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I would take that with a grain of salt. I was once a bystander at a manhattan fire scene. A small fire, quickly controlled, but with the usual massive force, and many dozen firefighters standing around for the most part. I was right by the EMS truck, saw no one treated, yet the next day over a dozen injuries were reported in the paper. ????

Clearly they have an interest in high injury numbers as it helps at contract negotiation time. I'd also like to know how many of those deaths are from coronaries precipitated at the scene, those get counted too.

According to this article, http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/pf/jobs_jeopardy/ firefighters aren't even in the top 10 with a death rate of 18.3/100k. Taxi driving is more dangerous and farming is twice so. Where's their golden parachutes? Being an electrician is nearly twice as dangerous as being a firefighter, and they do it to keep our lights on without the adulation firefighters nurture. Where's the early retirement with big bucks for the guy that goes up a pole in a thunderstorm to get your beer cold?

I'm as glad we have firemen and cops as the next guy, but the hype that makes any discussion of their contracts emotional and explosive isn't helping the broke cities across the country that got that way in part by bending over for their municipal unions.

As for the "average" debate, what crap. Even if all but 1 made the $120k lower number, the fact that more than 1 in 4 is over that number is ridiculous. Most holders of Masters and even many MD's don't make that.

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What you say is exactly what drives homeowners and contractors alike to avoid pulling permits by keeping work on the low down. I've never had a contractor of any flavor volunteer that the job needed a permit. They always want to avoid it, yet there seems no serious consequences when they get caught, and the homeowner pays the fines.

It's like a game of cat and mouse with both the contractors and Inspectors the cats and us the mice. Combine that with the fact that no unlicensed multifamily owner is allowed to DIY even permitted work, and you have a culture of avoiding Buildings at all costs.

You'd be amazed at what minor work requires a permit. Any plumbing that breaks the trap seal needs one. Hanging a cabinet needs one, but replacing a cabinet does not. Just be thankful if you don't have rat on your block like I do, jumping at any chance to call Buildings on me even for something as simple as changing a tenants water heater, though I've never done him any harm.