Chief Vehicle a Perk?

There is an interesting video story from Long Island about how the Fire Chiefs take there Department provided vehicle into the City for their job. To read the full story click the link below and watch the video clip.

http://firetruckblog.com/2011/05/24/fire-suvs-out-of-your-first-due...

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on June 1, 2011 at 5:03pm

lutan,

If it becomes the wrong thing to do, the community will take away the perqs. Holtsville is a relatively affluent community with around a median income of $90,000 (http://www.city-data.com/city/Holtsville-New-York.html), Go only a few miles east and the median income almost doubles.

My point being that, at present it appears that the community doesn't have a problem with the Chief taking the department SUV to work, out of town/district. From what I gather, while "responding to an incident' may ostensibly be the reason given for the use of the SUV, I strongly suspect that it is little more than a perq for the Chief in exchange for his position and responsibilities.

Let me put it another way, if the community were to vote tomorrow to continue to allow the Chief full use of the SUV would you STILL think it wrong? Even IF the taxpayers themselves approve of it?

Sorry, but railing on about the Chief using the SUV is a little like complaining how a PAID Chief spends his paycheck.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on June 1, 2011 at 9:25pm

"How often do you see the police chief driving an old fire chief's car?"
Alan Brunacini

These will be the fire chiefs' cars in about 15 years.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Moose on June 2, 2011 at 11:04am

Where to start...
Volunteer fire chief. In my dept we have no chief car, my chief uses her own truck, her own gas, her own wear and tear to contend with out of her pocket, and she responds to 95% of our calls; fire and EMS. Is it wrong to find a way for the department/community to provide something for the fire chief to use for all the work and personal sacrifice they make? No.
For this particular chief we are talking about, so he brings it to work, good for him. Because if he were on his way home from work and there was a working job located on his way home and he didnt have his chiefs car with his gear, radios, command center etc etc, what does he do? Hes on scene and needs to advise units that there is entrapment and needs someone there now but he cant, what happens? Hes the only officer there and has no radio to advise of poor road conditions and his apparrattus crashes enroute on the ice, what happens then?
If they have the car, they should be in it all the time. Its their job to respond and be IC and run the dept.

Long Island...I was a member there for 4 years. My father was a member there for 30 years and served as Lieutenant and Captain of his Engine Company before we moved upstate NY. They are large departments and yes they spend some of their money poorly, heck last I heard one of the departments down there sent their members on a cruise one year in place of their annual banquet. A little too pricey? YES.
But their call volume is up there, they respond to calls with an all volunteer roster and they get out in a reasonable time, isnt that what we should be worried about??

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on June 2, 2011 at 11:13am

they respond to calls with an all volunteer roster and they get out in a reasonable time, isnt that what we should be worried about??

That really is the bottom line and like Jack has been mentioning, such monetary decisions such as how the chief's vehicle is used falls solely on the community.

I worked for a very affluent community when I interned and there is a different mindset and can see where such use of the chief's vehicle in this community isn't the issue to them as it may be in a less affluent community. In the end it comes down how the community wants to spend the money, if they choose to spend less wisely, then tis their perogative. After all aren't these communities comprised of Wall St workers etc????

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on June 2, 2011 at 3:07pm

I have serious issues with chief vehicles.

To me they should be fire company business only. I see cheif vehicles all over the county parked at other fire companies while the chiefs work there. At fast food places and sometimes parked in the "wrong" part of town. I would rather see a duty vehicle that rotates among the officers or could be used to take FF's to fire school.

Now I do know companies that are very busy and if the chief is able to respond 24/7 then I have no issue with it.

I'm not going to mention the company name (not mine BTW) but I drive by a chiefs house and the SUV is ALWAYS parked in front. Its like he doesn't want anyone else to drive it so he leaves it home, even when he's at the fire house.

My biggest pet peeve is the Presidents cars.....really... what does the president need with a car? I was president once so I know.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tyler Leonard on October 10, 2016 at 12:44pm

I have a situation just like this. My fire department is a volunteer organization. Our chief uses his Chief vehicle for personal use. It is like the apparatus is his personal vehicle. He goes on all kinds of personal business which he doesn't get anything for the fire department. What can be done about it? He has literally destroyed the apparatus to the point where no one feels safe to even move it. Is that legal? Is he allowed to do that? Would the Fire Marshal be the person to contact?