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StumbleFire captain accused of trying to lure children on Craigslist
Published Monday, March 1, 2010 | 4:30 p.m.
Updated Monday, March 1, 2010 | 6:41 p.m.
Martin Vohwinkel
A Clark County fire captain was arrested Friday, accused of placing an ad on Craigslist to lure young girls for sex, Henderson police said Monday. The arrest came after he allegedly arrived at a Henderson parking lot to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.
Martin Vohwinkel, 55, was tracked by an undercover Henderson police detective and charged with using technology to lure children for sexual purposes, said Keith Paul, spokesman for the Henderson Police Department.
The Craigslist ad requested a casual encounter with a young girl, according to an arrest report.
The detective responded to the ad on Feb. 25 through an e-mail account used for the undercover operation. The first e-mail included only an introduction and an indication that it was in response to the ad, according to the arrest report.
Police say Vohwinkel responded by saying he posted the ad. He then asked if the officer – posing as a young girl – wanted to have sex, and what it would cost.
In the arrest report, the detective said he made numerous references to being 14 years old in their correspondence.
Vohwinkel told the “girl” he was 45 and sent a nude photo of himself standing in front of a mirror, police said. In a later photo, Vohwinkel’s face was displayed and he was wearing a firefighter’s uniform, according to the arrest report.
When Vohwinkel asked for a photo of who he thought was a young girl, detectives sent an image of a female police officer. Vohwinkel requested nude photos, police said, but investigators didn’t send photos that were sexual in nature.
Vohwinkel asked the “girl” where he could pick her up and stated that he wanted to have sex, investigators said. They arranged to meet Friday morning in a Henderson parking lot. He offered to bring marijuana with him, which he referred to as "chronic," police said.
When police arrived they saw Vohwinkel pulling into the parking lot driving a white Toyota Tundra with a firefighter sticker, police said.
At the scene, police called the cell phone number Vohwinkel had provided for the girl. His cell phone rang.
Vohwinkel was questioned and booked into the Henderson jail. He was placed on unpaid leave during the investigation. Vohwinkel made $230,166.90 in 2008.
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Lock him up, we can save on his $400,000 a year salary!!!
he looks sad and lonely.
He made 87K in overtime last year??
http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/em...
It's truly obscene what this guy makes on the taxpayer's dime!
Big time earner on the taxpayers dime who can't find anything better to do?
That's a real creepy looking dude. Hard to believe he was up until recently a respected member of our community
You stay classy!
I hope this isn't true.
$297,098.55 WTF Glad i don't pay taxes !!
Ha ha, I guess we can save a cool $250K when this bozo gets convicted.
Sure hope you don't get to draw full retirement after a pervert conviction like this.
jaun: you are one funny beaner!
sounds like entrapment, but it is a good reason to lay off about 1000 police and fire fighters, they aren't worth anything. Let's bring in Chinese police and fire people, they are less corrupt.
At least there are no nuts posting why it is not wrong for a 45 year-old to have consenual sex with a 14 year-old and then saying that is protected by the Constitution.
From the RJ..
A 29-year veteran of the Fire Department, he was placed on unpaid leave following the arrest. He made $230,166 in salary in 2008, making him the 18th-highest paid county employee that year, according to county records.
I guess with benefits he probably rakes in 300 grand a year
The facial expression looks like utter shock. What a long fall - one of the best jobs around - gone. Lolita may be ok in Japan, or for polygamists in Utah, but for everyone else, it's a felony in the first degree.
I guess this one way to save the county sum cash...Unfortunately now state will p/u the tab or should I say we all will...Just don't forget to put him in general population:)
mred, read the article. Vohwinkel placed the ad. Think before posting.
Oh ya I forgot if the county want's to save some$$$ they need to start drug testing and checking the backgrounds on all of these guys(Cop's&Firemen) asap!
i'm gonna sign up for a fireman's job...$
200,000 + benefits a year...
and all i do is sit around the firehouse
watching big screen t.v. and eating new york
steak dinners paid for by the tax
payers...ha,ha,ha.
http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/em...
Awesome! $300,000 a year! We're another notch closer to closing that budget gap!
With all of the cops and firefighters being convicted of such crimes, I'm thinking we need a registry of where cops and firefighters live "so we can all be safe" (LOL)
And WTF? Craigslist???!!! Am I missing something here?
Think about it. This time he got caught.
How many of our sons or daughters has this sick, overpaid, greedy, self-righteous hoseholder victimized already?
I am sorry for his family. The shame.
That's great. $297k a year and this scumbag is soliciting kids on Craigslist. You can't make this chit up.
p.s. If you haven't figured it out yet, the LV firefighters union is one of the best scams around.
well now he'll be the woman in prison and he can dress up like a 14 yr old, sick #$%@
Looks like a closet polygamist from Utah, or a mormon bishop
"pick a habit, we got plenty to go around. welcome to the boomtown".
- david and david, 1986.
Yeah this is not the first time I bet
Wonder how many kids he abused already
Bishop!
Big loss to the Fire Dept. This guy could really put out a fire. He was a real good cook in the firehouse too. What a dbag--throw him off the top of the Strat tomorrow.
Ha, and there was that article the other day about the head of the FD wanting everyone to avoid creating bad press by going to the gym and store, etc. What the HELL does ONE Fire Capt. get off making as much as a university president? Seriously, the fire dept. needs to be dispanded.
He took a picture of himself standing in front of a mirror. He's just proud of his firehose that's all.
Was he the guy who created that famous 60s cartoon...
"The adventures of Rocky and Vohwinkle"
That salary is obscene.
I guess he had to much time and money on his hands.
He did the crime now he will pay$$ and the time.
The guys in jail love those type of people.
HEY all of you people are STUPID IDIOTS. Is anybody aware that he solicited a 14 year old girl. What in the world does his salary have to with anything? Does anybody mention the salary of all the sports athletes and actors when they get in trouble all the time? Why this so-called newspaper put that comment in at the very end was beyond reason. All everybody can focus on is the salary. So it must then be ok for an adult who makes less than $100,000 to solicit sex from a 14 year old girl! Because that is what all of you stupid people are saying. Next time just please shut the hell up!!
Well I sure hope they took his chronic away from him!
jakeMC..U are right..Time's are tuff, people need a outlet and this guy is it sad but true.But the moneys thing does have some merit here..The fireman brand themselves as hero's and are using that to defend their obscene salaries but it's obvious that they can't spot a pedophile in their ranks and that is pretty sad it's not like they work a 9 to 5 here they live with this guy at the firehouse..
@jakeMC
'What in the world does his salary have to with anything?'
Please do not gratuitously call people stupid. It is obvious that everyone posting finds him loathsome. But it was certainly a revelation to me, as clearly it was to others, that an (obviously not particularly intelligent) fire-person made so much money. Heck, I know there are pedophiles out there; I did not know that Clark County paid so much -- if they advertised such jobs, the local gov't would realize the facts of supply and demand! Did this c*** even go to College? ( I fear I have been giving my kids bad advice.)
5760 bucks a week on the taxpayers dime is a lot of money. I wonder if he was worth every penny of it ?
Jake,
what does his salary have to do with anything?
I'll tell you what. we are sick and tired of getting robbed by the government, whether local, state, or federal.
If u told me he owned a subway or a dog-washing shop and made that kind of money, I would say "good for him, but he still needs to rot in jail".
the problem is that he makes that obscene salary ON TAXPAYERS BACKS.
there is NO WAY a firefighter's salary of $300,000 per year can be justified. that is higher than the median salary for most physicians and other professionals.
"the problem is that he makes that obscene salary ON TAXPAYERS BACKS."
Exactly!
"there is NO WAY a firefighter's salary of $300,000 per year can be justified."
Nope, no way possible-especially considering how many qualified people would do it for 1/6th of that.
The Vegas fire union is a bigger scam that Harrahs.
We need more info on this guy like what church he went to?any activities in the past that might raise a eye brow or two? a little more back story on this scum bag would be nice....
I can only imagine how much of that overtime pay he received was spent on a computer at a fire station surfing Craigslist for underage hookers. Our tax paying dollars at work here people........ya screw education with a budget cut but please don't take from the six figure firemen pedifiles. Hope he receives the long hose in prison!
YOU BIG DUMMY!!!!!!!!!!
Well at least he will have a nice place to retire...free clothing,, shelter,,food and all the big strapping men to chase around....He could not get that on his salary....
Public salaries in many cases are to high.I'm sorry but $300,000 a year is way to much.When they retire how much is their pension.I would assume the pension is payable for life.It does'nt add up and in the long run the wheels will fall of the system.People need to step back,take less and use surplus savings to cut budgets and give other people jobs at a fair salary.It's the pensions that bother me.
Dirtbag.
The system is broken. There is no ways the state can survive paying these outrageous public salaries. Taxpayers are getting fleeced!!! These hoseholding idiots are making more than judges, physicians and professors. We need to reduce salaries, cut staff and divert money toward education.
What's priceless is that--despite all the press about cops surveilling craigslist for the last while--people still think it's a good idea to troll for illegal activities there. *sigh*
This guy should be on death row. Why spent another tax dollars to lock him up? No more free food and lodging...Same punishment on that 21yr old, who run a red light and killed innocent mother and son.
what an idiot. people who was suppose to be trusted and respected. you should be ashame of yourself. you just made the fire dept look bad you scum bag.
This guy looks like Art Bell on acid.
Whats really pathetic is him posing a naked picture of himself and sending it, thinking he was gonna hook up with one of the camp fire girls.
Perhaps the feds can take a closer look at all the harddrives he owns and check out his web surfing habits.
Last week was a bollywood toilet cam peepshow production dentist, and this week a $230,000 annual salary pedophile fire captain thinkin he was trollin on a camp fire girl....
Wonder who will be the next rimrod of the week.
Just remember your soap on a rope..... and a body guard, at your pay rate you can afford it....because where you are going even those guys hate men like you!
There are two shocking elements to this event:
1. 55 YO man tries to lure a 14 year old.
2. A firefighter makes more than $100K
Both are shocking and corrupt.
Is this guy LDS? I wonder...
Throw the book at this deviant. Clearly he has lost touch with reality and is a real danger to society.
I've only lived in Las Vegas for 8 years and I'm learning new laws daily.
So is the offense --- Vohwinkel made $230,166.90 in 2008 and was seeking sex with a girl that is 14 years old?
Or was it --- Being a captain using technology to lure children for sexual purposes?
Or worse yet --- Driving a white Toyota Tundra with a firefighter sticker?
Creep. I wonder how many minors he preyed upon before getting caught.
Being a cop back east (looking at moving to LV very soon),,, can I cross-train in becoming a 200K PLUS fireman???... or do the coppers out there get paid the same? If it's like back here, the fire-dudes ALWAYS make out. Heck, they can kill people and the public still loves 'em. Crazy.
Dude, one word....Tijuana!
where's killerB to defend this pedophile? just like he defended the illegal mexican soccer coach pedophile last year. surely he is just dying to offer us some more of his pedantic ramblings and ridiculous quotes. oh well, as usual he is "irrelevant".
This is why firefighters are overpaid, they have too much time on their hands..
$250,000 salary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, NO WONDER WHY Nevada, Henderson, Las Vegas and Clark County are in a financial mess.
CUT ALL THOSE SALARIES. There is no way that a SENIOR public employee should be making over $100K.
Mayor of Henderson, are you listening????
You people need to vote out the people that put these people in ! I vote, i voted 8 times for Obama last year. get off your ... and do something !
I like the part where the media tried to interview him - But the gaurd at the gate to his house said he had not comment. Wow - A public servant living it up on 300k a year, working 10 days a month with in an exclusive guard gated house.
jakemc, am with you, this is not about the money he get paid it's about the 14 year old girl he thought he was going to have sex with..... This Capt. did not bring home $250,000 last year on his pay check, the $250,000 was also his benefit's that are not on his paycheck but all everyone sees is that he make $250,000 a year not true...everyone on this message board hates the FD and Cops, I tell you what go and live somewhere that you have volunteer FD and Cops and see how fast they come to your aid.. or better yet go and visit and fire station and talk with the men and women and see what they really do all day long not just what is posted in the news, you will get a real education
Hey tbvegas, before you print something make sure you know that you are talking about, he purchased his home in 1996 for $64,000...public record
and for jaunsanchez, I see that you voted for Obama how is that working out for you, did you get your Obama dollars yet.lol
"This Capt. did not bring home $250,000 last year on his pay check, the $250,000 was also his benefit's that are not on his paycheck"
Boo....hooo.....let's all cry for the fire captain....poor...poor,...fire captain....he only makes $250 in salary benefits......so sad.
Let's start a fund and collect some money so that captain can make ends meet on $250k a year in salary and benefits.
FireCaptWife,
don't pi** down our taxpayer backs and tell us it's raining.
click the link to transparentnevada.com
he brought home $230k in wages counting his "overtime".
his "benefits" package was almost $70k ON TOP OF THAT.
this is government mandated taxpayer robbery, nothing less.
there is NO WAY a firefighter should make almost twice the median salary of a physician or other professional.
all that, and they get a retirement package worth more than twice what a soldier or marine gets after serving 30 years of active duty, even if they attain and retire at the rank of colonel. and the retirement of a top enlisted soldier or marine is about 1/3 what we are paying these firefighter "heroes".
please don't try to tell us you and your husband are "struggling like the rest of us in this economy" on his measly $200k plus in take home pay.
I never want to hear how smart fire fighters are!
The cops were really thorough in their investigation of this pedophile before arresting him. I think they started to check and re-check their facts, questions they asked, and evidence they would need when they found out he worked for the Clark County fire dept. There couldn't be any question that this guy was guilty when his case is presented in front of a jury, especially when accusing someone of being a pedophile and so I applaud the Henderson police for doing their due diligence.
Stay Classy!
I am sure he will retain his job.
Position FIRE CAPTAIN in Clark County
Year 2008
View Martin Vohwinkel's salary in 2007
Base Amount $105,001.43
Overtime Collected $87,514.54
Total Pay $230,166.90
Benefits Accumulated $66,931.65
Total Pay & Benefits $297,098.55
Yeah so he pulled down an additional $37,650.93 in longevity pay.
He will just retire and we will end up paying him 230K a year for the rest of his life.
One less great chili recipe :-(
Position FIRE CAPTAIN in Clark County
Year 2008
View Martin Vohwinkel's salary in 2007
Base Amount $105,001.43
Overtime Collected $87,514.54
Total Pay $230,166.90
Benefits Accumulated $66,931.65
Total Pay & Benefits $297,098.55
thanks for Re-posting and verifying exactly what I said FireCaptWife!!
he "took home" $230k in PAY in 2008. and $67K in benefits attributed to his position. heck he probably made even more in 2009, the data is just not available yet.
as if "base pay" was all he actually got. we the taxpayers are not as gullible as u apparently think.
as an officer in the US Navy my "base pay" was about 4k per month. the actual check i took home was about 6k per month counting all the allowances, etc. the Fire dept works the same way. "Overtime" pay indeed.
Firecaptwife..... When I lived in New York City, I knew many firefighters. They were blue collar workers that made a good living but far from the pay scale Vegas fighters get.
I always wondered how that young fire fighter kid down the street from me could afford 3 kids and motorcycles and RV's and ATV's and a $500k house. I always figured he was from a rich family. Now I know my tax dollars were buying all those toys.
It is sick that firefighters in this town are paid so much. And I am sick of hearing how they risk thier lives for us.
Fire em all, and start over. I'd do it for half that pay rate and love it! I'll bet there would be no problem filling those cushy jobs. But I would be concidered overqualified.
BTW..... I have lived in areas with volenteer fire departments and response time was never a problem.
First off. Could everyone please post their respective salaries and benefits so that we can tear them apart without any knowledge of what you do.
Second, great idea about firing all the firefighters. Clearly you have assumed that everyone of them is making 200k.
Why don't you look a little closer at those grossly inflated salaries in transparentnevada. They wouldn't be high at all if it wasn't for overtime.
Lastly, if you think your upset over this scumbag, ask a firefighter how they feel about him.
no mention of these obscene salaries these clowns are getting during the recent budget "crisis". There are thousands of guys waiting in line to do this job for 1/2 the pay---why does this insanity continue---230k for a pedophile grunt. Every time I see the ff union rep on the tv crying and saying they won't respond to emergencies do to lack of money! hahaha--they are too busy sitting around eating and cruising the internet, preying on children.
poly,
yeah it's a total scam, the firefighters union is one of the most well connected and powerful in the city. after all, who would want to deny these "heroes" a "fair living wage".
the firefighters you knew in NYC are the REAL heroes, as are the firefighters in Chicago, Boston, SanFrancisco, and virtually every large metropolitan area that has 100+ year old multistory and highrise buildings. THOSE firefighters have TRULY dangerous jobs, and they do them for about half what we taxpayers pay our local firefighters.
90% of the calls here are engines escorting the paramedics to an auto accident or home medical emergency. the construction in vegas is mostly modern, single or at most 2 or 3 story stucco. the casino's are mostly built with the finest state of the art fire suppression systems money can buy (since the MGM fire in the 80's).
the most dangerous things our LasVegas firefighters face are stubbed toes from dropping their weights while they work out ON THE CLOCK.
How often are firefighters injured fighting a fire in Vegas? NEVER. How often does a firefighter die in a fire? NEVER.
it's just a bunch of malarky they play up to continue to fleece us taxpayers.
felcher,
we don't have to post our salaries. unless we work in a TAXPAYER supported job, we all earn our money the hard way.
it doesn't matter if we are working at McDonalds for minimum wage or own a successful small business and make twice what these firefighters make.
bottom line, I'm not getting a huge chunk of TAXPAYER money, and expecting a huge TAXPAYER funded retirement at a relatively young age.
It is really unfair to jump on the (albiet overpaid) fire department for having pedophiles (allegedly) running amok on our dime when there are plenty of overpaid police officers and teachers that have done the same thing.
I happen to be a TAXPAYER. What is the hurt in revealing YOUR salary and benefits? Guess I rest my case. Let's all throw darts at your high and mighty position in this world. I'm saying don't throw all of them under the bus without really knowing all the facts. That's all.
I guess Doctors really earn their money or how about Lawyers? Politicians? Lobbyists? I can go on...
Certainly won't argue that this scumbag shouldn't get a dime of my TAXPAYER money.
police officers in Las Vegas are definitely NOT overpaid.
this has become a high violent crime, dangerous city to be a police officer in. cops are frequently assaulted, or even shot and killed in the line of duty here. and they don't make any more than cops in other comparable jurisdictions.
felcher, firefighters are taxpayers too. so I already know u pay your taxes, out of the huge salary I pay you and your firefighter buddies out of MY taxes.
and again, why is it so hard for you to understand that a TAXPAYER supported position MUST be made public to prevent exactly the kind of corruption that led to these inflated salaries.
in the private sector, market forces determine pay. Do I think doctors who went to college for 8 years and did a 3-7 year low pay residency deserve to make more than the high school educated firefighter "heroes" here in LasVegas? Absolutely.
FireCaptWife,
you wrote____
Hey tbvegas, before you print something make sure you know that you are talking about, he purchased his home in 1996 for $64,000...public record
FireCaptWife, before you print something, make sure you know what you are talking about, he purchased a piece of land in 1990 (nearly a quarter acre) for $64,000. a 3,423 sqa ft home was built on it in 1997...public record
facts are that a clark county fire captain was caught and wanted to molest a child. who really cares that he has a palace to live in, he might not be enjoying it for much longer
Good job Rory, make sure you and your commission gives him his pension!!
Just another "trusted" city employee who isn't! I'm sure he made many comments to his coworkers who have now figured out they should've seen 'the signs'. I hope he's happy, he's embarrassed himself, his department, his family and his friends. Luckily, there was no victim injured here - who knows how many more screwed up teens he's met up with who have answered ads he's placed, and then had sex with him. ewww gag!
It has now become appearent to me. All of you are truly idiots! I guess I am not shocked that all of you would focus on the salary of the captain (one sentence at the end of the article, which has nothing to do with the article) and ignore the sick behavior of the captains actions. I say again, ALL of you that are focusing on the salary are actually Stupid Morons. Please, just go back to your caves and shut the hell up, your wasting smart peoples air!
United States Senate Majority Leader, $193K. Vegas fireman $230K. Me, not so much.
His salary should be in focus if he posted the ad or made contact with the undercover officer while on duty. Were we paying this guy with taxpayer money to commit a crime rather than to serve the public? On overtime? What time was the ad on Craigslist posted, when was he making contact and was he on duty during these times?
Thats why they call it DOPE.....
Wow! Listen to all of you focus on the money. It's really sick to post his salary at the very end of the article. Do you really think that the sick people in this world do not walk amongst us all? That's all the media has everyone focused on. Do you really think that Clark County blindly agreed to pay into overtime? Do you know it is cheaper to pay someone overtime than it is to hire hundreds more people to cover those hours? How many hours did he work to make that money? I'm sure it was a lot. I say hire more people. More jobs! Is it the firefighters fault the economy took a dump? Why is no one is putting the blame on the officials controlling our tax dollars. What in the hell were they doing with all of that money when times were good. Look up all of the projects that were approved and what they cost. Were they really needed? We all need our police and firefighters. A strong police force and fire department keeps people coming to Las Vegas and also keeps our insurance rates down. Was the media locked in on what public employees made when times were good? Your elected officials are the ones who make the decisions that are supposed to benefit Clark County. Oh look they got me doing it, focusing on the money. Well I hope this idiot gets what he deserves and stays off of the streets. The media loves to fuel the fire and fans the flames of conflict. Let's not hate the people who protect our lives and property.
To add to the salary debate - Anyone who puts themselves in danger day in and day out AND makes a career out of it for my safety and the safety of my loved ones, I will gladly allow MY tax dollars to pay his 300k salary... Police & Fire & EMT's risk their LIFE and the lives their families will live without them for YOU AND I daily!! Regardless, this individual judging from this story/ claims is dirt and deserves jail, etc...
Fireman have the biggest GOOD OLE BOYS CLUB IN AMERICA, NEXT TO OUR WONDERFUL POLITICIANS.
Here is my rant on firefighters:
Firefighters do not deserve to make such ridiculous salaries, like this guy. They have designed a system for themselves that allows them to make ridiculous amounts of overtime because of the refusal of management to properly staff.
How is it fair that a 25 year old firefighter can make $150k a year, yet a cop is lucky to break $80k? Who has a more dangerous job? How many cops died on duty in 2009? How many fire fighters died on duty?
Then what about these firefighters that go in mass to the gym to "workout?" Give me a break. Most of them just leer at women, with a few of them actually trying hit on women who are
working out minding there own business.
The scam of firefighter salaries reminds me a lot of the "The Sopranos" where Tony's crew got paid for those "no-show" carpenter jobs.
Firefighters made the choice to be in the fire dept. They know the job has risks. But any firefighter to make the case they deserve to make such ridiculous salaries (especially with just a high school diploma) needs to put the crack pipe down.
vegasGM85,
you must've been staying up late watching "Backdraft" or "Ladder 49".
obviously you've fallen for the BS Hollywood romantic notion that the Clark County Firefighters try to promote.
what a crock.
again, how often is a LAS VEGAS firefighter killed or injured in the line of duty while "risking their life" to save someone from a fire?
answer: NEVER
it just don't happen that way. they spend 90% of their day sitting in their truck as they respond to routine medical and auto accident calls (when they're not in the gym or grocery store).
get a clue.
nobody is saying they shouldn't earn a decent living, but the shouldn't make ANY more than a police officer, or more than a firefighter in a REAL dangerous city like NY, Boston, Chicago, etc. makes.
and they DAM* sure shouldn't make more than a physician or advance degreed professional.
BECAUSE they are paid on the TAXPAYER's backs.
You get it.
"yeah it's a total scam, the firefighters union is one of the most well connected and powerful in the city. after all, who would want to deny these "heroes" a "fair living wage".
the firefighters you knew in NYC are the REAL heroes, as are the firefighters in Chicago, Boston, SanFrancisco, and virtually every large metropolitan area that has 100+ year old multistory and highrise buildings. THOSE firefighters have TRULY dangerous jobs, and they do them for about half what we taxpayers pay our local firefighters.
90% of the calls here are engines escorting the paramedics to an auto accident or home medical emergency. the construction in vegas is mostly modern, single or at most 2 or 3 story stucco. the casino's are mostly built with the finest state of the art fire suppression systems money can buy (since the MGM fire in the 80's).
the most dangerous things our LasVegas firefighters face are stubbed toes from dropping their weights while they work out ON THE CLOCK.
How often are firefighters injured fighting a fire in Vegas? NEVER. How often does a firefighter die in a fire? NEVER.
it's just a bunch of malarky they play up to continue to fleece us taxpayers."
just_an_average_joe should run for office. I could not have said it better myself. ANY firefighter, and I use the term loosely because they barely fight fires in southern Nevada, is overpaid. Budget crisis in state while ridiculous salaries and OT fleeces the taxpayer.
$62k per year for this job, with OT capped at $15k. People will line up and we wouldn't miss a beat. These guys actually believe they are the only ones that can do the job, don't believe the bs.
Why hasn't Killer B defended this guy?
Oink Oink! What a sick PIG!
Fourteen year old lassies need lovin' too!
What was good for The King (Elvis Presley) is good enough for any lonely firefighter right? -- a promotion and raise are in order here.
Thank you Martin for serving your community needs beyond the call of duty.
It's officers posing as young girls that are socially demented and should be locked-up.
: P
Still waiting for sfelcher to come back and try to defend his $200 to $300k plus per year TAXPAYER supported job.
I suppose he thinks he "earned it". what with his high school diploma advanced education he worked so hard for, and the fact that he's almost 30 years old, and deserves to make more than 99% of workers in this country make.
plus it wasn't easy to get into the FD - he had to have an uncle who was already a firefighter and be best friends with another fire captains son to even be considered.....
give us a break.
I like how FireCaptWife defends this guy pulling in $190k. She probably is sitting in her $500,000 home while sipping congac out of a Tiffany's crystal glass while typing her comments.
HE MADE 190k TAKE HOME! That's ridiculous. Obviously Las Vegas hasn't sufferred from his services being gone so far. Let's cut some more fat from the department.
he made $230k take home. almost $70k in benefits on top of that.
and that was in 2008.
before these firefighter "heroes" got their "cost of living" INCREASES in 2009.
Most people would say that it would be their dream for their child to excel in school, go to Harvard then Harvard Med school and be a doctor that saves peoples lives. That child, when grown up and a doctor, would have a couple hundred $k in student loan debt and work 80-100 hour weeks for a long time as they pay off their loans.
On the other end of the spectrum, you could have a kid that bumbles his way through high school, funks out of community college, gets juiced into the FD and ends up in a job where they spend most of their working hours mastering Halo on Xbox, while getting paid three times as much as the doctor - all on the tax payer's dime.
When this is reality, which it is, what happens next?
I wonder if the head of the FBI makes as much as a FIREWHORE.
Are you people FOR REAL? Seriously... lets focus on how much he makes vs being a CHILD MOLESTOR! WTf people... how about we lay of doggin the fire dept, because pretty sure you want them there if your house is on fire, or have any medical issue. GROW up... maybe you guys should have scored better on the test to get onto the dept.
Average Joe - Think about what you are saying... How are the LV firemen and less a hero then the LV men? They just haven't had their BIG catastrophe yet... Did the NY firemen suddenly become heros on 9/11 or were they already...? I believe they were already. Period. Again - anyone who is WILLING to risk their life to save mine and my families deserves the world. Police LT & Captains make an arguably large amount as well, and I think it is easily justified by the line of work... Every (tax paid) profession can be argued and debated but Police/ Fire shouldn't be one of them...
For Metro's sake,I sure hope they have thier 'ducks in a row' on this one . Also ,what was he thinking sending pics of hime in a firemans uniform? Are you nuts? Did he really think a 14 year girl was going to show up to get it on with a 50 something year old guy?
Acountmakr: I do not own a house that is $500k far from it, and we are to 2 income family, that is what I have been trying to say not all FF make that kind of money, you are lumping them into to one person, Am so sick of everyone saying that they see them at the store, how else are they going to eat for the 24 hours shift they are on. again I invite you to go to your local fire station and talk with them and see what they do for the money they make
Remember September 11, 2001, the anniversary which the twin towers were struck by big 747 air liners that had made both towers collapse to the ground? Well 343 firefighters gave their lives for others (http://www.9-11heroes.us). In the last two years throughout 2008 and 2009, there were 79,000 firefighters who have been injured. That number did not change much in 2008 and 2009, but 10,380 firefighters have been reported to be exposed to infectious diseases; these include HIV, meningitis and hepatitis. In 2008, 103 firefighters gave their lives in the line of duty (http://www.eastforkfire.org). In 2009, there were 93 deaths, and so far this year there have been 10. Given the hazards of this career, a firefighter's hourly wage is comparable to a carpenter, electrician, ironworker or a garbage man.
The number of hours worked in a week is 56 hours and are made up of 24 hour shifts. For example, the work day begins at 8:00 a.m. one day and ends the next at 8:00 a.m. Firefighters also do not have the luxury of having holidays off, unless that individual takes personal time. Reduction of a work week from 56 hours to a 40 hour week requires hiring 25 percent more employees. The work schedule is broken into three shifts, A, B and C shift; a fourth shift would be needed to cover the days off, thus costing the tax payers more.
Minimum manning is one person per position with no extra personnel, i.e. floaters. A fire engine has one captain, one engineer, one fire paramedic and one firefighter EMT. If a vacancy occurs due to vacation or if they are sick, their vacancy is covered by an off duty firefighter who is paid overtime on their scheduled days off. Each firefighter who is hired on as an extra may be promoted to captain, and this costs an additional 11 percent. The fact is that minimum manning, one firefighter per position, is an eleven percent cost savings over their career.
The opinion that firefighters make too much money is a misunderstanding on the amount of hours worked. An employee working an 8 hour day, 5 days a week for one month works 160 hours. The employee may work 152 hours if there is a holiday in that month. A firefighter works 56 hour work weeks and 240 hours a month on average, without overtime. The media may be against this because they were ill informed on the matter of this subject; they may now want to rethink how they see the fire department "making too much money." The media may have been sheltered on the discussion of this topic because the facts stated are true, and they may not want to be seen as dumb or unqualified to voice their opinion on the matter of this topic, due to the fact that they are not as informed as much as they would have liked to been. The media is entirely wrong for saying the fire department makes way too money, they have no idea what it takes to risk their lives every day in line of duty just to put food on the table and clothes on their family's back. Firefighters show a great deal of strength, whether it is going into a burning building to rescue a family who is trapped inside or pulling someone out of their car in a horrible pile up. Firefighters work long and hard for their money and do not need to be penalized for what they go through. If anyone believes that firefighters are just "hose jockeys" they are sadly mistaken. So next time their house catches fire or their car erupts into flames, they can call one of their neighbors over to help put out the fire. If the media or anybody else wants to voice an honest and true opinion, maybe they should join the fire department and see what it takes or get the facts they need from someone who does risk it all everyday on the job.
A good comment was made about the fact that this is probably not his first attempt, just the first bust. Most accused criminals are extraordinarily stupid and reckless and he is no exception. He is a sick individual and he hopefully will get some kind of counseling in addition to his sentence. This kind of thing hurts everyone: the community, the fire department, the possible victim (even tho there was no victim here), and his own family. Pray for the family, they are suffering too.
How many were volunteer firefighters? And didn't get paid for what they do.
FireCaptWife,
we TAXPAYERS ain't buying what you're selling.
yes the firefighters in large metropolitan areas with 100 year old highrise buildings ARE the real heroes. NOT the local Las Vegas firefighters who rarely fight any fires, and usually they are small single story stucco structures that they surround and drown. in other cities they were heroes BEFORE 9-11.
and they do it for about HALF what our local "heroes" make, while living in cities that have a much higher cost of living.
and this BS about how many hours they work: much of their time is spent sleeping, working out, or eating. all while ON THE CLOCK. I see these local heroes almost everytime I go to the gym. they are usually there before I get there, and still there when I leave, usually over an hour.
I have YET to see them get an emergency radio call and have to leave in a hurry. and they aren't even working out that hard. mostly just shooting the bull and (to quote another post earlier in this thread) leering at the women.
and don't tell me they rarely get to sleep. if that was the case all this overtime would NOT be allowed, as it would endanger the public. I'm sure all these local "heroes" are getting plenty of Z's.
as someone who spent half of their adult life in the military, I am VERY familiar with sustained operations (what is called overtime in the civilian world), with little or no sleep. soldiers would NOT be able to maintain this for an extended period.
if the local "heroes" were working so, so hard, and sleeping so, so little, they would NOT be able to maintain these ridiculous "overtime" hours for years on end.
we get it. quit pi**ing down our (taxpayer) backs and telling us it's raining.
What a joke...I bet that more taxicab drivers, or anybody else that travels a lot, puts their lives at more risk then firefighters (car accidents are more danagerous). What about construction workers dying? How about somebody that works in a gas station that could be robbed and killed?
In reality their job is no more dangerous then yours and pays 2-3x as much!
Well said.
FireCaptWife - you do realize that we all know firefighters spend a large portion of that 56 hour work week napping, cooking steaks, playing basketball, and washing the fire truck right?
I am all for message boards. But who do we start writing and campaigning to put a stop to this nonsense?
Every point just_an_average_joe made is on the money. This is a broken system and needs to be fixed. The problem is these guys now think they are bullet-proof. Vegas residents have had enough. The only people that think these guys are not ridiculouly over-paid are they themselves and their families.
firecaptwife like average_joe said we ain't buying it!! The fire chief of Phoenix makes the same or little less then a Captain in Las Vegas. They are over-paid period, there is no excuse for it. The greed is sad.
Don't forget they donate 10 percent to the church.
Well I hope all of the HATERS! out there you never need the overpaid Firefights help.... you are a nothing more then angry people not understanding what they do for a living and just want something to hate on, and yes then do eat, sleep, workout and wash the fire trucks, but when you are a sleep in your warm bed then are running calls to help who every needs it....
So like if I'm a firefighter and I'm working out at the gym, and pull my back out, or pull a muscle, is that considered on the job injury?
Most of these comments make me sick - these guys that are "cooking steaks, napping, etc" (JerryWayne) are also awaiting the call that COULD END THEIR LIVES for your safety!! You pay 1000+ a year for full coverage on your house for what? We usually dont need it or call upon it BUT when we pay a portion of our taxes to someone who could very well be the one who would save our lives one day, we complain... sickening... These Police & Fire are true men - man enough to step up to the plate and await the call regardless if it comes or not...
A fireman trying to pick up 14 year old makes me sicker.
I agree firefighters do a great job and deserve great pay BUT they also have become very arrogant and have refused to step up like every other Nevadan has had to do and take a pay cut. They've also resorted to blackmail by threatening to take longer to arrive at fires if they have to take a pay cut and that is just wrong.
Additionally, there are lots of very qualified people out there that are passed over every year who would take less than $200K a year to do the same job. Let's tell the fire fighters they can take a pay cut or leave and then see if we can't replace them with equally qualified people.
hey d bags...
Do you know my kids only see their dad every other day (sometimes up to 72 hours) because he is "sitting in a recliner" waiting for you fat ass to code? Do a little research on fires in this town... just because its not on the news, doesn't mean fires/401's (look it up) 405's... pretty much anything you can image doesn't happen. Do some research before you open your mouth... you just look ignorant. The guy MOLESTED kids... how is his pay relevant? All its going to take is some politician/head hancho to get a long response to their house and all will quiet down.
Yo firemans wife , sounds like alot of these posters would be happy if a tower came down on Vegas firefighters, me I say more power to you, get what you can from the Government, they will atke it from you if they can !
Nunya4 - Most of us have already stated we are disgusted with what he did - regardless, firemen should not be given a bad light because of a select few or in this case ONE... And again it doesn't matter on this towns fire history... Death is always a call away...
Vegasstudent - Arrogance annoys me too but at the end of the day, its a human life being given to save yours
Nunya...do you know that somepeoples kids don't get to see their father because they have to work two jobs to handle their tax burden so your kids can see their dads 20 FULL days a month? Do you know that some moms have to work because their husband isn't robbing the city tax payers?
So their father is gone 10 days a month and their mother doesn't have to work. They have plenty of money for private school and it all comes from the tax payers.
This is the perception and your "woe is me" response is going to add to the fire (no pun intended!).
google fire fighting deaths las vegas line of duty an tell me what you find!
http://www.iafflocal1285.org/index.php?o...
I found 4 names and they count dying of cancer to be in the line of duty deaths! At least 2 of these 4 "in the line of duty deaths" were cancer related. 4 lives in 20 years...if you counted cancer deaths! Sounds really dangerous!
akrouwdy
EXCELLENT research!
nothing shuts up these bogus LasVegas "hero" firefighter claims like FACTS!
bottom line, ANY job should be supply and demand. If you can fill a job with qualified individuals for 1/2 the current pay, then they are currently WAY overpaid!
this is only a problem with government jobs. in the private sector the market determines pay. in the government corruption and connections determines pay.
FireCaptWife.... I took your advice and visited a firestation yesterday to see how hard these "heros" work. I must have arrived during a much deserved break as I saw 2 guys watching TV and 4 playing cards. 1 was shining the chrome on a truck in the parking lot (not a fire truck) I am happy to report the place is clean and they are in good spirits.
What dont you people understand?!?!?!?! Las Vegas Firemen might be sitting around (thank god because nothing is going on) BUT they are waiting for the call to save YOUR LIFE?!?!?!?!?! Isn't that worth anything to any of you... Unbelievable...
And on a side note - just think about how much "down" time there is at each one of your jobs no matter what it be... (I know most might not be a tax-paid job but you can see my point)
VegasGM85, what don't you understand?!?!?!? Yes it is a necessary job. However, the positions can be filled at reasonable salaries. There is a budget crisis, and the tax paying citizen is getting fleeced here. Even if the economy was booming, the salaries are not justified. The way the OT is being manipulated is sickening, and I am paying for it. These jobs can be filled for $60K. As it was pointed out earlier, the FF in large metropolitan cities make half of what these guys are making. Start writing letters people, and vote these people out, or it will never change.
geez vegasGM85 you are either a firefighter, or the family member or girlfriend of one, or maybe you're just a "firefighter groupie".
as has been stated many times, many ways, this is a fairly safe city to be a firefighter in, compared to large metro areas with 100 year old construction highrises. give us a break with this romantic hollywood BS you're shoveling.
and YES it is worth something to be a vegas firefighter, but NOT $200k,, $300k, $400k or MORE, with a hugely generous benefits package that is UNRIVALED in the private sector, and paid for on OUR TAXPAYERS BACKS.
just an average joe gets it:
I appreciate your kind comments, but would greatly appreciate if you would change your username, so others are not confused with who is posting.
first, let me say this. " NOT ALL FIRE & COPS " are " pedophiles ". this pisses me off, that some of you, would think we all are. if anything, take a look at the jobs, that require or, involved people being around children, the vast majority of the time. " school teachers', counselors', " care-givers", chaporones', & whatever else professions there is. fire & cops, are around children far less, than the professios i mention. unless, they have a " special interest " in small children. i understand that, you want to keep kids out of trouble. but, at the same time, " special attention ", should be placed on those, who are around & catering to small children altogether.
this guy is a joke. he had to go on cgraigslist, to buy some " skin " ?. how sad. he definitely, wasn't using his brains. if i am correct, doesn't this state has " brothels " ?.
why not go to them instead ?. oh well, your finish. you may never be looked at the same again.
once again, not all of us are like this. some of us do, love our jobs. we take great pride in it.
DON'T BE SOO QUICK, TO PUT US IN ALL THE SAME CATEGORY.
PLZ.
thanx.
c-ya.
The creep quit and turned in his badge but will still collect his retirement pay on taxpayer money.