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"Reserve" vs "Volunteer" in combination departments
I recently became aware that there are some paid departments out there (seem to be a lot in California, with what they call Reserve programs. They seem to often use these as a way to evaluate potential new hires though there are those who participate in the programs who aren't interested in a full time job. Although the details vary, they often require Reserve firefighters to have the same level of training as the paid firefighters and work a couple of shifts a month or a minimum number of hours, usually riding with the paid crews.
It seems to me that in combination departments that "Reserve" might be a more appropriate name for the "volunteers" since it would seem to more accurately describe their function. It might also help reduce some of the confusion regarding "paid" vs "volunteer" status in departments where "volunteers" receive some monetary incentives for responses (stipends for gas, etc.).
Quite frankly, being in a combination department where the volunteers are expected to meet the FF2 standard, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to sort of separate us from the vast majority of volunteer firefighters and departments in my state that haven't gone beyond the bare minimums necessary to be eligible for state funding, and this might be an appropriate way to do this as well as recognize that we aren't 100% true volunteers since we receive some stipends.
Of course there is a great tradition associated with the "Volunteer Firefighter" name that would be lost, but when it no longer really describes what you do, you need to move on.
It seems to me that in combination departments that "Reserve" might be a more appropriate name for the "volunteers" since it would seem to more accurately describe their function. It might also help reduce some of the confusion regarding "paid" vs "volunteer" status in departments where "volunteers" receive some monetary incentives for responses (stipends for gas, etc.).
Quite frankly, being in a combination department where the volunteers are expected to meet the FF2 standard, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to sort of separate us from the vast majority of volunteer firefighters and departments in my state that haven't gone beyond the bare minimums necessary to be eligible for state funding, and this might be an appropriate way to do this as well as recognize that we aren't 100% true volunteers since we receive some stipends.
Of course there is a great tradition associated with the "Volunteer Firefighter" name that would be lost, but when it no longer really describes what you do, you need to move on.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kris on
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although i dont know of any reserves around here its basicly your paid or not.
most departments in my area dont give you incentives or anything ur just that volunteering we might get a t shirt or the dept will rent to us a blue and white light but when u get off the light goes back to the fd. -
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Dalgarno on
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Here (Canada), we are paid when on call (emergency, training, work around the station, etc.) so that we are then employees and covered under insurance, worker's comp, etc. So we aren't a "volunteer" department in the truest sense of the word, although most around here refer to their departments as volunteer.
Andrew -
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Permalink Reply by Auxman on
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Just to be clear, the primary reason I am suggesting this is the requirement to meet the same standards as the full-time career firefighters and not so much the fact that in some departments these folks receive some compensation. So, lets not do the old "are compensated volunteers, really volunteers?" argument.
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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I had heard where the City of Baltimore, MD had reserve firefighters who were city employees from other depts in the city.
This was something that started back around World War 2 with the dept of Civil Defense when there was a shortage of firefighters. I had heard they still have a couple of reserve firefighters in the city but they are not a replacment for regular firefighters and not allow inside a burning building. -
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Permalink Reply by Robert Grove on
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andrew what I would classify your department would either be concidered, fully paid, just not living at the station or ppc( paid per call)
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Permalink Reply by Greg Beck on
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In Kentucky, Firefighters come in many forms. Some departments use true volunteers in which their members recieve no compensation. Others, such as my department, use firefighters as paid on call (in which your training level must meet that of a full time staff firefighter ie 400hr level FF1 and FF2). Other departments mix and match duties in which your fulltime paid but you fill other duties. Some departments the career firefighters are also the city works crew. In others, the firefighters are actually dispatchers that become drivers and officers on rigs when a call comes in. In quite a few airports the firefighters are actually police officers that work their first 8 hrs on patrol and the next 16 as an ARFF.
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