Who is incharge In the Absence of a Volunteer Officer?

Our small Volunteer Fire Department's by-laws state that if no officer is present the senior firefighter is in the IC position until a officer arrives on scene, this is fine, but the discussion comes, when asked if "senior" means years of service, or training. My personal opinion would be that if a Firefighter 1 and a 20 year member with little training are the first on scene, I believe they would work together but the Firefighter 1 should have command. What does anyone else believe on this?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dennis Brown on March 19, 2009 at 10:33am

Well we go with the Sr.firefighter

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave on March 19, 2009 at 10:57am

When I started with my dept we had been trained in the academy to the level of FF1&2, but never tested due to politics. I had recieved my FF1&2 from my first dept which sent me to the Mass fire academy. If i read what you said correctly, you asked that shouldthe person with 1 year on the job but has the simple BASIC ff1 be incharge over a person who does not have a piece of paper that say"s FF1 but in exchange has 20 plus years of tested experience. My answer is this....that FF1 paper dont mean crap! I started off working with some of the most fire tested firefighters in Boston and New England for that matter and I was the only one with the FF1 cert. So, does that mean i know more then the guys who have been to more fires and more calls then i will ever go to? We have chiefs with 35 plus years of heavy fire duty that are not FF1 or FF2, does it make them less a firefighter? FF1 and 2 only shows that you learned or had been taught the BASIC's! It does not mean you have a clue about what your doing! I would be more apt to follow the 20 year guy on my job then a FFOP with a paper that said he took a basic course!! Anyone with a little learning ability will pick up more knowledge in 20 years then what the FF1 & 2 course teaches.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave on March 19, 2009 at 11:00am

Your 100% right on that Damnthing!! The question is..why does it seem to show up on these forums more and more??

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Randy Morrow Jr on March 19, 2009 at 11:01am

A firefighter 1 having command over a 20 year member??

No way, a firefighter 1 grad knows the basics. The 20 year member has been around the block and back....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave on March 19, 2009 at 5:16pm

Certificates only mean you attended the class, does not mean you know crap about it. I come from a paid dept, and the company i am on all the members know there stuff. As of today, only two of us have FF1 and FF2 certs, and we are 2 of the three most jr members of the company. I will follow the 30 plus year guy that as you say " know all the wrong ways to do it" before I follow some inexperienced paper collector that has dreams of the fire duty the 30plus crowd has seen. Comments from some people make me wonder how the fire ever goes out in there town!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on March 31, 2009 at 4:09pm

I agree with you 100% on this. Unfortunately those of us who have a head on their shoulders and want to point things in the right direction are or at least it seams to be way out numbered out here in rural vollie land. I just returned from a structure fire were we were called for mutual aid and the OIC was oblivious to how things are ran with the mutual aid that he called for. I attempted to explain in a polite manner and got a blank stare and with that I put my hands up and walked away.
I pretty much at that point watched them aggressively stop the fire at the footer.
The cowboy mentality is still out there and strong in some areas and what is happening is that the few people/companies with order and structure become outcasts and I am fine with that. But do not expect us to look back when we still stand strong while you cowboys are being snuffed out due to your lack of Structure, Training, Command, and or the mental capacity to see that the 1960's are long gone.