What's the problem????

HOTDOG,
As you can see by my user name I am very proud to be a carrier firefighter. However, I don't condone "volunteer bashing". I have never been a volunteer, I've only been on the paid side. This is a subject that brings out the ugliest in our profession. From the paid side some firefighters feel that volunteers threaten full-timers jobs. This I believe is simply not true. From the volunteer side, I feel that volunteers feel that the paid guys don't show them respect that they desire. My department is a combo department. We have the exact same issues here. So, in closing I feel that both sides have some work to do. The paid guys need to show more respect and understanding to the volunteers. And the volunteers need to realize that not all paid members bash them, and that being a paid member does come with sacrifices, ie. missing family while working a 24 hrs. shift. Neither of our sides is easy we all sacrifice. Lets just stop trying to bash each other and respect the opposite sides for what they are.

Although I agree with hotdog, this subject et run into the ground!!!!!!

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Rescue Squad #2
"First In ~ Last Out"

Amen HOTDOG. Ask the people whose house is on fire if they care if you are paid or volunteer. The job is the same either way. The risks are the same. and for the record, I am a volunteer EMT, and also a work full time for a EMS service, and am working towards a fire career. I have as much respect for the volunteer firefighter as I do the career firefighter. It shouldn't make a difference

Sorry guys. Didn't mean to bring something up that has been run into the earth. \

David, I haven't seen the perspective you enlightened me on. Being from a totally vollie area I don't run into the things you discussed. Thanks for the post.

STOP. We've been down this road too many times before.

In a perfect world your view would be great. The problem is that in a combination system career and volunteers are not treated the same. In my county the career firefighters issues are put on the back burner. The volunteer’s issues are dealt with and when there is a problem dealing with the volunteers and the career the volunteers usually win. This is because my county does not want to loose volunteers, but they know the career firefighters will not leave because this is their job. As you can imagine this breeds resentment. A perfect example is, I am a career Lt. I had to have certain classes as well as college I had to take a competitive test be placed on a list and wait to be promoted. A volunteer Capt. can come into the station take my position on the fire engine because he out ranks me. Even though he has only 4 yrs in the fire service and has less training than I do, does not have any college like I had to have and never had to take a test. So add all this up and you can see why there is resentment. My county's position is " a Lt. is an Lt. and a Capt. is a Capt." meaning that if you are career or volunteer the rank is the same regardless of the qualifications. That is the way it is done in most combination systems. Now don't get me wrong there are very good volunteers out there that can do the job. There are also very bad career people that can't do the job.

I can only speak for what I see. I think that when all firefighters are held accountable (career and volunteer) for their actions and are held to the same training standard you will then see the decline on volunteer vs. career.

This is just what I see.

David Polikoff
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue

I really can't agree more, but can we PLEASE not bring this up again. It always turns into the same thing. It shouldn't, but it unfortunately does.

Stay safe!!

I couldn't agree more. The business is the business. Paid or Volley, we are all the same.

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You lite 'em, we fight 'em
BE SAFE OUT THERE.

I have been scanning these forums for quite a while now and the thing that bothers me the most about some of the ****ing contests that occur on these forums is the issue of "paid or vollie". Are we not all in it for the same reasons?? I may be out of line, and I may anger some people with this post but I guess it is my time to vent. The area I am from is all vollie, and this is because we are mostly rural. Just because I am a vollie doesn't mean I am any any less dedicated, trained, or proud than a career FF, and it doesn't mean that I look at a career guy as a know-it-all firegod (although I do envy you for doing what I love for a living). We all do what we do because we choose to do so, we love doin' it, and we are proud of our profession. I don't care if you run 5 calls a year or 5000, we are all in it for the same reasons. I can't see bashin' someone because they are one or the other.

The last time I checked, once the suit is on, pack is donned, you can't tell one from the other, so what is the big deal?

Be safe, be proud, and God Bless.