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The frightening 1,000-foot oily plume rising from the Chevron refinery in Richmond in early August reminded Contra Costa residents of their reliance on firefighters when disaster strikes. Yet, unlike the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when firefighters were heralded as heroes and the booming economy fueled rich pension increases, the recession's slow burn into local fire agency budgets has many taxpayers asking: How much is a firefighter worth? Value is more than money, of course. Dollars, however, say a great deal. A Contra Costa firefighter earned an average base pay of $54,900 to $88,800 last year.