Anonymous
08/23/2025 20:53
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
My buddy went to JMU and ended up as a detective in PW County PD...
Anonymous
08/23/2025 18:02
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
So the reality of firefighting these days is it's mostly EMT work, thanks to advances in technology. They train for other situations but about 2/3 calls are EMS related, depending on jurisdiction. That could be good or bad for your kid, just something to be aware of.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 17:55
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
Working 4 extra hours 5 days a week is "easy"?
(I could see that you don't use math in your current job.)
Many recent grads work well beyond 40 hours a week when trying to establish themselves. For the most part those young men and women are salaried employees. Not getting paid for those hours significantly lowers their actual hourly wage.
You’re forgetting, or don’t yet realize, that both law enforcement and firefighters don’t work 5 days in a row. In some cases they work 2 total days in a 7 day span. To grab a couple more shifts at the overtime rate is easy money. Some firefighters work 24 hour shifts so they get paid to sleep if there’s low call volume.
Or they barely sleep if there’s high call volume. And then they have to make up for it when they’re home, or power through it if they have another job. Meanwhile, few recent grads are grinding out 60 hour weeks, and if they are they are usually in a very well paid industry.
I don’t know why people here are trying to make these jobs sound like they are some sort of undiscovered gold rush. They are a decent/good option for some people. And not for many others.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 17:45
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
Working 4 extra hours 5 days a week is "easy"?
(I could see that you don't use math in your current job.)
Many recent grads work well beyond 40 hours a week when trying to establish themselves. For the most part those young men and women are salaried employees. Not getting paid for those hours significantly lowers their actual hourly wage.
You’re forgetting, or don’t yet realize, that both law enforcement and firefighters don’t work 5 days in a row. In some cases they work 2 total days in a 7 day span. To grab a couple more shifts at the overtime rate is easy money. Some firefighters work 24 hour shifts so they get paid to sleep if there’s low call volume.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 16:11
Subject: Re:Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Earning more than $200K seems rare.
The five states that pay firefighters the highest salary are:
New Jersey: $84,930
California: $80,990
Washington: $76,280
New York: $72,670
Colorado: $68,300
New Jersey and California are the best of the statistic, with the top spot being won again by New Jersey this year.
What states pay firefighters the least?
The five states that pay firefighters the lowest salary are:
West Virginia: $36,850
Kentucky: $34,060
Louisiana: $33,400
Mississippi: $32,870
Puerto Rico: $27,250
https://firefightergarage.com/firefighter-salary/
The five states that pay firefighters the highest salary are:
New Jersey: $84,930
California: $80,990
Washington: $76,280
New York: $72,670
Colorado: $68,300
New Jersey and California are the best of the statistic, with the top spot being won again by New Jersey this year.
What states pay firefighters the least?
The five states that pay firefighters the lowest salary are:
West Virginia: $36,850
Kentucky: $34,060
Louisiana: $33,400
Mississippi: $32,870
Puerto Rico: $27,250
https://firefightergarage.com/firefighter-salary/
Anonymous
08/23/2025 15:50
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
Working 4 extra hours 5 days a week is "easy"?
(I could see that you don't use math in your current job.)
Anonymous
08/23/2025 11:39
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My son is halfway through his college career but has always loved the police force and fire departments. He’s a volunteer firefighter in our town when home and has an itch to be a professional firefighter. He’s finishing college, but I’m not sure if he will follow his college major as a career. I’d be very proud of him if FD or PD, but I’d feel more peace if he remained a volunteer (and still proud at that!).
DP, your son should be celebrated, congratulations for raising an altruistic child that wants to serve their community.
Thank you for the kind words.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 11:01
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
So basically a federal government employee but with way more work and danger. That’s fine for the right person. Not hard to see why it’s not for everyone.
DP. It’s definitely comes with a substantial degree of physical risk. That’s why the pay is high. Otherwise no one would do it.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 11:01
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
No absolutely not with Trump as president and not leaving office hell no
Anonymous
08/23/2025 11:01
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
So basically a federal government employee but with way more work and danger. That’s fine for the right person. Not hard to see why it’s not for everyone.
Don’t federal employees get laid off?
Anonymous
08/23/2025 11:00
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:My son is halfway through his college career but has always loved the police force and fire departments. He’s a volunteer firefighter in our town when home and has an itch to be a professional firefighter. He’s finishing college, but I’m not sure if he will follow his college major as a career. I’d be very proud of him if FD or PD, but I’d feel more peace if he remained a volunteer (and still proud at that!).
DP, your son should be celebrated, congratulations for raising an altruistic child that wants to serve their community.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 10:59
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.
https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer
At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.
So basically a federal government employee but with way more work and danger. That’s fine for the right person. Not hard to see why it’s not for everyone.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 10:56
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
I’m on the west coast and it’s a popular career path. I know many firefighters and, for young men, it holds a lot of allure.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 07:49
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Half of these cops don't belong on the street.
Why would you say something like this?
Well, it’s true. While if you work 80 hour weeks with tons of overtime, you can make a good living the fact in this area. We recruit from little small towns in Pennsylvania and the people we got are not good.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 07:49
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Half of these cops don't belong on the street.
Why would you say something like this?
DP. Because it’s easy to insult and criticize people you don’t know.