Goddamn fires.

[Keevan_Colton]

I think you still have firemen....ours keep on buggering off because they cant get a 40% pay rise AND keep thier second jobs....

Ah you be British? well, ask your self this. Are you paying them a living wage? if not......
It is mildly amusing that the British army is using the old Green Godess's that were built in the late 50's.

They work hours that allow them to have a second job easily and refused a deal that ould give them a shitload more money at the expense of being just firemen....half them just do nightshift and spend all thier time sleeping....their pay isnt too bad given thier conditions of work.

[Sea Skimmer]

Hobart is a little strange today.

The heat is intense (high 30's with a really strong wind). And the fires are getting closer.

Power has been surging and dropping for the past hour. Phone lines are inconsistant.

Due to the power surges the alarms in the city (I'm in the cafe in the dead centre of town right now) all the alarms have been going into reset mode and going nuts.

I've heard 1 car crash thus far (sounded like it was with a parked car due to the car alarm going off right after the THUMP).

People are on edge and the air quality is shitty, though the wind is meaning that the smoke isn't getting a chance to settle, though it is blowing the fires right towards the city.

More as it happens.

Australian really needs to utilize the 60's Soviet Solution to major forest/oil fires.....nuclear airburst.


Failing that, D-9 though 12 series bulldozers and a disregard for private property may seriously become necessary.

[Stuart Mackey]

I think you still have firemen....ours keep on buggering off because they cant get a 40% pay rise AND keep thier second jobs....

Ah you be British? well, ask your self this. Are you paying them a living wage? if not......
It is mildly amusing that the British army is using the old Green Godess's that were built in the late 50's.

For the second strike they broke out mothballed 70's engines as well, a big step up for them.

Your telling me. Part of my job is to keep the NZ fire service musum opened, and trust me, while fire engines do very little in milage {We have one from 1926 with 2000 miles since new} the diffence in capabilites is enourmous from 1950-60 or the 70-90's.

[Vympel]

We need big ass water bombers ... the Il-76 waterbomber should do just fine ...

[weemadando]

City water has been disconnected, so we're a dry town now.

It must be getting bad at the fire front for them to cut water to the whole city.

[Stuart Mackey]

I think you still have firemen....ours keep on buggering off because they cant get a 40% pay rise AND keep thier second jobs....

Ah you be British? well, ask your self this. Are you paying them a living wage? if not......
It is mildly amusing that the British army is using the old Green Godess's that were built in the late 50's.

They work hours that allow them to have a second job easily and refused a deal that ould give them a shitload more money at the expense of being just firemen....half them just do nightshift and spend all thier time sleeping....their pay isnt too bad given thier conditions of work.

But are they getting a living wage for being firemen? Its no use saying pay isnt bad given their conditions, you want them to be full time proffetionals who put their life on the line, then make sure their pay is desent, or they will strike. NZ does not have this problem because we pay our regulars properly, do the same and neither will yours.

[Keevan_Colton]

Ah you be British? well, ask your self this. Are you paying them a living wage? if not......
It is mildly amusing that the British army is using the old Green Godess's that were built in the late 50's.

They work hours that allow them to have a second job easily and refused a deal that ould give them a shitload more money at the expense of being just firemen....half them just do nightshift and spend all thier time sleeping....their pay isnt too bad given thier conditions of work.

But are they getting a living wage for being firemen? Its no use saying pay isnt bad given their conditions, you want them to be full time proffetionals who put their life on the line, then make sure their pay is desent, or they will strike. NZ does not have this problem because we pay our regulars properly, do the same and neither will you.

Thats just it...they were offered a deal with a large increase in pay, but a change in conditions so they would really be full time firemen instead of working 3 or so days a week and refused this....

[Stuart Mackey]

They work hours that allow them to have a second job easily and refused a deal that ould give them a shitload more money at the expense of being just firemen....half them just do nightshift and spend all thier time sleeping....their pay isnt too bad given thier conditions of work.

But are they getting a living wage for being firemen? Its no use saying pay isnt bad given their conditions, you want them to be full time proffetionals who put their life on the line, then make sure their pay is desent, or they will strike. NZ does not have this problem because we pay our regulars properly, do the same and neither will you.

Thats just it...they were offered a deal with a large increase in pay, but a change in conditions so they would really be full time firemen instead of working 3 or so days a week and refused this....

SO they were part time firemen, who worked other jobs to make ends meet. Yet they are still on strike? was the pay offer a living wage though?

[Sea Skimmer]

We need big ass water bombers ... the Il-76 waterbomber should do just fine ...

That An-225 doesn't need much work to get flying again, and there are parts for another two in storage. That and some of the SCUD TEL's the Soviets adapted to fight oil refinery fires for your urban areas.

I do wonder if the US's fleet of C-130 tankers have in flight refueling probes? We don't have much for them right now.

[Keevan_Colton]

But are they getting a living wage for being firemen? Its no use saying pay isnt bad given their conditions, you want them to be full time proffetionals who put their life on the line, then make sure their pay is desent, or they will strike. NZ does not have this problem because we pay our regulars properly, do the same and neither will you.

Thats just it...they were offered a deal with a large increase in pay, but a change in conditions so they would really be full time firemen instead of working 3 or so days a week and refused this....

SO they were part time firemen, who worked other jobs to make ends meet. Yet they are still on strike? was the pay offer a living wage though?

More than a living wage......but they dont mind striking....they all have other jobs to make money while they are on strike.....the way the hours work currently they have enough time for a full time job around firefighting....they refuse to give that up for a better pay as firemen.

[Sea Skimmer]

City water has been disconnected, so we're a dry town now.

It must be getting bad at the fire front for them to cut water to the whole city.

If your having power problems that might have done it, water pumps guzzle electricity. Though the need to dump the water on the fires is more likely.

[Stuart Mackey]

snip
More than a living wage......but they dont mind striking....they all have other jobs to make money while they are on strike.....the way the hours work currently they have enough time for a full time job around firefighting....they refuse to give that up for a better pay as firemen.

Well if they have been offered a living wage, then one has to wonder.
But as I havent had time to look up all the information, I wont pass judgement yet.

[weemadando]

OK, City water is back on. Last I heard (half an hour ago) the fires down had just jumped the control lines. The ones in the north of the state looked to be contained.

[Stuart Mackey]

OK, City water is back on. Last I heard (half an hour ago) the fires down had just jumped the control lines. The ones in the north of the state looked to be contained.

Jesus thats bad. I would happily send you our shitty weather if I could.

[weemadando]

Its been a nice cool day, low winds, good humidity and it looks like we might even get a spattering of rain.

So the immediate crisis is over, but there are still a lot of fires OOC around the place, but none threatening any built-up areas.

Except for one at Rossarden, but if that burns to the ground Tassie will be better off.

[Soulman]

snip
More than a living wage......but they dont mind striking....they all have other jobs to make money while they are on strike.....the way the hours work currently they have enough time for a full time job around firefighting....they refuse to give that up for a better pay as firemen.

Well if they have been offered a living wage, then one has to wonder.
But as I havent had time to look up all the information, I wont pass judgement yet.

It depends on where they live for whether it's a living wage or not, around here (Oxfordshire) a single person on £25,000 can struggle to survive, firemen get about £21,000.

The MPs got a 40% pay rise (the same people who evaluated the firemans wages recommended the MPs pay rise), funnily enough the MPs got thiers...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Highways have been closed to all but emergency vehicles last I heard and yet more fires are being started by fucking wanker bogan children with nothing better to do. What really shits me is that because they are teenagers they can't be criminally charged with arson, despite the fact that they are endangering the lives of the firefighters (many of whom are volunteers), the people and our meagre supplies of livestock (which have already been all but wiped out by the drought).

In the USA a kid who started a fire that killed someone could be tried as an adult for both arson and murder. We do at least have that advantage when it comes to our fires, which I rather admit are indeed rather less severe.

To understate.

Best of luck over there with them.

[Stuart Mackey]

snip
More than a living wage......but they dont mind striking....they all have other jobs to make money while they are on strike.....the way the hours work currently they have enough time for a full time job around firefighting....they refuse to give that up for a better pay as firemen.

Well if they have been offered a living wage, then one has to wonder.
But as I havent had time to look up all the information, I wont pass judgement yet.

It depends on where they live for whether it's a living wage or not, around here (Oxfordshire) a single person on £25,000 can struggle to survive, firemen get about £21,000.

The MPs got a 40% pay rise (the same people who evaluated the firemans wages recommended the MPs pay rise), funnily enough the MPs got thiers...

No wonder they want 40%.