Best Career in the World - Anonymous employee Des Moines Fire Department Employee Review

The thought of helping people when they are at their worst is a very rewarding profession. A former Chief said "We are the last ones who get called" and he was right in the fact that we can do any job put to us. The benefits are good and the pay has gotten a lot better. The pension system is in good financial shape but people need to know that as civil servants, we are not in the Social Security system.

The downside seems to be the same, except the Chief they have now is not qualified to do the job. I understand there has to be some give and take, but this guy just takes. He not only takes from the rank, but is mistreating the citizens of Des Moines. Everything he fought for as the Union President, he has slowly returned to the way it was before him.

Good pay, low cost of living, 6 kelley days per year, good firefighters on the floor, good pension system. It is a good job by nature of the profession. I would still encourage people to work here.

Administration unfavorable towards firefighters, archaic in training methods, top heavy in supervisors, extremely low morale. There are other departments that are handling cutbacks in a more professional manner. The administration appears to have a vendetta against their subordinates which creates an ackward tension between the two sides.