Hours and wages...

[rayf01]

I am not sure where to post this so I will give it a go here. I am going to apply for the next recruitment in Edmonton, and I was wondering if anyone on here could answer a few questions. Basically what kind of hours you work and the wages. I have had a difficult time finding these on the internet. I read somewhere that you work a 2 day, 2 night shift with 4 off. then a 4 night shift with 4 off. then a 4 day shift with 4 off. and it keeps rotating but I cant remember where I seen this. Also I am not entirely sure on this so I want to ask, do you get to rest or sleep on night shifts?

[five_alarm]

Hmm... guess there wasn't much of a place for this. The "Firehall.com" forum is more for site related discussion. I have created a new forum under "Recruitment" and have moved the post there. All career related questions can now be posted there :D.

[FireEMTGuy]

Rayf, it seems that you do not have a good grasp of what it is to be a Fire Fighter. Before you go out and apply, investigate the carrear and look into a "Ride Along" with the City of Edmonton. The best way to learn is first hand, and you will have fun doing it!

[FireFly810]

FireEMTGuy , what is the max hrs you can work in a week?

[moving]

I would be interested to hear the answer to this question, are dpts the same throughout the country? or is it a case of each been different?

For info. in the UK we work 2 day shifts (9 am til 6pm) and 2 night shifts (6pm til 9am). We were allowed to sleep from midnight til 7am but the government are attacking our shifts and all sorts of horrid practise is creeping in, including 8 hour shifts with midnight starts. Family friendly?
We also have a day staffing system, some brigades provide accom. i.e. family homes and an average week would be 3 days (9am til 5.30pm) and then respond from home during those night hours and weekends then 3 days off.

We have part time or retained firefighters, they have to live close to their station and respond from a bleeper. They are paid for this and commit to 120 hours a week to get full pay, aprrox 4000$ per year plus hourly rate.

Our pay for a 42 hour week is aprrox 48-50000$, for a qualified Ff (four years plus).

But these last few years we have had our jobs stolen from under us, if it sounds attractive to anybody it isnt trust me.

I would be pleased to get any info on your shift patterns and pay.

Thanks

[smoke286]

moving, 50K US or Canadian?

Here we work 24/72 (works out to 42 hrs per week) with 60K per year salary for 1st Class

[dial911]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......

[hrecruit]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......


lol it is about the job yes but its also all right to be able to pay bills and eat too. lol. oh my.......

[fire06]

I think rayf01 is headed in the right track, your at the bottom right now and there is tons of learning and training you'll go through. If your serious about the job and the profession and really love firefighting and emergency response you will eventually get on somewhere, it's the people that want it for the time off or the status that have a hard time getting on.
Keep researching on the internet and calling the halls in your area or even join a volly dept.
I have some web sites i'll send you.
To answer your question, right now I am on a 2 days 2 nights, 12 hour shifts 7 to 7.
And yes we sleep at the hall.

[bestcoast]

Vancouver Fire: 2 days 8am-6pm 2 nights 6pm-8am 4 days off. 1st Class FF making about 70k a year.......BC.....

[smoke286]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......

Anyone has the right to look for the best wages/benefits available. This is not some kind of holy crusade, it is a profession, and one deserves to be compensated properly.

Dont throw up that old adage about F/Fs making minimum wage in the US, those are in "right to work" states [those with anti-union legislation] and are a disgrace to democracy and collective bargaining.

[moving]

Smoke

It is Canadian Dollars I attempt to convert to.

Here in this dump, we were forced to take industrail action due to our woefull pay, FFs here were claiming benefits from the state to help make ends meet. We do a unique job and all we ask is to be able to provide for our families in return. I am thankful to all that have answered my question on here, some tips on getting a job would be good......See thread, 'Greetings from the UK'.

Cheers again

[BCFFFV]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......


I love my job but I would disagree with your statement about not caring what the hours or pay are. That seems a little silly if you ask me.

[jwt]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......

Man, you really need to relax. He was asking what the hours were, for example out here, strathcona runs 4 on 4 off, and edmonton doesnt, theyve got a different one, dont really remember what it is, but it involves 6 days off at some point.

Its a pretty valid question. Should someone who is considering what firefighters make for a wage never ask anyone?? this is a forum, for people to find answers to their questions. Youre telling him to search the internet to find the answers, what do you think he just did by asking this question?

pay, benefits, pension etc etc. are pretty important to most people. Maybe he is considering a career shift and is wondering how it would affect him financially, maybe hes concerned about schedules for child care? Please dont jump to conclusions that people who ask questions dont "want" the job bad enough. It just makes us on this forum look like a bunch of assholes.

[dentedhead]

wow, i cant beleive someone would ask a question like that. How do you even know if you want to be a FF if you dont know that kinda stuff already. I think you need to spend more time on the internet researching........... And being a FF isnt about the pay or hours of work, you do it because you love the job. Did you know there are cities in the US that FFs make min wage??? And they dont have a problem getting guys.....

rayf01 please spend some more time researching FDs... And if your ever luckey enough to get on one day, trust me you wont care what the hours of work are or the pay, youll happily take what ever it is.......

Pretty naive thinking.Yes I love my job, the days off are great and its pretty cool the reception you get when you tell ppl you are a FF and they pay me pretty well(now).That being said if I couldnt afford to live comfortably,feed my kids and buy a few toys you can bet your ass Id find sumpin else that would.I took a fairly big cut in pay to switch careers so I can partly see your feelings.

Im not sure where the idea was born that we all do this as a calling and be damned with the fallout be it financial, hours of work or whatever.The world is full of guys/gals who just "want the badge" and dont give a rats about working conditions pay benifits etc.Those are the ones exploited not just in the US but up here too.

In my interview to be hired with TO a long time ago the question was; Why do you want to work for Toronto ambulance? The answer, For the money,yes thats what they wanted to hear.I was coached on that in college and by my preceptor crew.They were the highest paying department at that time.

We all have our reasons for wanting to do this job,some are as different as night and day so I wouldnt be so quick to judge someone elses motives.

Dentedhead

[BCFFFV]

Well put Dentedhead. I honestly don't think we would want a bunch of guys in the fire service who would work for any amount of pay. I like the fact that most of the people at work could make close to what they are now and sometimes much more. I have met the odd jerk here and there but haven't met one guy on our job who is a complete "idiot" Now all of a sudden drop the wage 10 - 20 grand a year and it wouldn't take long to have a decline in the quality of applicants being hired.

[bestcoast]

I have met the odd jerk here and there but haven't met one guy on our job who is a complete "idiot"
Lol....BCFFFV, if thats the case you haven't met "everyone" just yet!!.......BC....

[BCFFFV]

I was being nice too.....

[bestcoast]

I was being nice too.....
lol...Thats what i figured.....BC...

[BCFFFV]

I take the 10 smartest and 10 dumbest out of it. Out of those 800 guys left over none are complete "idiots". Maybe that better explains it. But even the worst guys could do better than having to say "would you like fries with that?"

[dentedhead]

I take the 10 smartest and 10 dumbest out of it. Out of those 800 guys left over none are complete "idiots". Maybe that better explains it. But even the worst guys could do better than having to say "would you like fries with that?"

Hey watch the fryguy slaggin trekie!!

Dentedhead

[scoop422]

We work 42 hours a week 24 hour shifts and will be getting about $71 000 per year after we ratify our wages for 2006.

Don't make me say DING FRIES ARE DONE