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Requirements for Volunteer Departments???
Hey everyone!!!
Ok, I am on a Lieutenant on a volunteer department, nobody is paid. I am part of the Rules and Regulations commitee. We are trying to impliment requirements for the department into our rules and regs. Due to these changes everyone is freaking out because we want them to take classes as a requirement. (FFI and FFII, EMT, CPR, Wildland 130 &190, Etc.) (Keep in mind, the department pays for the trainings not them) I feel that since we are taking on more calls and due to members who aren't trained, in my opinion should not be part of the department if they are unable to perform the tasks that may come. Numerous members are complaining about there normal jobs would interfere with the training, I understand that is the prioirty but most members who say the trainings interfere with there job also don't make calls or other department trainings. In other words they are no use to me and the department. If I were I.C. and the individual showed up I would be more worried due to the fact that the individual isn't trainined because they won't show up to training and is now a risk to me and my team. I was wondering what are your requirements to be hired on at volunteer departments. If your a paid agency then what are your opinions on requirements for a volunteer department? Also if you have websites which list your requirements for volunteers please list in your post so I can show current members that we aren't the only ones with requirements. Thanks for your input and help. Hopefully some of the members will realize that volunteer departments need to have sufficient training even if we don't get paid. Thanks
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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"...like i said, not everybody wishes to do interior firefighting... "
I'm curious, what happens if you have a working fire and only get about 3 or 4 people qualified to work interior, yet have maybe 10 or more "outside firefighters" show up? Seems a bit silly to have people in a "fire department" that really aren't firefighters.
"...however, they may prefer the MVA...
People get to decide which calls they will go on? Really? So they don't respond to a car fire but may for an mva? What happens if the only ones that show up to an mva are "outside firefighters" and then the car goes whoosh? Do you call for a second alarm?
Seems to me a fire department is a fire department and everyone should be qualified firefighters. If you have different categories of membership then you fall under the heading of social club or, as I like to qualify it: an organized mob with access to water.
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Permalink Reply by Daniel H Skelton on
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i fully understand about depment requirements. on my volunteer dept my chief is try to make it so withen your frist 3 years on the dept you must pass a ff1&ff2 class, now im all for that but my problem is we have 23 members maybe 10 respond and attend meeting and trainings. now ive been on this dept for 6 years and in that time period there's maybe 2 people that have joined after me. this is a small town dept that runs about 175 fire calls a year. now if the chief and the town go through with this its going to drive the people who want to join not to. dont get me wrong im all for trainings for new members and putting restrictions on em, but we need new members.
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If your members are NOT trained to NFPA FFl/FFII standards, what are they trained to?
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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Daniel, mutual aid will help with manpower.
I wouldn't take any "joe" off the street who wants to work in a mine and just let him loose down there. Why do it in the fire department? If people are serious enough about wanting to help the community, they should have no problem taking necessary courses to do the job safely and effectively. Don't vote them in just because they will raise your response numbers. That's dangerous.
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im just saying we have a hard enough time getting new members without putting a ff1 ff2 class on then. i fully agree with you, i just fell that it would turn away new members.
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Permalink Reply by Shonn D. Cournyer on
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in my volly dept in Norther Ca, new members have to take a number of classes before they are issued pagers and allowed to respond into an IDLH situation such as:
Fire control 1 (basic fire behavior 16 hrs)
Fire control 2 ( SCBA training with an obsticle course, basic pump ops, hose manipulation/bedding/hose lays etc) 16hrs
Fire control 3 ( structural live fire training in a house we burn up) 16 hrs
Communications 4 hrs
HazMat 1st reposnder operations
1st responder or EMT completed in 1 year
then there are some wildland courses offereed also
BTW, we get paid $6.00 per call and a few bucks for attending training, helps to cover gas....
Hope this helps.
Shonn
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Permalink Reply by KARL on
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I would first check with your state to see if or any requirements that they have or recommend. I can tell you that I have been on both sides of the fence. If you put someone inside a fire and they have no training and they get hurt or killed than that comes back to bite you as the I.C. /Department and everyone else that is concerned. Now, you also have to be willing to make arrangements for those that work and can't make the training meetings when they are scheduled. Everyone has to make a living and you can't hold that against them for putting food on their table and for their family. So, it's a two way street!!
We are required to maintain 24 hours of firefighting training per year for each member of the department. We also require our members to become certified by the state fire academy as volunteer firefighters when classes is open. All our members are cpr certified and most of them are medical first responders. You have to have training and there's no way around that!!!!!
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Yes, you are exactly right. It will turn away new members. But, and this is a significant "but", it is my belief that in turning away new members because they don't want to, or can't train is in effect potentially savng their lives. I totally understand what you are saying, and sympathize with any dept. who struggles with this problem, but bottom line is safety; for you, your team ,your family and the public. And in my opinion, and it is just that, to have someone in the fire service who is not trained, jeopardizes all of them.
Please keep in mind here that I am not arguing, just merely conversing.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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We have the requirement that all probationary members have to complete FFI during their 1 year of probation in order to be eligible for permanent membership to the Department....Beyond that it is in our Bylaws that members have "Work Details" "Training Drills", and the Monthly meetings that they are expected to attend...Training above and beyond that are encouraged but not mandated (Except of course the annual 8 hour OSHA Training mandated to all)......Paul
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No Ralph....we are talking about Firefighters not Medics riding in the Puke Box....LOL
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Permalink Reply by Justin Sandoval on
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Hey Reg,
Thanks for the input. I fully agree with this comment, I feel the same that we are not helpin the community if we all aren't trained. We are only as strong as our weakest link and right now that is more of a safety hazard than anything at all.
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This is exactly how it is, when I bring up ideas to make the department better trained i feel like there are more members that would rather have the name firefighter without helping the community. Thats not right because we are firefighters to protect and serve not just show boat around town in the rigs. WE NEED TO BE TRAINED!!!!
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