Letter: Public servants earn their paychecks

Saturday, March 3, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

In Clifford Licko's Feb. 24 letter to the editor, "Salaries would stop abuse of overtime," Mr. Licko seems to suggest that those who work overtime don't do much to earn that money. What little does Mr. Licko know.

Every firefighter in the Las Vegas Valley works a minimum of 2,912 hours each year (excluding vacation and sick time) - 56 hours a week for 52 weeks - just for their base pay. That's 50 percent more hours than others. Fire and police personnel are on duty 24/7. Add holiday pay, but not the holiday off.

Fire and police floor personnel are exposed to so much more than what the general public can comprehend. Everything from feces, vomit, blood, death and dismemberment of adults and children happen every day in the lives of first responders. The feces, vomit and blood can (and does) end up on the first responder's shoes, uniform, skin and face.

This is what fire and police personnel deal with every day. Old people dying every day from natural deaths, children being beaten to death by their parents, daughters being drugged and raped by acquaintances, and people trying to kill the first responders after being called to come and help them in an emergency.

John Dyer, Henderson

The writer is a firefighter for the Henderson Fire Department.