Local Governments, Schools Struggle With Shrinking Budgets, Massive Pension Obligations

Mr Gillman's numbers don't add up. A firefighter works 10, 24 hour shifts/month. 3 shifts/30 days = 10 shifts, not 8. Of that 24 hours, 8 are dedicated to cleaning, checking and maintaining buildings and equipment, special programs outside the station, and numerous hours of training to maintain the operational readiness. With todays fire depts required to perform non-traditional services such as emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials (HazMat) release response, aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) technical rescue, public fire prevention education, WMD preparedness etc, and all have required time alotments. Many of these have minimum time requirements as stipulated in federal or state regulations (FAA, OSHA, DHS, State of MI). Add to this the increased number of calls for service, around 2,500 per year for tcfd, this "8 hours" is extended well into the evening and decreases the "1/3 of the time sleeping" due to calls during the night that require time for the call, restocking equipment, and of course writing reports It is rare to get a nights sleep and the day following the shift is spent catching up on sleep in order to remain sharp enough to recall the correct drug dosage, interactions, contraidication for the next patient. Or the incompatibilities, proper level of personal protective equipment, etc. for chemical spills. It is obvious Mr Gillman speaks from opinion and not direct observation or fact when it come to the work of todays fire departments. As for teacher pensions and charter schools, I have a friend who teaches at a charter in Flint. She is having a hard time paying for student loans for her master's degree on her current salary.