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Permalink Reply by FETC on March 27, 2012 at 8:30pm

Wow Jason please tell us how you really feel about your Fire Chief.

 

Guaranteed this will be printed and placed on his desk by tomorrow.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Clatt on March 27, 2012 at 8:33pm

well not on a soap box..just really looking to see what to do....we are a small town dept..our members 4 thats it.... plus we also man our county barn for our district,,so it is alot of work for just 4 people..no one else in town wants to work with him..he has one of those know it all done it all attitudes..just a matter of time before somthin bad happens

 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Spencer on March 28, 2012 at 12:11am

Maybe your focus could be more on getting people interested in volunteering from the community. Once you jump that hurdle then you get to figure out how to train them up to standard. What would happen if you got ten new recruits? Hang in there and don't start any fires. Remember we are supposed to put fires out :-)

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on March 28, 2012 at 1:44am

Why don't you throw your hat in for chief then?????

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Permalink Reply by Heath Ivey on March 28, 2012 at 2:44am

I understand. if the chief don't do anything he shouldn't be a chief enough said

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Permalink Reply by Bob Callahan on March 28, 2012 at 9:17am

Before I comment I need some more info...

 

Population covered? Run volume - Calls per year? Hopw many "working fires" - structure? vehicle? brush? other? Type of services provided - suppression, vehicle extrication, haz-mat, EMS, technical rescue (water, ice, confined space, etc..)? What is your budget? How are you funded?

 

How is the Chief put in place - Elected by the members? Appointed by a fire department board? Appointed by the mayor or city council? Appointed by the outgoing Chief? If you only have 4 members, what other officers do you have? Do you have a designated training officer?

 

How many members did you have under the past Chief? How many members do the departments around you have?

 

Are you an independant fire district? Are you part of town gov't? Who does your Chief report to? Who controls your budget? 

 

How close is mutual aid? Do you use them a lot? Do you run a lot of mutual aid?

 

Has there been any comments in a public forum - i.e. Letters to the Editor in the local paper - about the department's condition? What is the word around town about the department's ability to function?

 

Overall it sounds like you have some serious organizational and operational issues that have been going on for awhile and a) nobody cares or b) nobody knows. I'm not saying this to be cruel but if the situation is as bad as you described, you must be a pretty shabby fire department on scene and the folks in town must have noticed by now.

 

I'll refrain from making any suggestions until I have answers to the questions above. 

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Permalink Reply by Jason Clatt on March 28, 2012 at 11:09am

okay...4 memebers who show up..elected by city council..average 100 calls per year..mostly grass/brush fires..had 2 structure fires in the last 4 yrs that i am aware of...we have a 5000 per year opp budget..plus the chief is a good friend of mine..not tryin to bitch just want to get some input on what to do..i had a big discussion with him last night after a grass fire..and put it all on the table...he said i am sorry that i have let the dept down what can i do to fix it....wich is the what i figured he would say..so now we are going to start campaining for new members..they have appointed me the training officer..since i am ALWAYS harping about training and the lack of it..plus he said that there will be more accountability on meetings and trainings...so...with all that...now it is time to put up or shut up...since we live in a small town 180 population..we are wanting to get  more people interested in joining the fire dept..but for the most part no one wants to get involved..i know it is like beating a dead horse asking this but...how...how do you get people fired up enough to join....its like you said paul...when there is only 4 of us at the meetings and doing barn duty /maitenence..it gets a little ...dry..monotonous..so i think if we can get some new faces it could get better

 

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Permalink Reply by Jason Clatt on March 28, 2012 at 11:13am

i turned it down..they wanted me to do it pretty bad...to much liability....our dept has been ran into the ground for the last 25 yrs that i am aware of..so basicly all we have is a 56 chevy pumper that didnt run..and a ford 8000 pumper that didnt pump..spent the first month on the dept getting stuf too work right.had the pumps flow tested..put the 56 on parade duty..now we are tring to get a grant for gear......i will look on the bright side..cant go anyway but up from here...

 

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Permalink Reply by Jason Clatt on March 28, 2012 at 11:19am

thanks for all the input..wish me luck gonna need it..i feel like we are trying to float the titanic

 

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Permalink Reply by Jason Clatt on March 28, 2012 at 11:21am

bob the last paragraph in your reply is heart breaking...but true...that is why i am so botherd by what has not been done to rectify the situation..so..we ar gonna try to get this thing afloat...

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Permalink Reply by Russ Gregston on March 28, 2012 at 1:07pm

Jason I know from personal experience what you are going through. Including performing much needed repairs on the apparatus. All I can say is keep at it when a department has been operated in such a way for so many years it takes time to effect change it won't happen over night but eventually you will start to see change for the good. Keep the passion it's worth it even if you feel alone eventually it will pay off.

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on March 28, 2012 at 2:21pm

You turned down the job, yet come on here complaining about the actions (or inactions) of the current chief......irony or hypocrisy?

 

Why bring up all such suggestions and make these statements on the current chief if there is too much liability for you to do the job? If you want the damn changes you are preaching, then step up to the plate and make it happen.

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