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Who runs your dept?
We are having issues with our township trustee. We have never been ran by the trustee in the 50 yrs. we've been around and now all of a sudden she wants to run the dept. and choose our officers. We have always voted on these positions because we know who is best suited to fill these positions. She will not listen to what we have to say and says it's her way or the highway. Now the majority of the membership wants to turn thier gear in and leave. Does anyone know how to fix this problem or is it even fixable?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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Look @ your state statutes, revised codes etc. It is written in the Ohio Revised Code that the township is responsible to provide fire protection. Our township contracts us, a private fire company to provide that protection by paying us a fee. We elect our own officers. In other areas the township may either appoint or approve a chief. Some Chief officers are paid by the township. It depends on how your system is set up.
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Permalink Reply by united 289..{Dave} on
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next election.
What does your by-laws say?
Are you a member of the volunteer group? If so go over and make this post under Private Verses Municipal run VFD.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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All I can tell you about is Illinois, but guessing their the same, or at least close. Their will be a book, put out by the state, that has rules and regulation governing the trustees. They may not be able to elect officers, but have final approval. Again without this book, you’re just guessing. Are your trustees appointed or elected?
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Permalink Reply by Captain 70 on
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Our trustee is voted on. We are in Indiana. We have our own by laws on how our dept is ran but she wants to scrap them and make up her own. We are a voulunteer dept. This all started when we had a member who was down on his luck and was staying at the station. After 4 months of it the township board had a meeting with our chief and asst. chief to discuss making him move out of the station. Our board of directors for our dept. were furious about the decision that was made and the fact that they were not told about this meeting. Now it has snowballed into this.
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on
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Start by getting her up at 2 am for a junk call. Then make her give up some family time for training. Call her at home or work for any decision that needs to made. Give out her home/work number to any salesperson that calls wanting you to but their stuff. Direct any civilian calls/complaints to her. If she want's to run the department then by all means let her run the department. She might learn there is more to running a department than appointing someone to be an officer or putting a fellow firefighter out in the street.
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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This may be a case of he/she who controls the purse strings controls the dept. If she is insistant on appointing ALL officers, she is micromanaging your dept and you guys are in trouble. Having trustees/mayors/BOD etc appoint a chief is very common. But that chief should be allowed to appoint his command staff. I've never been a fan of voting for officers. Your a chief one year, maybe a Capt. the next and a FF after that.
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Sense you have your own by laws that is the way you have to run things. That is the law. The by laws our approved by your county prosecutor. It takes the department to make the changes in the by laws. Thats the way it is in Ohio.
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You guys are all being really cool about this. I especially agree with Kenneth. Let her do the non glroy stuff we have to do and see how she likes that.
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Permalink Reply by Allen Jones on
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eng71ine,
As a sitting board member or trustee, this isn't right. This individual needs to be set straight. Ky. has status regarding fire districts and how the board is organized. It comprises of 3 appointees from the judge/excutive, two people representing property owners( who are elected by those within the district) and two from within the department. Our Chief oversees daily operations, deputy chief oversees support an assissant chief oversees ems/operations. The Chief brings recommendations and reports. If new equipment or anything requiring financial it must be brought to the Board for action. Who is above this person or trustee?
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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If your fire board is voted IN, they can be voted OUT.
In Illinois, a board of trustees for a volunteer fire department or fire district is the top rung on the organizational ladder. They oversee the "business" of the fire department.
It is the chief and his officers that are charged with the day to day operation of the fire department.
Though the fire department may have by laws governing the conduct of their firefighters, by law, the trustees have the ultimate responsibility of approving appointments.
And any by laws would be approved by the trustees as well. The by laws of the department cannot be at odds with any existing public acts or laws of the state.
And why, in God's name, would you let anyone "live" at the fire station? Unless the fire station is privately owned, then this could be perceived as "favortism" and anyone "down on their luck" would have the right to the same treatment. This person had no where else to go? No family or friends to turn to?
I mean; I have heard of live in fire stations, but this is the first I've heard of one of this type.
I have learned something here.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Mick Mayers on
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Everyone has a boss, no matter who you are. Even the President of the United States is accountable to someone (the public) and there are means to educate those bosses (the media, open house events for the public, teaching CPR to the public and educating them about your organization, etc.). The flip side to this situation, however, is that she must either see something that needs to be fixed, or she has an agenda. In either case, you need to find out what the logic is in the things she wants to change and step back and really ask yourself if the reason you are resisting the changes are because you (or your colleagues) sense a loss of power, or if you really have a better plan. If you have a better plan, then you need to sell her (or her bosses) on that plan.
Ultimately, you always have the option of leaving. But the question is whether you all are in this because you want to do the right thing (in which case she may have a reason for doing the things she is doing) or is it like a club that you can just walk away from if things don't appeal to you. If this means a lot to you, you need to fight for what is right.
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Maybe I am confused about what you mean by Trustee. Is there only 1? What is her role in your organization? Is it a power struggle? She may have a totally different view if she has no fire fighters. But everyone can be replaced from the trustee to the fire fighters. Are the people she wants as officers better qualified? Or does she have her own reasons?
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