Sad Story, but good advice about ice conditions

[scubajay1153]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

As far as you doing a job that most others would not want to do, or be a part of, I respectfully disagree. In Laconia and central and northern NH, the middle class is taking a serious beating. Goodbye Molex manufactoring in Gilford. Goodbye LW Packard woolen mill in Ashland. Goodbye Annalee doll factory in Meredith. Most recently, goodbye Customized Structure modular homes in Claremont. And, as of tomorrow Dec 31, goodbye to 303 $16-22 dollar jobs, $18.64 average, +ot, at the Wausau paper mill, up north in Groveton. After 103 years of operation, the mill is closing.

How many of these goodbye-to-their-good-job people do you think would want to have a firefighter's job with its' good pay, health & dental insurance, pension, workers comp & job security?...

Obviously you missed my point entirely. DO you honestly think any of those people is remotely qualified to do our job? Desire and need, yes. Trainined and have the "stomach", No. And not one person (fire, police, etc.)is provided dental insurance by the city and I think if you compared our benefits to other cities job for job you would find out some differences not to mention that the state has revealed that by their own mismanagement our pension system is only 60% funded and that they are considering making us pay even more to cover THEIR short fall and they want to remove our health care stipend as well. But that is another totally different ball of wax to debate somewhere else. The info is out there if you dig....

And Weirs Guy, for your information other emergency calls happened during the " deer rescue" (including sending ambulances to Gunstock for injured skiers) and were handled in a timely and appropriate fashion by not only the onduty staff of the LFD but by some off duty members also who had been called in to cover the stations as multiple calls were ongoing.

OFD We were the fire department (LFD)that lost a firefighter during an ice dive.It was march 11, 2004 and his name was Mark Miller. He was not only a coworker but a friend and dive buddy.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, feelings and thoughts. THat is what is great about this country. I just wish people would find out the facts, or at the very least ASK before they make bold statements or spout conjecture that has no basis.

If someone had gone in the drink going after the deer we would have been sniped at also. It its a no win situation I guess. You can please all of the people some of the time or none of them all of the time....it's a rough crowd...

And as one of the highest trained water and ice rescue people on the department I will tell you Weirs GUy, that even tho' you don't expect to have us come get you if you fall in rest assured that I will still do mybest (as will all of us here) to make sure that if you go in that you feel our arms around you and hear us telling you we got you and it will be OK as we drag you out. And I may even smile for you....maybe :P