San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

JV...so the city goes through the effort and cost to interview 1000's if not tens of thousands to offer someone a job that cannot pass the EMT requirement? Look JV, if you want the job you'll take the semester long EMT course. Isn't it fiscally responsible to decrease the applicant pool to those with a modicum of related skill. Many EMT applicants bring prior field EMT experience to the process that mirrors the services provided by the FD. This tends to have the added benefit of accelerating their FD training, improves their material retention due to industry familiarity and ultimately enhances academy success . Infact, many EMT's advance to Paramedic with field experience to improve their eligibility for selection despite the minimum qualification of EMT. All this with no cost to the City in terms of initial training. What do you imagine the cost to the City to conduct 10000 entry level written exams. Consider testing materials, proctors, test evaluation, mailing out notices. Say the pool is then whittled down to 1000 band one folks that move on to the physical ability test. Optimistically testing 200 people per day gets you 5 days of physical ability testing with an add in costs (mail notices, proctors and ancillary personnel to reset the test). So now the pool drops 800 or so. 800, 15-20 minute interviews. Another mail notification, more OT for Captains to conduct the interviews for several weeks. And yet another mailing to notify the candidates where they placed. All this to pick up 120 folks if you establish a 2 year list that runs 4 academies of 30 people. Presume that, of the 120 people you processed, 5 people don't clear the EMT. So you dip down into to the next round. Would you agree that this is a dauntingly costly approach? FYI, most folks in the push for firefighter careers have many credentials to separate themselves from the allegorical GED holding candidate you espouse. Don't most folks in the private sector build their resumes toward their profession to enhance their chances of a job offer? Don't many private sector employers demand specific credentials for the jobs their offering? Your 35000 to 35 million is abstract. A better sampling is comparing 35k EMT (conveniently using the 1995 number while disregarding the 29% expected growth) to the number of fire department job offerings state wide. Also the 35 million you use includes the entire population of California. Deduct 26% that are under 18, another 10% for those greater than 65. 6 million are age 5+ with disability and how many others that probably are ineligible based on background eliminators such as medical or criminal. And I'm not sure of how many 55 - 65 years old are to be accounted for but I'm certain that their interest in the Fire service is extremely limited.
— January 12, 2009 9:36 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

Also Fred, I don't think you'd be sympathetic to any view I put forward. It's clear that you will categorize my view as cronyistic and self serving despite anything I put forward. No friend, the only solution you seek is one that guts the profession. To date I haven't asked for a dime. I've notified you of a FF job opening, tried to clear the air about EMT's, provided some video of firefighters doing their work, and contrasted firefighting with Navy damage control. I haven't patted myself on that back, asked for a raise, tax increase or benefit boost. I've simply asked you to take the challenge and showed you what that challenge may entail. They pay and benefits are good and the job is exciting and rewarding but has the drawbacks of being potentially dangerous, rigorous at times, long hours away from family and home and a multitude of potentially life impacting responsibilities. Come take the challenge.
— January 12, 2009 4:08 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

And Fred this little peach of a statement - Jamesems, you are still STUPIDLY arguing a moot point. Your not a very nice fellow. Your frustration is echoed in your word choice. Shame you feel so much animosty that you'll choose to take it out on individual just trying to provide a contrarian view.
— January 12, 2009 3:57 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

And JV, EMT as a contigency use to be the norm. The City moved off of that to save money. "why pay people to train as EMT's if they'll provide it beforehand". Pretty simple.
— January 12, 2009 3:50 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

Fred - take the challenge. You said the job was an easy one. Step up to the plate. The imagery of the heroic FF is one your putting forward to wield as a sword by falsely claiming that its the battle cry of FF's demanding higher pay. The firefighters here haven't asserted that once. The videos illustrate potential dangers a firefighter may be called on to respond to and work in.
— January 12, 2009 3:46 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

EMT is a very transferable skill but moreover, it lends itself to loftier goals including physicians assistant, RN, paramedic, PD, Security services, and so on. All major events and amusement parks employee EMTS. Many employers value having a medically trained person on hand may minimize liability, potentially lower insurance premiums, creates a sense of security for patrons. Johnny, in his usual way, minimizes others education and experience while propping up lawyers. 3 local community colleges here in San Diego County offer EMT (Miramar, Palomar, SouthWestern). They have multiple course offerings over all semesters just to accommodate demand. There are 18 training agencies for EMT alone just here in San Diego County. And several hundred agencies state wide. http://www.emsa.ca.gov/personnel/files/emt/Approv… Even UCLA has an EMT program. http://map.ais.ucla.edu/go/Emergency-Medical-Serv… A 1995 report from the California Employment Development Department put the number of state EMTS at 35000 with another 6-7000 paramedics. They estimated a 29% EMT population growth from 1995-2005. http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/PARAM… Maybe JV should modify his assertion "No one is going to have an EMT certificate prior to hire?" http://www.emsa.ca.gov/personnel/files/emt/Approv… The BLS CPR card is 4.5 hours per Ameican Heart Association. P.S. - this took like 10 mins to find on the internet.
— January 12, 2009 3:28 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

Take the challenge. One thing for Fred on damage control and shipboard operations. Navy folks have full knowledge of the ship. Everyone is demanded to have intimate knowledge of the of the ships spaces and all personnel have preordained roles. Fires below deck can be compartmentalized and extinguishing with water or extinguishing agents flooding the area. Thats not to take away from the Navy folks at all. But to say municpal firefighting is easy understates the unknown potentials and frequency of exposures these folks face. Have a look at the Youtube videos below to get a sense. Here's the FIRE RECRUIT APPLICATION: now you know and can apply. http://apps.sandiego.gov/pjaol8/bulletins/2931.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foQ6W9BX4pc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHLgo8gu6f4&featur… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvcVSazXpNE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=485qFmVCRWg
— January 11, 2009 9:52 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

Seems i'm striking a nerve now. Now, your covering by transference. Trying to give the appearance that "I'm the one with the problem". clearly pathological. Seems you may be the one in need of the "pill". LOL!
— January 6, 2009 1:44 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

How about you relax. You're the one with the overt antisocial flare. Introspection maybe helpful.
— January 6, 2009 1:36 p.m.

San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing

By JV Hi welfare queen, welcome aboard. Sophomoric and sad. The best you can do? Wow. Silly sobriquet quite obviously some offensive projection to counter a weak position or some other insecurity. That sort of response diminishes any further comment put forward, even from a casual observers standpoint.
— January 6, 2009 1:35 p.m.