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Comment by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on November 24, 2009 at 2:03pm

I left you my reply at the official Tiger Schmittendorf blog site.
In essence what it said was: get ready. You are going to be busy.
TCSS.
Art

Comment by Alan Shaw on November 23, 2009 at 4:48pm

First off, we need to stop allowing people to speak to the media who recite the litany of why you can't be a volunteer firefighter anymore. While I have no actual data, I am of the opinion that we are shooting ourselves in the feet with this approach. Someone considering joining their local department reads an article like this and decides it is too much, overall we loose a member.

Now there are requirements either in hours or certification levels that we have to meet. To the best of my knowledge other than internal regulations the schedules of these classes are not regulated. That means it is up to the department to try and work with the members to make this happen. We had a Firefighter 1 class, where a student was commuting to another city by train, and would get to class every night a half hour late. Rather than drop out of the class we allowed him to take his quizzes at the end of class instead of the beginning. Other students from multiple departments suggested we start the entire class later to work with him, which would mean everyone stayed later.

When I took Fire Officer 1, it was at a department that drilled on Monday nights. They only had class once a week, which took twice as long but minimized the impact on the members. Due to members coming right from work, they scheduled class from 6-10 those nights but provided dinner (included in the cost of the class) since most wouldn't have time to eat.

If you are required to cover a topic once a year, how about offering it twice a year so members have a chance to retake it if they miss it? My station drills on Tuesday nights. I am planning a class that will take two Tuesdays, but I am also going to schedule the same class broken into two sessions per day on to subsequent weekend days. This will allow members three chances to attend session one and session two but the make ups will be on non traditional drill times. It is my hope that I get the entire department through this class without chasing anyone down.

If we work together we can meet these requirements and hey, maybe even exceed them in some if not all of them. It will of course take that oft thrown around word: BROTHERHOOD.

Comment by Jack/dt on November 22, 2009 at 12:54pm

Tiger;
I am not surprised that "excessive" training requirements make the news, it's the one thing that many volunteers can get behind. They just don't have the time for it. I think it's absurd to consider lowering the training requirements. Training is what develops and hones our skill sets and when a job goes south it's our default training that is going to save our ass. Why would one not want to be the best trained?

“I don't know that mandated training and courses that are this lengthy serve any great purpose other than to discourage people,” said Michael Smith, Director of the Chemung County Office of Emergency and Fire Management. Right...no good reason at all to have well trained firefighters. Heaven forbid that someone should be turned down or walk away simply because they are being required to become trained.

Lawmakers say they're putting together a number of bills that would make it easier to become a volunteer firefighter, without sacrificing the quality of training. That is exactly what is needed, ways to make it easier for people to become firefighters. I'm assuming that it would entail lowering every requirement and standard to become and remain a firefighter.

Maybe lawmakers should approach this like National Guard training and allow for mandatory annual and recruit training for which employers have to let employees leave and that would benefit businesses that hire and allow volunteers to leave for calls.

Rather than look at ways to make it "easier" to become and remain a firefighter they should be looking at ways to ensure that firefighters are well trained professionals and leave the chicken flipping to the Ladies Auxiliary.

Until everyone; Chief's, lawmakers and volunteer firefighters all agree that training is absolutely necessary for the safety of all firefighters VFD's will continue to operate as social clubs, with their come-one-come-all mentality. Like strtcopr said, they shouldn't have to be great chicken flippers, they need to be great firefighters.

Comment by Tiger Schmittendorf on November 21, 2009 at 7:20pm

I think you should put your keyboard where your mouth is and write a tasteful but deliberate guest blog for my web site to address this matter.

That's what I think...

Comment by Tiger Schmittendorf on November 21, 2009 at 4:42pm

You're right Joe -

If they don't want to train - they don't want to be firefighters. If they don't want to train - please don't get on my fire engine. My family and I deserve better.

I've always told my wife: You may not like the dangers associated with the job so I can understand you not wanting me to go on certain calls, but you always want me to go to training.

It's my training that's going to give me the best chance of coming home to you at the end of the call.

Stay safe. Train often.

Comment by Joe Stoltz on November 21, 2009 at 4:21pm

Wow - reading that article I'm thinking - "Is this New York State they're talking about?"

I have to disagree - the first problem is getting people to join up. In many VFDs here that's as easy as filling out an application and paying dues. New members are typically given two years to complete Firefighter 1 or equivalent training.

The quotations sound like excuses more than anything else. One problem at a time - first get members signed up, then talk training.

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