The best gig here is being a firefighter. I wouldn't want to do it in a big city like NYC, but here, I know guys who went their entire career and never went to a real fire, other than some dumbass who burned up his stove with too much grease.
Some truth there. More than pay, fire unions really push for more time off. They say it is to spend time with their families, which may be true enough, but the big reason is to work at another job, in some cases owning a very profitable business.
I've thought that if I were a young dude, I might become a firefighter, use my time off to get a degree (maybe study on the job), and then an advanced degree like law or a CPA, then use my time off to open a practice. Little overhead, as you'd have insurance and a retirement guaranteed. Retire from the fire department as soon as eligible, then have another decade or so to practice your profession.
Paul
That would be a great plan. The other big perk is that the guys here work a 24 hour shift and get 2-3 days off. And if they swap duty days with a friend, they can get 4-5 days off in a row. Pretty nice if you are into camping, hunting or doing multi day trips. They like to whine about having to be there for 24 hours, but give them schitt and ask them if they would rather sit off the coast of Iraq for 4 months at a time like I did. They usually shut up and feel good about their situation then.
"Hey jackass, get your government off my freedom." MOLON LABE
