Posted on 03/04/2017 6:57:28 PM PST by bkopto
Despite ever-tightening budgets, hefty paydays are actually becoming the norm for a lot of firefighters.
In 2015, some firefighters with the San Ramon Valley Fire District were making as much as $400,000 a year in total compensation, CBS San Francisco reports. More than half of the full-time employees at the department make more than $300,000 in total compensation a year, according to data collected by the watchdog group Transparent California.
“Does it make sense that a battalion chief in San Ramon should earn $300,000 when our governor only earns $180,000 a year in compensation?” said Jack Weir, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.
But one department said that paying out a lot of overtime is actually saving taxpayers money.
San Ramon Valley Fire Chief Paige Meyer says the $300,000 figure doesn’t tell the whole story. That number includes pension and benefits, so in reality, he says, firefighters take home about half of their total compensation.
“So, if someone makes $1, we ending up close to spending 90 cents for their pension, so that’s $1.90, roughly,” Meyer said. “And then we also have the costs of healthcare.”
Meyer said pension and healthcare obligations can mean it’s cheaper to pay a firefighter overtime instead of hiring someone new and adding an extra set of benefits costs.
“Saving can be upwards of 25 to 30 percent,” Meyer said.
Firefighters are guaranteed about 70 percent of their income after retirement in their 50s.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
That’s a load of bull.
No way they should be paid that much. Create more jobs for other people too. No need for all the pensions. Most taxpayers don’t get such pensions.
Gage and DeSoto would be most envious.
here the local cops rack up as much overtime as possible in their final 2 years because that is what their pension amount is calculated on for the rest of their lives.
We have a firefighter here that made almost $300 k last year with benefits and overtime. We know him since hubby is a retired firefighter. What no one knows is he works all the time. He is on call for any and every station and works every single holiday. He’s young, single, and has nothing else to do so he takes all the ot he can get. Our county fire department does 48 hr shifts. He put in more hours last year than anyone else in a department of over 400 people.
>>Most taxpayers don’t get such pensions.
Most taxpayers don’t spend their career fighting fires. Ever been inside a burning building?
They aren’t really paid that much. A lot of that $400k is overtime and the taxpayers demand it. They say “don’t hire so many firefighters” and then they say “give us the protection we want 24/7”. You can’t ask them, “which one do you want?” because their answer is “both”. So, you get OT.
Unreal.
And here is the other part that often goes unreported, the dire shortage of applicants.
Most firefighter positions go begging for years to have an applicant.
Especially here in the Rocky Mountains.
The simply law of supply and demand at work.
“Gage and DeSoto would be most envious.”
They did not make that much as actors.
Thank you. Hubby is a retired firefighter. 33 yrs. and he earned every single penny of it. Most people have no clue what firefighters really do. And it’s not just fires. The majority of their calls are Medical aids. Here firefighters are always first on scene for everything.
Oh not here. When they post openings the line goes for blocks to get apps. But not just anyone can apply anymore. You have to have an emt-1 cert, or an nremt cert, or completion of a state qualified fire Marshall academy 1 within the last 5 years.
BS.
None should be paid $400K per year. I don’t care if it’s over-time/pensions or whatever.
Cut their income in half and hire twice as many. We’ve got a lot of people that could use a good job paying $200K.
$400,000 for firefighters is outrageous.
“Ever been inside a burning building?”
Quite a few times. Almost didn’t make it out once when I and my buddy stayed in too long looking for a family member who wasn’t accounted for. Nearly pissed myself when I was manning a hose inside a barn and noticed I was standing about fifteen feet from an excetaline welding outfit in the middle of a pile of burning tires. I did it for about fifteen years as a volunteer.
I have no problem with someone who wants to work every chance he can. He’s willing to work every holiday. Good for him.
He shouldn’t be allowed to work more than so many hours per week for SAFETY reasons.
A lot of states don’t allow employees to work full double shifts because of SAFETY reasons. And I am just talking truck drivers, warehouse employees, etc. A firefighter should certainly not be allowed to work so many hours for his/her safety and that of the public.
Except when it is your house with your children inside.
Many college professors with defined benefit plans do the same. Work an academic year with a nine month salary, five years before retirement get promoted to a dean’s position
a raise and a 12 month contract. A substantial increase in one’s pension.
Typically I would agree, but didn’t California have fires all last year that took months to put out and then another batch started. And I think some were arson. It still is too much but I guarantee that they were working 24/7 for a long time during those fires. Everyone forgets about the fires after a short time.
Are you saying there is no shortage of applicants?
I’m sure you’re mistaken.
$300,000 says there must be, otherwise there would be a lineup to get the jobs and the salaries would fall.
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