Rural Volunteer Fire Department

[jinman]

I'm a complete outsider ffor VFDs, except for gladly giving my financial support. It seems to me that a property tax break would work well for property owners. It should be on a sliding scale with how much you train and drill with your VFD group up to a maximum amount. If we give ag exemptions, it seems obvious that VFDs should have this terrific incentive plan. I also think volunteers should have auto tags at the farm tag rate. These are all state fees and taxes that could be easily tailored to meet VFD needs. Where's the petition? I'll sure sign it.

Also, why do all VFDs have such stringent requirements for all volunteers? Couldn't you have several levels of volunteerism? If I can clean the firehouse and work on the equipment, shouldn't I be a member at some lower level than a fullscale firefighter/EMT who has all the training and certifications? Maybe I'm missing something or this is already the case, but it just seems obvious that it should be allowed.

 

[scott_vt]

Scott, The property tax break sounds just like the incentive that the volunteers will need in this county. If you could get the specifics on the point system I'd like to propose it to the county commissioners. Thanks, Don.

Good Afternoon Don,
I will try and get an up to date copy of the system that we are using presently ! It may take a week, but I will have some info in the near future for you !

 

[scott_vt]

I also think volunteers should have auto tags at the farm tag rate. These are all state fees and taxes that could be easily tailored to meet VFD needs. Where's the petition? I'll sure sign it.

Good Afternoon Jim,
SShhh some Ct volunteers have their vehicles
registered in Vt !

On the training issue and different levels, actually we do have something similiar ! For example our fire police are basically there to direct traffic at MVA's and fire scenes etc. They dont have nearly the training that an EMT Firefighter has to have ! These individuals are still able to meet the points criteria although its a bit harder because they dont get any points for having had FF1 for instance. etc...

 

[RobertN]

We have minimum training per year; when we sign up it is explained the expect us to be at 80% of the training. Because we are a large district, with 5 different groups overall, ov volunteers, if I miss my training at my west side station, I can make it up a week later at one of the other stations.

I think some of the training requirements are getting tougher for sure. I'm a husband and dad, have five acres, work, am also a Scout leader.

On the other hand, the training is good; there are a LOT of things out there that can get you killed on a call. See it all the time in the news, and in bulletins from the department, and online bulletins.

Even for Scouts, we have mandatory training. Just refreshed some this week, so I can help take some kids on a campout.

One common theme in this thread, it is a commitment, takes time in addition to calls, and it is hard to find people to make that commitment.

On top of that, we get the same thing as another poster mentioned. Get people, go to volunteer academy, do more training to earn FF-1, and then leave. I am excited for them when they get on full time with a dept, but it puts us back at square one...

It was hard for me to grasp the "mandatory" training thet went along with being a member of the "volunteer" fire department. So needless to say they asked for my fire pager back. Or in other words, I got kicked out of a "volunteer" position.

 

[RobertN]

I'm a complete outsider ffor VFDs, except for gladly giving my financial support.

Some districts do a paid per call. They give some compensation for each time you run a call.

In some cases, like mine, we provide backup coverage to staff the station also. If our paid crew is out, we're it. We may spend ours staffing but not go on a call.

Re different levels. Sometimes it used to be that way. There were auxiliaries and such. Now, if you are standing in the station, and someone drives up with an emergency, they want you to be able to act, not just call for additional resources(which you would do anyways).

 

[txdon]

Thanks Scott for getting the info.

Jim there are different levels in this part of Lee County. The volunteers that respond to calls and those that volunteer for our yearly one day fish fry and auction. Our head chef is 91 years old and she can run circles around me! On that day we have about fifty volunteers from peeling potatoes to selling beer to organizing volley ball playoffs. This remote community still amazes me. You hardly every pass anyone on the road, we have one church and one beer joint, but on that one fundraiser day, on the hottest day in August, in a cow pasture, people come from Austin and Houston and everywhere in between and we feed over 1200 people!

 

[Taylortractornut]

I dont agree with the training part of Volunteer fire fighters and rescue people, Ive had to call on them a few times even saved my life. I would like to see more driver training and stricter rules on volunteers going to a scene. Every cowboy here that buys a redlight at JC whitney uses that as an excuse to not have to follow highway rules. I know of 3 head on accident cause by gungho folks on the way to an accident that were passing on a curve or hill. I was recently run off the road in Coleman park by a fire fighter going to a leaf fire. I was i na dump truck loaded and these 3 cars with red lights passed another car halfway down the hill. I took the ditch and it really irked me. A regualr fire engine or ambulance isnt allowed to do such things. Also in at least one possibly 2 cases in the collisions the owners/drivers didnt have any insurance on their cars. They say they arent liable because they are emergency workers.
But the biggest thing is that the county foots the bill on truck and equipment repairs when someone tries to drive off without building up air pressure, leaves a PTO ingaged leaving the scene all the way back to the fire house or other mistake caused by improper training.

 

[scott_vt]

I dont agree with the training part of Volunteer fire fighters and rescue people, Ive had to call on them a few times even saved my life. I would like to see more driver training and stricter rules on volunteers going to a scene. Every cowboy here that buys a redlight at JC whitney uses that as an excuse to not have to follow highway rules.

Good Mornin Taylortractornut,
We have had a number of issues with some of our younger members who initially felt that when they were responding to a call that the DMV rules didnt apply to them ! Nothing could be further from the truth ! The blue light is nothin more than a courtesy light ! If the motorist in front of you wishes to pull over, then and only then can you pass him ! This is sometimes a problem for our very new gung ho members, but most of them after we sit them down and explain the consequences, they begin to realise, they could cause an accident themselves much worse that they are responding to !

I have been a driver at our FD for 20 years, we do have runnin rules, such as a priorty 2 responce going to certain calls, such as a CO alarm or as you mention a brush fire, no lights ne siren ! Even when Im responding to a fire with a large pumper or rescue, I go through intersections slowly, its just not worth takin a chance, possibly killing someone to save 10 seconds ! JMHO !

 

[scott_vt]

Thanks Scott for getting the info.

Good Mornin Don,
I called our fire marshall yesterday, he is going to provide both the points system that the FD goes by and also the town ordinance that applies this system in our town charter. These our typed sheets, so if you could PM me your home address I will fire them off in the mail !

 

[scott_vt]

On top of that, we get the same thing as another poster mentioned. Get people, go to volunteer academy, do more training to earn FF-1, and then leave. I am excited for them when they get on full time with a dept, but it puts us back at square one...

Good Mornin Robert,
Unfortunately we have had the same problem happen here ! We get some of these young guys trained, FF1, FF2, Hazmat Awareness, Hazmat Operations, Strategy and Tactics, Incident command etc... and then they find a paid job... in a paid company that because of insurance wont let them volunteer in the place they got all their training ! Opps, better be careful what I say here, my youngest son did that !