Suburban Chicago Upper Crust:Most Orland firefighters made more than $100,000 in 2010

The Chicago Tribune reports on the upper class:

The leaders of the Orland Fire Protection District say they're the best fire department in the state. At a minimum, they are probably among the best-paid, figures released Tuesday show.

Of the 108 firefighters, lieutenants and engineers on the southwest suburban department's payroll last year, 79 were paid more than $100,000, according to salary data provided by new fire district board President James Hickey.


Those paychecks were pumped up by overtime that added nearly $2 million to a $21 million payroll that Hickey said was among the largest for any fire protection district in Illinois.

Total compensation — pay, benefits and pension contributions — for 25 department employees exceeded $200,000, led by Chief Bryant Krizik's $260,000 package. Not far behind him was an engineer whose $237,000 combined compensation included $87,000 in base salary and $59,695 in overtime.

"Back in school, no one thinks that a firefighter is going to make $200,000 a year with pay and benefits," Hickey said.

For more on the emerging class war click on this.