Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Kriska on August 24, 2007 at 4:37pm

First off, I have been on both sides of the aisle. I do not like the word Volly, Volunteer etc, I prefer to use the terms Non-Paid Professional Firefighter and Paid Professional Firefighter. Has anyone ever seen a "volunteer fire" or a "career fire", I sure haven't. It is interesting to note that fire standards and laws apply to both groups and when the line comes off the apparatus, the fire does not care what side of the aisle your on, it can get you either way unless your well trained and practice smart firefighting.

Permalink Reply by D.MAN on August 24, 2007 at 7:49pm

we are all brothers paid and vol.we need to get along not bully each other.we have only vol.departments were i vol. in scott co.va,but if we needed to we would call kingsport,who is paid.we are family lets get along.we all need each other.

Permalink Reply by Lawrence W on August 27, 2007 at 8:49am

To address the training issue: That is what the Pro Board system is for, to ensure that we are all working on the same level of training.

As far as the Career / Volunteer issue: I have been a volunteer for 12 years and counting and I am a career fire inspector / firefighter in the private sector. If there is a qualified, capable, confident firefighter next to me on the line, on search and rescue, or on the extrication scene, what do I care if there is a paycheck coming to them or not? There is no difference in my mind...

In the private sector, I work with Fire Brigade members who volunteer time from their regular jobs in the event of an emergency. A Structural Fire Brigade Member has a minimal level of training as a first response unit. These are engineers, mechanics, carpenters, secretaries, electricians and more. They come out for training once a month and an annual training burn. These folks are professional and capable. On our site, our Fire Brigade has mitigated fire emergencies without the need for outside fire department notification.

Maybe one day there will come a day when the career / volunteer issue will cease to be... Hopefully.

Permalink Reply by Vic on August 27, 2007 at 9:50am

It happens anywhere you go. In my county the paid departments @ times will bash the volly departments. I come from a volly department of many yr's and now paid. The last time I looked a fire truck was a fire truck and water came out of the hose no different. I know some really excellent volly departments that make the paid guys look sad. I also know of some combo departments where the paid guys bash there own volly's. Sad but it happens anywhere you go....

Permalink Reply by Dan Hoey on August 27, 2007 at 10:05am

I needed a lot of training to get a job as a paid professional but after that I think I done much more training as a unpaid professional

Permalink Reply by jay1tb23 on January 8, 2008 at 9:13pm

Mason there is a way to fix look all ik is iv been in my share of bad fires with paid and vollies nd all of you need to get your heads out of your asses this should not be an issue it's a brotherhood as long as i can trust the person next to me to have my back i dont care if the firefighter is male female paid vollie black white orange gray brotherhood means brotherhood ik ppl have diffrences when your in the firehouse not every one gets along it's human nature but when it comes down to it and the pager goes off were there to save lives not care who the person is next to us

Permalink Reply by Bobby King on January 9, 2008 at 4:12am

In My County There are Two Paid Houses ( Not including the two Cities and Rescue Squad) Station One and Station Two and there are Six Volunteer houses One of which is a Fire Rescue Department ( Berea)
Mostly we work together very well together Mostly the bashing comes from the City Departments but its mostly its kept at a Minimum as we all have came to realize that in this County the only thing that seperates the Pros from the Vollys is the paycheck and that is ALL! We all get the same training and all have to keep our training up and maintained.. The City of Richmond has Four Stations Berea has Two or maybe Three and then I work for Blue Grass Army Depot Fire Department which is also in Madison County and Responds off base to incidents..

B King

Permalink Reply by Jim Cooper on January 9, 2008 at 10:25am

No this doesn't happen every where; however I have volunteered with agencies where it has. I am a career training officer and captian and our fire district has three paid staff and and 27 volunteers. Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of not only ours but the majority of all fire districts and departments nation wide. So my point is that there is good relations between the two and there really should not be a difference we are all brothers and sisters. I took the backdoor into a career position, in that I mean I did not get a flashy fire science degree. And wait a second before any one with a fire science degree bashes me back..... I don't in know way discredit or believe that people not get degrees I think sometimes however people are hired with a two year degree and no experience. Where someone else may have tons of experience and lots of certifications which in my opinion shows just as much effort and in many cases classroom time. I have many years experience and class hours resulting in a practical approach and it all started with 10 years as a volunteer firefighter. People you have got to get it through your noggins that regardless of pay our mission is the same. I believe that in some cases and it seems this one it is the paid staff and there inflated egos that can cause this friction. So to any fellow paid staffers reading this, I say to you if you struggle with this or have a problem with volunteers remember the brother and sisterhood of the service and suck it up, be the professional all firefighters are supposed to be.

Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on January 9, 2008 at 10:38am

I like these blanket statements:
Vollies getting BASHED by career guys!
Really?
What has a career guy said to YOU that you considered bashing?
What was said DIRECTLY to you that offended you?
When threads like this are started, it perpetuates the MYTH that ALL career guys bash volunteers.
It's crap.
I have been in the volunteer ranks for 27 plus years and not one-count them-NOT ONE career guy has ever come up to me and said "you guys are a bunch of idiots". What some HAVE come up to me and said is "hey; that guy over there is an idiot"...
And I had to agree with them.
We all want respect. Why is it so important to get it from career guys?
You want it, then dammit; earn it.
I did.

Permalink Reply by firekiller on February 28, 2008 at 7:46pm

"We the (vollies) are not bashing we are just tiried of hearing this all the time. I have no problem with the career fire fighters, when september 11 2001 happened we all lost brothers that day some of those were also vollies in my department as well as other departments on long island in NY. we responded into the city to help our brothers in need , and back in the 1995 wildfires we had out on the island the city responded to help us. So in all we all need to stick together paid or not and do our jobs to the best we can do. stay safe out there brother.



FIREKILLER

Permalink Reply by Pat Showers on February 29, 2008 at 12:46am

The only differance is career fire fighters get a paycheck and vol. do it for service of the community. As vol. we train the same, we fight fire the same, etc. Were I come from we promote from the vol. ranks. Most of the probies coming up forget were they come from( being a vol.) and think now that they are career that they are better and it creates a real rift in the ranks. I tell all my vol. guys that get hired on to not forget were they came from. We are all brothers and we need to help each other, tours are hard enough as it is. Lend a brother or a sister a hand, we are all we got. We need to be motovated and dedicated not cutting each other down. Being a firefighter is who you are not what you do, you are either born with it or your not, plain and simple. (in my humble opinion) Thanks.

Permalink Reply by firechief911 on August 18, 2008 at 9:47pm

i agree we have to do academy training every year .and we train a lot .we are vol we check our gear all the time .our state mandates a strict min to be certifed. we take pride in meeting and going beyond those requirments every year . if you cant go in i know it and my officers do too. so you want ever be expected to you will be truck operator tanker driver or water boy . i would never send anyone in that would be not able to handel it i have 20 guys i would put 15 up beside any paid dept . but thats becaused they are trained .

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