IAFF 1560: Firefighters & Paramedics of Boca Raton
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What is a Firefighter Worth?

Written by Tina Clarke, Proud wife of a Cumberland, RI, firefighter

 There  has been so much talk recently about things like containing costs, lowering taxes, and those who work in public safety being overpaid -  
particularly firefighters - that it could make your head spin. We've all  done the "simple math," crunched the numbers, and it all seems to boil  down to a simple question. What are firefighters worth?

I guess that depends. We live in a country that seems to have  forgotten what our priorities are. A man can be a skilled athlete who  happens to throw and catch a football well, and make millions and millions of dollars to do so. And we as a society are not only OK with  that, but we gather in front of our televisions and cheer that man on.  Meanwhile, a firefighter kisses his children goodbye before every shift  knowing the harsh reality that it very well could be the last time he  will see them, and he is fighting tooth and nail for decent health  coverage and substantial pay to support those children.

He is the man that you call when your elderly father has a stroke. He  is the person that will extract your 16-year-old son from a mangled  vehicle on the highway in the middle of the night. He is the person that  will be there in a heartbeat when your newborn infant stops breathing.  He is the person who is exposed to countless dangerous scenarios and has  seen horrific things during his career that would psychologically haunt  most of us for the rest of our lives. We trust him to save our homes  and belongings in the event of a disastrous fire, and we trust him to  keep us breathing and our hearts beating when we face our most critical  moments. What is he worth to you?

He sometimes will go days without sleep, and make life altering  decisions on every call he shows up to. He has missed family meals,  bedtime stories, Christmas mornings, school plays, anniversaries,  Thanksgiving dinners, and his own children's birthdays. We all know that  life is so very short, and firefighters sacrifice precious time with  the most important people in their lives to save the lives of the most  important people in yours. And now they have to defend and protect their  pensions, well deserved health benefits, and their paychecks. It has  been proposed by some that they lose many of their benefits, and work  extra shifts that they will not be compensated for. There seems to be a  serious misconception that firefighters are in it for the monetary gain,  and more and more often have been portrayed in a negative light for  actually expecting to be compensated for the sacrifices that they make  to do their job. For an individual that has chosen this selfless career,  it begs the question: Is it worth it?

Most of us are willing to pay a little extra for something if it is important to us, whether it be the shoes we wear, the doctor we choose  to treat
us, or even the cup of coffee we drink. It is something that we  value, therefore it is worth the cost. Most would agree that our safety  and protection is of unmeasurable value. Those of us that are skilled  in math may look at the numbers and think that stripping those who serve  our public of their way to earn a decent living is an answer to a  financial equation. But firefighters and their families are not numbers  on a piece of paper. They are human beings that are doing their jobs  every day to the best of their ability, and possibly sacrificing their  own lives for the life of a stranger. Not many of us in our right mind  would do that for free, and no one should have to.

So before making our minds up that firefighters are the financial  problem, sit down with a local firefighter and ask him about his job.  Ask him about his wife and his sons or daughters, what kind of house he  lives in, and what type of car he drives. And then ask yourself, if you  were to take on such a career, what would you expect in return?
IAFF Local 1560
Firefighters & Paramedics of Boca Raton
910 Clint Moore Road
Boca Raton, FL 33487
(561) 417-4008
[email protected]
  • Home
  • Fire Rescue
    • Effectiveness
    • Efficiency
    • What is a Firefighter Worth?
  • Public Safety Info
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • Members
    • Peer Support
    • Contract Calculation
    • Member Contact Update
    • Email Groups
    • Event Photos
  • Test Page