dave0820

My kids are all grown now, but when they were younger and before cell phones, I always told them that if for any reason they were in trouble and needed help, go the nearest fire station and tell them that their dad is a fireman and they would help them. I would hope that fire fighters today with young kids still have that feeling.

My kids are all grown now, but when they were younger and before cell phones, I always told them that if for any reason they were in trouble and needed help, go the nearest fire station and tell them that their dad is a fireman and they would help them. I would hope that fire fighters today with young kids still have that feeling.

My kids are all grown now, but when they were younger and before cell phones, I always told them that if for any reason they were in trouble and needed help, go the nearest fire station and tell them that their dad is a fireman and they would help them. I would hope that fire fighters today with young kids still have that feeling.

My kids are all grown now, but when they were younger and before cell phones, I always told them that if for any reason they were in trouble and needed help, go the nearest fire station and tell them that their dad is a fireman and they would help them. I would hope that fire fighters today with young kids still have that feeling.

My kids are all grown now, but when they were younger and before cell phones, I always told them that if for any reason they were in trouble and needed help, go the nearest fire station and tell them that their dad is a fireman and they would help them. I would hope that fire fighters today with young kids still have that feeling.

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I agree with you that term limits for chiefs could be a big cause for some of the problems volunteer departments have. In a different thread I made a suggestion that maybe in all towns and villages the fire chief should be a full time paid position. This would put someone in charge at a town level to help get the things the departments need, especially money for training. If the fire chief was just a fire chief, and not someone who owns a business in town or has some other full time job, he might be able to do more. I got a lot of flack for that suggestion. My only reason for putting in my two cents on here is to help spark conversations that somehow might change things or make things better and safer, because no matter how long I have been out of the fire service I always hurt when we lose a brother or sister.

I have been in situations like that also. When I was a volunteer officer in a Westchester Dept. That has a paid FF/ driver for each rig and volunteer fire fighter, at a fire I was having trouble with my portable and went to use the Mic. on the pump panel to communicate and I almost lost my hand. I was told "that Mic is for the paid guys only" Later back at the firehouse the paid guy and I had a conversation, I asked him if he dropped and was unconscious, could I then use the Mic to call for help, he told me to use a portable or just let him die. I'm sure he really wouldn't want to die, but he was serious about that UNION microphone.
Then on the other side, after leaving NY I worked for a FD in NH that had 14 paid union guys and 24 P/T paid on call non union FFs. We all shared the same equipment. The first due attack pumper was just that, any certified Operator could and would drive it. There were plenty of times that I drove and operated the pump with a career guy ridding in the offices seat. We all worked together, we trained together and we socialized together. That was a true brother hood. Maybe I'm wrong, but the wedge between union firefighter and nonunion FFs seems to be strongest in southern NY.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

I think the position of Fire Chief should be a full time paid position for all fire departments, volunteer, career and mixed.In way too many departments the Chief is the most popular guy or the only one who volunteers for the job. Fire fighting and the safety of firefighter has become a science these days. The person in charge has to have a level of education and devotion, not to say that some volunteer chiefs aren't educated and devoted, but unless "Fire Chief" isn't your full time job it's tough to do everything you need to do to make sure your department is operating properly and safely.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

If You Hit Your Head.....PLEASE:

I think the position of Fire Chief should be a full time paid position for all fire departments, volunteer, career and mixed.In way too many departments the Chief is the most popular guy or the only one who volunteers for the job. Fire fighting and the safety of firefighter has become a science these days. The person in charge has to have a level of education and devotion, not to say that some volunteer chiefs aren't educated and devoted, but unless "Fire Chief" isn't your full time job it's tough to do everything you need to do to make sure your department is operating properly and safely.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

I've been out of the fire service for 18 years now and I know things have changed a lot, but I am from the generation of firefighter that considered each other brothers and now sisters too. When I see someone I don't know wearing a FD shirt, I still will call him brother. When I see an officer even those that are good friends or even relatives I always address them the first time we speak by their rank. I think it's a sign of respect. I remember when just being a member of a fire department brought you a certain amount of respect. I do agree that socializing with members of your department helps to bring members together and make it more of a brotherhood. I wish all my brothers and sisters much success and hope everyone stays safe.

Well, if that's true, I stand corrected. So that would mean that the state on NY feels that a Career fire fighter life is more valuable then a volunteer's? That my brothers is just total BS and I can't believe you (and me many years ago) put up with that. This does go alone with what I have been saying, Westchester Fire Departments need to become better organized and change the things that are wrong with the system, stop just going along with things because that's how it's always been done.

I think the position of Fire Chief should be a full time paid position for all fire departments, volunteer, career and mixed.In way too many departments the Chief is the most popular guy or the only one who volunteers for the job. Fire fighting and the safety of firefighter has become a science these days. The person in charge has to have a level of education and devotion, not to say that some volunteer chiefs aren't educated and devoted, but unless "Fire Chief" isn't your full time job it's tough to do everything you need to do to make sure your department is operating properly and safely.

From: Drawn By Fire http://www.facebook.com/drawnbyfire

From: Drawn By Fire http://www.facebook.com/drawnbyfire

Very well said brother, and I say "Brother" because in my eyes, all fire fighters are brothers. Unfortunately I'm not active in the fire service now due mostly to an injury, but I was a volunteer in Peekskill. There is a combined department that has been that way for years and it works. Like you said, are there problems?, sure, but that doesn't stop ALL the firefighters from working together to get the job done. When I left Peekskill I worked for a department in NH. that had 10 career firefighter/EMTs and 24 paid on call firefighter. We trained together as a department, worked together and socialized together, it worked just fine. My point is, don't be so closed minded, Career and volunteers can get along and work together, it is possible.

Very well said brother, and I say "Brother" because in my eyes, all fire fighters are brothers. Unfortunately I'm not active in the fire service now due mostly to an injury, but I was a volunteer in Peekskill. There is a combined department that has been that way for years and it works. Like you said, are there problems?, sure, but that doesn't stop ALL the firefighters from working together to get the job done. When I left Peekskill I worked for a department in NH. that had 10 career firefighter/EMTs and 24 paid on call firefighter. We trained together as a department, worked together and socialized together, it worked just fine. My point is, don't be so closed minded, Career and volunteers can get along and work together, it is possible.

A couple last thoughts. We all do this because we love it. Love it by doing the job and RESPONDING to alarms. The biggest thing that promotes pride, from what I see, is RESPONDING to alarms.
How many runs did you have? How many runs did they have? We beat you!! We beat last years total!!!! We broke 500 for the first time, 1000 for the first time, 2000 for the first time!!!!!!!
How many workers did you have? That Dept just signed on with a house fire "ACROSS FROM", we are the FAST lets start heading to the firehouse!!!
Haven't we all heard this stuff before? I know the younger guys who are new to this and still have an unmolested, virgin, untarnished view of things hate it when there is no Chauffeur for the rig and they have to stand around. Thinking to themselves while responding to the fire house "I hope we get out for this one" You know the guys who still bust a$$ to get to the firehouse for the regularly scheduled automatic alarm at McDonalds. There are a lot of older guys who still have this fire burning in them and still love responding to the alarms.
With this in mind for the love of me I don't see how guys like this, the future of your fire companies, would not want to be a part of a larger organization. Would you rather do 200 calls a year or 1500 or more? Pride is in the numbers. Hell you like to play with the siren when your in the front seat, instead of 3 minute rides in your 2 square mile area, now you get to play with them longer responding in your new 20 mile district!!!!
The last time I said something about the "older" guys in certain organizations I got hammered with negative responses. However I still think in this case it is the older guys in certain departments who are holding back progress in this direction. Pride is not in t-shirts and jackets, but in numbers and activity. Training and workers. RESPONDING and getting the job done the right way.
Keep em' rolling and stay safe boys.

I understand in Westchester county there are lots of small towns and villages with individual volunteer fire departments mixed in with a few bigger citys, Westchester is one of the richest countys in NY and in the US. I don't understand why with all the taxes collected in Westchester there are situations where it takes several calls to get a crew out, Fire or EMS. The citizens deserve a response in a reasonable time. Other areas in the country do it with a lot less tax revenue. I understand the pride that some of these very old volunteer Departments have, but pride isn't putting out the fires or getting people to the hospital quick enough to save their life. I think it might be time for some major changes in Westchester. I don't know what the answer is, but someone should be trying to fix this problem. I know where I live (and my property taes are about 75% less then they were when I lived in Westchester) if my house is on fire any time of the day or night with in 5 Mins there will be a pumper, a quint and a rescue truck here with full crews on each. Just saying.

I understand in Westchester county there are lots of small towns and villages with individual volunteer fire departments mixed in with a few bigger citys, Westchester is one of the richest countys in NY and in the US. I don't understand why with all the taxes collected in Westchester there are situations where it takes several calls to get a crew out, Fire or EMS. The citizens deserve a response in a reasonable time. Other areas in the country do it with a lot less tax revenue. I understand the pride that some of these very old volunteer Departments have, but pride isn't putting out the fires or getting people to the hospital quick enough to save their life. I think it might be time for some major changes in Westchester. I don't know what the answer is, but someone should be trying to fix this problem. I know where I live (and my property taes are about 75% less then they were when I lived in Westchester) if my house is on fire any time of the day or night with in 5 Mins there will be a pumper, a quint and a rescue truck here with full crews on each. Just saying.

Nothing is going to make things 100% safe, but in my opinion, distractive driving is the cause of many problems and THAT should be a concern for law enforcement. We make laws like no cell phone use or texting while driving, but no one talks about reading, eating, putting on makeup or rummaging through our bags while driving. I believe in most states there are laws against distractive driving, why isn't that enforced more. Cops give out tons of speeding tickets, but ignore other things that are just as dangerous. My guess is a speeding ticket usually doesn't get challenged and the fines are high. If I can see people doing all sorts of strange things in their car while driving, why can't the cops? Just my opinion, for what it's worth.