Which City?

[osfd100]

Which CT cities have "The Job to Land". - Should have 3 answers

1) Based on Fire Load
2) Based on Pay and Bennies
3) Based on Reputation

[KeithA8]

It's hard to find one city that covers all three topics but here is my opinion in no particular order:
Hartford
West Hartford
East Hartford
Bristol
Hamden
Milford
Danbury
Stamford
I would be very happy working for anyone of these depts. I left out Fairfield county for the most part because I just don't know enough about that area. The ones mentioned are rumored to be well paid, decent work, and a good rep.

[mpfd11]

Mashantucket Pequot Fire Dept.

[osfd100]

I was trying to answer some of these myself. That is one of the reasons I asked.

I heard at one point a few years ago Manchester was the highest paid?

For Fire Load, I know it runs in cycles but Hartford and New Haven have got to be up there.

Reputation ??? hmmm.

[Mycareer]

OSFD

Manchester has been in the top 3 or 4 highest paid depending on contract year. They also have negotiated a 5 yr. contract which runs out in 09. They are also only hiring Paramedics at this point but the last test only had 18 applicants. The fire load is there, but they seem to catch room and contents and the fires come in waves.

[Sgnl50]

Here is my two cents. In no apparent order

Hartford
East Hartford
Meriden
Sikorsky Fire-Rescue ( excellent payscale,benefits, and lost of mutual aid)
Pratt & Whitney Fire ( excellent payscale and benefits.....ie stepping stone)
UCONN Health Center

Any of the towns that are running supplemental career staffing(Farmington, Colchester, etc.... These towns are growing which means their FDs will being growing.

[Sgnl50]

Mashantucket Pequot Fire Dept.

"Kudos" to your pride in your department

[KeithA8]

Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, UCONN, Mashuntucket? Are you kidding me? I thought you wanted to be a firefighter? Manchester does pay well, but has horrible staffing.

[JCA1386]

keith, i believe that sgnl50 works for pratt, so its good to see that hes got pride in his department as well as mpfd11

[Sgnl50]

I wouldnt call it pride as much as I like my benefits and my paycheck. I should have been a little more descriptive. Sikorsky does a fair amount of mutual aid as well as a very high payscale (48K). UCONN Health Center, does a fair amount of mutual aid to the surrounding towns and also has an excellent payscale.

[CTJAKE]

What about the fire load? 48K is good if you are starting off at step 1 or step 0. Not good if its top step.

[crankshaft]

I don't believe Sikorsky does the amount of mutual aid as you think they do.

[Sgnl50]

I was under the impression that Sikorsky did a decent amount of mutual aid. PWFD is a stepping stone. I hope to be out of here very very soon. I would love to work on a dept with a high fire load. But right now Im looking to be able to buy a house and marry my girlfriend.

[Mycareer]

Hey Keith A8,

Manchester runs 3 per Engine and Quint. And 1 Co is split 2 on the eng & 2 on the Medic. Total of 16 per shift(minimum) which will change when the 3 new guys go online in Sept Thats not that horrible it is about par w/most small to medium size depts nationwide.What does W Hart. run ???

[Whaler]

I was under the impression that Sikorsky did a decent amount of mutual aid. PWFD is a stepping stone. I hope to be out of here very very soon. I would love to work on a dept with a high fire load. But right now Im looking to be able to buy a house and marry my girlfriend.

Sgnl50,
Did you get a job offer from MPFD? Obviously if you did you turned it down because I haven't heard anyone took the job. Why did you turn it down (if you did) for the lack of pay or the reputation of the department?

Just curious.

[CTJAKE]

Hartford
Bridgeport
New Haven
Norwalk
Stamford
W.Hartford
Danbury
Stratford
Milford
Bristol
E.Hartford
Hamden

I don't believe Sikorsky does the amount of mutual aid as you think they do.

I agree, not in that order, but close.

[PurplePants8]

I dont know much about other depts. but I really enjoy working for stratford. In my 2 months on the job ive gotten a few jobs and a couple extrications. The pay is awesome with excellent benefits and retirement. Thats not to mention a good group of guys with plenty of insight.

[KeithA8]

Sgnl50:
I don't mean any disrespect. The criteria was fire load, pay & bennies, reputation. Industrial fire depts are security gaurds with extinguishers. Don't get me wrong you do have a good job and most people would kill to have it, but lets be real. How many structure fires have you been to since you've been on the job? How many extinguishers did you fill last week? Did you get woken out of your bunk the last tour? I do realize that working for UTC affords you fantastic bennies and the pay is average but to rank it as one of the top fire depts in the state is a stretch. My dept is no FDNY either. We have an average fire load, and one of the best pay and bennies in the country. You should be proud to be on the job, I know you are looking to move on to bigger and better things - which tells me you realize deep down inside the industrial world is not the place for a young eiger firefighter although it's a good job. 48k is not a very high pay it's, as mentioned, average for starting pay.

Mycareer:
Manchester must have changed, I remember the days of 2 man companies. Maybe it changed when you went to paramagic engines. In West Hartford we run 4 on everything but we only have 5 companies. So Hartford engine 11 and ladder 5 are part of our 2nd alarm assignment. We have 21 per shift and as you know for our population size we are grossly understaffed as well.

I don't know alot about fairfield county so I can't comment on the depts down there. I know there are great ones. Stratford may very well be one. We don't hear much about them in the Hartford area.

[crankshaft]

I forgot to mention Waterbury cause of the fire load and Meriden, they run about 8000 calls a year.

[crankshaft]

keith, any news on when West Hartford will be testing again? I heard this summer but havnt heard anything else.