With the unemployment rate in Las Vegas 13% and state and local governments in dire financial straights, the pay and perks of government employees, especially firefighters, is under increasing scrutiny.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that the often fit and buff firefighters call in sick at twice the rate as rank-and-file county employees and four times more than managers.
Maybe it has something to do with union rules requiring that replacement firefighters be paid time-and-a-half when they fill in for a sick worker.
The Sun article singles out Battalion Chief Renee Dilligham who “worked about 75 percent of her scheduled 2,912 hours in fiscal 2009. Her sick leave plus vacation totaled 28 shifts, or about three months away from work. So she worked about 2,200 hours.
“But even after being sick for 382 hours and on vacation for 292 hours, Dillingham managed to pull down an extra 1,199 hours of ‘callback’ pay — overtime pay, plus a contribution to the employee’s retirement fund. Callback pay amounted to about $80,000, almost equal to Dillingham’s $93,144 base salary.”
On February 10th, Fire Chief Greg Gammon sent an email to his charges not to spend so much time at the gym and to watch the sick leave.
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I guess the good news is that “Hero Syndrome” seems to be giving way to couch potato syndrome. Better to have firefighters sitting home faking sick than burning things down so that they can get a pat on the back. Pretty soon they will be like cops who virtually never “suffer” from hero syndrome.
Why they stay little kids: ‘ignorant education’ that caused them to have an atrophied entrepreneurial spirit meaning that they remain latent, not exercising alertness to the truths that are unfolding all around them. And like kids in early childhood they cannot act responsibly.
Terminating their source of income is the only solution. It will force them to grow up or perish.
Of course the private sector could never efficiently run this service!!
Is it too late to become a firefighter?
It’s no secret that Las Vegas firemen consistently score the hottest wives in town, hands down. With the exception of developers and bankers between 2001-2006, no one could compete. You could invest a year in a girl and lose her in one day after she ran into a fireman. Poof. Upgraded.
I don’t blame the gals. Afterall, bankers hours, public pension at 55, lots and lots of time keeping tight and fit at the gym and zero stress. What’s not to like? Oh, did I mention the ridiculously good money?
And Randy Couture.
Don’t blame the firemen… they’re responding to incentives just like everyone else. The real blame lies with the government (and its union legislation).
Vegas started as a mob town. Sounds like it still is, with just a different, “legalized” mob.
With the exception of developers and bankers between 2001-2006, no one could compete. You could invest a year in a girl and lose her in one day after she ran into a fireman. Poof. Upgraded.
I don’t blame the gals. Afterall, bankers hours, public pension at 55, lots and lots of time keeping tight and fit at the gym and zero stress. What’s not to like? Oh, did I mention the ridiculously good money?
Where can I sign up to be a fire fighter. Kidding, this behavior is unacceptable. taking advantage of the system like that at the expense of the taxpayers. Shame on you.
I once dreamed about being a firefighter as a kid but my skinny frame seemed to make it impossible. I think what’s really drawn me to be a firefighter is the challenge and adventure that is sounds to be without thinking about the danger that it would bring.
Pam…check out the statistics on fires in the country…there are very few. You could serve an entire career (very short these days) and not see a fire other than during training.
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