>> Pay them for what they do not what they say they might do.
You mean that if a crew of firefighters prevents a $200,000 structure from being destroyed, they get 10% of the value, or if they prevent your heart attack from killing you while you go to the hospital, they get 10% of your life insurance and 10% of all your future earnings? They could be like privateers. Arrr!
When I worked in process controls on power plants, I prevented several unit trips would have cost the company over a million dollars each. The second time I prevented a trip, I had paid my salary for my entire career (if I had stayed in that job for a lifetime). Paying employees for what they do and not what they can do is cost-effective for low-skilled employees, but when you get to the critical and/or high-skilled employees, it could really cost you a lot.
You are intentionally being way too literal. The poster was talking about pay for hazardous duty.
Why not tell us how you would fix the problem, rather than just pick fights? Sounds to me like you are for continuing the ponzi scheme of pensions that will bankrupt the country. I guess you want us to go the way of Greece - without us having anyone to bail us out.
If the FF cannot make it on 15 bucks an hour or so, and pay their for their own stinking retirements, then they need to go get better, higher paying jobs...