Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on October 28, 2007 at 8:36am

The company I work for is really supportive of volunteer FFs and generally don't mind if work is missed now and then.

My office is 30 miles from town and unless it's a big job I don't respond. Occasionally I am late for work because of an early morning fire or ambulance call, or a run while I'm on the way in to work. Just as long as I call in to let them know where I am, there hasn't been any problems yet.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan on November 19, 2007 at 12:20pm

Our department consist of about 17 people i work about 15 miles from station. If its somthing huge hazmat wise im their regardless, but i am aloud to leave if the page goes un answered for fires. They usually don't hold it against me. I see it as if i was at work knowing no one was responding to a house fire, jobs are jobs they come and go. Life however comes and goes true but you only get one

Permalink Reply by Justin on November 22, 2007 at 7:40pm

I respond anytime i can. My boss is really understanding and he understands my communitys need for people like us. When I am really busy though, I use my judgement. If they page a second time it is a no brainer, I go. My old job wasn't so understanding and god help them if they ever need a vol. to help them.

Permalink Reply by Brigid on November 24, 2007 at 10:35am

I' m one of the lucky ones...I work out of my house and am salaried. I miss an hour or two of work and just stay up later that night making it up. I'm usually home so I make a lot of calls. Come to think of it, I probably should get a real job so I'd have a little bit of a social life and someone to talk to other than the dog

Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on November 26, 2007 at 11:27am

You are not alone. I work out of the home in the Hill Country. My social experience is going to the post office which is 20 miles away 2/3 times a week. I only have an outside cat to converse with. If the job didnt pay so well I would venture into San Antonio for work. The upside is we have very few responders during the day which makes for a very slim VFD crew for calls.

Permalink Reply by MICHAEL on November 27, 2007 at 6:59pm

IM ABLE TO GO, CUS I RUN THE STORE. I WILL RESPOND WHEN IT IS A LEV. 2 OR 3 CALL. AND WHEN MY SELF IS REQUESTED I WILL HIT IT.

Permalink Reply by Guillaume Morneau on December 2, 2007 at 11:22am

For me, i can leave my job if my boss give me the authorisation. I punch my card OFF. But if i understand what everybody wrote, you're not paid by you FD for your Responding call ??? Maybe is different for the ''volounteer'' in Canada ??? In my FD we are Syndicate... like the other City Employeer. We have a min 3 hrs call/ paid for each pager call. We don't have a 2nd or 3rd alarm. It's usuall ya gen. alarm, acuse we are 25 FF in this town. All working at Fire Station, Safety inspection (Prévention), etc. are paid for each hour do. We are paid each month. Ther we're call ''pompier temps partiel sur appel'' mean part-time on call FF !!! BUT in the most of US FD... we have a great and big Firetruck and ladder !

Can somebody explain me if i'm right or is the same for you ?

Permalink Reply by pfd824 on December 2, 2007 at 8:41pm

I used to leave for a large fire in the city.They would let me go when we were called out. The chief would call us at work there was two of there. They did not pay for our time gown but that was ok.The plant used us for there srevices as well and were glad that we were at the plant to help them in emg. things at the plant. It worked every well!

Permalink Reply by Robert 422 on December 3, 2007 at 8:56am

The only way for us to be able to leave our paid jobs, once we are at work, is if dispatch calls our work and say that we are needed. we have 6 vol. departments and 1 paid in our town.

Permalink Reply by Firefighter30 on December 7, 2007 at 8:27pm

well i'm on a volunteer department up here in canada....we are volunteer, we all work day jobs (except for our chief and one of our deputy chief's), but we still get paid for reponding to fire calls, the city treats us good and we treat the city good.....so whenever there is a call and i'm at work, i do get to leave...even if it is a false alarm or a big cooker.....

Permalink Reply by bgblackie28 on December 7, 2007 at 11:16pm

I work way out of my fire district.So,there is no way I can make calls.I miss some calls but,I know that when I am off work which is 3 days 1 week and 4 the next (I work 12 hr swing shifts) that there will be calls I can go to.Most of the time even though we are a volunteer department I am at the station when I am off work.It's no problem with my wife either because the station is right beside my house.I can do my "honey-do-list" then go over to the station....LOL.God Bless and stay safe. You Go/We Go

Permalink Reply by lloyd on December 9, 2007 at 5:48pm

I was so fortunate in the 23 yrs with my first dept. I worked for a municipal employer and we had an agreement. I couldn't leave any equipment out of service if I was alone, couldn't leave a partner stranded with two man work, couldn't get my pic in the paper, and if I got hurt, I was off the clock. They realized it was a community service and worked with me. Rember, it could be your bosses house on fire....

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• …
• 7
• Next ›
• Page