The Off Topic Topic

[Tonitrus]

Once again I'm reminded of the urgent need to expropriate the rich before they're allowed to design any more interiors
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/Great-Neck-NY-11024/31065180_zpid/

That appears to be The Fountains.

On sale since at least 2015 (when The Guardian says the asking price was $100 million.) Built in 1928, last purchased in 2013, previously the residence of a Russian billionaire who died in 2014.

While there were three pages of sites (or more, I stoped at three) offering it for sale I couldn't find out when it was last refurbished.

Allegedly, though, the 2013 buyers paid less than $16 million for it.

I am afraid I must correct you...

https://www.thefriedmanteam.com/three-bridges

[Syt]

Motörhead's Ace of Spades, played on church bells: https://youtu.be/O-JsEP9hDQk

[celedhring]

But do they ring hard rock tunes every quarter hour?

[Syt]

Share of career vs volunteer firemen:

[The Brain]

What's the definition of volunteer here? Sweden has around 300 volunteer fire brigades (counting them as part-timers may be correct depending on the definition of volunteer used).

[Syt]

What's the definition of volunteer here? Sweden has around 300 volunteer fire brigades (counting them as part-timers may be correct depending on the definition of volunteer used).

You need to ask the CTIF: https://www.ctif.org/sites/default/files/2019-04/CTIF_Report24_ERG.pdf

(The document doesn't explain.)

[Sheilbh]

I had no idea there were any volunteers here. Looking into it I think the part-time volunteers should maybe be classed as volunteers.

Apparently in the UK and Ireland there's a lot called "retained firefighters" (often they're retired fire-fighters). They don't work at the fire station but are paid an annual retainer fee and get a schedule of long periods of time when they are on call - so if there's an emergency they respond. But they normally have other full-time jobs - so it's not quite like they do 10 hours a week for the fire service. Not sure how you'd characterise it between voluntary or part-time

[Syt]

As you can see, most fire departments in Germany and Austria are crewed by volunteers who donate a few hours per week and take turns being on call in case of emergencies. You can see from the inhabitants per fireman that it's pretty pervasive, and in the countryside pretty much everybody knows someone or multiple people who volunteer. The town where I last lived (ca. 20,000 people) has 130 volunteers according to their website, plus four full time employees. Vienna's firefighters are all career firemen.

In smaller towns the volunteer fire department is also a fixture of social life, holding parties, etc. to help with fundraising.

[DGuller]

On a somewhat related note, I wonder how being a firefighter at an airport works.  Do you just have the same crew of firefighters permanently on staff? 

On the one hand, I imagine you kind of need some specialized knowledge to be an airport firefighter, the equipment is unique and the dangers are unique.  On the other hand, it's kind of hard to keep your skills sharp when you can spend 10 years on your job without seeing a real fire outside of training.

[Sheilbh]

On a somewhat related note, I wonder how being a firefighter at an airport works.  Do you just have the same crew of firefighters permanently on staff? 

I'd assume they must be professionals because they, I imagine, need to be pretty specialist?

Apparently there's three fire departments in the UK that all-professional: London, West Midlands and Greater Manchester. The rest, especially in rural areas, use retained firefighters and then for very rural areas like North Yorkshire or North of Scotland there's a lot of volunteers too.

[Syt]

Airport fire crews are full time career folk, for big airports, anyways. Usually, they're employees of the airport operating company (kind of like how chemical plants etc. have their own in house fire crews).

[DGuller]

How do you not die of boredom being a full time airport firefighter?  Do you just play cards or solve crossword puzzles the whole day every day?

[Syt]

A looked up a 2016 article about the fire department at Frankfurt airport. Apparently they have 1200 emergencies per year (though most, obviously, minor), including helping out in the vicinity of the airport if necessary. Plus they're training a lot.

Besides there's maintenance, fire prevention, checking the fire protection systems of the airport etc. Depending on the size of the airport I imagine that can be quite resource intensive.

[DGuller]

Wow, that's way more than I expected, that's like 3 emergencies a day.  If I'm ever visiting Frankfurt, I think I'll take a train.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I wonder if there are just far more "routine" emergencies in airports than we'd like to know.

I've definitely landed and there are fire engines waiting - which I have chosen to assume is perfectly normal and probs just for training