sorry about the title, i couldn't think of a better way to phrase this.
just out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed how expensive volunteering can be?
I just bought myself a new EMS jacket, and I got to thinking, damn, I've spent a lot of money on both FF and EMS stuff. just as a quick rundown over almost 5 years:
fire department/rescue squad t-shirts: 13 spanning 4 organizations, avg $8 a piece.
job shirts: 3, 1 for a FD, 2 for 2 rescue squads: about $45 each
leather FF boots: approx $215
Blauer EMS jacket: retails for $270, I'm getting it for $89
EMT belt and accessories: approx $25
EMT pants: 2 pair, $30 each
duty boots: first pair was $35, and 2nd pair was $70
uniform shirt: $25
that total comes to about $753, over 4 years. oh, and the department doesn't give any money towards this. and that's not including emergency lights (I know some people that have spent $500 on this alone) for a POV, novelty T-shirts, or items that have been lost/broken/destroyed during shifts (countless pairs of sunglasses, a couple watches, many stolen pens, etc).
has anyone else had similar experiences, or am I the only one?
oh, and I say this as a volunteer only, because many career departments provide their FFs with a uniform allowance, which helps pay for these items.
just out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed how expensive volunteering can be?
I just bought myself a new EMS jacket, and I got to thinking, damn, I've spent a lot of money on both FF and EMS stuff. just as a quick rundown over almost 5 years:
fire department/rescue squad t-shirts: 13 spanning 4 organizations, avg $8 a piece.
job shirts: 3, 1 for a FD, 2 for 2 rescue squads: about $45 each
leather FF boots: approx $215
Blauer EMS jacket: retails for $270, I'm getting it for $89
EMT belt and accessories: approx $25
EMT pants: 2 pair, $30 each
duty boots: first pair was $35, and 2nd pair was $70
uniform shirt: $25
that total comes to about $753, over 4 years. oh, and the department doesn't give any money towards this. and that's not including emergency lights (I know some people that have spent $500 on this alone) for a POV, novelty T-shirts, or items that have been lost/broken/destroyed during shifts (countless pairs of sunglasses, a couple watches, many stolen pens, etc).
has anyone else had similar experiences, or am I the only one?
oh, and I say this as a volunteer only, because many career departments provide their FFs with a uniform allowance, which helps pay for these items.
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