New Fights for Volunteers

[AFD368]

Caught this on the Buffalo news site. Cities can't afford Career Firefighters, now they can't afford Volunteers.


www.msnbc.com/local/wkbw/a2003911754101.asp?vts=91120031545

[Dalmatian90]

Try this...I don't know what hosed the original link:

http://tinyurl.com/n2df

[AFD368]

Thanks Dalmatian90

[Cellblock776]

The article said-
North Tonawanda also has firefighting professionals, but the volunteers supplement their ranks.
--------------------
So are they saying that volunteers can't be professional? I know lots of vollies who goof around at the station but on a call are just as professional as anyone else on scene. If the media means Paid career firefighters then they should have worded it that way. The way it's written is degrading to the unpaid professionals, read volunteer firefighters, who are trying to serve their community.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Oh good. Take a serious story and a serious issue and make a stupid career vs. volly thread. This is NOT about that. It's about a shortsighted town council trying to save a few pennies by performing what is tantamount to a symbolic act in order to give the appearance of fiscal responsibility. It won't save any money and will cost the town in the long run to replace the vollies they drive away w/ paid guys.

[RescuHoppy7]

George, I don't think CellBlock was trying to turn it into a Paid v Volly thread, I think he was trying to point out how the media should get their terminology correct, I don't know if your an EMT or not George, but it's like being a EMT at whatever level and then being reffered to as an "Ambulance Driver" by the media and then having your community precieve you as nothing more than an ambulance driver. What kind of an affect do you think the media could have on the community by referring to the paid guys as "Professionals" and not the volunteers? Anyway just my two cents worth...Stay Safe!

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by RescuHoppy7
George, I don't think CellBlock was trying to turn it into a Paid v Volly thread, I think he was trying to point out how the media should get their terminology correct, I don't know if your an EMT or not George, but it's like being a EMT at whatever level and then being reffered to as an "Ambulance Driver" by the media and then having your community precieve you as nothing more than an ambulance driver. What kind of an affect do you think the media could have on the community by referring to the paid guys as "Professionals" and not the volunteers? Anyway just my two cents worth...Stay Safe!

Because of two things:

1. The media is irrelevant because they rarely get a story straight. If your FD PR is that bad, you need to worry about other things besides what a reporter called you.
2. The thread is not about that

[cityfire81]

THIS ARTICLE IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MY CITY. THE CITY I SERVE IS A SMALL THIRD CLASS CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 14,000 AND CHANGE. FOR YEARS THE CITY EMPLOYED PAID FIREFIGHTER DISPATHCERS. OR AS THEY CALLED THEM, "FIRE TRUCK DRIVERS". ALL OF THESE MEN WHERE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE CITY FIRE DEPT. WHICH, OTHER THAN THE DRIVERS AT THE DOWNTOWN STATION AND THE MUNICIPAL CHIEF, WHERE VOLUNTEER. NEW GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER, THE NEW MAYOR DECIDED TO EXPUNGE THE DRIVER DISPATCHER JOB, AND MAKE THE DEPT. REVERT TO ALL VOLUNTEER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MUNICIPAL CHIEF.
THEN INTERN ALL THE CITY DISPATCHING WOULD COME OUT OF THE COUNTY 911 SYSTEM, AT WHICH OUR COUNTY 911 SYSTEM, WELL BASICALLY SUCKS. THEY SCREW EVERYTHING UP, EVERY FIRE DEPT. IN THE COUNTY THINKS SO. GOVERNMENT SAID THEY HAD NO MORE MONEY. COULDN'T PAY THE PAID FIREMEN. BUT INTERN, THEY NEVER TOOK PAY CUTS OR ANY SUCH THING. AS A RESULT, RESPONSE TIME WAS EXTENDED BY MINUTES, DISPATCHES WHERE WRONG, AND PERSONEL WAS MIS APPROPRIATED BECAUSE 911 WASN'T READY TO DEAL WITH OUR CALL INFLUX. TURNS OUT, THE CITY DID HAVE THE MONEY, BUT THE MAYOR, WHO IS ALSO A FIREFIGHTER FOR THE CITY, THOUGHT THE IDEA OF PAID PERSONEL WAS DUMB, AND HAD TALKED ALL THE COUNCIL MEMEBERS INTO IT. ALL BECAUSE HE HAD A BEEF WITH THE DEPT. CHIEFS AND LINE OFFICERS FOR UNDISCLOSED REASONS. BUT THIS IS NOT TO SAY PAID PERSONEL ARE BETTER THAN THAT OF VOLUNTEERS. BOTH HAVE THE SAME GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY, HONOR, COURAGE, AND PROFESSIONALISM. AND BOTH WORKED GREAT TOGETHER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND AS WITH THE ARGUMENT ABOUT THE NEWS MEDIA, WELL THEY TOO MUFFED UP THE REPORTS ON THIS HAPPENING. BUT MEDIA DOES THAT. JUST SO THE NEWS CAN BE MORE INTERESTING. AND JUST SO THEY COULD NOT GET THEIR KICKS FROM THE FIRE DEPT. OR THE X-PAID MEMBERS, NO FIREFIGHTER GAVE ANY COMMENT TO THOSE BLOOD SUCKING BA RDS.

[hwoods]

Go to Work, Guys.........

Two things:

1. The media in our area is very good about getting Volunteer, Career, Professional, in the proper context. They also understand that they should avoid using the term "Emergency Workers". They know this because, as a Fire Chief, I sat down with reporters and editors and explained who we are, how we work, and how to create and maintain a strong professional relationship. It Works.

2. I've said this time and time again. We do not let mayors, towns, villages, etc. have any authority over Fire/Rescue/EMS matters here. Those of you who do need to get involved with your political system and work for change that would provide total independence from local government for Fire/Rescue/EMS organizations. Stay Safe....

[rfcmitch]

Around here you are not a professional firefighter... and your not a volunteer firefighter, to the media. Your all one thing...

FIREFIGHTERS

They call us what we are, not by our status.

[ChiefReason]

What's all the hub bub?

Is this the article that is being discussed?

Volunteer fire fighters fight to stay open

Buffalo, New York, September 11, 2003 - In North Tonawanda, it's a budget squeeze that some critics say, will effect lumber city fire protection.

Volunteer firefighters and their supporters demonstrated outside of city hall, before the mayor and council voted on whether to close one of two volunteer fire companies which serve the city. North Tonawanda also has firefighting professionals, but the volunteers supplement their ranks.

Last night, the city council voted to close a volunteer fire station, by the first of the year. The volunteers say it will compromise fire safety. The mayor says the city can't afford to fund it.

If so, then it is obvious to me that the reporter meant to say "PAID" firefighters that are supplemented with volunteers. He used a wrong choice of words. "Full-time" might even have been appropriate. I don't see it as a push to get rid of volunteers.
Cities have been closing fire stations all across the country to reduce deficits; full time and volunteer.
I don't read anymore into it than that.
Just my opinion.
CR

[Quigger]

Its sad when you read about them shutting down a fire station just to save money! What the price tag on saveing someone? there is none cant these people pull their heads out of their butts and relize this!

[cityfire81]

HWOODS,

I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE. UNFORTUNATLY I AM NOT I THE POSITION TO GOVERN THINGS LIKE THIS FOR MY FIRE DEPT. AND THE CITY GOVERNMENT, I WISH I WAS. SOUNS LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR SH T SQAURED AWAY. I HAVE THOUGH, MANY TIMES DISCUSSED SUCH INQUIRIES WITH MY FIRE CHIEF(S) AND LINE OFFICERS. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT SEEMS NO ONE HAS THE BALLS TO DO ANYTHING. YEAH THEY GO TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS SOMETIMES AND SCREAM AND YELL, THEY HAVE EVEN TRY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE MAYOR AND OFFICIALS IN A CIVILIZED MANOR. HELL, TWO OF OUR FIREMAN ARE EVEN ON THE COUNCIL. BUT THE CITY HAS SO MUCH PULL OVER US, THEY OWN THE BUILDING WE ARE IN, THEY PAY OUR INSURANCE, AND WE DO NOT HAV ETHE MONEY TO DO THIS. AND THEY HANG THIS OVER OUR HEADS SOMETIMES. SHADY IS NOT THE WORD TO DESCRIBE THIS, AND I HAVE BEEN MAKING MORE INQUIRIES INTO TRYING TO SOLVE THIS. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS PLEASE, EMAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW. HOPEFULLY I CAN CONVINCE OUR CHIEF.