I am all in favour of paying people for what they do but when people like the Vernon firefighters think that they should be paid the same as a Vancouver firefighter that is just ridiculous.
Let’s take a look!
Vancouver has a population of 1,000,000 plus and Vernon 35,000 plus.
Vancouver covers an area approximately 10 times the size of Vernon.
Vancouver has oil refineries and pumping, grain, shipping, rail lines, chemical factories, major factories, a massive trucking system.
Vernon has a few small businesses.
Vancouver has more and a greater variety of calls than the Vernon firefighters.
Vancouver has a higher cost of living than Vernon.
Vancouver firefighters are required to know and operate more and a greater variety of machines than Vernon.
Vancouver has skyscrapers 45 stories plus, Vernon has the hospital and maybe eight-storey buildings.
Vancouver firefighters do not respond to as many ambulance calls.
Vancouver firefighters must contend and know how to interact with a large variety of chemicals.
Vernon’s only chemicals that I know of are sold on the streets.
If our firefighters think they are entitled to this great wage then here’s what should be required.
They meet all the minimum requirements for recruitment for the Vancouver firefighters.
Pass all entrance tests and interviews.
Become as proficient as the Vancouver firefighters are on all their equipment and variety of fires.
It does not matter if they will use it they say they are worth the money they have to prove it. They also have to keep their proficiency up on this equipment.
If they cannot pass or keep up to these standards then they go back to a reasonable salary that corresponds to cities of our size.
Garry Haas
