Fire! Volunteer?

[firemanpat2910]

been on the VFD since 1987. Ive been to countless calls by my self, or short handed. It seems to be getting harder to find new vollies. and then when you finaly get some young guy interested you tell him hes got to sit through 180 hrs of training.(if youre lucky he will stick around) Back in the day we jumped on the tail board and skeeted water, then went home.

 

[txdon]

"Back in the day we jumped on the tail board and skeeted water, then went home." - firemanpat 2910

We are in that day but we have no tail boards, just pickups with water tanks!

Thanks for the replies so far. It's interesting to see how different communities handle their fire service. There is no paid FD in this or surrounding counties. In our immediate area there are no business, so our weakest time is during the work week.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I find the timing of this post ironic. My family's house burned down a week ago today. We lost almost everything. Our dog didn't make it out. We still have our health. The fire departments around here are strictly volunteer. They were the most outstanding, professional, courteous firemen I have ever seen. While most of the guys were fighting the fire on one side of the house, a couple others went in through our bedroom window and asked what they could get out. They got most of the family photos and movies and most of my weapons. My family owes a great deal of gratitude to these men. The fire chief even went in and took the kids drawings off of the refrigerator.

I wholeheartedly ask any of you out there that feel alone on your fire department to please stick with it. There are many people out there that depend on you. My wife is an EMT so we do our part. And thank-you to all you guys and gals that volunteer. You are truly special people, Andy.

 

[tommu56]

"Back in the day we jumped on the tail board and skeeted water, then went home." - firemanpat 2910

We are in that day but we have no tail boards, just pickups with water tanks!

Thanks for the replies so far. It's interesting to see how different communities handle their fire service. There is no paid FD in this or surrounding counties. In our immediate area there are no business, so our weakest time is during the work week.

We had an issue with manpower during the day too with one dept that I ran with we conclude to get a pumper tanker. A full class a pumper with a 2500 gallon tank then with 4 people you could do alot and not have to have some one else bring another truck for water.

tom

 

[dmccarty]

Our part of the county is covered by VFD and some city FDs. One VFD just got bounced from getting county money since they did not have the people to answer calls. I forgot the percentage of calls they answered but it was low.

Where I work, there is a LARGE VFD down the street but the city has grown this way and their FD just build a station nearby. Another little "town" I drive through has a local VFD but another city has take over the community and build a FD right next to the VFD. In both cases I'm not sure who handles what calls.

I know if some VFDs around here there are paid firefighters always on duty at the station to make sure they can answer calls. Not sure how common that is around here though.

When this thread started this week, I got home and had an issue of Progressive Farmer in the mail with an article about VFDs. The story is just repeating much of what has been said here regarding staffing issues, training, lack of time to volunteer, and people not working locally anymore.

I'm still surprised when I drive to work to see how many people are up early going to work in the "city."

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

When this thread started this week, I got home and had an issue of Progressive Farmer in the mail with an article about VFDs. The story is just repeating much of what has been said here regarding staffing issues, training, lack of time to volunteer, and people not working locally anymore.

I'm still surprised when I drive to work to see how many people are up early going to work in the "city."

Later,
Dan

Thanks for the info on the Progressive Farmer article. I'll see if I can find it, would that be the December or January issue?

 

[motepoc]

I was on the plant fire brigade for 30 years and a volunteer fireman with the local station for about 15 years. I also was an EMT at the plant too. We had yearly training at the plant at the state academy and monthly training at the plant. We had monthly training at the local station. I've also had some repelling training at the state academy. Have been to many fires and have saved some, and lost some. Only had one fatality, they didn't tell us ther was some in the building until after we were there for ten minutes. For thos who may not know, there is a completely different way you attack a fire when there is life involved. And that doesn't mean you let a house burn, just a different way.

I am not presently volunteering, but would respond to any I know about, in case that single fireman shows up and needs any help. The main reason I'm not presently volunteering is that I am a caregiver for my MIL who has Alzheimer's. Everytime we have called EMS because of mini-strokes MIL has had, the volunteer FF's show up first, since we live so far out in the country.
They are priceless as they say on those TV commercials. There is no way we could pay these people what they are worth. And they do all of what they do out of love for there fellow man.

I believe we will always have Volunteer FF because a lot of people feel this way. They are willing to give of themselves to help others. It's just that we have those few who don't give a hoot that get most of the press.

I am standing and saluting the men and women who serve. Not only the Firefighters, but Police, Doctors, Nurses, Aides and Servicemen and women around the world. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart.

 

[dooleysm]

My grandpa (dad's side) was a volunteer firefighter. He came home from fighting a field fire one night and died of a massive heart attack. This was about 5 years before I was born. It turns out that the fire was right across the street from my other grandpa's (mom's side) house, though my parents weren't dating at the time.

 

[dmccarty]

Thanks for the info on the Progressive Farmer article. I'll see if I can find it, would that be the December or January issue?

I think it was for January since I just got the magazine. I'll check tonight to see which edition I received.

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

I suppose many people lump all volunteer fire departments together when the fact is that the differences in them are astounding. I was a member of our country VFD. When I started, the total of the equipment was one worn out old one ton Ford flatbed truck with a 250 gallon water tank and a pump. The fellow whose garage it had been parked in had died and his widow wanted it moved. My brother and I and 3 neighbors started fund raising, garage sales, etc. and we got a fire station built. We got a military surplus duece and a half with two 500 gallon tanks, a military surplus one ton with a 250 gallon tank and pump. My brother and I (mostly him) tore down and rebuilt the engine in the old truck, we got the trucks all painted, and we recruited a few more neighbors to get a total of about 15 members. Only one guy actually had any firefighting training (we made him the fire chief) and that training was minimal at best. I was treasurer and did the driver training. In other words, we were strictly amateur volunteers.

About 15 miles away, a small town also had a volunteer fire department (and they responded in our area, too), but they had some very modern equipment, including their ambulance, and had some pretty well trained volunteers, including EMTs. A world of difference, but we all did the best we could with what we had.

And now where I live, we have a fire department that is a combination of paid and volunteers that serves 3 or 4 small cities. I don't know much about them except that they certainly have some fine facilities and equipment.