Chris Harvey – Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522 The Sacramento Fire Department has a proud tradition stretching back over 159 years. In a recent Sacramento Press article by Jim Doucette, the history of the department was described in detail. He sheds some light on the day-to-day operations and gives a good idea of a typical day in the life of a Sacramento firefighter. But your Sacramento firefighters are currently involved in the fight of their lives, and it’s not one they signed up fo... charvey winklez1 comment-11066 2009-07-22T04:11:36Z 2009-07-22T04:11:36Z Well when one of these people that do not support are Firefighters/Paramedics/Hazardeous material specialist along with a variety of other titles a firefighter carries (who run more medical calls then fires) is in a car crash, house is on fire, or is injured and it takes to long to arrive on scene because they are UNDER STAFFED and are busy running other calls maybe, hopefully there outlook would change on not the need to hire more firefighters but to not eliminate positions in public care...... winklez1 2009-07-22T04:11:36Z raeshel comment-9120 2009-06-08T22:21:01Z 2009-06-08T22:21:01Z Hey gssempire, The life expectancy after a firefighter retires is 5 years on average due to the fact that they work in a high stress environment and often go 48 hours without sleep. This is horrible for your body over the lifetime of their careers. They may not have had to to go to college for years and years at a time but they risk they're lives and definately shorten their lifespan. Don't you think that deserves compensation? Not to mention, they pass an academy that demands a competency and performance not many can demonstrate. I wouldn't be surprised if you are one of these individuals. Try not to be an idiot! raeshel 2009-06-08T22:21:01Z gssempire comment-4565 2009-03-13T20:05:58Z 2009-03-13T20:05:58Z More resources? How about a new cuisinart, some knives, new china, frsh linens...Give me a break! Firefighters do provide a "critical" service but they are overpaid. If you are hangin' out in the firehouse cooking and playing cards, why should you be compensated THE WHOLE TIME! gssempire 2009-03-13T20:05:58Z tdramer comment-4387 2009-03-10T23:44:15Z 2009-03-10T23:44:15Z Firefighting isn't a critical service. It is THE critical service. Without it we become the Wild West once again. Overtime costs the City less money than hiring more firefighters. The OVERHEAD costs of one new employee's, training, benefits, retirement, medical, dental, uniforms, boots, food, etc. would be more than the overtime worked by all of the firefighters noted in the Sacramento Bee's article. So much for the Mayor's office having the Union's backs. They never should have endorsed him. tdramer 2009-03-10T23:44:15Z Dan comment-4208 2009-03-06T14:23:23Z 2009-03-06T14:23:23Z So, if the city is willing to cut other services to save the firefighters, will the firefighters be willing to reduce their pension packages and other benefits? And what's been the rate of pay raises in the last five years when the region was benefiting from an economic boom? Firefighters are a critical service, but if there's no money, there's no money. Let's not forget what makes up the other part of that small-by-percentage public safety budget. Dan 2009-03-06T14:23:23Z Scott Holbrook comment-4199 2009-03-06T01:03:52Z 2009-03-06T01:03:52Z Tough to balance needs and wants many of the items you list on expenditures will help create a vital revenue stream, though not "right now" likely in the future. Problems the Mayor and council need to address are the programs and expenditures that do not or will not generate revenue, but are rather a drain. The Mayor has bragged about preventing brown outs, but obviously cuts needed to be made in other areas, and that is going towards personnel. Already the Probation Department in the county has laid off a ton of employees, thus no one is watching the probationers, "....the wheel keeps turning & it won't slow down" . It is a vicious circle, and many of us are waiting for some news from the City. Maybe the mayor can hold a Fire summit next! Every job in one department saved is another lost somewhere else. BTW what does overtime look like at Sac Fire? What has the fire department done to cut costs, to save jobs? Are there outsourcing that can be done? consolidation? Just thoughts - I really respect and thank every public safety person out there, I am married to one & realize that all the pieces of the public safety puzzle have a vital roll in the safety, quality of life not to mention piece of mind! Thank you to all Scott Holbrook 2009-03-06T01:03:52Z Jonathan Mendick comment-4194 2009-03-05T21:00:19Z 2009-03-05T21:00:19Z I agree that this article contains so much great information (and photographs) that it deserves recognition. It seems that Mr. Harvey used statistics and facts to supplement his article, making it a critical and timely read. This article also highlights the fact that firefighters are important, sometimes being the difference between life and death, and makes me wish that the Sac Fire Department thrives even in this struggling economy. Jonathan Mendick 2009-03-05T21:00:19Z Colleen Belcher comment-4188 2009-03-05T18:51:41Z 2009-03-05T18:51:41Z Great statistics in here - it looks like you really did some thorough research. I had no idea that Sacramento got more calls on average than New York City, LA, San Francisco. I like the details about fires doubling in size every minute and how an extra minute can mean life or death during a heart attack, etc. It's wonderful to get another voice on here, thank you for taking the time to highlight this issue. Colleen Belcher 2009-03-05T18:51:41Z