Fire Strikes

[Ricey]

Have you applied to Essex Police to find out whether they prefer fat messes or are you just having a bitch?

I got rejected by Essex Police a while back and got through the whole process with the Met police in 2010 but because of budget cuts they scrapped all new applicants. Now you have to of lived in London for 2 years to apply.

I forget, which poster was it on here before who was asking whether they should pretend to be gay/disabled/black on their application for the police to stand more of a chance?

It was known at the time that you were more likely to be selected if you were a minority when I asked that question. A very stupid suggestion but I had a point with it at the time. Not long after writing that the met police said that they need to employ more straight white makes due to them being the minority.

Anyway, back on topic.

 

[Benfleet A1]

I got rejected by Essex Police a while back and got through the whole process with the Met police in 2010 but because of budget cuts they scrapped all new applicants. Now you have to of lived in London for 2 years to apply.



It was known at the time that you were more likely to be selected if you were a minority when I asked that question. A very stupid suggestion but I had a point with it at the time. Not long after writing that the met police said that they need to employ more straight white makes due to them being the minority.

Anyway, back on topic.

I know that rejection feeling from Essex Police and the Met. Try the British Transport Police, very fond of taking on ex-forces.

 

[Ricey]

I know that rejection feeling from Essex Police and the Met. Try the British Transport Police, very fond of taking on ex-forces.

Thanks will give that a try, need to sort a house to buy first then I can move back to Essex and leave.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I have never considered joining the police but wouldn't mind being part of something like this to clean the scum from of the streets of South Benfleet.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_City_Superhero_Movement

 

[rigsby]

Yes and what I signed up for has drastically changed without me being able to do anything about. Yes I could leave, but I have nothing to go to outside the military at the moment. I could join essex or (enter other constabulary here) police but no doubt they would chose some fat mess who has a degree and pass their pathetic fitness test over someone who has done the job for 4 years.

Thought I might get a good reaction. :winking: With the fire service facing a further 20% cut if Dave and George win in May, you wont ever get a job when you leave for civvy street. Back in the eighties ex Military were prioritised when applying for the LFB. Now they are bottom of the pile, along with any other white male who plays sport or has previous experience with power tools etc. They used to call this positive discrimination but that was ruled illegal, so its now targeted recruitment.
IF you think you've had it bad, what about the guys who signed up for 30yrs in the fire service. Pension contributions are now up to £450 pcm for the lowest ranks. Service has been extended to 40yrs and if you fail a medical you go to a desk job/ training. The FBU agreed to all this so called 'modernisation'. The reason they are on strike is not for wages or overtime but because our wonderful politicians have changed the goal posts again. The new rule means they don't have to offer any alternative employment. So a Firefighter who has done 37yrs service and fails a medical gets the sack and they keep his pension until he would be 67. the MPs scheme however remains the same. Full pension after 20yrs, lower contributions higher pay outs than police and fire service, one years salary if you get voted out. Their wonderful argument against reform [agreed by all parties] was that as there are not many MPs and Lords. So not much money would be saved so no point in changing their scheme. lets not forget even if a politician gets a prison sentence he can remain in the house of lords-£300 per day expenses
As the fire service has been one of the best supporters of the military over the years my advice to you Ricey is to realise who is actually 'all in this together'. Why not pop along to your local fire station and show your support. Im sure they will be glad to point out all the lies and spin printed by our trade union hating, privately owned press.

 

[Ricey]

Thought I might get a good reaction. :winking: With the fire service facing a further 20% cut if Dave and George win in May, you wont ever get a job when you leave for civvy street. Back in the eighties ex Military were prioritised when applying for the LFB. Now they are bottom of the pile, along with any other white male who plays sport or has previous experience with power tools etc. They used to call this positive discrimination but that was ruled illegal, so its now targeted recruitment.
IF you think you've had it bad, what about the guys who signed up for 30yrs in the fire service. Pension contributions are now up to £450 pcm for the lowest ranks. Service has been extended to 40yrs and if you fail a medical you go to a desk job/ training. The FBU agreed to all this so called 'modernisation'. The reason they are on strike is not for wages or overtime but because our wonderful politicians have changed the goal posts again. The new rule means they don't have to offer any alternative employment. So a Firefighter who has done 37yrs service and fails a medical gets the sack and they keep his pension until he would be 67. the MPs scheme however remains the same. Full pension after 20yrs, lower contributions higher pay outs than police and fire service, one years salary if you get voted out. Their wonderful argument against reform [agreed by all parties] was that as there are not many MPs and Lords. So not much money would be saved so no point in changing their scheme. lets not forget even if a politician gets a prison sentence he can remain in the house of lords-£300 per day expenses
As the fire service has been one of the best supporters of the military over the years my advice to you Ricey is to realise who is actually 'all in this together'. Why not pop along to your local fire station and show your support. Im sure they will be glad to point out all the lies and spin printed by our trade union hating, privately owned press.

I'm an ex aviation fire fighter myself, I've a lot of friends who are whole time and retained. I am in regular contact with them all and understand their gripes. Just annoys me that it's us (military personnel) that pick up the pieces when your not happy. Who picks up our pieces when we are not happy? Us! Because we can't strike or do anything about the **** deal we get dealt.

I'm not saying they have it better than us or their deal isn't as tough as us, I respect fire fighters having done the job for 4 years at aviation level so I know the pressures.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I know that rejection feeling from Essex Police and the Met. Try the British Transport Police, very fond of taking on ex-forces.

Or the buses.Loads of ex-army on Eastern National when I was a clippie with them back in the day.:winking:

 

[rigsby]

Ricey I think you missed my point completely . Which would explain some of your football posts. Wow 4yrs at aviation level. So come on then how many 'shouts' did you attend in that time. And please don't include false alarms, plane radioed in with problems nothing happened etc

 

[Ricey]

Ricey I think you missed my point completely . Which would explain some of your football posts. Wow 4yrs at aviation level. So come on then how many 'shouts' did you attend in that time. And please don't include false alarms, plane radioed in with problems nothing happened etc

Very few, had a few aircraft go off the runway. It was mainly full emergencies where Essex Fire would be called too but the emergency would not come to anything. I started there a month after that Young lad died on his solo flight where he crashed into the park. As for fires putting out the odd smoking bin was about as far as it went other than training, but our level of training was 2nd to none so we were prepared for any situation.

 

[callan]

I used to be a fire marshal when I worked at the Council (had a clip board / high viz jacket etc), I never got paid any extra despite having to go out in the car park for a good twenty minutes sometimes to take a register and often it would be quite cold.
Never had any thing hair raising to deal with like a smoking bin, however I did have to be quite stern with a woman who was lighting her fags off a toaster.

 

[essexshrimper]

back on topic :smile: surely the fact that Essex fire service are down to something like 18 pumps during strikes and still putting out a respectable service will be seen by the government as something else to cut??? ( they normally have 52) :unsure:

 

[rigsby]

Very few, had a few aircraft go off the runway. It was mainly full emergencies where Essex Fire would be called too but the emergency would not come to anything. I started there a month after that Young lad died on his solo flight where he crashed into the park. As for fires putting out the odd smoking bin was about as far as it went other than training, but our level of training was 2nd to none so we were prepared for any situation.

After sitting around at the airport for 4yrs 'smoke dodging' id have thought you would be glad to pick up the pieces so to speak.
Anyway back to the thread- fire strikes. Firefighters pay pension contributions of currently around 12% of salary, can rise to 15% . Teachers have been Paying 6%. Firefighters and police pay much more than others [including MPs] because part of that payment is an insurance against an injury or serious illness which would shorten their service. Currently some authorities, including Essex are breaking the rules of the Pension scheme, which don't forget was compulsory when some of the current staff started. In the wonderful new world where fire chiefs and councillors award themselves up to 25% pay rises, they are attempting to sack staff who have been injured at a fire or who have cancer. Under the clear rules when these people joined if you was no longer fit to be an operational firefighter you would receive a pension. In many cases previously staff were redeployed in a non operational roll. However now the authority say they don't have to do either and are sacking people and refusing to pay any pension. This means in some cases a firefighter with terminal cancer will be on zero pay and unable to receive any pension even for the few months they have left to live . Remember when they die the pensions die with them, so not a single penny of thirty odd years contributions will ever be paid out. If a bank had sold this expensive scheme and then changed the rules twenty years later it would be deemed a miss selling scandal of the highest order. However when a government does it under 'modernisation', firefighters and police are left to fight alone.
By the way Ricey there are many ex military in the fire brigade so I hope they don't see your crass comments. come on son wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[essexshrimper]

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11728330.Fire_leaves_pet_shop_boss_devastated/

15mins from Roots hall to daws heath road?? on blues and twos?? good effort that

 

[MK Shrimper]

Very few, had a few aircraft go off the runway. It was mainly full emergencies where Essex Fire would be called too but the emergency would not come to anything. I started there a month after that Young lad died on his solo flight where he crashed into the park. As for fires putting out the odd smoking bin was about as far as it went other than training, but our level of training was 2nd to none so we were prepared for any situation.

The amount of cats up trees was mental for a small aiport. It put JFK, Heathrow & CDG to shame.

 

[Ricey]

The amount of cats up trees was mental for a small aiport. It put JFK, Heathrow & CDG to shame.

Haven't you got a fridge to get rid of!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Haven't you got a fridge to get rid of!

Would you like it?:smile:

 

[essexshrimper]

and they plan another 24 hour strike, at some point one of these strikes is gunna cause someone to die when they could of been saved, Rayleigh/hadleigh are a heck of along way from Roots hall/ basildon, no way are they within 7 minute call out time

 

[Ricey]

and they plan another 24 hour strike, at some point one of these strikes is gunna cause someone to die when they could of been saved, Rayleigh/hadleigh are a heck of along way from Roots hall/ basildon, no way are they within 7 minute call out time

Does anything actually get achieved from these strikes?

 

[rigsby]

Does anything actually get achieved from these strikes?

Stops further or greater cuts

 

[Ricey]

Stops further or greater cuts

But has it actually had that effect in the past?