brown out v. phr.— «The Redwood City Fire Department can stave off “browning out” one engine by cutting one fire firefighter per truck on all companies—a move that significantly limits the ability to respond to emergencies but will...
spiking n.— «The proposed firefighter contract also would have ended a practice known as spiking, where firefighters can inflate their pension payouts. The contract was designed to limit how much overtime and compensatory time pay could...
gasoline siding n.— «The wood-frame home, which is adjacent to Vale Park on the south side of Eastern Avenue, also has what firefighters euphemistically call “gasoline siding”—a petroleum-based imitation brick that feeds the...
per piece manning n.— «In fire safety circles, “per piece manning” is the term for the approach that the union and mayor have endorsed in negotiations to settle a contract that expired last July. McKay explained how “per...
Beddian year n.— «Shearer chatted with another firefighter, Bobby Beddia. Shearer said recently, “He mentioned that he was very lucky, because he was fifty-three, so this year he got to experience living in his ’birth year...
spotter n.— «Cal Fire blamed the delay on a shortage of military helicopter managers, better known as spotters—trained wild-land firefighters who help military pilots position water drops and communicate with firefighters in the air and...