Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen Russell on April 4, 2009 at 5:52am

I certainly hope not !!, I have been in the Volunteer service for almost 15 yrs now, and a Paid FF for almost 10 yrs. Thing have changed alot in that time, the people are not the same, the calls are not the same and the fire service and its members have had to adapt to it , but still try to hold on to the traditions.

In the beginning of my Volunteer career, was mostly rural firefighting, very few if any hydrants, lots of tanker shuttles and learning to over come and adapt, so when I was introduced to the "Paid" side it was a eye opener it was the same but different, but my experience in rural firefighting was a very marketable skill. I knew how to draft, haul water, set up refill points, and the most inportant how to stretch 1000 gal of water until the next truck shows up. So I thank those people that took me under their wing and have shown me the way. I'm glad I started where I did and would not change it if I could.

You know now most City/paid depts do not even show their drivers/ engineers how to draft, it not a practical they have to learn. Most times if your not from a volunteer/rural dept you don't know how, it's a dying art, as things get easier, more hydrants, better flow pressures, etc.. more people will forget the basics. Again i say I hope not but its like history, " Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it ".

Well there is my two cents worth, I hope i didn't ramble on to much. Be Safe, And Always Buckle Up.

Permalink Reply by ashfire on May 18, 2009 at 1:28pm

Where I am the only difference is the union local. A guy that was your greatest volunteer buddy before taking the county career training won't talk to you after they come out. I have heard of members of families won't talk to each other if one is a volunteer and the other is a carreer member.
The training is no different than what each takes but when the local rep walks into a training class when the instructor walks out its a different story.
There are some career personnel that retire and become a good volunteer willing to train their members to be good even make it has a chief and then there some that will become volunteers and run off most of the membership because they don't meet their standards in their mind. My way or the highway.
We also have some that just retire and just walk away from the fire service.