No Brainer Question

[BD6413]

If you had the chance to possibly leave the Career Fire Service {I work in a Combination Department} and move on to a career in corporate protection where you'd still be involved with Emergency Responses, FIre Inspections, and EMS with a chance to triple your income in the 1st year would you make the move ?

I've made my mind up {Yeah it's a no brainer} but the problem I have is that I love this Job - been doing it for about 10 years as a paid employee but still don't make alot {Just over $29k} New Career would put me at about $65k with OT and upwards of $70k with the shift differential.

If you were faced with this how would you approach your Captain, Lieut, Bat. Chief or whom-ever ? Nothing etched in stone yet it could be months down the road but I'm curious how to handle it.....Where I work now has been great to me.

[fireman4949]

No one can answer that question, except you.

I will tell you this however. Money isn't why I am in the fire service. The FIRE SERVICE is why I'm in the fire service.
I could easily make double, if not close to triple my current FD salary if I chose to work in another field. As a matter of fact, I took a major pay cut when I went to work for the fire dept. 16 years ago.

Your financial situation may dictate what road you will need to take, but I have chosen to make less money, and work in a profession that to me, has no equal! I actually look forward to going on duty, and I can't imagine not having this job. How many jobs have you ever had where you could say that?!

Like the old saying; "The man who loves his job never has to work a day in his life!"




Kevin

[wombat]

choice

Hard one to make.
Does the family come first or the job?
If you still want a finger in the pie try looking for a vol brigade where you can still be part of the family and provide your bit of community service.
This may give you a method of keeping some of your skills up to date as well.

[achief15]

If you can still be involved in response, etc. then take the private job and live a little more comfortably. Of course, there goes the 9 shifts a month, which is pretty sweet. If you are union, keep paying your IAFF dues, because you can remain in the IAFF when you become "seperated" from service. That said, I am loyal to my Local, but if this job is that good, find a volly house and run with them. Your professional training and experince may be an asset to a smaller department.

And as they say in Starsky and Hutch; Do It. Dooo It.

[MattyS]

I gotta tell ya fella, I agree with my Talllllllahass.....s..seee(I think I got one too many letters in there) brother on this. I am certainly not in this for the money. And if you are, then your best bet would be to get out of our brotherhood. Go do contract work for Haliburton or something....

youre sitting in a position where there are 1000 other young johnnies wanting and waiting.

Don't tell me 10 years on and you already lost the spark that you had when you started...

Sounds like you need to do some soul searching..

Spend some time and drift over to Fire Engineerings website and watch Chief Lasky's webcast on pride and ownership:the love of the job.

Either way, YOU gotta figure it out

[THEFIRENUT]

I think that it might be a simple answer......Be broke & happy or be wealthy & Unknown!!!!

p.s. Money is good. Family can't be beat!!!!!

[BCLepore]

Everybody say s that money isn’t the only thing and that it’s more important to be happy. While I agree with this statement it sounds like you can triple your salary and still maintain your connection with the department as a volunteer firefighter.

If you elect lo leave for a career in private industry and don’t like it after a year or two I would bet that if you left in good standing you would be able to get your job back. Of course you would lose all of your seniority and have to take the test over again but it is an option. Something else to look into is taking a leave of absence. Many departments grant up to 1 year with no penalties. My department currently has a Captain on a 1 year leave while he is in Europe helping with his wife’s business.

Keep your options open.

You can sill satisfy your thirst for helping people by being a volunteer firefighter.

Good luck with your decision.

Paul Lepore

[BD6413]

There's no doubt I love the Job.....I've been in the Fire Service 20 years - 10 career and all 20 as a volunteer. {Yes I do both please don't hate me...I'm not IAFF} But at $14.75 an hour with out overtime pay {we only get comp. hours over the normal 12 worked in one day} I'm obviously not in it for the money - Sure the PTO adds up but I'd rather see it in my pocket after all like the rest of you guys and girls I have to pay a mortgage, two cars, catholic school tuition, and have two children {#2 will be here in December} - I'd be going to Fire Prevention / Safety / Security and be part of an E.R.T. {Emergency Response Team which include actually fighting fires} I just basically wouldn't be in the firehouse except to get one of the trucks and my gear should a fire start on the plant. - I'd have a pension {don't have one now and there is no chance in the near future of us getting one}

Thanks to my fellow brothers and sisters for the imput. I value the opinions - I know money isn't everything but it sure does help. - Where I work is a combination company with no written testing or employment lists so getting back in wouldn't be a problem I don't think as long as positions exist and there is a high enough turn-over rate throughout the county that finding a spot wouldn't be hard if I got out of the priviate industry so I'd be ok there.

Basically I'm just worried and just a little afraid to leave a job I love and put so much time and effort into to get. Thanks again all and keep the opinons coming....it does help.

[THEFIRENUT]

I say do whatever your heart desires. Just don't forget us "little guys".

[Firedawg3313]

There's no doubt I love the Job.....I've been in the Fire Service 20 years - 10 career and all 20 as a volunteer. {Yes I do both please don't hate me...I'm not IAFF} But at $14.75 an hour with out overtime pay {we only get comp. hours over the normal 12 worked in one day} I'm obviously not in it for the money - Sure the PTO adds up but I'd rather see it in my pocket after all like the rest of you guys and girls I have to pay a mortgage, two cars, catholic school tuition, and have two children {#2 will be here in December} - I'd be going to Fire Prevention / Safety / Security and be part of an E.R.T. {Emergency Response Team which include actually fighting fires} I just basically wouldn't be in the firehouse except to get one of the trucks and my gear should a fire start on the plant. - I'd have a pension {don't have one now and there is no chance in the near future of us getting one}

Thanks to my fellow brothers and sisters for the imput. I value the opinions - I know money isn't everything but it sure does help. - Where I work is a combination company with no written testing or employment lists so getting back in wouldn't be a problem I don't think as long as positions exist and there is a high enough turn-over rate throughout the county that finding a spot wouldn't be hard if I got out of the priviate industry so I'd be ok there.

Basically I'm just worried and just a little afraid to leave a job I love and put so much time and effort into to get. Thanks again all and keep the opinons coming....it does help.

I must first say that I spent 34 years in the fire service and it was more than I could have ever imagined. I was never in it for the money (the city I worked for is the lowest paid in the state) but was given a liveable pension with fairly decent benefits in return. After reading your post above, I would have to say that I wouldn't disagree with you leaving for the private sector. If you have very low pay and no pension and/or benefits after your career, you're going to be in a pretty sad situation when you reach retirement. Social Security (if it will still exisit when you reach 68) will not support you. At the pay rate your at and your family obligations I can't even see you being able to put enough into an IRA or a 401K (if your dept has one) to create a decent retirement benefit. As some mentioned above, you can take your experience and volunteer at a department near you. Some here will say that you may have no love or heart for the job but you're situation seems different. How many here would keep a career with LOW wages (even as great as this one is) if there were no pension or benefits that could be earned in return for the low pay. Being low paid is bad enough but if you can't at least get some kind of pension and some benefits it makes it harder to stay regardless of the love of da job. Again, you can still volunteer and earn your pension and benefits in the private sector.