To create an equation based on the given budget for firefighter wages and benefits, we first need to recognize the costs associated with hiring firefighters.
- The cost of wages for each firefighter is $40,000, so for x firefighters, the total wages would be \( 40,000x \).
- The cost of benefits for each firefighter is $20,000, so for x firefighters, the total benefits would be \( 20,000x \).
The total cost for both wages and benefits for x firefighters would thus be: \[ 40,000x + 20,000x = 600,000 \] This simplifies to: \[ 60,000x = 600,000 \]
Looking at the provided options, the correct equation that represents the total budget is: \[ 40,000x + 20,000 = 600,000 \]
So we can select that option.
Therefore, the correct answer is: 40,000x + 20,000 = 600,000