Am I cold and heartless? ie Jerk?

saracelica

saracelica

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saracelica
Okay so this Sunday two firefighters went into an apartment building that was on fire and got trapped inside and ultimately died. Tragic yes. It was on the news, I'm still okay with it that is news worthy. Well now they have memorial funds since one of the fire fighters had a 3 year old and a 1 week old baby and wife left behind. The other was not married. Tonight they are broadcasting the funeral ceremony on tv during prime time! Really. I didn't know the firefighters why should I care? Is it the same as caring when another pilot dies? Because that I can relate to, I recognize it can be dangerous to be a pilot.

The community has totally rallied behind all of the Cities fire stations and there are Facebook pages dedicated to them and people can sign up for when they can bring them dinner. Seems a little blown out of proportion. But I had no other outlet for this since several of my Facebook friends are either firefighters or are married to one. So am I jerk for feeling like this?
 
Certainly I think it's odd to televise the funeral services separate of the news. But then again it's the station's right to call the programming and your right to change the channel.

Would I watch a televised funeral for people I didn't know? No.
 
Nope. The pedastalizing of cops and firefighters is retarded. They are heroes because they do a cough dangerous cough job, but geez when one dies you'd think a million children perished for all the emotional outpouring nonsense. Pathetic.
 
MHO:

It is fine if you are disinterested in watching, certainly doesn't make you a bad person by any stretch.

On the other side though, I'd rather see the community rally behind the FF's family and coworkers than watch another 30 minutes of "TMZ" or whatever other cr@p is being thown on the airwaves as part of the regularly scheduled program.

In my view, firefighters are among the most selfless, generous people I've ever met and are well deserving of special honors.
 
I'm in agreement, the hero worship culture ,is getting to me as well. It is a dangerous job, firefighter,policeman,soldier, sailor,airman.

These jobs are labors of love because the pay stinks. The risks are higher than other jobs but ........it makes ratings and news print for days.
 
Sleepingsquirrel said:
I'm in agreement, the hero worship culture ,is getting to me as well. It is a dangerous job, firefighter,policeman,soldier, sailor,airman.

These jobs are labors of love because the pay stinks. The risks are higher than other jobs but ........it makes ratings and news print for days.
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The pay stinks?:confused:
 
In the Northeast the pay does not stink. They make more then most white collar professionals. Boston has a funny detail if you end your career while filling in for someone with a higher rank you get a higher pension. Over 80% of Boston FFs end their careers by 'injury' on a day they just happen to filling in for their boss. Oh well just another sign of a bloated prefail empire.
 
Maybe it doesn't? I worked for $0.80/hour as a sailor in the Nuclear Navy.
 
Sleepingsquirrel said:
Maybe it doesn't? I worked for $0.80/hour as a sailor in the Nuclear Navy.
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When was this?

My pay as an E5 in the Army was roughly $7 an hour, and considering I had free room, board and healthcare, and a clothing allowance, it was a fairly good deal.
 
I believe he's dividing monthly pay by every hour in the month.
 
Captain said:
I believe he's dividing monthly pay by every hour in the month.
Click to expand...

Yes I did that! When submerged on patrol , I considered myself to be available 24/7 and so did everyone else. It was more like $0.71 /hour.
I guess I should recalculate for four hours on four hours off. So I was mistaken $1.42 hour.:rolleyes2:
 
Yeah, I did that too when I was in the Navy.

And yet, I always hit port with wads of cash in my pocket. That's the other side not calculated. No expense life style with money to boot. Plus, we all asked to join and were happy to serve. I look back at it as some of my fondest memories and it paid for my current career.

Oh, and I've been around the world (literally), been to 6 continents, climbed Mt Fuji and Mt Seribachi (sp? The one on Iwo Jima), dove the Great Barrier Reef, saw the darkest clearest nights on earth, fired missiles and 5 inch guns, learned to solder, fix xerox machines and electronics in general, met runway models, and slept with more girls than I deserved including SnowWhite (Tokyo Disney).

All in all I consider my pay WAY above the hourly rate of $.80 / hr.
 
Police and fire fighters do deserve that kind of attention. They don't work those jobs for the money and fame. They put themselves in danger everyday for your safety.

Personally I have a brother in law enforcement so it hits home a lot more than it would for others.

When a fellow brother(And I say brother because it is just like a family) in that field dies in the line of duty like that, it is more of an emotional tragedy than any pilot dying in a plane crash. Yes both knew the risks involved but the difference is the pilot died just doing what he/she loved to do, and the LEO/Firefighter died trying to protect someone and/or defending that line of justice that keeps order in this increasingly cruel world.

I would challenge you to attend a funeral for a fallen police officer that died in the line of duty(even if you didn't know the officer). If you don't tear up just a little bit when they do the last call at the grave site, then there is something wrong with you.
 
That reminds me. I played taps at around a hundred funerals. Never teared up. Wouldn't look right if I did.
 
BS. First of all they rarely die, geez compare how many dogs they shoot compared to how many cops die. Second they are only protecting themselves. The supremes said cops have no duty to protect citizens. All they do is fine citizens and tell others to clean up the mess made by criminals after the damage is done.
 
You missed the whole point jdennis. I don't feel anything for someone who chose a career where they know it's dangerous. When Siegfried or Roy got bit by the Tiger I thought "That took awhile for it to happen" same with Steve Irwin...in a big pool and he gets stung and killed by a Stingray, oy vey.

People die. I know people I love will die and I may shed a tear for them but for a stranger not so much. I do feel a ting of pain when I see a horrendous car crash but that's because it could've been me if I arrived at that point 2 minutes prior but I didn't. Hence my vent thread. I hope your "brother" has a good life ahead of him.
 
Henning said:
The pay stinks?:confused:
Click to expand...

Yes, it does.

Most firefighters nationwide are volunteers.

My brother in law is a pro firefighter/paramedic and he has to hold two jobs plus a national guard gig to make ends meet. And his wife works, too, as an ambulance dispatcher.

Those firefighters seem to enjoy what they do (or maybe they are just that professional), but the conditions suck even when they aren't ripping a car apart while trying not to make it bloodier than it already is.
 
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MAKG1 said:
Yes, it does.

Most firefighters nationwide are volunteers.

My brother in law is a pro firefighter/paramedic and he has to hold two jobs plus a national guard gig to make ends meet. And his wife works, too, as an ambulance dispatcher.
Click to expand...

He should move to where it pays better, around here fire fighters make good money.
 
Sleepingsquirrel said:
In the 70's .
Click to expand...

Military pay has improved dramatically since then...especially since 2000 when W took over.

One if the big reasons that the majority of airline pilots are no longer former military. Most of us would have a very hard time making what we make on the outside once you've been in a few years.
 
ClimbnSink said:
BS. First of all they rarely die, geez compare how many dogs they shoot compared to how many cops die. Second they are only protecting themselves. The supremes said cops have no duty to protect citizens. All they do is fine citizens and tell others to clean up the mess made by criminals after the damage is done.
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WOW! Do some research before you make yourself look like an idiot....

Ill Break it down for you. Below is the data from the last three years in the United States.

2013
  • 107 Officers killed in the line of duty (31 due to gunfire)
  • 17 K9's Killed (4 Due to gunfire)
2012
  • 123 Officers Killed (47 due to gunfire)
  • 18 K9's Killed (6 due to gunfire)
2011
  • 177 Officers Killed (67 due to gunfire)
  • 12 K9's (2 due to gunfire)
I am not saying that ALL LOE are good, but the majority are. Have some respect..... :nono:
 
Henning said:
He should move to where it pays better, around here fire fighters make good money.
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I hate to say it Henning, but that sounds like the old myth that government workers rake in the dough. Reality is a nearly 50% pay cut compared to the private sector, in professional classifications. Plus a complete lack of "incentives" like stock options and profit sharing, since of course, governments do not have stock or profit.

Do you have actual knowledge of the Ft. Lauderdale pay scales, or are you just assuming that a union means good pay?

Outside the big cities, the pay is likely to be zero. Volunteer fire departments are the norm.
 
As I recall, statistically, a firefighter is twice as likely to die of a heart attack while on duty as getting burned. Before you ask, I don't have any stats to back it up, but I heard it once at a Vol firefighting lunch when someone commented that all the guys looked overweight.
 
saracelica said:
You missed the whole point jdennis. I don't feel anything for someone who chose a career where they know it's dangerous. When Siegfried or Roy got bit by the Tiger I thought "That took awhile for it to happen" same with Steve Irwin...in a big pool and he gets stung and killed by a Stingray, oy vey.

People die. I know people I love will die and I may shed a tear for them but for a stranger not so much. I do feel a ting of pain when I see a horrendous car crash but that's because it could've been me if I arrived at that point 2 minutes prior but I didn't. Hence my vent thread. I hope your "brother" has a good life ahead of him.
Click to expand...

I get what your saying to an extent. I am not saying that you should be all emotional over two fire fighters being killed in the line of duty, but you should have some respect towards them dieing trying to save someone elses life. I do agree that a televised funeral was over the top, but a news story isn't. (which I think you were making your point towards). However I believe the difference in Steve Erwin and a fire fighter dieing in a fire are two very different things. Steve Erwin was doing what he loved and knew the risk just as the fire fighter did, but the difference is he did it for the joy of it and that fire fighter although probably did their job for th joy of it as well also was trying to save a complete strangers life as well as save their home. I just feel that the fire fighter's death deserves a little more respect than some famous crocodile wrestler.
 
MAKG1 said:
I hate to say it Henning, but that sounds like the old myth that government workers rake in the dough. Reality is a nearly 50% pay cut compared to the private sector, in professional classifications. Plus a complete lack of "incentives" like stock options and profit sharing, since of course, governments do not have stock or profit.

Do you have actual knowledge of the Ft. Lauderdale pay scales, or are you just assuming that a union means good pay?

Outside the big cities, the pay is likely to be zero. Volunteer fire departments are the norm.
Click to expand...

Starts around $50k
 
jdennis1989 said:
WOW! Do some research before you make yourself look like an idiot....

Ill Break it down for you. Below is the data from the last three years in the United States.

2013
  • 107 Officers killed in the line of duty (31 due to gunfire)
  • 17 K9's Killed (4 Due to gunfire)
2012
  • 123 Officers Killed (47 due to gunfire)
  • 18 K9's Killed (6 due to gunfire)
2011
  • 177 Officers Killed (67 due to gunfire)
  • 12 K9's (2 due to gunfire)
I am not saying that ALL LOE are good, but the majority are. Have some respect..... :nono:
Click to expand...
Way safer then being a GA hobby pilot. If the majority of cops are good how is it possible for the bad ones to exist and have long careers? And if they want respect they need to earn it.
 
I don't think you're a jerk... but as others have said, I'd rather the media respect those who serve the society than some of the other stuff they do. I don't know if there are special circumstances (i.e. they were ordered out but refused the order to try and save the child) to their deaths beyond the "firefighting can kill you" normal levels of risk.
 
saracelica said:
You missed the whole point jdennis. I don't feel anything for someone who chose a career where they know it's dangerous. When Siegfried or Roy got bit by the Tiger I thought "That took awhile for it to happen" same with Steve Irwin...in a big pool and he gets stung and killed by a Stingray, oy vey.



People die. I know people I love will die and I may shed a tear for them but for a stranger not so much. I do feel a ting of pain when I see a horrendous car crash but that's because it could've been me if I arrived at that point 2 minutes prior but I didn't. Hence my vent thread. I hope your "brother" has a good life ahead of him.
Click to expand...

I don't think he missed your point. By your own admissions, you are clearly self-centered and only seem to care about things that directly affect you.

Not everyone thinks that way.
 
MAKG1 said:
Outside the big cities, the pay is likely to be zero. Volunteer fire departments are the norm.
Click to expand...
Some towns in Suffolk County the Volunteer FFs get a pension after X years. That people will do the job for free just means all paid FFs are overpaid. In the Northeast cities it is a six figure salary with tons of bennies.
 
Captain said:
Yeah, I did that too when I was in the Navy.

And yet, I always hit port with wads of cash in my pocket. That's the other side not calculated. No expense life style with money to boot. Plus, we all asked to join and were happy to serve. I look back at it as some of my fondest memories and it paid for my current career.

Oh, and I've been around the world (literally), been to 6 continents, climbed Mt Fuji and Mt Seribachi (sp? The one on Iwo Jima), dove the Great Barrier Reef, saw the darkest clearest nights on earth, fired missiles and 5 inch guns, learned to solder, fix xerox machines and electronics in general, met runway models, and slept with more girls than I deserved including SnowWhite (Tokyo Disney).

All in all I consider my pay WAY above the hourly rate of $.80 / hr.
Click to expand...

I'm glad your military service was/is fullfilling, I was subject to the draft and choose the Navy when my lottery number indicated I was going to be drafted into the Army. I had other plans which did not include going to Canada or dying on any other than my own terms. None of the people I served with were considered heros. Maybe it is why I don't understand the hero worship going on now.
This is not about me complaining , I said the pay sucks. Maybe now it is better. Considering the risks I doubt it. Elevation to hero status for every fallen , soldier, sailor, fireman, police officer,airman, I'm tired of it .
I simply wanted to express the same feelings that the OP expressed.
 
MAKG1 said:
And how does that compare to the median for employed heads of households in Ft. Lauderdale?

"Good" pay will be significantly above it.
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Median income gets skewed down here due to the people with 7,8, & 9 figure incomes in some neighborhoods, but reports vary between $37k & $47k.
 
docmirror said:
As I recall, statistically, a firefighter is twice as likely to die of a heart attack while on duty as getting burned. Before you ask, I don't have any stats to back it up, but I heard it once at a Vol firefighting lunch when someone commented that all the guys looked overweight.
Click to expand...

As a former volunteer FF, I recall that the biggest risk to firefighters was cancer (lung and brain in particular).

Guys that do that stuff for a living are taking much greater risks than just the chance of being killed in the line of duty.
 
To answer saracecilia's original question, it's OK not to feel what people tell you you should feel.

I don't like every corpse being called a hero (and the one that REALLY ****ed me off was the WTC office workers -- the "heroism" was showing up to work on time on a work day), but some of those guys do go out of their way. Televising a funeral? It's been done. We had one recently locally when two Santa Cruz cops were killed in the line of duty, for the first time in the history of the department. No, I didn't watch it.
 
MAKG1 said:
I hate to say it Henning, but that sounds like the old myth that government workers rake in the dough. Reality is a nearly 50% pay cut compared to the private sector, in professional classifications. Plus a complete lack of "incentives" like stock options and profit sharing, since of course, governments do not have stock or profit.

Do you have actual knowledge of the Ft. Lauderdale pay scales, or are you just assuming that a union means good pay?

Outside the big cities, the pay is likely to be zero. Volunteer fire departments are the norm.
Click to expand...


Around here firefighters make good money for the 48 hours (2 days) they work/eat/sleep/**** on duty.

Then, most of them have another job/company/business where they make even more money the next few days. The ones I know laugh about how overpaid they are for 90% of their hours, and underpaid for 10% of their hours.

They are all firmly "upper-middle class" in the local community.
 
jdennis1989 said:
WOW! Do some research before you make yourself look like an idiot....

Ill Break it down for you. Below is the data from the last three years in the United States.

2013
  • 107 Officers killed in the line of duty (31 due to gunfire)
  • 17 K9's Killed (4 Due to gunfire)
2012
  • 123 Officers Killed (47 due to gunfire)
  • 18 K9's Killed (6 due to gunfire)
2011
  • 177 Officers Killed (67 due to gunfire)
  • 12 K9's (2 due to gunfire)
I am not saying that ALL LOE are good, but the majority are. Have some respect..... :nono:
Click to expand...


Don't bother. Some people have a lot of hate for LE, no matter what you say or do, will change that. I don't mind. It keeps the job interesting. It takes a certain type of person to run a 100 mph towards gunfire while others run 100 mph away.
 
Henning said:
Median income gets skewed down here due to the people with 7,8, & 9 figure incomes in some neighborhoods, but reports vary between $37k & $47k.
Click to expand...

I hate to say it. That pay is OK. Not good. At least it isn't terrible.

The median is not sensitive to outliers. That's the point of using it. The mean may get skewed, but to skew the median, you're going to need half the population with inflated incomes.
 
jdennis1989 said:
Ill Break it down for you. Below is the data from the last three years in the United States.

2013
  • 107 Officers killed in the line of duty (31 due to gunfire)
  • 17 K9's Killed (4 Due to gunfire)
2012
  • 123 Officers Killed (47 due to gunfire)
  • 18 K9's Killed (6 due to gunfire)
2011
  • 177 Officers Killed (67 due to gunfire)
  • 12 K9's (2 due to gunfire)
Click to expand...

Considering there are over 750,000 state and local law enforcement officers in the US, those are pretty insignificant numbers.
 
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