Hi....Me again....Now this is NOT another Career vs Vollie post...Someone asked for stats (I think it was Heather)...So, I got nosey and found this information from the United States Fire Administration....all stats are from 2008. Total Firefighters in US 1,148,850...Career 321,700, Volunteer 827,150. Firefighter age groups.... ages....16-19... 4%, 20-29... 25%, 30-39...26%, 40-49...24%, 50-59...15%, >60...6%. 76% of Career Firefighters are in communities of 25,000 or more ......96% of Volunteer Firefighters are in communities of 25000 or less of which 50% are in rural areas with populations of less that 2500......I found this little exercise very interesting (doesn't take much to get me "interested" I guess....LOL) Stay safe....always remember to Keep the Faith......Paul
Its interesting to note that about 75% of firefighters are between the ages of 20-49. In Louisiana you can retire at 30yrs with 100% of your pay. Most guys make it to 25yrs and then they're out. But the number show that if you join at 20 and work your 30, you'd be out by 50. Great info Paul, just thought I'd throw out my 2 cents. I've been in the service (as a vollie) since 18 so I've got over 3yrs in (career over 2). My plan is to retire from my hometown dept at 50 and move to Lake Buena Vista, FL and try to get on with the Reedy Creek FD for a couple years where I can enjoy myself! It's nice to dream right?!
I bet the age group number is slightly skewed because if the volunteer and the career age grouped together, since probably many volunteer firefighters move on in their paid career work elsewhere and don't feel the need to stick around for a pension - since there is none.
Another interesting component:
60 years ago - our grandparents generation - people would work in one industry, even in one position for 40 years - or maybe make 1-2 vertical moves in the same company (consider GE & Ford Motor Co)
NOW in our generation - people change positions, even fields, on average 5 times over 40 years [many are vertical, such as EMT to LVN to RN to Nurse Manager to Nurse Professor] [but many are lateral field changes, such as sales to administrative to accounting to finance to legal] [in the fire service it may look like firefighter to EMT/FF to officer to fire investigator - you see my point]
high school grad (age 19)
then 2-3 years in transition
then 5 years in job (or college) (age 27-ish)
then 2-3 years in transition
then 5 years in job (age 35-ish)
then 2-3 years in transition
then 5 years in job (age 42-ish)
then 2-3 years in transition
then 5 years in job (age 50-ish)
then 2-3 years in transition
then 5 years in job (age 58-ish)
---
Many in our generation (or maybe your parents) actually will change fields every 7-8 years. We like more instant gratification and adventure and not sticking it out in a job if it sucks or becomes boring.
The other issue which has impacted our generation, just as people are not loyal as employees to a company for 40 years, we have learned that most companies no longer have loyalty towards employees and will not make every effort to keep employees around for 40 years and give them good benefits and good pensions.
Permalink Reply by DUST on September 12, 2010 at 11:42pm
Okay, I'm on my way in my pov but that shouldn't take me long cause I got the pedal to the metal and am running ALL of my emergency lights and sirens all the way to CA!
Permalink Reply by DUST on September 12, 2010 at 11:53pm
Cooking? Oh, I won't be doing the actual cooking remember I am married, dear. I'll just deliver the goods and I thought you had changed the locks after our last "misunderstanding" something to do with the term "p-whipped".
and you are MAKING your wife cook - that's just wrong right there - but hey, as long as I get the good stuff - tell her thank you... and you are very lucky man ;-)
yes, changed where I live - not just the locks
(don't you know women never post their real location on the internet? too many stalkers...)
p.s. the number one thing women want is SAFETY - so when men are doing something that makes them feel unsafe (i.e. never being around or being financially not responsible) - women get scared and seek safety elsewhere
Permalink Reply by DUST on September 13, 2010 at 12:11am
Look I understand maybe you needed to change the locks on me but moving to another state and installing one of those fancy panic rooms was a little over the top don't you think?