On the news, watching a wildfire devour the wilderness is an awe-inspiring sight. Some days, the fire takes on the life of a Kenyan marathon runner, steadily running through the timber canopy and undergrowth in a steady march of destruction. Despite an army of strike teams, hand crews, air tankers, dozers and helicopters, it pushesContinue reading “Compound Annual Growth Rate: Weighing Epic And Boring Tales From Deployment”
Author Archives: thefirefightereconomist
Portable Monitors: Taking Risk Off The Table
I’m writing this during a time where I have loaded up on cryptocurrencies and commodity stocks on the cheap…they’re volatile and at times irrational…BUT THE GAINS!!!! Imagine a large compressed air tank being exposed to a rapidly expanding fire. You are at a large industrial yard fire and notice the hazard within a larger expandingContinue reading “Portable Monitors: Taking Risk Off The Table”
Hazards Of Coordination: The Counterparty Risk
In the profession of firefighting, the idea of getting injured on the job is more of an inevitability rather than a massive “what if.” If you feel compelled to want to run into burning buildings, its only a matter of time before something catches up to hurt you. In our career, most of us areContinue reading “Hazards Of Coordination: The Counterparty Risk”
Climate Change Investing
For me climate change has affected me personally…and no I am not about to go Greta Thunberg vs. Trump on you. Much like my hatred of the armchair quarterbacks of the YouTube fire scene, I firmly don’t believe that there is sufficient evidence to point the massive finger at one contributing factor. I’m not goingContinue reading “Climate Change Investing”
Preserving Defined Benefit Pensions: Safety Has A Cost
Every year in July marks our preparations for wildland season. This time of year, we also get ready for the new fiscal year in the City of San Diego. This year, L145 and city leaders have reached an agreement for a small pay raise. However, almost simultaneously, SDCERs retirement system has increased the contribution ratesContinue reading “Preserving Defined Benefit Pensions: Safety Has A Cost”
Running Out Of Water: An Appreciation For Passive Income
You Never Want To Run Out Of Water When It’s Avoidable I ran out of water as a new captain. We were clearing a medical aid call and a group of people rounded the corner of a residential street frantically waving us down. We were caught off guard to say the least. As we roundedContinue reading “Running Out Of Water: An Appreciation For Passive Income”
Opportunity Cost: A Decision From Every Angle
Opportunity Cost: How expensive is the option you decided not to take?
The Art of Reading Smoke: Real vs Nominal Terms
Like most new firefighters, I was an absolute train wreck on the fire ground during my first few years, namely my probationary year. For our department, your first year on the job after the academy is known as the probationary year. As a “Probie,” you need to demonstrate proficiency in basic firefighting skills on realContinue reading “The Art of Reading Smoke: Real vs Nominal Terms”
Some Time Away…
It’s been too long since I’ve updated this. To my few readers at this point…I’m sure I didn’t leave you hanging one bit! These past few weeks have been a rough, but in it I’ve gained a lot of clarity as it relates to this blog, my path towards financial freedom, and my mental wellContinue reading “Some Time Away…”
My First “Fire” Like My First Crypto “Crash”
I’m writing this on May 20th, 2021, a day after the crypto markets took a nice little nose dive in the early hours. Bitcoin plummeted over 50% from its peak and my crypto board was flashing red all morning. Doing my best to not be jolted, I instead channeled multiple market psychology quotes about buyingContinue reading “My First “Fire” Like My First Crypto “Crash””
The Firefighter Economist 