In response to Gary Haas and his opinion of the discrepancy between wages of the Vernon Fire Department and the Vancouver Fire Department, I offer this comment.
Unless you have walked in the boots and turnout gear of a trained firefighter, you really need to take a step back and look at exactly what training these men and women receive before stating that Vernon are over paid. The training these people receive is the same. Regardless of location, they all have to be able to deal with all of the same situations. The training is intense and ongoing. True, the number of call-outs and population are different. However, that does not equate to less training or a smaller wage.
A Vernon firefighter could easily step into a large city fire department and do that job to the same effectiveness as one who was stationed there right out of the Justice Institute.
Whether or not it is a multi-storied building or an industrial setting, both Vancouver and Vernon firefighters must be trained to the same level of competence.
As a member of a fire department here and having family in both departments, Vancouver and Vernon, I can tell you without bias that the training and experience level required is the same for both. You should be focused on the fact these people will some day rescue you and possibly a close friend or family member. That is worth the wage they receive.
You can’t put a price on someone’s life. Both departments put their lives on the line every time they respond to a fire, chemical spill or motor vehicle accident.
The same goes for all volunteer departments as well, and they don’t get paid near what the other career firefighters do, but they still do the job fully trained.
Carey Mackiewich
Vernon
