your house on fire with your kids inside-would the tone of the post differ...

The problem is that faced with a sooty window half the firemen wouldn't know whether to break it or clean it.   

[AuRavelling79]

Luvvin' the small minded jealousy on this thread! If someone is lucky enough to have a firefighter's job and uses their days off to work then good luck to them.

I remember my F-i-Law who had a 3 day x 12 hour shift pattern in a chemical factory who would do patios, drives and garden clearance to get away from his dragon of a wife. He didn't charge much per hour and it really got up the noses of "prufeshnial" gardeners and labourers.

Tough.  As long as they declare a second income it's a level playing field; but if they don't then dob 'em in! Oooh can't do that I'm not a grass so I'll sit and whinge about it ... 

[Perfect Windows]

If it was your house on fire with your kids inside-would the tone of the post differ...

Take that to its logical conclusion and firemen should be paid an infinite amount of cash.  It's a job.  Get over it.

People in the Army risk their lives ultimately for your benefit but are paid significantly less and work much harder for their money.  You don't mind their being paid a miserable pittance.

Firemen are paid well enough for their job that there's a huge waiting list of people wanting to join. Then out they come and undercut the business of people who don't have the luxury of another job getting them more than the median UK wage for a four day or four sleepy night week. From the Hampshire fire service website today "Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is no longer accepting applications for wholetime firefighters. The application process will not be re-opened until further notice." They aren't accepting applicants as they are stuffed to the gills.  And basic economics says that if there are no vacancies and you're not even accepting applications, a job must be pretty well paid for the services being required.

And whatever you might say about danger, the pay must outweigh it or people wouldn't do it. Builders face danger.  Our ladder-wielding brethren face danger. 49 "operational fatalities" have occurred in the past 20 years in the Fire service  (http://www.fbu.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/fbu_fatalities_report.pdf) .  I've tried to find the number but I believe it's reckoned to be 6-7 window cleaners a year and heaven only knows how many builders a year.

Anyway I understand I'm on sticky ground here. I'm just arguing logic against years and years of Fire Brigade Union propaganda about how special their boys are and how they all deserve to be able to have two jobs.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

Luvvin' the small minded jealousy on this thread! If someone is lucky enough to have a firefighter's job and uses their days off to work then good luck to them.

I remember my F-i-Law who had a 3 day x 12 hour shift pattern in a chemical factory who would do patios, drives and garden clearance to get away from his dragon of a wife. He didn't charge much per hour and it really got up the noses of "prufeshnial" gardeners and labourers.

Tough.  As long as they declare a second income it's a level playing field; but if they don't then dob 'em in! Oooh can't do that I'm not a grass so I'll sit and whinge about it ... 

Ah yes, but the taxpayer wasn't funding you F-i-L's job.  I'm paying for them to come out and compete with me.

[Sean Kelly]

And vin we don't work half a week we do 48 hours over 4 days

Indeed.  And a great deal of that is spent fast asleep because you work a shift pattern that doesn't reflect when fires actually occur.

I'd LOVE to be paid while fast asleep.

Well get a job that pays you to sleep then, thing is we hardly sleep, you've got this sterotypical image in your head, I doubt you'd last a day in the service any way

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

Well get a job that pays you to sleep then, thing is we hardly sleep, you've got this sterotypical image in your head, I doubt you'd last a day in the service any way

What has my suitability for being a fireman to do with a single word I've said? 

No I wouldn't fit in but don't try to colour that as some kind of failing or weakness.  There's a bit of your own self-importance leaking out.  Here's one for you.  I used to be in IT sales.  I can say with total certainty that you wouldn't have lasted a day in that job either.  See how feeble it sounds and how irrelevant to whether you're speaking sense?

So get over yourself.  You're doing a JOB.  That's it.  And you're well-paid for it (or there wouldn't be a queue to join)

Anyway, enough.  You're all heroes who deserve a doubling, no a trebling of pay and a halving of hours.  That's the story you hear every day from your beliigerent union, so I don't blame you for being brainwashed.

Vin

[Sean Kelly]

There's no job satisfaction in it sales it wouldn't drive me I'm afraid, have a good night buddy

[Paul H]

There's no job satisfaction in it sales it wouldn't drive me I'm afraid, have a good night buddy

And no satisfaction in your firefighting job... Or wouldn't be seeking  to go window cleaning ...

Thing is the government want you to graft for your tax payers money ... They know you have it cushy , yeah they'll give a pay rise but in return for a change in shift patterns no extra jobs .... hmm you soon took what was on offer ...

If you were offered over 28k of window cleaning work would you quit your job ... After all it is more than your current wage ??

my mate is a soldier ,,, covered on them ratty green army fire engines when you lot went in strike ( so 70s btw ) ...

Thing is they were doing a better job with sub standard gear and you lot knew that ..

[robert mitchell]

Vin - I have just lost all respect for you after that rant .

Your gobbing off about something you clearly know very little about.

Firefighter deaths are on the rise due to lack of investment ,despite the fact we are very very cheap (around £50 per household per year)

Its not easy to get into the fire service, you have to be determined and have the aptitude for it.

As for the sleeping , why do you begrudge a firefighter sleeping when not on a shout but not a soldier?

soldiers get paid to sleep much more often than a firefighter.

Both my brothers are soldiers and i dont begrudge them sleeping while being paid from taxes that i pay.

taxes that also go towards paying my own wages.

why does he have to "get over himself" he wasnt showing off, the only little bit of bigging up was done by another poster.

my last night shift involved a fatal car crash on the m27 , 18 year old girl ,rolled her car and came out of it whilst it was rolling , not pretty and if im honest quite upsetting , straight from that to a fire at a high rise block of flats (albeit small) back to station for an hour
then a house fire .

yes there are times when its quiet , but we have huge amounts of training and community safety work to do , obviously that cant be done at night  .

of course it would be much better if we were not allowed to sleep and turned up knackered to these incidents , putting the public and us more at risk.

As for being packed to the rafters , simply not true , we are on the bones of our arse for frontline staff.

AND anyone can work part time if they wish , i know plenty of non fire brigade staff that do exactly that but nobody has a go at them.

of course firefighters never pay tax on there part time work do they , and we all play snooker and have cooks to make our dinner .

I just never get why people get so jealous when they have the same chance to join as anyone else .

I have no problem with a bit of banter but there is no need to attack someone like that .

[robert mitchell]

Paul h , the fireman that went on strike last time still went on rtc trapped and persons reported shouts so it wasnt really a strike .

so many people believe the "facts" printed in the sun.

Some people on my watch saved a baby from a fire during the strike and the sun reported that the navy saved him, even though the navy crew said it was us !

They printed an apology a week later that was two or three lines hidden in the back of the paper somewhere .

he is window cleaning for money not because he gets no job satisfaction.

[Paul H]

Paul h , the fireman that went on strike last time still went on rtc trapped and persons reported shouts so it wasnt really a strike .

so many people believe the "facts" printed in the sun.

Some people on my watch saved a baby from a fire during the strike and the sun reported that the navy saved him, even though the navy crew said it was us !

They printed an apology a week later that was two or three lines hidden in the back of the paper somewhere .

he is window cleaning for money not because he gets no job satisfaction.

What's your views on the public sector enhanced pensions , shift patterns , etc...

Not happy when they suggest meddling with them.. Why is that ?

Lots of community work etc...,, I mean come on ...

You know the wage and risks surely when you join ... So you can see why whilst everyone appreciates the work they are trained to do ... sure you can see why some may at as having your cake and eating it ...





 

[G Griffin]

I don't bother myself with what firemen or the armed forces earn. It's nowt to do with me- although I do have a vote- and I can't really do anything about it. I clean windows, that's enough responsibility for me and I don't really want any more.
I haven't got a problem with people having two jobs, either. If any thing, they should be applauded. If they can hold down two jobs, they are obviously doing something right.
If there aren't enough jobs then that's the fault of people higher up than the likes of us. And if people can't handle the competition then they should look at themselves and adapt. You can deal with that problem, if not the first.

[Perfect Windows]

Vin - I have just lost all respect for you after that rant .

...

Rant?  What rant?  I've pointed out that you're doing a job that is well paid enough to create a huge waiting list.  I've pointed out that other people risk their lives every day (and MANY, many, many more builders, soldiers and window cleaners die every year than firemen). So, I'm sorry if treating what you do as a job rather than some kind of mythological heroic undertaking upsets you.

The "bigging up" I was pointing out was the comment "I doubt you'd last a day in the service".  If that's not bigging yourself up (translation: "I got in, you never would"), I don't know what is.

Anyway, I'm stopping now.  As I pointed out, it's logic against propaganda, so I'm not going to make any progress.

Vin

[robert mitchell]

Also vin the shift pattern is there to cover  24 hr s seven days a week to cover not only fires but car crashes , lorry crashes, rope rescue , water rescue , people stuck in lifts , suicides , people locked in or out of there house , kids locked in cars by accident etc etc the list goes on.

We even have bullet proof vests now to go to terrorist incidents /roaming shooters to get casualties out.

The majority of fatal/serious injury shouts I have been to have been at night , if we were not at the station asleep you could be waiting an extra 8-10 mins for the first appliance , a long time when someone you lo e is trapped .

[robert mitchell]

Ok I missed that part of his post but it doesnt change the fact your posting your opinion as fact.

Clearly you dont know the facts .