A crazy idea has been stuck in my mind for the last few weeks.
The fire dept in my county is recruiting new firefighters.
I admit that I only became interested when I noticed that
the starting salary was USD47900.(before taxes, of course)
Am I being stupid here? I always wanted to be a firefighter,
but what am I getting myself into?
Need some comparison here… how much does a firefighter
make in Taiwan?
Thanks!
well, you’ll finally be able to tell all those girls about your big hose
I’m not sure about the salary of fire fighters. It isn’t such a necessity in Taiwan, since few buildings are constructed with wood. Starting salary for a police officer here is NT$50,000 - $65,000 / mo. depending on job responsibilities. You’ll also get paid 14 months per year.
I say go for it! It took me a long time to realise that doing what you love and making lots of money in the process is absolutely 100% a good idea.
Uh, come again? You can’t possibly be serious.
I agree. It sounds great. Good pay, good exercise, good respectable work. If it’s something that has always appealed to you go for it. The worst that can happen is you discover it wasn’t all that you figured and then you can try something else.
I’m sure thats not the worst that can happen to a firefighter.
I stand by my statement. I said, the worst that can happen is he will. . .
Maybe I should clarify. You may discover a burning roof collapsing on you as you try to exit a building and you can try to recover from your broken back and 3d degree burns all over your body.
Good luck. 
Uh, come again? You can’t possibly be serious.[/quote]
In Taiwan, the vast majority of buildings over 14 feet high are not built with wood. That’s the law, so wood might be used for building playstructures at playgrounds or for log cabins in the mountains, but most buildings in Taiwan are over 14 feet high, and so are not made of wood.
I think that means that a higher of fires in Taiwan will be industrial fires as compared to other countries.
… so, you’re convinced that only wood burns … every day in Taiwan people are killed by fire, many started by faulty electrical circuits and mostly the fire department has to cut open steal shutters and chicken cages … I assume that there are more fires in taiwan than in the US or Western Europe …
Uh, come again? You can’t possibly be serious.[/quote]
In Taiwan, the vast majority of buildings over 14 feet high are not built with wood. That’s the law, so wood might be used for building playstructures at playgrounds or for log cabins in the mountains, but most buildings in Taiwan are over 14 feet high, and so are not made of wood.
I think that means that a higher of fires in Taiwan will be industrial fires as compared to other countries.[/quote]
The “You can’t possibly be serious” was directed at your assertoin that since buildings aren’t primarily constructed with wood, firefighters aren’t such a necessity in Taiwan. Is the movie “Towering Inferno” available on DVD or VCD in Taiwan? 
[quote=“twocs”]
Fire codes also restrict the use of wood as exposed trusses and beams in roof construction.
I think that means that a higher of fires in Taiwan will be industrial fires as compared to other countries.[/quote]
Now that’s a blunder, wooden, laminated beams are safer than steel beams, they won’t collapse as fast when burning, steel melts and collapses when in a fire … and in most cases the wooden beams are not the cause of the fire …
[quote=“Belgian Pie”][quote=“twocs”]
Fire codes also restrict the use of wood as exposed trusses and beams in roof construction.
I think that means that a higher of fires in Taiwan will be industrial fires as compared to other countries.[/quote]
Now that’s a blunder, wooden, laminated beams are safer than steel beams, they won’t collapse as fast when burning, steel melts and collapses when in a fire … and in most cases the wooden beams are not the cause of the fire …[/quote]
There were only 4,432 fires reported in Taiwan in 2006. 125 people lost their lives to fires that year. (Fireworks pose a high fire risk in Taiwan) nfa.gov.tw/asp/showeng.aspx?pid=338
1.6 million fires were reported in the United States in 2005. That year, 3,675 civilians died in fires, 80% of who died in residences. usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/quic … index.shtm
As far as firefighting goes, I expect the workload is much lighter in Taiwan.
[quote=“twocs”]
There were only 4,432 fires reported in Taiwan in 2006. 125 people lost their lives to fires that year. (Fireworks pose a high fire risk in Taiwan) nfa.gov.tw/asp/showeng.aspx?pid=338
1.6 million fires were reported in the United States in 2005. That year, 3,675 civilians died in fires, 80% of who died in residences. usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/quic … index.shtm
As far as firefighting goes, I expect the workload is much lighter in Taiwan.[/quote]
4,432 fires in Taiwan, 1.6 million in the US. Surely you can’t judge the workload until you know how many firefighters are putting the fires out in each place?
Taiwan 22 million, US 250+million …
125 … he he … that’s ‘official’?
Good point Sandman. I expect that much of the firefighters work in the US as in Australia is putting out bushfires (brushfires) compared to Taiwan where its way to wet for bushfires.
125 people lost their lives to fires in Taiwan in 2006. (Note: Fireworks pose a high fire risk in Taiwan) nfa.gov.tw/asp/showeng.aspx?pid=338
In the United States in 2005, 3,675 civilians died in fires, 80% of whom died in residences. usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/quic … index.shtm
The US is one of the first to acknowledge that it has one of the worst fire records internationally.
Not the point. We’re talking about workload, which you can’t establish until you know the employment figures.
Compared to their Western counterparts, Taiwanese firemen (at least the ones I’ve encountered) are a bloody joke. Many of them are slovenly betel-nut chewing slobs who would have trouble getting their own ass up and down a ladder let alone carrying anyone.
Yeah, but how many Yanqui firemen know how to make wasp larvae kaoliang or strip a cobra of its blood and gall baldder? Eh? Not bloody many, that’s how many.