Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Secker on July 31, 2010 at 2:15pm

I'm also on two departments. One is the department I started with about 20 years ago and the other is where I currently reside. I agree....it's in the blood, and if anyone can swing two departments, all the better.


Be safe!


Paul

Permalink Reply by Jason Dembowski on August 1, 2010 at 3:09pm

How do you manage both depts

Permalink Reply by John Lord on September 22, 2010 at 7:33pm

Im on two departments and its really not that time consuming. You have another training meeting and business mtg to go to but other then that it's not that bad.

Permalink Reply by Keith W. Michaels on November 27, 2010 at 3:40pm

Just a thought..... what do you do when the tones go off for both dept. at the same time?? witch one do you respond to??

Permalink Reply by Barry Copley on December 9, 2010 at 8:40pm

I live in Kermit WV and I'm on Kermit Vol. Fire Department but theres also a department in Warfield KY thats like 2 minutes from me I'm thinking of joining them...Most of their members are on our department too already.Atleast Warfield gives you a hand held radio free over there.But yeah I say if thats what you want to do then go for it.

Permalink Reply by Gary Hammer on December 17, 2010 at 6:26pm

As a former chief, with many "close" departments in the same county, and being in a rural/recreational area, a lot of folks wanted to be on multiple departments. We didn't really discourage it, as there was a real shortage of qualified people in the county. What we did was require the people pick a "priority" department. In other words, if both departments were called out, or mutual aid was toned out during initial call, "priority" personal were required to respond to our department. This works out fine as long as all the departments pay pretty much the same for calls. However, when you get a department that pays by the hour, and one that pays per call, issues arrise. It's up to the department leadership to manage this, and to make it clear long before the new member is signed on, that they understand the expectations! As long as everyone understands and accepts the rules, and makes all the training, it can work out as a win/win as when you go on scene with mutual aid, many of your team have trained with the other departments! Works out nicely as long as all play by the rules!

Permalink Reply by phillip hice on December 18, 2010 at 7:59pm

My chief don't like it. Over the passed years we have trained new members to have them go to paid departments. But you can't blame them , if firefighting is what you want to do & you can get paid for doing what you love to do what could be better. We do have 2 that are on fulltime paid department @ this time & thay don't make your training nights most of the time but if thay are off ,thay do make some of the calls. I don't have a problem with it becouse they have trained with us & we have to use tankers 99% of the time so thay know what is going on. We only have 12 members an if you can get 6 or 7 there we are doing good

Permalink Reply by Kevin Riedinger on February 26, 2011 at 9:41am

As an Assistant Chief, I both like and dislike having members on two departments. I like it because the members get more experience (or as they say more action). They also get better chances to learn (their chief is a former paid firefighter and was battalion chief before retiring).

I dislike it for various reasons, first the training issue. We have training on the same nights, therefor we do not always get everyone attending (same with them). Second is just being with the people you will fight fires with. Something about hanging out and learning more about them so you can trust them more helps. Finally, is the response to actual calls. Who do they respond with, will we have a full crew, are they on a different call, etc?

Overall, we have made it work. On their own, they decided that the department they respond to is the one that was paged first (in case of mutual aid). However, that does not mean there are a lot of concerns.

My suggestion would be to talk to each departments chiefs and find out their take on it. If each has no problem and training issues worked out, go for it.

On final comment, and something I think is very important: What is said in each individual department stays in that department. Don't go talking about Department B, while you are at Department A (and vice verse). Especially when it comes to what they think of the department. A lot of distrust can evolve which will not only hurt you and each department, but mostly will hurt the people you are trying to help.

Permalink Reply by Edwin Gardner on March 4, 2011 at 9:15am

i am on two departments now and i swing them both im am a regular to both i makes call at both it is hard but u just have to sort out wats more important to u

Permalink Reply by Bill Carlisle on March 8, 2011 at 10:46am

In my area we cannot belong to two fire departments, It's my belief because of insurance and workman's comp. If you belong to two dept how is this covered? I do know of some people having the chiefs of two different dept doing up a mutual aid agreement letter signed by them and the member to allow that member to respond and help out ,

Permalink Reply by Brandon on March 22, 2011 at 11:47pm

I've been on my hometown department for many years. I recently moved to a town about 10 minutes down the road. I work full time as an EMT in this town and joined their dept. It works out great for me, both depts train on different nights and rarely do both depts get calls at the same time.