Having spent some time with the Emergency response unit in town lately, I can tell you that MOST of these guys were NOT doing anything remotely productive before that call went out.
Its one of those things that you pay for while they are doing nothing...and it makes you angry. But when they are “needed” its nice to have them nearby.
And all of the equipment: Homeland Security Grants are a huge source of funding. Much of this came as a result of Katrina, not terrorism. Of course, in DC there is probably a lot more attention on terrorism, rather than here in suburban New England.
I can’t address your location, but I will address the other emergency responder locations I have observed.
While it is true that there is down time, it’s also true that the facilities and equipment at the places I observed were immaculate.
Some people had obviously spent a great deal of time keeping the equipment in almost original condition, despite some of the circumstances that equipment had been soiled under.
I don’t begrudge these folks the down time, and I will state further that down time in any job is not what it is cracked up to be. The time passes slowly and can be very grating to deal with.
These people often spend days away from their families. It is also true they then get uninterrupted days with their families too.
They are there when we need them. I am glad they are.
Thanks for the insight and thanks for what you do.