Just a question to get some discussion going. The region that I live in has many volunteers that are also career firefighters/officers. The question always arises; Should a firefighter's experience as a volunteer be taken into account for promotion, hiring or otherwise with a career department?
"Not becouse it is their job"...I love that statement. It almost sounds as if holding a career job as a firefighter makes your efforts less important. If you feel your status as a non-paid firefighter makes your work more commendable, well than you have my congradulations for what you do.
As long as I do the best I can with what I am given, I earn my pay. My family is all that matters, not some opinion or feeling of greater self-worth.
You all are debating on whose better than who with out the proper training Neither paid crews or Vol crews would not be able to fight a fire properly. Plus we shouldn't be fighting on whose better than who esspically when you never know what tomorrow will bring trust me we are all brothers and sisters in the Fire and EMS world and we should fight over that stuff because its just as hard to lose a career fire fighter as it is to lose a VOL. R.I.P. Justin Dunn Bland county Volunteer Fire department
yea volunteer experience is equal to career. I have been on both a volunteer and a career fire department and the volunteer fire department trained more the career fire department.
Fire knows no discrimination...and the truth is,paid or not,We are ALL Pro's......And by the way the economy is headed,and all the cut-backs......We're All going to be volunteers.
Chris, I think you should do some more research, maybe even get some hands on knowledge by visiting a firehouse that houses volunteers, you might find them watching TV, Then go visit a Fire Department that has Paid Firefighters, You will probably find them doing some type of training, at least that is what I have come across when visiting other departments
Its like almost any job you can have. If it is your career, you are just USUALLY better trained, informed and equipped to do the job then somebody who does it as a "hobbie" or a secondary job.
By saying "hobbie" Im not blasting anyone, however as Mickey said. We TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. Not ALL days but most. Everyday that schedule allows it we have P/T. Running, basketball, weights, whatever.....Almost everyday we do some sort of training or training evolution. Sometimes up to 2-3 hours, almost always at least an hour.
We probably have better access to better training facilities then most volunteer departments as well.
I dont get why there is so much hate between the volly stations and the paid stations. we are both doing the same job of saving lives and homes. Yeah a paid stations goes through more training and stuff then a volly station does because it is not required for all the guys on a volly station to show up, but lets think about it weather you are a paid FF or a volly FF, we are there to do the same thing. I give props to all the volly FF's out there and i always give props to the paid FF's out there keep up the good work
Shane, don't take what I said the wrong way. The question was about experience being equal between volunteers, and career firefighters. My comment had nothing to do with putting down volunteers. I am a volunteer, but you have to put the credit where it's due. We are all brothers, or sisters doing the same job.
o i was not saying that your comment was negative.. just from my own experience i have witnessed where there is some tension between the paid guys and the volly guys is all.. it was nothin at all against your comment... and i do agree with you.. the paid guys do get better at station experience such as training and such.. but when it comes to on scene experience.. i believe it is all equal..