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Should Volunteer Fire Companies Specialize?
Do you thing Volunteer Fire Companies could provide better service to their customers (the community, and mutual aid partners) if each company specialized in one aspect of the fire service?
Much like career departments have Engine companies, Truck companies, Rescue companies, Hazmat units etc...Even though each company is a separate organization would the quality of service be better if each company mastered one aspect of the fire service and then worked together with neighboring companies to server the over all community in their region?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rick Franks on
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Paul dose your company cover the whole area from one station? What is your volunteer turn out between 5am and 5pm?
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Permalink Reply by Brad MacMillan on
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It's not that it isn't fair, it's that it isn't safe for their citizens. They pay their taxes to have the fire dept there, and if/when that call comes in and it takes 10-15mins longer than it should, then that's a matter of safety, not really of fairness.
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I agree with you Paul. We cover 580sq. miles with 2 stations that are 100% volunteer. Although we have access to the Town Fire Dept which is actually in our area but only covers the town unless we call mutual aid from them, which they have an aerial and water rescue team. Our station also has ice rescue and water rescue from land equipment because it takes them about 25mins just to get to the river, while it only takes us about 8mins from tones to suits. HAZMAT comes straight from Calgary, which is about 30-45mins, as well as ARIES (which is a mobile command unit). We've got to be jacks-of-all-trades simply because we must. If we specialize, then we must specialize in all aspects. We get everything from MVC's to structure and grass fires, to body recovery, to water rescue, ice rescue, S&R, High angle rescue from the 2 plants nearby, plus now we have to consider dangerous goods and the danger of having a fertilizer and dynamite plant nearby. We cover those plants as their department. Like Paul said, good thought, just not always practical when it comes to rural volunteer departments. During 5am and 5pm in my area, we're lucky to get 9 members from my hall and 15 from Strathmore Rural. So the numbers aren't there either.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Gillis on
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I dont like that idea. my fd has a daytime AMA with 3 other companies which works out well for incidents like sturcture fires. one company brings there ladder, another a engine- tanker another and there other 2 bring engine rescue's but thats in a primarly a farming community
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