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Good article on firefighters but didnt talk about dangers
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Editor, Ceres Courier,

Just read the article by Haley Pascoe about how some folks think firefighters "sit around and do nothing all day." Very nice article explaining the types and frequency of fire calls in Ceres and how firefighters are involved in the community. It never surprises me when our citizens complain about public service personnel, including police and fire. I would also not be surprised if these are the same people who are the first to call for non-emergency assistance thinking police and fire have nothing else to do.

While the article was very thorough about the typical day of our local firefighters, it didn't mention some of the inherent dangers of the job. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 1,240 listed occupations in 2014, firefighting was the third most dangerous job in the U.S. The incident rate of firefighters being injured while on duty is 12.1 per 2,000 hours worked. That was 21,200 injured firefighters in 2014 with 35 being killed in the line of duty.

My recommendation to any fireman or police officer who encounters a citizen who makes the kind of remarks mentioned in the article about sitting around all day or having a sweet gig is simply tell that person the city is taking applications and they should hurry to apply before all the "cushion" jobs are taken.

Steve Whitney,
Ceres

LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the editor will be considered for publication but must be signed and include an address and phone number. Letters should be 250 words or less and be void of libel. Send to The Ceres Courier, 138 S. Center Street, Turlock CA 95380 or emailed to jeffb@cerescourier.com.