now hiring!!

[iamvff]

OK, now that I have your attention....

With all of this discussion on volunteer and career depts. (of course we now understand that we are all professional on this board). I am wondering at what point does a community make a decision to go from a volunteer dept to a career dept? Has anyone on board ever been involved in something like this??

Be safe
iamvff

[kriand]

Yes. I have seen it.

There are many factors to consider:
-tax base
-call volume
-volunteer response (ie: times and personal)
-type of fire hazards (industry/ commercial/residential)

These are just a few points. There is also the consideration of whether the career crews cover day shift only, or nights and weekends as well.

[bestcoast]

I think another one would be population. The town I grew up in is making the move to full time. The city has around 75,000 people and the call volume was steadily increasing. Also some public pressure wondering where all their tax dollars were going to helped with the decision......BC....

[JGallagher]

Originally posted by iamvff
OK, now that I have your attention....

With all of this discussion on volunteer and career depts. (of course we now understand that we are all professional on this board). I am wondering at what point does a community make a decision to go from a volunteer dept to a career dept? Has anyone on board ever been involved in something like this??

Be safe
iamvff

There is a article in a magize call "Fire Chief" I do belive about that topic. Its at the jail so the next time that I am there working I will bring it back. It says all the issues.

[Forest]

actually red devil I got what he was saying just fine.

and to answer your question iamvff, is to tell you that I cant. I can guess that it has to do with pop, call vol, coverage area, and hazards (ie: a major industrial park). But thats just coming off the top of my head

[iamvff]

Originally posted by JGallagher
There is a article in a magize call "Fire Chief" I do belive about that topic. Its at the jail so the next time that I am there working I will bring it back. It says all the issues.


let me know what you find out.

Our town would never be into this situation,
not at 50 call average per year, it was just more of a curiosity question.

have a good one
be safe
iamvff

[wilderness]

there is a town to the north of us,population would be around 4000 and they have i think nine fulltimers..makes you wonder....
it has to do with there tax base lots of money, in this town... i understand they will be hiring volunteers, in the near future

[bestcoast]

On a related topic, does anyone work on a Composite department?? If so, how is the relationship between the volunteer's and career guys?? I've heard of some problem's in Composite departments out here.....just curious.........BC......

[no-post]

My dept. is a composite, and, yeah, we had some problems with the attitudes of the fulltimers. But a couple of years ago, we had a meeting and we pretty much told them that they were no better than we were. There were a few hard feelings, and it took them a while to straighten themselves out, but it's all better now. Hell I have almost as many courses and credentials as our training officer. Every once in a while though, you have to stand up and say," Bad fulltimer, BAD!."

[BCFFFV]

The dept. in the city I live in is a composite dept. And I know there are some problems that exist. However.....I don't want this thread to become another "who are the professionals?" debate.

[bestcoast]

The dept. in the city I live in is a composite dept. And I know there are some problems that exist. However.....I don't want this thread to become another "who are the professionals?" debate.
Thats a good point. My question leaves that door wide open again doesn't it. Don't want to go there again either.....BC....

[Leafs Fan]

My dept. is a composite, and, yeah, we had some problems with the attitudes of the fulltimers. But a couple of years ago, we had a meeting and we pretty much told them that they were no better than we were. There were a few hard feelings, and it took them a while to straighten themselves out, but it's all better now. Hell I have almost as many courses and credentials as our training officer. Every once in a while though, you have to stand up and say," Bad fulltimer, BAD!."

What? I Can't believe the problems were all on one side. I'm sure a fulltimer from your dept. would see things differently.
If anything, your post shows a poor attitude towards fulltime firefighters.

[no-post]

It's not that I have a poor attitude towards fulltimers, heck, I want to be one oneday. Everyone in the dept. is trained to pretty much the same level, but that doesn't mean that the fulltimers can lord it over us just because they get paid. That's bogus! There is a fine line between constructive critisism and a superior attitude. We just worked out an attitude adjusment, that's all.

[no-post]

Our dept is in this jam right now. With the 2010 winter game coming to Vancouver/Whistler, the towns population is exploding. The town planner are work out the details of a sattelite hall in one are as well a new hall to replace #2 Hall. They apparently have progected the numbers of population and industry that will have to be met before expansion of halls and firefighters can be increased accordingly. Of course, every body who is any body has to have a say before anything actually happens, so I won't hold my breath waiting on staff increases.

[bestcoast]

So no-post why aren't you full time with your crediantials....BC....

[BCFFFV]

Okay here I go.....


NO POST STATED:
But a couple of years ago, we had a meeting and we pretty much told them that they were no better than we were. There were a few hard feelings, and it took them a while to straighten themselves out, but it's all better now. HELL I HAVE ALMOST AS MANY COURSES AND CREDENTIALS AS OUR TRAINING OFFICER. Every once in a while though, you have to stand up and say," Bad fulltimer, BAD!


Okay I've never met your training officer but in most cases those little pieces of paper you have mean "%$#^ ALL" Hell.....I had a whole booklet full of them at my interview. And I thought I'd go into my full time dept. and breeze through everything because I had my NFPA this and that.....and my paid-on-call/volunteer friends I worked with were always led to believe we were pretty damn good. In fact one of our training officers told us as volunteers we were the best trained fire dept. anywhere!!!!! Then I met some guys who were volunteers from other cities who were better trained than me and realized he was full of "S&^t" And while working full time I realized many guys who I worked with had no NFPA level 1 or 2 because in their day they didn't need it. Actually they had no fancy courses at all but they sure knew a lot more than I did because they gained the experience on the job.

[no-post]

Politics, and that's all I have to say about that. End of discussion.

[dentedhead]

Politics, and that's all I have to say about that. End of discussion.

Oh yeah! Im taking my ball and going home hmph!

Dentedhead