1

Bob

Welcome to 2010 and the recession. Get rid of surplous staff like everyone else has to. Im sure you can trim the fat – stop doing so many country fetes, visiting schools etc. Firefighters get the best perks, the best pay, and the best holidays – 2 days, 2 nights (which they sleep mostly anyways) then 4 full days off is outrageous… “Dead mans shoes” job everyone would be grateful for. Stop moaning.

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3

thorpey

Outrageous Bob doing a 48hr shift and having time off, and of course they never go out in the middle of the night to help people in distress, either on land or at sea, and they expect to get paid as well, shocking!

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5

chanchan

Bob,

think for a bit before you write comments down. The shift they work is the best and only shift available to be able to constant crew the station. the reason they have to rest at night is down to eu working time directives, which is laid down in law. What would you rather have, a firefighter that has been up all night and therefore unfit to carry out their task.

if you call a perk having to work weekends, nights, public holidays and christmas and new year dealing with blood, guts and members of family when your tucked up at home with your family, then yes they do have some.

lets just hope its not your house burning down in the middle of the night, and crews have been up all night after idiots like you protested about resting at night waiting for a call. Fire fighters dont get 4 days off either. they work 9 hours of their last night, so only get three days off in between their shift. They actually work between 42 and 48 hours a week, which i am sure is more than you do, or most others in the private sector.

stop jumping on the private sector bandwagon and try and add something useful to the topic.

get real and come up with a proper valid argument before writing such utter tripe.

i suggest that unless you have any real constructive ideas in how to deal with the current situation the island is in, you keep your pathetic comments to yourself.

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7

Confused

Still not sure how they can work nine hours of a day and still refer to it as a day “off”.

Explain please.

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9

kate

Firefighters run in when we don’t want to, they walk where angels fear to tread. Bob, maybe one day when you are doing your 9-5 job you will grow some understanding and some balls

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11

Jambo

Dave, a night shift comprises of a selection of the following:
Routine checks of appliances and equipment
Emergency response to incidents
Home fire safety inspections
Maintenance of specialist equipment
Inspections of licensed premises
Training of wholetime and retained firefighters
Hydrant testing and inspections
Individual reference work
Rest period

During the later hours of the night firefighters are permitted to sleep, which is something that firefighters all over the world do.
I can assure you that it is not a restful sleep, knowing that at any second you could be tipped-out to any kind of incident. The variety of incidents that firefighters attend are often physically demanding and it has been proven that a rested firefighter is more effective than one that has been kept awake all night for the sake of justifying their existancce to little-minded members of the public.

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13

C Le Verdic

#10 Dave: “Can someone tell me what firefighters do when the are ‘working’ during the nightshift during the time they are not attending fires?”

Use your imagination, that seems to be the definitive approach to this issue.

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15

Cookie

Re: confused, the same applies to ambulance staff they too work 7 hours after last night shift into their supposedly day off and then a 7 hour stand by before they are actually free from work to enjoy rest of their day! Bob, you really need to get that chip off your shoulder, it is hard work that the emergency services do, this is represented in the statistics that give them a much lower average death age than office workers due to sleeping at all times of day and night disturbing the circadian rhythm! hence the earlier retirement!!! Still envy them and their low wages???

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17

combo

to all u private sector workers that think you know best (Bob)…. I have experienced both working in finance and being a firefighter so am well versed with the issues that relate to both roles. Would I rather work 37 1/2 hours a week for a finance salary and get to spend time with family and friends every night, weekend and bank holidays if I want, or work 42-48 hours a week for a firefighters salary and have to make arrangements around shifts.. a matter of choice I know.

How many people would be willing and unreservedley put themselves in traumatic circumstances and risk their own life, having to cut bodies from vehicles, deal with chared remains and console parents that have lost children to fires for the salary of a firefighter??! Also remember its not all about pay, never has been.

As for staffing numbers..if the fire service is so over populated, why is it there are always reports of retainers having to supplement numbers at incidents.

Ask someone who has been rescued by a firefighter be it from a fire, cliff rescue, inshore rescue or road traffic collision what they think.

Training,equipment and skilled personnel are essential for any job to be undertaken effectively, in the fire service this includes non frontliners.

Perhaps ministers should cut spending elsewhere but hey at least we have a nice cycle track and the pavements at Bel Royal were well worth the £1m+ ??!

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