151 replies to this topic

[concorde]

How much is a police or firefighters life really at risk though?

 

I don't hear of too many police officers or firefighters who actually die in the line of duty. Farmers, miners and construction workers face far greater risks IMO.

 

10 most dangerous jobs: http://www.theglobea...rticle16352517/

Interesting article, and cops and firefighters don't even make it on the top 10 list.  It isn't that dangerous a job in reality

[LJ]

Firefighters- dozing for dollars.

 

All the firefighters I know get po'd if a call comes in at night and disturbs their beauty rest.

 

The biggest decision they make most days is what to make for dinner.

 

You see advertisements for police recruits in almost every city and town.

 

You never see ads for firefighters, there is such a line up of brothers, nephews, sons and daughters etc. trying to get in they have no need to advertise. Every once in awhile they hold some sort of competition to make it look fair but it never is.

 

You ever notice that during the day the firefighters and paramedics all rush to the same medical calls duplicating services but during the silent hours only the paramedics respond.

 

I would give the police a big raise and the firefighters a big decrease until supply and demand balanced out.

[G-Man]

How many construction workers were stabbed with used needles? Spit on? I want my police officer thinking about how best to deescalate a domestic or deal with my B & E not whether he will be making the next mortgage payment.

[Mike K.]

Firefighters- dozing for dollars.

 

All the firefighters I know get po'd if a call comes in at night and disturbs their beauty rest.

 

The biggest decision they make most days is what to make for dinner.

 

You see advertisements for police recruits in almost every city and town.

 

You never see ads for firefighters, there is such a line up of brothers, nephews, sons and daughters etc. trying to get in they have no need to advertise. Every once in awhile they hold some sort of competition to make it look fair but it never is.

 

You ever notice that during the day the firefighters and paramedics all rush to the same medical calls duplicating services but during the silent hours only the paramedics respond.

 

I would give the police a big raise and the firefighters a big decrease until supply and demand balanced out.

 

Maybe in the suburbs but Vic fire is typically the first to respond. I regularly hear them in the dead of night racing to an emergency and many minutes later ambulances follow suit.

 

It's easy to put these guys down and challenge the need for so many fire fighters and the salaries they make but when stuff gets heavy and there's a raging fire or a serious emergency those guys are trained, ready and willing to sacrifice their personal safety to ensure the public at large get the care they need.

 

Quite honestly until you truly end up needing the services of our emergency personnel you have no idea how much comfort and compassion these individuals provide over and above their official duties as cops/medics/fire fighters.

[concorde]

How many construction workers were stabbed with used needles? Spit on? I want my police officer thinking about how best to deescalate a domestic or deal with my B & E not whether he will be making the next mortgage payment.

Really, how many times are cops getting stabbed with used needles

 

The prison guard who has to deal with criminals 100% of the day has to work part time.  They work around convicted pedephiles, rapists, murderers, people who have done armed robbery, etc.  I would think a prisoner already serving a life sentence or multiple life sentences wouldn't care about stabbing a guard, etc.  Makes life as a cop seem like a cake walk.  Of course all while guarding these criminals there is go guarantee for hours and the guard is thinking about their mortgage payment.

 

I've met a lot of carpenters on my travels thru my construction projects and the vast majority are missing parts of their finger tips.  I've heard of accidents that make my skin crawl, such as rebar fully puncturing a leg all the .  I would think some construction guys would take getting spat on for $125k+ a year very easily

[Benezet]

Being a prison guard may not be such an awful thing. A study from the '90s by a Harvard University psychology prof found that the job satisfaction level for prison guards was higher than for symphony musicians.

[sebberry]

And while I'm sure it's dangerous, prison is (from what I've watched on NatGEO when I had cable) a pretty tightly controlled environment. 

 

Sure there are riots, shankings and other shenanigans, but out in public where the police have to deal with many unknowns while attending an alcohol fueled domestic dispute, dangers can come from any direction.

 

Traffic collisions are also a big cause of injury and death to police officers. 

[concorde]

Traffic collisions are also a big cause of injury and death to police officers. 

I'm sure, because ONE cop was killed in the line of duty in 2009 and ZERO in 2008 for all of Canada.  These are the latest stats I can find, so its not that dangerous a job.  We just assume it is based on what we see on TV

 

As for getting spit in the face I am sure parking enforcement gets more of that, so they need to be bumped up to $100K a year too

 

As for a alcohol fueled domestic dispute I don't think they are sending the 110lb female solo to those.  I would think they go in pairs so. they could watch each others back.  That is a pretty controlled environment

 

Then of course we have the extensive record of Victoria Police with police brutality.  Did any of those cops ever get fired, arrested and charged or was it all a big joke in the end

[LJ]

 

 

I've met a lot of carpenters on my travels thru my construction projects and the vast majority are missing parts of their finger tips.  I've heard of accidents that make my skin crawl, such as rebar fully puncturing a leg all the .  I would think some construction guys would take getting spat on for $125k+ a year very easily

Well, as you always say, why don't they go do that then.

[David Bratzer]

I'm sure, because ONE cop was killed in the line of duty in 2009 and ZERO in 2008 for all of Canada.  These are the latest stats I can find, so its not that dangerous a job.  We just assume it is based on what we see on TV

 

As for getting spit in the face I am sure parking enforcement gets more of that, so they need to be bumped up to $100K a year too

 

As for a alcohol fueled domestic dispute I don't think they are sending the 110lb female solo to those.  I would think they go in pairs so. they could watch each others back.  That is a pretty controlled environment

 

Then of course we have the extensive record of Victoria Police with police brutality.  Did any of those cops ever get fired, arrested and charged or was it all a big joke in the end

 

Here is the actual list of Canadian law enforcement officers killed each year, rather than some imaginary list invented by an anonymous flame-baiting Internet troll:

 

2014 (so far)

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

[G-Man]

Thanks David. In my mind of all the public sector jobs where I am not losing a drop of sleep at the pay, it is with emergency responders.

[jonny]

An idiot ex uncle of mine (him and my aunt are now divorced) tried to become a police officer many times through the RCMP, Edmonton police and Calgary police. Thankfully whatever testing they do to weed out the idiots with anger control issues worked because he never made it past the initial round of psychological testing and interviews with either agency and is now stuck being some sort of Sheriff in the territories.

 

I will say that 5 or 6 police officers a year dying in the line of duty in a country with $36M people seems pretty low to me. A guaranteed 86 grand a year after only five years is on the high end of things I would say.

[Mike K.]

Here is the actual list of Canadian law enforcement officers killed each year, rather than some imaginary list invented by an anonymous flame-baiting Internet troll:

 

2014 (so far)

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

 

Not intending to stir anything up but it looks like 80% of police deaths while on the job are accidents, not homicides.

 

Of course what we're not seeing are injuries/assaults while on the job. I'm sure officers receive their fair share of work-related injuries and assaults.

[concorde]

Well, as you always say, why don't they go do that then.

The main reason for this my posting is to show that cops make excessive salaries for the little high school education they bring to the table.  The average person is not fully aware many cops are making 125-150k.  The average person I tell is shocked at what they make

 

Here is the actual list of Canadian law enforcement officers killed each year, rather than some imaginary list invented by an anonymous flame-baiting Internet troll:

 

2014 (so far)

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

That "anonymous flame baiting internet troll" is Stats Can, I am sure you know them and beats your site

 

http://www.statcan.g...e/11354-eng.htm

 

Now in 2008 Stats Canada, lists ZERO officers killed.  your site lists one heart attack and one car accident.  Right, so its zero

 

So lets use real stats from a trusted source, not some anonymous site

 

Now with that said, I am sorry to hear they died and I wish their loved ones my condolences.  However, a heart attack should not even be listed for example

[sebberry]

 

http://www.statcan.g...e/11354-eng.htm

 

Now in 2008 Stats Canada, lists ZERO officers killed.  your site lists one heart attack and one car accident.  Right, so its zero

 

 

Those are murders. 

 

As I said before, motor vehicle collisions are a big cause of officer deaths and serious injury. 

 

 

http://canada.odmp.o...ble-eric-lavoie

 

Constable Éric Lavoie succumbed to injuries sustained three years earlier when he was involved in an automobile accident while responding to an emergency call.

His patrol car left the roadway and struck a concrete barrier, leaving him paralyzed. He succumbed to complications from his injuries.

 

 

It's a death in the line of duty. 

 

 

As for high-school education, I bet you'd be hard pressed to see officers in Canada with just a high-school education.

[concorde]

How many have medical degrees and other bachelor degrees then.

High school is all that is required to get on with our country's largest police force

[sebberry]

Completion of high-school is the *minimum* requirement. 

 

You think those with just a high-school education are going to fare well in the job competition against those with higher education?

[Mike K.]

A poorly paid cop starts looking for ways to make his high pressure, highly taxing and dangerous job pay the bills.

[concorde]

Just

 

Completion of high-school is the *minimum* requirement. 

 

You think those with just a high-school education are going to fare well in the job competition against those with higher education?

What higher education do you keep talking about?  I missed the Police degree on the list when I was choosing my engineering degree

 

A poorly paid cop starts looking for ways to make his high pressure, highly taxing and dangerous job pay the bills.

Just like a poorly paid military guy or a poorly paid prison guard

 

I am suggesting a max pay of 60-80k which is far from underpaid given their skill level

 

Oh remember this guy, he was given 2 days off without pay.  So he must be underpaid and mad about missing his mortgage payment huh

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7NvUOUSKvU

[Mike K.]

You know, honestly though, I'm glad we live in a country that can afford to pay it's emergency personnel a good wage.

 

What I have problems with are guys like Albert Sweetnam earning hundreds of thousands of dollars with literally nothing to show for it.