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Should Volunteer Firefighters Get Paid for Calls?
70% of the nations firefighters are volunteers who risk their lives everytime a call goes out. Some say yes because of the risk and some say no because it was a choice made to do the job, what do you think?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Devan Mills on
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we still go under the volunteer name but were actually paid on call which we just recently started getting paid so i have done it both ways while compensation is fine, "there is nothing greater than the heart of a volunteer". i started doing this because i love firefighting, and if they took the pay per call away i would still do my duty to the fullest of my ability.
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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Short and sweet....
Paid no, Compensated yes.
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I absolutely agree with you on that.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Bates on
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No pay needed here. You can still be professional and be a volunteer. Something that I think is missing here is the fact that being a volunteer, consists of more than just running calls. there's the fundraising, and business meetings, and six month discussion on what color blue to paint the kitchen.There are parades and dinners, and the last minute sunday afternoon bar-b-ques.Yeah we are the first responders for our communities,but a lot of being a member of a volly dept, is the social aspect.It is a cluub, just like the elks, or masons, or lions.Instead of donating money we raise, or funding special projects for the community,we serve our communities as firefighters and EMT's. I've been at this almost 20 yrs now. I've seen well trained knowledgable volunteers, and i've seen guy/gals, who i couldn't get far enough away from. The bottom line is I think all FF's paid or Volly love what they do.You have to; the realities of what we deal with, will drive away the wannabe's.
Additionally I dont know a lot of millionaire paid FF's, So I don't think many of them do it for the money either.
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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Well said brother. As a volunteer you NEED to be as professional as the career firefighter; fire is an equal opportunity killer and it doesnt stop to ask for credentials. If you want to play like the big boys you need to train as hard as the big boys and not whine about it.
I have a wife, 4 year old daughter and bills to pay, work a FT job and a PT job but still find the time to train, and my family understands and they are proud of me. They know if I dont train I could not come home.
I dont need a paycheck for this or any monetary compensation, what I get in thank you's and the looks in peoples faces, or the hand shake or pat on the back from bystanders is adequate enough payment for me.
To be a professional volunteer firefighter who takes it seriously and trains seriously and to help my community when no one else will is I thing I am proud to be.
Stay safe everyone.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Greg,
I missed his post(s). I get the sense he may have been...'high?'
Your last part, yeah I noticed. You have to admit, he brings a certain 'flair' to the conversation(s).
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Robby,
Based on figures you gave, you make an average of $103 per week. Not bad money for a total of about 7 1/2 hours per week of "work." Also, that works out to about $5400/year. Help me out as I'm having a hard time resolving $5 large as a "volunteer."
If anyone is looking to the POC ranks as a job and do it for th pay then look somewhere else. So you turn the money back in?
...I am still a POC Volly and PROUD to serve my community... No you're not a volly, you're a PAID firefighter.
WE ALL do it for the love of the Fire Service, Career, POC, Volunteer we are all firefighters and all do it because we love it. It must be killing you to cash that check every couple of weeks.
The compensation is a nice pat on the back... Someone saying 'thanks', maybe bringing you water, or pizza at a fire, is a pat on the back. Someone paying you $15 an hour to be there is a paying job.
This whole thing harks back to what I posted earlier: So many volunteers love to say that they do it for 'the love of the job', they speak as though they are divinely inspired, chosen and directed, wave that "VOLUNTEER" banner all around while the sun breaks from the clouds and illuminates them as they ascend the ladder to heaven (maybe it's the roof, hard to tell with the clouds AND smoke), but offer them money and everyone takes it. I'm not saying that's bad, only that it's not "volunteer."
More ironic, some prefer to be called Paid On Call (even if they only get a buck for showing up) because it means they DON'T have to call themselves volunteers. Then there are THOSE that, even if they made $50,000 (or $5000) per year, delude themselves into thinking they are STILL a volunteer no matter HOW much they get paid.
Look at it this way, if someone hands you a check for your services as a firefighter, you are paid. Maybe poorly, maybe irregularly, but you ARE paid.
Honestly, there's no shame in taking money to do this job.
Repeat after me, It's good to get paid...it's good to get paid...
[Here's a thought, if your community is willing to pay you "a little," why aren't they willing to pay you "enough?" You can either let the invisible hand of the free market stroke you, or finger you. Your choice...as always, I'm just sayin'...]
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Permalink Reply by Grant Richardson on
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In answer to the original question, 'Should volunteer firefighters get paid for calls?'
Every body who works should get paid. However, due to monetary constraints in a lot of communities, vollies will never be paid or compensated to any degree financially. That's reality!
Most volunteers I know and have worked with (my career station is on the fringe of Perth's gazetted fire district, so we work along side the vollies frequently) have volunteered because they want to serve their community. The West Australian Fire & Emergency Services Authority provides their stations, appliances, PPE and training. I commend these people for their selfless dedication. But there are some who volunteer because it's an ego trip or an adrenalin rush when they get working job. Those volunteers are a safety risk to themselves and to other firefighters.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Jack, I copied and pasted some of Aaron's remarks in my post to address him, you can get a sense of his post from that. Not surprising that there he was....gone.
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John,
That's why I said I got the sense he might be 'high.' Although upon further review, I might revise that to state, "high on himself."
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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DING DING DING....end of conversation you are not a volunteer if you are getting paid.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Lyons on
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To be called a paid firefighter because your community helps cover some gas expenses.... I think that is a stretch. If you volunteer your time to help others in need when the bells/pagers/tones go off, then you're a volunteer. Maybe I am missing something .... its been a long time since I was a volunteer.
As far as the pay issue, If the community can afford to pay the members it is appropriate.. If they can't... then feel good about giving to your community.
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