God Bless You, Captain [Funny... to me]

[Dirty Axe]

Amusing story that, while maybe a bit abrupt, I think fellow volunteers might find entertaining and appropriate.

Me and the guys on my shift were hanging out in the common room and one of the guys had a couple friends stop by who wanted to see the station. They were a couple of younger gals and seemed nice enough at introduction. Anyway, we were standing in the kitchen which is adjacent to the seating area with the couches and chairs, and one of them asks,

"So, you're all volunteers?"

We all acknowledged that we were.

The other gal then asks, "So, like... when are you going to become real firefighters?"

And without skipping a beat, our shift Captain, who was sitting quietly on the other end of the room reading the paper, jumps up and hollers, "Holy f*ck! I knew you guys were good, but I didn't know you were so good that you figured out how to make fire not burn you because you're volunteers!"

At this point me and the guys laughed but the ladies looked at each other awkwardly and Captain took another step toward them, and in his 30+ years of experience way, added something like, "I'm sorry, please pardon my language. But that's a real hot button for me. Firefighting didn't start out with guys getting paid, and these guys do the exact same job and take the same exact risks as anyone else except they're doing it for free. So you know what, the dedicated ones might actually be more real firefighters than even me."

Priceless.

God Bless Ya, Cap'n!

[Fitguy51]

He had that right. That is the best response I have heard in 41+ years as a volunteer. I tip my hat to that Capt.

[FyredUp]

I hate the stupid BS that surrounds the who is better, who is a real firefighter, who is a scab, who is a mercenary. It is a waste of time and energy that could be better utilized to better the fire service by working together.

Personally, I think your Captain acted like an *** and probably left a HUGE negative impression with those young ladies. He could have said exactly what he said without making them feel foolish or awkward.

It is so stupid...10 days a month I have to hate the vollies because I am a career firefighter, 20 days a month I have to hate the career guys because i am a volly. Seriously that to me is how stupid it is.

[medicd]

Why are you hating???

[hwoods]

Well............

Medicd, if you have to ask, you wouldn't catch it anyway. Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, and I apoligize, but I spent a lot of years putting up with stuff like Fyred is talking about, and I know how he feels........

[KB1OEV]

At a RIT III class a month or so ago I got talking to one of the instructors who is a volunteer in his town. He said that a few years back he had been talking to a career FF who brushed him off as being "only a volunteer". The instructor asked him if any of the firefighters on the career man's department had second jobs. He thought for a minute and said there were a few. To this the instructor said "well they must stink at those jobs". The career man was taken aback and the instructor went on to say that he treats firefighting as a second job, and just because it isn't his primary source of income doesn't mean he doesn't know what he is doing.

[FyredUp]

Medicd, if you have to ask, you wouldn't catch it anyway. Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, and I apoligize, but I spent a lot of years putting up with stuff like Fyred is talking about, and I know how he feels........

Thanks Chief for getting my point.

The battles over who is better, or who is, or who isn't, really a firefighter are a waste of time and resources that could be better utilized bettering the fire service for all of us.

[Cord T]

Who cares if there volunteer or career? Everybodys the same. If a guy's house caught on fire i dought he would care if the guys who responded were volunteer or not. I personally think volunteers should get more credit, because they leave there familys and other events that they are at to respond to calls, plus they have a job and family to deal with, outside of the firehouse.

[FyredUp]

Who cares if there volunteer or career? Everybodys the same. If a guy's house caught on fire i dought he would care if the guys who responded were volunteer or not. Up to here this was a great post and I couldn't possibly have agreed more with you. But what you said after this totally destroyed what you said at first. I personally think volunteers should get more credit, because they leave there familys and other events that they are at to respond to calls, plus they have a job and family to deal with, outside of the firehouse. Do you think career firefighters don't miss family events, or birthdays, or holidays? When we are scheduled to work we have to be there. The truth of the matter is and I have seen it happen many times is if a volunteer doesn't want to respond, no matter what the reason, they simply don't respond. Do they get your same high praise?

You made a feeble attempt to say we are the same and then decimated that with your cheap shot. I know many career firefighters that volunteer to the fire department where they live on their off day AND work a second job.

Guess what? I am a career firefighter, a volunteer firefighter, and a tech college instructor. WOW! That means not only am I a volunteer firefighter but I have TWO jobs and a family besides. The funny thing is I don't consider myself superior to any of the volunteers on my volly FD, or the career guys at my career FD. I just look at them all as being FIREFIGHTERS. maybe you should give that an honest shot yourself.

[Cord T]

The point I was trying to get at was that volunteers don't get paid. Career guys do. All firefighters get my high praise, someday in a few years i hope to be one. I'm planning on being a full time firefighter/paramedic, volunteer at the local firehouse and have a part time job. Sorry if i offended you in any way.

[FyredUp]

The point I was trying to get at was that volunteers don't get paid. Career guys do. All firefighters get my high praise, someday in a few years i hope to be one. I'm planning on being a full time firefighter/paramedic, volunteer at the local firehouse and have a part time job. Sorry if i offended you in any way.

So what do guys like me and my Brother firefighters that volunteer on our off days get? A pat on the back for doing it for free or looked at as being less than volunteers because when we are at work we are paid firefighters?

That's the problem with being divisive. It is hard to have a sincere compliment for one side if you have to insult the other to get there.

Honestly, all the years I spent as a volly I never felt the need to downgrade those being paid, and all my years as a career firefighter I never felt the need to look down my nose at the volly's. Everyone of us, despite pay status put our lives on the line the same way when we answer the call for help. And YES, it is that simple.

[Cord T]

All volunteers should get a pat on the back for doing it for free. I'm not trying to downgrade or insult anybody. It dosen't matter if they are volunteer or career I see them as a firefighter.

[slackjawedyokel]

Hey buddy - all good/dedicated fireman should get a pat on the back - volley or career

[FyredUp]

All volunteers should get a pat on the back for doing it for free. I'm not trying to downgrade or insult anybody. It dosen't matter if they are volunteer or career I see them as a firefighter.

NO YOU DON'T. You keep saying that and then you elevate volunteers to a higher pedestal because they volunteer.

It's pointless to try and make you understand what you are saying.

[mrpita]

FyredUp,

I get what you're saying, but I'll still hold vollies* on a (small) pedestal. When people (non-FF) ask me about this, most are in some type of "awe" about running into a burning building. I tell them, "at least I get paid to do this, those guys are just #*@&!%@ nuts."

* - maybe not the wackers and cert queens, but the true brothers.