The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Anyone else having volly/union problems?
From our local's website:
Do not be confused by fire engines or ambulances that read “volunteer.” In nearly every case these rigs are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by the men and women employed by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. This is not a rural county where volunteer firefighters respond from home to go to a house fire. This is a metropolitan suburb of Baltimore and Washington D.C., with a call volume that precludes an all volunteer workforce.
County residents should know that the contingent (part-time) employee treats this as a second job. They are not mandated to sit through the same recertification training as your career firefighters. They have no stake in your fire department and it shows. It is not uncommon for them to call in late or change their schedules at the last minute.
While you may think that your closest fire station is volunteer – and the building and trucks may actually say “volunteer” – the majority of Howard County has been protected by a full-time department staffed by career firefighters and paramedics around the clock for more than twenty-five (25) years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While that is true (most of the stations in our county have 5 paid round the clock for engine (3) and ambulance (2) and some have more, our station has exactly 2 full time career round the clock. We're supplemented by part-time employees during the day (0700-1900), but from 1900-0700 we roll out the door with staffing usually 80%+ volunteer. As far as our part timers? Some of them are career firefighters themselves! And as far as "not having a stake", one of our part-time paramedics is by far the finest paramedic I have ever met, volly/career/part time/whatever. Never heard of him calling out late or making shift change at the last minute either.
Before this comes off as a "anti-IAFF" post, I came from a combination house with 5 24/7 career personnel. 95% of the career personnel I met were great guys/gals, and treated us volunteers as equals. If I go career, I'll be an IAFF member myself. I have no problem with a union trying to protect its members; I do have a problem with them trying to drive volunteers out of a house just so they can make their union bigger by replacing us with career staffing. There were several incidents designed to do this, such as a career officer "creatively writing" run reports to make it look like we were going out the door understaffed, among other things (he was transferred to a different station, good riddance). We meet national standards for getting pieces out the door; hell, we usually beat the career guys to the piece and out the door. If we ever fail to serve our community due to a chronic lack of staffing and scratches/failures, I'd welcome more career personnel with open arms. Until then? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Do not be confused by fire engines or ambulances that read “volunteer.” In nearly every case these rigs are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by the men and women employed by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. This is not a rural county where volunteer firefighters respond from home to go to a house fire. This is a metropolitan suburb of Baltimore and Washington D.C., with a call volume that precludes an all volunteer workforce.
County residents should know that the contingent (part-time) employee treats this as a second job. They are not mandated to sit through the same recertification training as your career firefighters. They have no stake in your fire department and it shows. It is not uncommon for them to call in late or change their schedules at the last minute.
While you may think that your closest fire station is volunteer – and the building and trucks may actually say “volunteer” – the majority of Howard County has been protected by a full-time department staffed by career firefighters and paramedics around the clock for more than twenty-five (25) years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While that is true (most of the stations in our county have 5 paid round the clock for engine (3) and ambulance (2) and some have more, our station has exactly 2 full time career round the clock. We're supplemented by part-time employees during the day (0700-1900), but from 1900-0700 we roll out the door with staffing usually 80%+ volunteer. As far as our part timers? Some of them are career firefighters themselves! And as far as "not having a stake", one of our part-time paramedics is by far the finest paramedic I have ever met, volly/career/part time/whatever. Never heard of him calling out late or making shift change at the last minute either.
Before this comes off as a "anti-IAFF" post, I came from a combination house with 5 24/7 career personnel. 95% of the career personnel I met were great guys/gals, and treated us volunteers as equals. If I go career, I'll be an IAFF member myself. I have no problem with a union trying to protect its members; I do have a problem with them trying to drive volunteers out of a house just so they can make their union bigger by replacing us with career staffing. There were several incidents designed to do this, such as a career officer "creatively writing" run reports to make it look like we were going out the door understaffed, among other things (he was transferred to a different station, good riddance). We meet national standards for getting pieces out the door; hell, we usually beat the career guys to the piece and out the door. If we ever fail to serve our community due to a chronic lack of staffing and scratches/failures, I'd welcome more career personnel with open arms. Until then? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
