Paid Volunteer Chiefs?

[JSMV72]

I am trying to research if there are any volunteer chiefs that may be getting paid from the city. Also any input on volunteer members that are getting some pay for their time. I would appreciate all input, but am really interesting if anyone on the forum is from the mid west States such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne. etc.

Stay Safe

[LaFireEducator]

I am trying to research if there are any volunteer chiefs that may be getting paid from the city. Also any input on volunteer members that are getting some pay for their time. I would appreciate all input, but am really interesting if anyone on the forum is from the mid west States such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne. etc.

Stay Safe

I know of several volunteer departments where the Chiefs, and in some cases all the Chief officers, and in some cases, Captains and LTs receive a stipend.

I also know of many departments where the firefighters receive stipends as well. it's not all that uncommon.

[backsteprescue123]

At my "vollie house" we are paid per call. But its a combination department so some of our firefighters and our chiefs are paid.

There are a few departments around here that are paid on call fire departments with full time chiefs.

[FyredUp]

I am a member of 2 volunteer FDs. One pays $12 per call and the other pays $10 an hour. Both departments pay the Chiefs, not even close to a full time salary but something to attempt to compensate them for the time they put in.

Most so called volly FDs in my area are really POC FDs if you wanted to nit pick.

[slackjawedyokel]

I always thought if you are going to have one paid officer on a volunteer FD it should be the asst. chief. Unless you have a really savvy mayor or board, who will actually track his work accomplishments? The Chief can set long range plans and basically set up the month to month priorities for the asst, chief.

[jccrabby3084]

I am trying to research if there are any volunteer chiefs that may be getting paid from the city. Also any input on volunteer members that are getting some pay for their time. I would appreciate all input, but am really interesting if anyone on the forum is from the mid west States such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne. etc.

Stay Safe

Are you talking about a volunteer dept that has a FT chief? or are you talking about a chief of a volunteer dept who gets a stipend, but isn't operating in a full time capacity?

I am from WI as well and where I interned it was a volunteer (paid on call actually) dept. The chief is a fulltime position and works a 40 (ish) hour week.

[BoxAlarm187]

In my volunteer county, we have a FT chief who's a county employee, and he oversees the day-to-day operations, funding, and coordination of the five volunteer fire departments and one combination EMS agency in the county.

[tree68]

Our chiefs can put in for mileage, but that's about it.

[LVFD301]

I am paid only by the great love and adoration that is showered upon me by my firefighters, and patrons.

What is really amazing is I was able to type that with a straight face.

[bwspeer]

LVFD you get that much. Here it doesn't pay that well. Or any. Don't seem to say volunteer when you get paid.

[hwoods]

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

I'll try real hard to keep a straight face............


Here, I'm a Volunteer. Period. The County has some Full Time Firefighters, and the Rank Structure to go with it, including a Chief. Volunteer Organizations, such as mine are just that, Volunteer. I saw that Scary Word "City" mentioned....... Here, Cities, Towns, whatever, have no influence over Public Safety, all Government interaction is at the County level. This keeps petty small town politicians from interfering with our operations. Volunteer Fire Departments are chartered by the State, and are Private, Non-profit Corporations (usually IRS 501c3). As a Corporation, we can buy and own our Buildings and Apparatus, conduct Fund Raising, select our Officers, etc. Sure is a lot easier than having to put up with small town politics.........

[Wbensm]

I am trying to research if there are any volunteer chiefs that may be getting paid from the city. Also any input on volunteer members that are getting some pay for their time. I would appreciate all input, but am really interesting if anyone on the forum is from the mid west States such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne. etc.

Stay Safe

What exactly would you like to know? My dept is set up like that with paid chief and officers. We also are paid every quarter. There are 3 other depts around here that I know of that are vol but have some paid staff on them.

PM me if you would like more details about our dept.

[LVFD301]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI

I ain't in it for the money

[scfire86]

If they're getting paid. Wouldn't that no longer make them volunteers?

[LaFireEducator]

If they're getting paid. Wouldn't that no longer make them volunteers?

Depends on if you use the department of labor criteria.

The US Department of Labor allows volunteers to be paid up to 20% of the prevailing wage in the region for the same task. So in others words, if a Fire Chief, or firefighter for that matter recieved a stipend of less than 20% of what it would cost to employ a Chief, or a firefighter, based on the prevailing wage in the area (or region if no paid departments exist in the immediatte area), they are still considered by the DOL as volunteers. If that wage or compensation exceeds the "20% rule", they woukld be considered employees.

This 20% rule does not include out of pocket expenses such as uniforms, fuel, etc.

Also a volunteer compenation cannot be tied to productivity, or in other words, hours worked, or else they will be considered employees by the DOL.

Our Chief is a volunteer, but he recieves a small monthly stipend. it's the same with our Asst. Chief.