Research paper

[khunter2]

Hey guys, I'm writing a research paper and was wondering if I could get a few of your opinions. Because I can't actually personal interview you through the computer, I am asking that you just tell me a few topics and how you feel.
1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?
2. Is FF salary a big issue ?
3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?
4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?
5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.

The biggest of these questions deals with the issues and problems surrounding firefighting. My paper is for my sociology class; we are supposed to choose a topic that relates to what we want to do after college.
I am going to answer the question that deals with why it is worth it to be a FF. In particular, I am going to highlight the benefits of the "brotherhood", respect, schedule, physicality, etc.

If you have anything else that you think would help, feel free to input. Thank you very much for your help.

[RFDACM02]

1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?
2. Is FF salary a big issue ?
3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?
4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?
5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.

1. IMO: Financial backing of the community to ensure adequate staffing and equipment. This is usually an issue where the general populus is not as educated to our jobs as we'd like, so trying to get 4,5,or firefighters per apparatus is not a reality. Often it os those people who become educated through using our services, public ed, or taking an interest that are our best supporters.
2. Depends on your point of view. In most places public sector jobs that are considered essential functions don't make great money, yet entertainers that serve at our pleasure to keep us occupied make the most money! In our area, dump employees make more money than staring ff/medics! Why? Because it takes money to make someone want to work at the dump. We all do this for the something other tha money! So being a carer FF is just a bonus: getting paid to do something you love: priceless. Of course thats a huge obstacle to overcome. When we send 1000 applicants in for couple of jobs the bean counters figure they can keep pay low and still fill the ranks.
3. Again, IMO I've seen many people with many different opinions on this. I wouldn't want to work where the community was not happy with the department, yet I dn't expect firefighters to automatically get respect just because of the title. Respect must be earned.
4. Middle class. Most places do not pay enough to make you an upper calls, country clubber. You can usually tell the firefighters on the golf course, by the jeans and t-shirts and constant razzing of each other.
5. No, I think that our personnel are still seen as service people who are called when you can't take care of something. It might be different once they've been the one's in need, but again the upperclass probably wouldn't want a bunch of truckies at their next dinner party.
Unfortunately, I think that money is still the driving force behind determining peoples social status. Thiose titles most associated with high status usually command bigger salaries.

[MemphisE34a]

The biggest problem that the fire service faces nationally is that very few departments can agree on what the main problems are. Every department has differn't wants and needs and for the most part is not willing to conceed that maybe something lower on their individual want list may be something that could help a majority of the others. If it doesn't help me, we're not for it.

Regardless of what the community might ever think or feel about you, it takes money to be upper class - financially speaking. Proprtionally speaking for ondividual costs of living, most fire departments pay a salary that would be considered lower or middle class.

[NYCTruckie]

1) City bureaucracy and political correctness.
2) You can't use the words 'big' & 'salary' in the same sentence. Salary sucks. Not the first concern of FFs though, the job is.
3) None. Many do not respect us, depends on the neighborhood.
4)Blue collar.
5)Absolutely not. Post 9/11 has boosted our status but is now pretty much back to the way it used to be.

[orangehopeful]

[QUOTE=khunter2]Hey guys, I'm writing a research paper and was wondering if I could get a few of your opinions. Because I can't actually personal interview you through the computer, I am asking that you just tell me a few topics and how you feel.
1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?

I think that as a service, we get kicked around a little too much. I do, however, think this is our fault. If we could better communicate our needs and plans, and better convince the public of this, it would allow us to move the service forward. Maybe, just maybe, it would allow us to not be the first budge cuts for government.

2. Is FF salary a big issue ?

Depends where you work- in general, firefighters tend to complain but the job is too rewarding to let salary be a deciding factor on taking this job...

3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?

Huge. Having the trust of the citizens makes this job a lot easier. It also leads me to believe that if we could merely better educate the citizens, they would back us more fully.

4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?

Blue collar. Whether you get paid 100k or volunteer, this is blue collar work.

5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.

NO.

[FyredUp]

1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?
a. Staffing
b. Loss of or additional costs to benefits
c. Political correctness to a point of absurdity
d. Public apathy, or actually in some cases public scorn for a service they think is overpaid and under utilized

2. Is FF salary a big issue ?
a. To some this is an issue, I believe we are paid quite well in my career FD. Not that I want to give back or turn down raises when they pccur though.
b. There are places in this country where firefighters are compensated at far below what they should be.

3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?
a. I am self motivated to do this job. So honestly it plays a very small part with me.
b. However having said that it always makes me feel good when people say thank you and tell you they appreciate the dangerous job we do. But I would do it regardless of whether I got that ataboy or not.

4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?
a. Depends on where you work really. If you work in a blue collar community you are one of them. If you work in a ghetto, or slum or low income area of any kind and drive into work in you new SUV how do you think the residents view you? If you work in an upper class, yuppie area of multi-million dollar homes or condos you may be viewed as little more than a servant by the residents.
b. Having said all that I consider my self blue collar. I am a working man, I get dirty, I do what most others can't even begin to fathom.

5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.
a. No. Upper class is a socio-economic status and not soley based on public perception of your career.


Frankly, I don't need anyone to motivate me or make me feel good about myself as a firefighter. Maslow had it right..follow the hierarchy and self-actualization is the key to happiness. If the reason you are a firefighter is because you are looking for better social status, or better economic status, or the love and adoration of the community I question if you really want to be a firefighter or if you are looking for outside reasons to feel good about yourself. Read some of the accounts of career guys on here who barely make enough to feed their families and pay for their houses, or vollies that run out of basically shacks with 40 year old trucks and 2 scba for the entire department. Do you think these people do it for staus and money? I don't. The real shame is in communities that never even think about the fact that they have a fire department there 24/7 until THEY need them. So until THEY need them why should THEY care if they are understaffed, under equipped and under paid?

FyredUp

[Itsmy6]

I'm actually writing one too and i got 2 questions:

1. How do you get the call?

2. From the time you get the call how much time do you have to get to the scene?

[Catch22]

I think you'll find answers will vary by region, opinion, and a number of other factors. I'll give you my input from what I experience in my area.

1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?
Lack of formal training and adequate/reliable equipment.
Resistance to change ("We've always done it that way"). Which often reciprocates into safety issues.
Failure of city admin to understand (or refusal to understand) the fire deparment's issues.

2. Is FF salary a big issue ?
If you're talking paid personnel, yes and no.

3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?
Moderate. Bottom line is I'm there to do a job. The vast majority of the community respects what we do, they just don't recognize it until it effects them. I don't let the "you guys sit in a recliner and eat all day" people bother me, they're the minority. At the same time, it can put an extra hop in your step if you work a community that has a high level of support.

4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?
Blue collar, definitely. Even on the vollie end, you'll see very few white collar/upper class people involved.

5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.
I'm not sure what you're asking; a higher level of respect or a higher level of "class" (monetarily). If you're talking respect, I think it's going to vary by community. Most people don't know much about the fire department until they need them unless that department has a damn good PR campaign.

If you know of a department whose personnel are "upper class" in regards to compensation and lifestyle, let me know.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

1. What are some of the main problems that Fire departments face (generally)?

Staffing and funding. The politicians think that's it's the BRT (big red truck) that puts out fires. The BRT is means of transport of personnel and equipment to the scene, to pump water or raise large aerials.

It takes money to make that happen.

2. Is FF salary a big issue ?

Some firefighters are paid just enough to keep them above the poverty level. others are paid quite well, most fall somewhere in the middle.

3. How big of a role does community respect have in your job satisfaction?

I would say that most FD's have the respect of the community. There will always be naysayers who criticize that the FD doesn't do enough for the community, yet they are the first ones to say "cut the FD's budget" when it comes tax time...

4. Would you consider firefighting Blue collar? upper class? lower class?

Firefighting transcends class... I would tend to call it "black collar"... my cleaning bills for the uniforms worn at fires bear this theory out!

5. Do you think that because of the community respect associated with FF, it boosts FF to upper class.

It depends on your definition of "class". In some communities, the people with the highest incomes are the biggest a**holes on God's green earth, expecting everyone to serve them.

Some in the community call us "heroes", but I can tell you that for the exceptfor the occasional "prima donnas", most of us are content just being able to do "da job".