The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Wi volunteer firefighter responding from work
What does the law state in Wisconsin for volunteers to respond to calls from work? There are articles of statutes trying to be passed, but I cannot find any written law to print out. My employer now stated I can only leave for structure or mutual aid fires. I tried to explain the equal importance between MVA and fires. Just looking for anything thats already in law. Thanks
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
-
No law I know of here stating an employer has to allow a person to respond. Matter of fact it is typically up to the employer if they will allow you to leave even for structure fire.
-
Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
-
When I started my job, I asked them about their policy on excusing vff from work for a call. They informed me that they, by law, have to let me go, for the best interest of public personal emergencies, or something like that. To this day, I am not aware of any such "law". So I chalk it up to in-house policy.
But work is work. It's what pays the bills. If I'm not needed for a call, then I won't leave work for a scene that I am basically just an onlooker with a pass. I listen and see what's going on, then make my judgement call. However, when I do repond to a call, whether it be for a half hour or a day, the company will pay for my time gone. That's why I only respond if needed. I don't want to abuse that privilage.
I guess I'm just saying that I am not aware of any law regarding response from work.
-
Permalink Reply by walmart on
-
There is no law that will protect you from leaving work, but there is a wisconsin law that was passed this year i think it was, that will protect you from coming to work late because of a call. Now this works in most professions except police,fire, and hospital jobs. In fact in the wisconsin state fire journal that just came out, has a article about it in there
-
Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
-
In Texas there is no law regarding responding from work for what we do. Plus: At our department we keep work, school and family above volunteer work. Keeps it all in perspective.
-
Permalink Reply by Jeff Pearson on
-
That would be great, if we had enough people that got off their butt and responded. Last accident I left work for , we had three FF's that responded. Our cheif was the driver for the ambulance that day and helped out with extrication. Still had subject out and enroute to hospital in 22 minutes. Its not a question of abuse or privelage....it's a real need for manpower.
-
Permalink Reply by Bull on
-
Walmart is correct. They do not have to let you leave once you are at work. But the new law states you cannot be reprimanded for being late because of a call, unless you have a job in public safety EX: nurse,police etc.
-
Permalink Reply by Bekks on
-
We don't have any law in Ontario, Canada to let you leave your paying job - but it would be a great help!
Weekday response is brutal almost anywhere. Fortunately because of our shifts, my wife and I (both on the same department) can, 95% of the time, send one or both of us to a weekday call - but we are the exception and not the rule.
The Ontario provincial politicians TRIED to pass a bill that would protect volunteer FF from loosing their jobs if they were late or stuck at a fire. But it was successfully lobbied AGAINST by of all things, the IAFF, and subsequently defeated.
(From the IAFF web page - before they reciently removed the story from their website)
Canadian Law protecting volunteers blocked by IAFF
Ontario legislators rejected Bill 30, the Volunteer Firefighters Employment Protection Act, by a decisive 52-37 vote at Queen’s Park in Toronto on December 11. The result constitutes a resounding victory for Ontario’s professional fire fighters and confirms the right of IAFF affiliates to discipline members who violate the International’s Constitution.
So the IAFF puts 127,000 Canadian Volunteer's paying jobs at risk so they can "discipline" 20,000 members into not volunteering in their off duty time. Wow. (I can't find the provincial breakdown at the moment but the ratio was close to the same as the national numbers the last time I looked).
Sorry... I don't hate unions or the IAFF.... but couldn't they have worked WITH the government to modify the bill to add a clause that somehow excluded the IAFF mambers so the rest of us could have some protection???
-
Permalink Reply by ian wilcox on
-
i live in a small town is british columbia canada,my employer allows me to leave work when the fire pager goes off,or if the medical pager goes off,they even pay my wages for the time i am gone regardless of the call,they choose to do this to show support to the community which is good as during the week there is normally only three to four of us in town during the day
-
Permalink Reply by Jayne C. Eernisse - Gates on
-
If I'm not mistaken Wisconsin passed a law 7 or 8 years ago called the volunteer act. It specifically states that if you are on a volunteer department and recieve a page for an emergency your employer is obligated to let you got to the call. I am currently on a military leave of absence from a department in Wisconsin that I have been with for 16 years. I believe they passed this due to the lack of responses around the state.
-
Permalink Reply by David Francis on
-
I can't leave my job niether for calls, would be nice but i'm the only one on grave yard shift. Ive missed 3 structure fires that i would of loved to been at. 2hrs before my shift starts and the tones drop, i don't bother getting ready to run out the door i just turn my pager off and get ready for work. it's heart wrenching because firefighting is more exciting than my job.
-
-
It specifically states that if you are on a volunteer department and recieve a page for an emergency your employer is obligated to let you got to the call.
I don't believe this is accurate. I was a volunteer between that time frame and there are many volunteers I know personally where the employer determines if they will let the person respond. Most employers do allow responses but I don't believe there is any law stating the employer is obligated. There is the law, touched on by others, that you can't be penalized for coming in late if you were on a call making you late.
-
Permalink Reply by Amanda Benton on
-
that is pretty well how it works here,. work pays the bills and my kids need food and house and such so if i have to work then i have to work. typically if we are on a call and someone has to be excused early due to work then they are more than welcome to. we are to use our own judgement based on the time of the call and type and what time we are to be at work and make a decision on whether to go or not. if it is medical and we have to be there in a couple hours we are typically ok to go but fire or mva we will stay behind and let someone else take the call. our dept is understanding but our jobs probably wouldnt b so much. i work in health care so if i were to leave work for a call i would be abandoning my patients that need me at the moment and leaving my job short to go help someone else in need so it would pretty well be a trade off. there are plenty of ff to handle calls and we all work different shifts and have many that are their own bosses so it works well for us. like i said our jobs pay and are necessary for our families well beings so that comes first and foremost.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
