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Should a volunteer be forced into doing something they don't feel comfortable with?
My questions to anyone is this:
Should a volunteer member be forced into doing something that they don't feel comfortable with? What if they are being told that if they do not do this, they will no longer be a member of the department?
Here's what it going on (just to paint you the picture)...a member of the department who is medical only is now being told that if they do not do something, they will not be allowed to be a member anymore. This person gave up fighting "The Beast" a few years back due to an incident on a grass fire gone wrong. After that incident they gave up firefighting and pursued medical.
This person has been doing medical for 6 yrs now and there has never been an issue with that. Now, they are being told that they also have to become a firefighter again. Once again, if they do not follow this, they cannot be a member of the department. The issue cannot be taken to someone higher, i.e. county fire marshal, as he is the acting chief of the department during re-organization. The new S.O.G.'s for the county state that all members must be at least FF1 certified AND at least FR; preferably EMT-B.
The acting chief has been made aware of the circumstances as to why this person does not do firefighting anymore. He said he understands the reason, but that was as far as it went. Now, I'm not saying that an exception has to be made to accomidate for this, but if someone has the desire to help out their community as a medical responder, shouldn't that be taken into consideration? Shouldn't their loyalty in that part of the department be enough?
Yes, this person could leave the department, but it is the only other medical unit in the county that is run on a volunteer basis (2 other departments have medical units, but both are in the cities). The other county volunteer fire departments are just that, fire only.
In your opinion, what do you think that this member should say and/or do? Should they just walk away from something they love to do, or try to fight this battle and see where it goes? I would love to hear what you have to say to all of this. Any and all ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated on this issue.
Laura
Should a volunteer member be forced into doing something that they don't feel comfortable with? What if they are being told that if they do not do this, they will no longer be a member of the department?
Here's what it going on (just to paint you the picture)...a member of the department who is medical only is now being told that if they do not do something, they will not be allowed to be a member anymore. This person gave up fighting "The Beast" a few years back due to an incident on a grass fire gone wrong. After that incident they gave up firefighting and pursued medical.
This person has been doing medical for 6 yrs now and there has never been an issue with that. Now, they are being told that they also have to become a firefighter again. Once again, if they do not follow this, they cannot be a member of the department. The issue cannot be taken to someone higher, i.e. county fire marshal, as he is the acting chief of the department during re-organization. The new S.O.G.'s for the county state that all members must be at least FF1 certified AND at least FR; preferably EMT-B.
The acting chief has been made aware of the circumstances as to why this person does not do firefighting anymore. He said he understands the reason, but that was as far as it went. Now, I'm not saying that an exception has to be made to accomidate for this, but if someone has the desire to help out their community as a medical responder, shouldn't that be taken into consideration? Shouldn't their loyalty in that part of the department be enough?
Yes, this person could leave the department, but it is the only other medical unit in the county that is run on a volunteer basis (2 other departments have medical units, but both are in the cities). The other county volunteer fire departments are just that, fire only.
In your opinion, what do you think that this member should say and/or do? Should they just walk away from something they love to do, or try to fight this battle and see where it goes? I would love to hear what you have to say to all of this. Any and all ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated on this issue.
Laura
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Sees on
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I can't tell you what the member should do, I can't tell your chief what to do. I can say that there are fewer and fewer volunteers. I am a volunteer FF and I don't have up-dated first aid. I was a EMT about 30 years ago and left it drop. I help the med people, but I just don't do first aid. I like the idea of an volunteer engine company that I ran with years ago. They had a guy who wanted to volunteer, but was afraid of fire. It worked just find, he carried his own hydrant wrench, that was his job he made the hydrant connection (a job that no one else wanted to do), then he helped around the engine and fireground, he just did not fight fires. We helped a person help others. I say use the volunteer.
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Permalink Reply by Noah Sheckler on
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If this person doesnt want to "fight" fires, is it possible they can respond to fire related calls as a pump operator? This way they are not actually dealing with the "beast" but is still there performing a VERY important job...But, I think if someone wants to volunteer their time on the medical side, they shouldnt be forced into the fire side. Like the saying goes, "My Time, My Gas, Just to Save Your Ass."
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Permalink Reply by James L.Hoffman, Jr on
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Well guess what.. I am an exterior firefighter have been for over 10yrs and just cause I don't go into a building doesn't mean i'm not needed.. I am the wife of a volunteer interior firefighter. We all aren't career people but being a vollie is just as important to us. I'm not afraid of going inside. I help with the investigations as there are many exterior ff's in our department. So EVERYONE is important. I come from a line off ff's and i have many people who will agree with what i said. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is mine.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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He has met the "requirements"....He IS Firefighter I trained....there is nothing that states that you have to perform those duties...just be Firefighter I level....or did he never get trained....? Paul
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on
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or are afraid to do it....your time has come to leave!!!!
If you have no fear of fire anymore...then it's time to leave, for the safety of yourself and the guys beside you.
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Permalink Reply by Padre Pete on
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If we cant be teams of specialists, we may have a real problem being teams. Its tuff to imagine having the luxury of turning specialist away because they have no real interest in becoming everthing to everybody. We need to recognize them and we even need to be able to advertize for there jobs when we have a shortage of them. People who take any aspect of what we do seriously enough to volunteer for it deserve our gratitude and praise. EMS is 85 % of what most of us do. How would our citizenry benefit if experienced and dedicated EMTs were forced out because they didnt have the same passion for that other 15% of the calls? (A few of which actually have smoke.)The people who fight fires here are highly skilled and well trained. Some are EMTS. But requiring them to be EMTs would probably cost us some firefighters. Admit it or not, we do have the luxury of choosing the alarms we want to respond to. The ones we dont roll out for are covered by those who might well be better qualified. Its an advantage of the volunteer system. Keep The Faith
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Permalink Reply by Dave LeBlanc on
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My question is this....what happens when the "non-interior" or "non-firefighter" ends up in a position where an action needs to be taken that he/she is uncomfortable with.
Where do you draw the line? I like truck work, but don't want to do engine work?
Everyones biggest complaint is no manpower. If having a roster full of partially qualified people makes it look like you have a full department, it may just be a flase sense of security. Where was the Department in New York that had a house burn down because they couldn't get a driver? What if no one comfortable with driving showed up? Then what?
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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I think everyone needs to look at the big picture its a "VOLUNTEER" department. I would never turn help down. If they want to run EMS so be it. If they are forced to fight fire and freez up people can get hurt or killed.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Ramsdell on
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this is probably to simple an answer...
if it's vol you're probably paged for the call. depending on how your system is, this person could "choose" which calls to make. make the medical, make the auto, "miss" the rig on the fires but stand by at the hall.
at some point though, this person is going to have to get back into the game
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Permalink Reply by MInnFIrefighter on
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Will he be able to sue a Volunteer agency because he can not do what they need volunteers to do??? They need people with the capacity to preform a duty that is beyond that of the ordinary citizen. It would prove difficult to sue a volunteer group simply because you can not meet their expectations.
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on
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I believe the bottom line is going to be whats in the departments by-laws! If that's whats required, than that is what has to be abide by. Departments limiting themselves with requirements such as this, should probably rethink their position in times when recruitment and retention are very weak across the country.
The department should be thankful for such a member!
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