Should U be pushed over?

[fire2007]

OK so I m a FF/Paramedic with just about 4 yrs on the job. We have in our department a Fire Inspection department that runs Mon- Fri 0900-1700. Not much is needed for that beside ur fire inspector classes which alot of us have. These guys/gals get a 10% increase for being upstairs and for having that cert about $40 more. Heres the question. Some have asked to come back to the floor to work as FF/Emt's or FF/Paramedics or what ever their last postion was. Most of the guys that are coming down have been out of the loop for over 5 yrs. I have a funny feeling that they are going to try to use their time on the job (counting the time they spent upstairs) to get out of doing house duties and running on the busy trucks. I personally feel that they should be able to come back down but understand that ppl have more time on the floor then them...(if they left with less time then the lowest guy that would make them lower in rank). We pick what station and vacation u will have based on the time on the job as a FF. Please try to look at it from a point of view from someone like me that has been floating around and being on the busy trucks to now have someone come in and pull a fast one over the jr guys.

[islandfire03]

Proper spelling , punctuation and grammar would make your post a whole lot easier to understand.
If you are asking should someone who has been assigned to fire prevention have to go back to the bottom of the food chain seniority wise, probably not. They still have a hire date from when they were first hired.

[sfd1992]

Please try to look at it from a point of view from someone like me that has been floating around and being on the busy trucks to now have someone come in and pull a fast one over the jr guys.

Boo Hoo.

No one's pulling a fast one on anybody. They have seniority on you, and they get the benefits that come with that.

[johnny46]

Would you accept a free Shamwow from the department to soak up your tears?

[PaladinKnight]

If they have been there longer than you, they have seniority. A particular assignment has no bearing on that fact. That's like saying a Captain going back to a truck has to start in the back. Pardon me, but you are a junior to anyone that has been there longer.

Having done about every job in a department, fire investigations, inspections and code enforcement is worth a lot more than a bump of 10% + $40 per month. If you think it is gravy work, then you should try it. It is a necessary evil that we must do.

What you have not told us is if these people are assigned, or request the assignment. That has a lot of bearing. If they are assigned and have no choice, then by contract or agreement, they can return to their previous duties without penalty, If they put in for it, the same usually applies, because some people have no business doing those jobs. On the other hand, some people do that job and are quite good at it and comfortable with it. But you have to be a self-starter and motivated.

My advice is put in your time and worry about real problems.

[fire49]

To do the job upstairs correctly you need alittle more then classes, which they have they more then likely have the dedication to do the job correctly

And they also give up two days off every third day

And sometimes they have to come back to shift to be able to promote

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

OK so I m a FF/Paramedic with just about 4 yrs on the job. We have in our department a Fire Inspection department that runs Mon- Fri 0900-1700. Not much is needed for that beside ur fire inspector classes which alot of us have. These guys/gals get a 10% increase for being upstairs and for having that cert about $40 more. Heres the question. Some have asked to come back to the floor to work as FF/Emt's or FF/Paramedics or what ever their last postion was. Most of the guys that are coming down have been out of the loop for over 5 yrs. I have a funny feeling that they are going to try to use their time on the job (counting the time they spent upstairs) to get out of doing house duties and running on the busy trucks. I personally feel that they should be able to come back down but understand that ppl have more time on the floor then them...(if they left with less time then the lowest guy that would make them lower in rank). We pick what station and vacation u will have based on the time on the job as a FF. Please try to look at it from a point of view from someone like me that has been floating around and being on the busy trucks to now have someone come in and pull a fast one over the jr guys.

The firehouse isn't democracy and it ain't utopia... suck it up and deal with it.

If you think doing fire prevention/plans review and inspections is gravy... you are wrong. In my position, I deal with fire alarm and sprinkler contractors who are as shady as a stately elm, fire alarm and sprinkler contractors who have no clue, and business owners who whine, complain, gripe, kvetch and bitch that what we require is an impediment to their making a buck... in between being the shift commander, communications officer, PIO and daycare center operator (at times). My lid should have attachments for all the hats I have to wear.

[snowball]

I understand your frustration. However, if they were previously line guys and moved up to prevention, there's probably not much you can do short of filing a grievance, and even then you'll probably end up looking like a dick.

Our prevention department except for the DC, is non-sworn. Most of those sea donkeys just eat too much and make the uniforms look bad.

[PaladinKnight]

Are they civi sea donkeys?

[CaptOldTimer]

Your first post and you are crying a river on members who probably have been there, done it and have seniority on you.

Get a life bucko.

[Rescue101]

The firehouse isn't democracy and it ain't utopia... suck it up and deal with it.

If you think doing fire prevention/plans review and inspections is gravy... you are wrong. In my position, I deal with fire alarm and sprinkler contractors who are as shady as a stately elm, fire alarm and sprinkler contractors who have no clue, and business owners who whine, complain, gripe, kvetch and bitch that what we require is an impediment to their making a buck... in between being the shift commander, communications officer, PIO and daycare center operator (at times). My lid should have attachments for all the hats I have to wear.

Well GUESS WHAT? YOU ARE an IMPEDIMENT to those business owners and Contractors. As luck would have it,Marlborough is SMART enough to know that a properly equipped/built building is Safer for the Public and a MUCH better long term value to the City than a shoddy one. So keep crackin those books,knowledge is POWER,hehe T.C.

[FIRE117]

Seniority

You did not mention whether your FD was union or not.

If the firefighters have an union agreement with your employer, that agreement would most likely dictate the position classifications and seniority.

If the firefighters are not union, department (or municipal) policy (if any) would most likely dicate the position classifications and seniority.

There maybe several issues that may need to be considered when changing classifications. These may include whether the inspections personnel can meet the qualifications for the positions that they are transferring to. Do they still have their applicable EMS certifications? If they are going to be apparatus operators, do they meet the requirements for the apparatus they will drive/operate? Apparatus may have been replaced since they went "upstairs". Are they physically fit to go back to firefighting? Can they meet any applicable standards to use SCBA? Are they trained on newly acquired equipment, such as a thermal imager?

Even if the inspections personnel are entitled to get back into the fire/EMS positions, they may need to be retrained/tested and/or given a physical exam.

You should probably let your FD officers take care of this. If there is an union agreement, they will have to follow it. If not, they will have to determine who moves where. Anyway, you will have to see how the chips fall.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Well GUESS WHAT? YOU ARE an IMPEDIMENT to those business owners and Contractors. As luck would have it,Marlborough is SMART enough to know that a properly equipped/built building is Safer for the Public and a MUCH better long term value to the City than a shoddy one. So keep crackin those books,knowledge is POWER,hehe T.C.

Watching "schoolhouse rock" with the grandkids again?

[Rescue101]

Watching "schoolhouse rock" with the grandkids again?

Livin' it! Sans the grandkids,hehe T.C.

[hwoods]

And.................

If they have been there longer than you, they have seniority. A particular assignment has no bearing on that fact. That's like saying a Captain going back to a truck has to start in the back. Pardon me, but you are a junior to anyone that has been there longer.

Having done about every job in a department, fire investigations, inspections and code enforcement is worth a lot more than a bump of 10% + $40 per month. If you think it is gravy work, then you should try it. It is a necessary evil that we must do.

What you have not told us is if these people are assigned, or request the assignment. That has a lot of bearing. If they are assigned and have no choice, then by contract or agreement, they can return to their previous duties without penalty, If they put in for it, the same usually applies, because some people have no business doing those jobs. On the other hand, some people do that job and are quite good at it and comfortable with it. But you have to be a self-starter and motivated.

My advice is put in your time and worry about real problems.

Chief Knight is Correct in his assessment, (above) and way back at the Start, Island Fire had a VERY Good Point: How you present your Message here is something that will follow you for a long time........ Spelling, Grammer, Composition, and Structure has a lot to do with how others see you at the start. AVOID "Text Message" style writing at all costs. And, I'm with those who quote "Labor Agreement" and "Civil Service Rules" as what dictates how your Seniority works........