Tattoo policy needles L.A. firefighters

[The Truth]

loren wrote:

<quoted text>Truth, I want to savor this moment and make it last. Show Me the Money is right. The thread she made reference to does mention the LBPD and their salary. Go back and read it, Truth. IF YOU WOULD, YOU MIGHT APPEAR LESS STUPID WHEN YOU MAKE A FOLLOW-UP REMARK!

Wrong again, Loren. The post that started the salary debate related to the post just before it in which firemen were the subject. That's why you don't cite it.
When you were a teacher, being in your class must have been living hell.
Thank goodness you were eventually asked to leave.

[loren]

Show Me the Money wasn't responding to the post- she was respnding to the comment. That's why you don't cite it. Why do you always resort to insults instead of intelligent responses? Oh, dumb question. You don't have any.

[LongBeachLove]

I wouldn't even consider what a firefighter looked like having long hair with tattoo's all over if my house was about to burn down or needing the jaws of life to save me from a trapted wreckage. Get real!!! This is trivial, tattoo's are awesome as well as our LAFD. Keep up the good work.

[Dennis the Menace]

LongBeachLove wrote:

I wouldn't even consider what a firefighter looked like having long hair with tattoo's all over if my house was about to burn down or needing the jaws of life to save me from a trapted wreckage. Get real!!! This is trivial, tattoo's are awesome as well as our LAFD. Keep up the good work.

Sorry, but that's just not professional reality. Policemen and firemen are supposed to look the part as well as be the part. No tats showing. It looks like hell. Anybody that can't live with that can go be a safety employee in some little podunk town where it doesn't matter what the police and fire personnel look like.

[Show me the money]

These men and women leave their families everyday not knowing if the will return. They face people you would run from"

You are talking about 7-11 clerks and cab drivers right ? First off God bless our Firefighters and PD BUT..., Although it is a very tough job the chances of not returning home at night are very very slim. Let's be real In LB's 100 year history aprx 15 PD and 18 FF's have been KIA compare that to many other high risk jobs and it is clear. The(informed) public is tired of the 'may not come home' angle. Whenever the cry babies or union want something they try pulling on the publics emotional strings. Man up and follow the rules of your employment or quit, you can't have it both ways.

Medic, If you are trying to say you are informed about the number of police officers killed in the line of duty, you need to do more research, it is a total of 20 PD, and out of that 20 1 happens to have been my father in law who was killed in the line of duty. I do agree with you our soliders are out ther putting their lives on the line for our country,and I am so thankful for that, but are we complaining about their tattoos? My father in law had one tattoo from his service in the Marines during the Korean war and he was one HELL of a good cop!!!! My beef is not with the tattoo policy, my beef is with people like you who complain about the money our ff and pd make...if it upsets you that bad get out of your current job, spend 6 months in the academy, that is if you can pass all the required testing,pass a year long probation period, and then go work in the ghetto with the the thugs who kill people for wearing the wrong color or just being in the wrong neighborhood. If you believe 711 clerks and taxi drivers are the true criminals of Long Beach you need to go on a ride a long with LBPD and get a reality check...Most people who complain about the wages of our FF and PD are just jealous they didn't have what it takes to make it!!!!

[Dennis the Menace]

Medic doesn't know what he's talking about. I've been to more LBPD and LAPD funerals than I care to remember.

The same people that say we make too much money on the job and too much money in retirement are the same people that don't have the stones to do the job themselves. Hell, you can't find 'em.

[Dennis the Menace]

And Medic, be more original. You've cut and pasted that same laughably ridiculous post at least twice now.

[White Trash Fireman]

First off get your info correct, and learn how to spell.(tattoo) Starting salary is 40k and I guarantee that I spent more time in job specific training and academies than you spent getting your degree. And you probably don't even work in the field that you went to school for. Oh, and how about a federal background check? Did you have to have one of those to get your corporate job? And don't let me forget the 2000 hours of volunteer work that I did for you and all the other ungrateful citizens of this city that I proudly serve "tattooed" . And last but not least my base work week is 56 hours compared to your 40 hours, and I don't get to come home to my family every night. But I guess that is what I get for only having a high school diploma. Think about this message before you call 911, maybe you should call your corporate buddy with his/her masters degree, they would probably be able to provide a service that is more to your standard. Signed your public servant!!!!!!!

No Tatoos wrote:

<quoted text>
They put their lives on the line for a beginning salary of 100K a year, after only a few months training, and all that is required is a high school degree, not to mention the HUGE waiting list full of other people with high school educations who want to make wages they would likely never achieve otherwise.
Fire fighter's, policemen, and the like, are in a high status position bestowed upon them by the city. Tatoo's undermines the status that their job requires.
Keep your white trash sensibilities to yourself, and let the city run the fire department.

[state RN]

White Trash Fireman wrote:

First off get your info correct, and learn how to spell.(tattoo) Starting salary is 40k and I guarantee that I spent more time in job specific training and academies than you spent getting your degree. And you probably don't even work in the field that you went to school for. Oh, and how about a federal background check? Did you have to have one of those to get your corporate job? And don't let me forget the 2000 hours of volunteer work that I did for you and all the other ungrateful citizens of this city that I proudly serve "tattooed" . And last but not least my base work week is 56 hours compared to your 40 hours, and I don't get to come home to my family every night. But I guess that is what I get for only having a high school diploma. Think about this message before you call 911, maybe you should call your corporate buddy with his/her masters degree, they would probably be able to provide a service that is more to your standard. Signed your public servant!!!!!!! <quoted text>

I love your response. I appreciate all firefighters. I recall the horrific seen of 911 when so many gave thier lives to save others. I can almost gurantee that not one firefighter stopped to ask if the person had a college degree or not. Thank you for your work and dedication.

[White Trash Fireman]

If you tattoo haters want to talk about image lets talk. How about physical fitness. There are plenty of fire fighters and cops that are flat out fat. This provides a poor public image as well as it hinders there ability to perform the job at hand, and this includes the top brass. The top brass are the ones in the news and on the television, make them lose weight, or cover up.

[White Trash Fireman]

Thank you State Rn, just trying to straighten some of these people out.

state RN wrote:

<quoted text> I love your response. I appreciate all firefighters. I recall the horrific seen of 911 when so many gave thier lives to save others. I can almost gurantee that not one firefighter stopped to ask if the person had a college degree or not. Thank you for your work and dedication.

[state RN]

White Trash Fireman wrote:

Thank you State Rn, just trying to straighten some of these people out.<quoted text>

Your welcome and once again thank you. I work in a prison and believe me I know what it's like to worry about going home after your shift is over.

[Dennis the Menace]

White Trash Fireman wrote:

If you tattoo haters want to talk about image lets talk. How about physical fitness. There are plenty of fire fighters and cops that are flat out fat. This provides a poor public image as well as it hinders there ability to perform the job at hand, and this includes the top brass. The top brass are the ones in the news and on the television, make them lose weight, or cover up.

True, but there are also plenty of police and firemen in great shape. LBPD and LAPD are two of the better looking departments in the nation in that respect. Daryl Gates of LAPD is strong as a bull and rock hard to this day. So is Bernard Parks. Anthony Batts of LBPD could most likely outfight and outlift the majority of guys he runs into.

[Curious and Curious-er]

Hmmmmm...lots of interesting posts here. I'm just going to throw my thoughts out there :)

As a teacher, I am expected to dress a certain way...not to attract or distract....to be professional. While I don't have a specific dress code, other than no shorts, tank tops, slinky tops or tight fitting jeans, I am still expected to portray an image of professionalism. I know that the 80's became a decade of 'casual', but even the most casual of business attire still warrents the covering up of body parts and distracting accessories.(i'm not talking about those who run a tattoo parlor here folks. I'm talking about the business professional world...educators, sales, business, medical, firefighters, policemen, the military, etc) For respect to be given, respect must also be earned. When we carry our heads high, look others in the eye, and show ourselves to be proud of what we do, then we are given the respect that we deserve.

Now, i'm not saying that if my house was burning down i would not accept help from a fireman/policeman that was 350 lbs and had a variety of tattoos :D However, as in most other professional careers, a certain amount of decorum is expected, and I, for one, appreciated the tailored, crisp, ironed, shiny shoes and well manicured hands of the EMT that showed up at my door the last time i had to call 911. It's scary enough to think one is having a stroke, and having someone show up at the door looking more like the tattoo guy from the circus just adds to the distress of the moment. Having a man/woman show up in a nice clean polished uniform with no additional garnishments gives the one in distress a sense of comfort...the air of absolute professionalism speaks louder than any words at that moment when the door is opened.

For those that desire the tattoos and even multiple piercings, go for it. It's your body. But....please don't disrespect/distract me when i'm having a stroke. I need to focus on the medical treatment you are trying to give....not count how many snakes are in the tattoo or how many hoops are in your ear.:D

[LA CITIZEN]

He White Trash Fireman, do you work for the LAFD?

White Trash Fireman wrote:

First off get your info correct, and learn how to spell.(tattoo) Starting salary is 40k and I guarantee that I spent more time in job specific training and academies than you spent getting your degree. And you probably don't even work in the field that you went to school for. Oh, and how about a federal background check? Did you have to have one of those to get your corporate job? And don't let me forget the 2000 hours of volunteer work that I did for you and all the other ungrateful citizens of this city that I proudly serve "tattooed" . And last but not least my base work week is 56 hours compared to your 40 hours, and I don't get to come home to my family every night. But I guess that is what I get for only having a high school diploma. Think about this message before you call 911, maybe you should call your corporate buddy with his/her masters degree, they would probably be able to provide a service that is more to your standard. Signed your public servant!!!!!!! <quoted text>

[tattooed life saver]

I don't live in L.A. or California even. I am a paramedic with the city of Austin. I have a college degree and am part of the academic enhancement process with new employees in the department. I have brought people back to life and their families never stated "but, he had tattoos". What would you rather have show up after you call 911? A competent/tattooed individual that can/will help your loved one or you, or a clean-cut/non-tattooed incompetent that may very well KILL your loved ones due to neglegence? we live in a society where it is getting out of hand for people finding irrelevant shit to complain about, don't you think? Don't judge on a person's skin color.

[oh boy]

tattooed life saver wrote:

I don't live in L.A. or California even. I am a paramedic with the city of Austin. I have a college degree and am part of the academic enhancement process with new employees in the department. I have brought people back to life and their families never stated "but, he had tattoos". What would you rather have show up after you call 911? A competent/tattooed individual that can/will help your loved one or you, or a clean-cut/non-tattooed incompetent that may very well KILL your loved ones due to neglegence? we live in a society where it is getting out of hand for people finding irrelevant shit to complain about, don't you think? Don't judge on a person's skin color.

whatever dude. keep to your texas affairs. This is a long beach thang. do your job and be happy you have it.

boy I wish I could wear shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, and a baseball hat to work, have a beer and take a nap after lunch, but I can't. There are rules I need to follow to stay employed at my workplace. Just follow the rules. It's not hard.

[Dennis the Menace]

oh boy wrote:

<quoted text>
whatever dude. keep to your texas affairs. This is a long beach thang. do your job and be happy you have it.
boy I wish I could wear shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, and a baseball hat to work, have a beer and take a nap after lunch, but I can't. There are rules I need to follow to stay employed at my workplace. Just follow the rules. It's not hard.

Exactly.

[LA CITIZEN]

Thats why Austin sucks. No professionalism.

tattooed life saver wrote:

I don't live in L.A. or California even. I am a paramedic with the city of Austin. I have a college degree and am part of the academic enhancement process with new employees in the department. I have brought people back to life and their families never stated "but, he had tattoos". What would you rather have show up after you call 911? A competent/tattooed individual that can/will help your loved one or you, or a clean-cut/non-tattooed incompetent that may very well KILL your loved ones due to neglegence? we live in a society where it is getting out of hand for people finding irrelevant shit to complain about, don't you think? Don't judge on a person's skin color.

[tattoed life saver]

LA CITIZEN wrote:

Thats why Austin sucks. No professionalism.
<quoted text>

Why do you have to be rude? I never said "California or L.A. sucks". I was just posting my opinion.