please don’t lump police in with fire. Police overtime is largely event-driven. Yes there are some bad apples, usually administrators who use the events to pad their overtime when the line guys are doing all the work, the administrators show up to “supervise” when in fact the line officers and supervisors handle the real work. Those types are not part of the labor group that covers rank and file but the media make no distinction between a police officer and a police lieutenant, or for that matter between a firefighter and a battalion chief. As to firefighters, they have been able to swap shifts for overtime and schedule sicktime forever. It is a thoroughly corrupt system. (full disclosure, I’m a cop with 21 years on and a member of my association’s board of directors) We told fire union leaders that they could cure their public relations problems by simply going to four, ten hour shifts. I don’t see a reason why firefighters have to be paid to sleep or why they can’t do shift work. I have two small kids at home and they bring home all kinds of sickness from school, not to mention the less than reputable types that I have to arrest and put in my patrol car. I guarantee I didn’t call in sick ten days all of last year, whether for myself or my kids. The sick leave abuse is finally coming home to roost. I for one would love to see prosecutions, whether against a corrupt firefighter or a cop....
I did not intend to imply that issues with police and fire department are identical, or that all departments have serious problems with abuse. There have been some well-publicized incidents of police corruption, of course, but on the whole, I like to assume that both police and fire personnel are honest - and potentially heroic - public servants. That is why it is more disappointing when they are not than when (for example) county commissioners turn out to be crooks again: we expect that!
I can see scheduling sick leave if, for example, you’ve made an appointment for your annual physical or a colonoscopy, and there’s not a non-work day on which you could get those appointments. Other than that, though ... it does seem very dishonest, like planning to be sick on a Monday.
All regular fire departments, as opposed to volunteer fire departments, either work 24 hours on and 24 hours off, with one day off every other week, meaning when they get a day off it is sandwiched between 2 days they were off anyway, so they get 3 days off in a row; or 24 on and 48 off, meaning their day off gives them 5 days in a row off. That means they work 4 days out of 15. In addition, with most, the fireman's job is their retirement and they make the real money doing other things on their frequent days off. Also, while they are "working", they are mostly playing cards, dominoes, probably computer games now, ,or sleeping. Well, they do have to cook for themselves or order something delivered, but they are provided with well equipped kitchens to do the job.
They have ample training to do what they do and they perform their duties, just as policemen do, with self-protection and the protection of their team members as their upper most priority. They like to say they are there to serve but those they are serving are not #1.
The military are the same in the training and volunteering aspect, and in that only a few actually engage an enemy. Yet, in all these fields we want to have the best and the most dedicated and we want them to be at their best when the time comes to do their duty. That is why it disgust many of us when we see fat law enforcement officers.. Funny, but in my experience I never see fat firemen, and they should be the fattest, nor fat military people. It is always fat policemen. That cause a loss of respect for law enforcement.
I should also include teachers in my group of people who should receive fair pay and lots of respect, for, like the others, they are very important for our society. But like the others, though they are appreciated for their dedication (for those who really are dedicated), the crying about their being overworked and underpaid should fall on deaf ears.
As an administrator my job was to minimize overtime by my officers. As you so accurately stated, police work is event driven. Years ago, we were required to complete all reports before we went home even if it meant overtime. For the last 10 years this overtime is triaged into cases that need completion now, and those that can wait until you come back. The down side is that sometimes people have to wait an extra day or two for a report but the long run is that is saves money.
Fire Departments are a whole different critter. They have nothing but time after the first 2 hours of their 24 hour shift. The most rabid union people I know are firefighters. I am certified firefighter I and II since I was a public safety director. I have profound respect for volunteer part paid fire fighters. 78% of fire fighters are volunteer part paid. When I really want to ‘p’ off firefighters I mention that they could become part time or volunteer if they really cared about their community.
The current trend is to look at multiple shifts during which fire fighters stay awake instead of sleeping. The down side is you may need more fire fighters to staff. For example, if you need 3 trucks with 3 firefighters 7 days a week, you would at a minimum need 27 under the 24 hours shift. Going to 12’s, may require you to have 36 fire fighters (9x4 since there are 4 sets of 12 hour shifts in a week).
I went a little off track but it is some points to ponder. Many of us in public safety administration understand what is going on. The rank and file generally do not. I think they are learning, though.
See my post #16 this thread.
We didn’t even *think* about pulling half this crap these guys are getting away with mentioned in this article. They would have brought us up on charges in a heartbeat. When I worked IA I had no guilty feelings about it myself. I know what I had to do to keep my job, to keep a clean record. I expected no less from anyone else.
Call me a dinosaur ..
Fires are way down due to safety measures instituted over the decades. No wonder firefighters fiddle around so much (like you described) plus now they do EMT just to keep firefighters busy when they are not getting on the cooking channel or pumping iron. In my youth no fire station did EMT.
Police work is not down. In a lousy economy it is probably up though not as bad as one might expect due to so much welfare money and SSI being handed out...that sort of calms the waters
In one city I saw lots of contractors trucks in the parking lot of the fire station. Putting two and two together..... Fireman are getting contacting jobs (referrals) to take care of problems found during a fire inspection. You want that problem to go away...You hire Joe the fireman/contractor who is well rested up from his 48 hour fire fighting shifts