Fire Deaths Increase ....

[colin todd]

And it actually isn't?

[wee brian]

well, amongst other things, it occasionaly involves skills such as, being respectful to people you don't respect, listening politely to people you think are idiots and keeping quiet.

not a career for you my friend 

[kurnal]

Wee B I never did understand why people in responsible positions and on decent salaries feel they are doing their job by keeping their counsel and not telling the bosses or politicians when they are wrong.

Personally I always took the view that the ratepayers were paying me a decent wage in return for my knowledge, experience, skills and judgement and it would be wrong not to give them the benefit of my opinion for which they are paying.

I reckon I could have gone far in the civil service.

[Mike Buckley]

Kurnal, it is because they don't like being told they are wrong. I was doing a H&S job and was told that the MD said I really knew how to get under his skin. A couple of months later my role was outsourced and I was made redundant and a couple of months after that the firm was taken to court by the HSE.

Mike's view of politics: The civil service run the country, the job of the politicians is to control the civil service. The problem is that the politicians think they run the country, which is a view the civil service like to promote. Unfortunately 'Yes Minister' is closer to fact than fiction.

Yes I am old and cynical.

[wee brian]

its a bit more complicated than that. But not for discussion here 

[Mike Buckley]

Brian next time we meet in the Banter Bar, wherever it is now.

[Owain]

Bear in mind that the population is increasing over time too so the graph for deaths/capita are maybe a better measure of success.

We apparently have a more ageing population; they may be more vulnerable.

[JT]

Bear in mind that the population is increasing over time too so the graph for deaths/capita are maybe a better measure of success.

We apparently have a more ageing population; they may be more vulnerable.

Nah, most of them still work in fire safety...

[colin todd]

Big Al, I always wondered why you were never chief officer of Bathmat Lock  FRS. Now I know.  But I agree you would have gone far in the civil service-probably our embassy in North Vietnam.