FFPCogs

In this case they have turned their backs NOT only on firefighters, but MORE IMPORTANTLY on the citizens they are assigned to protect. There is even a case where one career firefighter from a different nearby city has posted various statements on the internet going against this career department. All in an effort to defend the local volunteer dept that he belongs to.
 
 Will it take the death of a civilian to change this ? No, because that has already happened. The difference now however is that a newspaper article pointing out a past of no regard for human life by some fire commanders. That in addition to the fact that there is a record of several serious incidents now clearly documented over the last year and a half or so.
 
 Let me also add this, and Pete "FFCogs", you will understand this much better than others here will. Several years ago I was writing on a web site and commenting on some of the statements made which to me were totally inaccurate. I was contacted by that Norwich Career Chief at the request of some of the local volunteer fire chiefs. This was a fire chief that through a completive testing process came from another state. He had asked me to "tone it down" because as chief he was hoping to improve relations among the career and volunteer fire depts. I had never worked for this chief and I basically told him that I was not about to stop telling what I know to be true facts.
 
 My point is that if anybody tried to work with these individuals it was this chief. And if anybody read my earlier post here you also read how he tried to discourage me from going to the newspaper to report these incidents. Apparently it was his hope to try and continue to try and work things out after the first incident. That was unsuccessful and when three other serious events happened, it was time for some retired firefighter and citizen of this city to do something about it.
 
 Now as you read this, I also ask you to keep in mind the fact that I was a volunteer firefighter for five years as well. Coming from a very progressive combination fire dept that to this day, still functions using a group of volunteer firefighters. Of course not as many as there once was, just by the virtue of todays society beyond our control.
 
  In addition as some may know, I have a brother who retired from the Bridgeport (Ct) Fire Dept as Battalion Chief. He spent his entire career on the busiest companies in that city during a time when Bridgeport was burning every single day/night. Although not directly within the Norwich limits, his story is one of a nearby volunteer fire dept he joined. If I were the chief, I would think we had just won the lottery getting a guy like this. But that didn't happen at all. Apparently the chief there wanted no experienced career firefighters or chiefs around. As a result he no longer belongs to that small town fire dept. My brother was retired and willing to donate his time. He also lived within a quarter mile of that firehouse. He was willing to offer them his services but they apparently would rather not have it.  
 
  I can't put the blame on the Norwich politicians for that one. A place that has nothing to do with the issues involving the Norwich FD.
 
  What I find so different is how many volunteer fire departments throughout the state feel so different. For my friends throughout the state, as well as outside the state, who are volunteer firefighters there is a mutual amount of respect we share among each other. Just NO RESPECT for each other right here in my own neighborhood.

Sadly Willy I think this lesson is lost on more and more people coming in, paid and volunteer alike. Like the rest of society it seems like many now feel that it's all about "me" and what the fire service will do for "me", not the other way around. It is up too us to remind our newer brethren (and the older ones who still don't get it) that regardless of what goes on "out there" they are now a part of something greater where service to others is the PRIME objective. Maybe it can be best summed up like this:
 
To take a few liberties with a famous quote by JFK..."Ask not what the fire service can do for you, but what you can do for the fire service"

Kudo's to Belltown for the new livery, I am surprise it got approved.
 
I would also like to say Kudo's to Bedford Hills VFD for going dark at Mt. Kisco Parade, too bad that from what I understand parade rules require a band. I might have been tempted to only bring muffled drums.

Just wanted to send my kudos to my boys back at the Belltown FD in Stamford for their tribute to the Dallas 5. They've added a blue with black border stripe to the rigs.
Good job boys!!
 
 

Thank you for all you do.
You keep our country safe
Under the red, white, and blue.
 
That was written in a Thank you card by a young child and dropped off at a police station near me.

Just wanted to send my kudos to my boys back at the Belltown FD in Stamford for their tribute to the Dallas 5. They've added a blue with black border stripe to the rigs.
Good job boys!!
 
 

Just wanted to send my kudos to my boys back at the Belltown FD in Stamford for their tribute to the Dallas 5. They've added a blue with black border stripe to the rigs.
Good job boys!!
 
 

Willy what I'm about to say I say with the utmost respect for you. 
 
That you want to help improve your city's fire service is admirable and I'm sure changes are long overdue. That said seeking help from members of this forum or just about any other will lead nowhere. You are alone in your fight and as the messenger it is you who will face the slings and arrows. Others will sit by as you rail against the obvious shortcomings and let you take the brunt of the battle so that the doors will be opened and then they can step forward. Now before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, there's nothing wrong with that....it is how things change. Someone has to lead the charge and clear a path through the minefield so others can follow. My point here Willy is that you have chosen to take on this boondoggle and you will have a long lonely road ahead. And besides that most members here have their own problems and can't or won't involve themselves in a debacle outside of their own areas and not of their own making...and maybe that's for the best. This is a Norwich problem and the solution to it lies in Norwich, with each and every FF, fire officer and citizen in that city, including you. Now the sad truth is you have stood up and brought attention to the situation and that is commendable, but like the proverbial blade of grass that stands above the rest you are now a target for the lawnmower of public and fire service opinion. And you can be sure scorn, derision and ostracism will follow. Such is the lot of the bearer of bad news no matter how true it may be.  
 
Just one last thing, as I read your posts I am struck by, for lack of better terms, the vitriol and animosity they contain. I'm sure some of your colleagues both career and volly up there read these forums and the newspapers and take to heart what they read. While you may feel strongly that some or all of the leaders should be held accountable, it is hard to begin any kind of substantive dialogue when the pall of recriminations hang over any attempts. How do I know this as fact, because I and many other lived it just a very short time ago on the other end of the State. Take a look back through this forum to that other thread about Stamford and you will see what I mean. The specifics may be different but I see you all headed down that same futile road unless you can step above what we were so mired in. 
 
If I have offended you please accept my sincere apologies, that is certainly not my intent, I only wish others to learn for my and our (Stamford's) mistakes so they can succeed where we did not.
 
Good luck as you step into the abyss, may your journey through it be swift and successful for the citizens of Norwich.
 
Stay safe
 
 
 
 

Willy what I'm about to say I say with the utmost respect for you. 
 
That you want to help improve your city's fire service is admirable and I'm sure changes are long overdue. That said seeking help from members of this forum or just about any other will lead nowhere. You are alone in your fight and as the messenger it is you who will face the slings and arrows. Others will sit by as you rail against the obvious shortcomings and let you take the brunt of the battle so that the doors will be opened and then they can step forward. Now before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, there's nothing wrong with that....it is how things change. Someone has to lead the charge and clear a path through the minefield so others can follow. My point here Willy is that you have chosen to take on this boondoggle and you will have a long lonely road ahead. And besides that most members here have their own problems and can't or won't involve themselves in a debacle outside of their own areas and not of their own making...and maybe that's for the best. This is a Norwich problem and the solution to it lies in Norwich, with each and every FF, fire officer and citizen in that city, including you. Now the sad truth is you have stood up and brought attention to the situation and that is commendable, but like the proverbial blade of grass that stands above the rest you are now a target for the lawnmower of public and fire service opinion. And you can be sure scorn, derision and ostracism will follow. Such is the lot of the bearer of bad news no matter how true it may be.  
 
Just one last thing, as I read your posts I am struck by, for lack of better terms, the vitriol and animosity they contain. I'm sure some of your colleagues both career and volly up there read these forums and the newspapers and take to heart what they read. While you may feel strongly that some or all of the leaders should be held accountable, it is hard to begin any kind of substantive dialogue when the pall of recriminations hang over any attempts. How do I know this as fact, because I and many other lived it just a very short time ago on the other end of the State. Take a look back through this forum to that other thread about Stamford and you will see what I mean. The specifics may be different but I see you all headed down that same futile road unless you can step above what we were so mired in. 
 
If I have offended you please accept my sincere apologies, that is certainly not my intent, I only wish others to learn for my and our (Stamford's) mistakes so they can succeed where we did not.
 
Good luck as you step into the abyss, may your journey through it be swift and successful for the citizens of Norwich.
 
Stay safe
 
 
 
 

Willy has anyone there in a leadership capacity, volunteer or career, made any overtures in getting everyone in the same room to take a look at modernizing the system there? Now by this I don't mean ordering people to attend and then dictating to them that "this is how it's going to be from now on". Been there done that...it doesn't work. What I do mean is a true round table where the good, the bad and the ugly can be freely expressed so that true productive changes can be mapped out. 
 
I fully understand the forces at work in these situations, but I would bet that most involved know what the problems are just as well as you do. It's not that they don't want improvements, it's just that egos and traditions make it hard for any of them to make the first step. God knows no one wants to show weakness or be labeled a "turncoat" or "sellout". But for the fire service in Norwich to make the changes necessary to provide the best possible protection to the residents, it's the fire service leadership, (career and volunteer) in Norwich that has to take the steps to make it happen...someone has to take that step and once they do other will follow.
 
The other alternative is to try the Stamford model and change the City Charter. Many thought that would be the magic wand that would "fix" everything. Well I can tell you it hasn't. Things most definitely didn't work out the way the proponents of that move thought they would. Politicians won't...can't..fix our problems, at least not in the ways that will actually make us better, only WE can do that. I hope that you can convince your colleagues to leave all their BS at the door and step up to work together to make changes, otherwise you are absolutely right, it will take a tragedy and lawsuits to force the issue...and if that happens I would bet my bottom dollar that no one there will like the results.

Willy has anyone there in a leadership capacity, volunteer or career, made any overtures in getting everyone in the same room to take a look at modernizing the system there? Now by this I don't mean ordering people to attend and then dictating to them that "this is how it's going to be from now on". Been there done that...it doesn't work. What I do mean is a true round table where the good, the bad and the ugly can be freely expressed so that true productive changes can be mapped out. 
 
I fully understand the forces at work in these situations, but I would bet that most involved know what the problems are just as well as you do. It's not that they don't want improvements, it's just that egos and traditions make it hard for any of them to make the first step. God knows no one wants to show weakness or be labeled a "turncoat" or "sellout". But for the fire service in Norwich to make the changes necessary to provide the best possible protection to the residents, it's the fire service leadership, (career and volunteer) in Norwich that has to take the steps to make it happen...someone has to take that step and once they do other will follow.
 
The other alternative is to try the Stamford model and change the City Charter. Many thought that would be the magic wand that would "fix" everything. Well I can tell you it hasn't. Things most definitely didn't work out the way the proponents of that move thought they would. Politicians won't...can't..fix our problems, at least not in the ways that will actually make us better, only WE can do that. I hope that you can convince your colleagues to leave all their BS at the door and step up to work together to make changes, otherwise you are absolutely right, it will take a tragedy and lawsuits to force the issue...and if that happens I would bet my bottom dollar that no one there will like the results.

Willy has anyone there in a leadership capacity, volunteer or career, made any overtures in getting everyone in the same room to take a look at modernizing the system there? Now by this I don't mean ordering people to attend and then dictating to them that "this is how it's going to be from now on". Been there done that...it doesn't work. What I do mean is a true round table where the good, the bad and the ugly can be freely expressed so that true productive changes can be mapped out. 
 
I fully understand the forces at work in these situations, but I would bet that most involved know what the problems are just as well as you do. It's not that they don't want improvements, it's just that egos and traditions make it hard for any of them to make the first step. God knows no one wants to show weakness or be labeled a "turncoat" or "sellout". But for the fire service in Norwich to make the changes necessary to provide the best possible protection to the residents, it's the fire service leadership, (career and volunteer) in Norwich that has to take the steps to make it happen...someone has to take that step and once they do other will follow.
 
The other alternative is to try the Stamford model and change the City Charter. Many thought that would be the magic wand that would "fix" everything. Well I can tell you it hasn't. Things most definitely didn't work out the way the proponents of that move thought they would. Politicians won't...can't..fix our problems, at least not in the ways that will actually make us better, only WE can do that. I hope that you can convince your colleagues to leave all their BS at the door and step up to work together to make changes, otherwise you are absolutely right, it will take a tragedy and lawsuits to force the issue...and if that happens I would bet my bottom dollar that no one there will like the results.

Willy I have no doubt that you have the resolve to see this through and it is my most sincere wish that things there will change for the better. That said, true productive change can only come about when the considerations of all of the players are given equal voice. There may be many faults with some or all of the departments involved, but each has a horse in the race and needs to be treated as such. Hopefully ALL of the firefighters there will remember that they are firefighters first and try to lessen the divide rather than increase it to promote their own wants. I'm certain that things will change, maybe quickly maybe slowly, but they will change. I can only hope that the needs of the citizens drive those changes and not the whims of politicians or the self serving agendas of the players....otherwise all involved will be losers one way or another
 
 
Anyway, good luck on the road ahead. May your cause be just, your battle brief and the results a benefit to all.

Having lived through a debacle much like the one in Norwich I can only offer this. Once the can of worms has been opened there is no closing the lid again. I say this neither to condone or condemn opening the can, but only to advise that once the genie is unleashed these things take on a life of their own. In that other CT city that faced a mountain of volunteer/career issues which were ultimately "resolved" by a charter revision it is without reservation that I can say no one is happy with the outcome. Some thought the volunteers would be "put in their place"...they weren't, while others thought the career staff would be forced to accept more volunteer involvement...they haven't. In truth there has been a marked improvement in some areas and these are to be applauded. There is continued stagnation in others which is not surprising. In the end when these types of situations arise it is inevitable that, no matter how well intentioned, the messenger always becomes the target and no one gets what they wanted or expected. If Stamford is any example the rift will widen much further before it begins to close so all involved need to buckle up for the ride.

 
As for marching down Main Street for all of these parades, placing some sort of badge or banner indicating the difference between interior and exterior firefighters would more than likely damage the morale of a department, especially with departments with larger numbers of exterior firefighters who are older or not medically fit to enter a building.  The Class A/Dress uniform is a thing of pride, showing your brotherhood and camaraderie through the good times and bad.  In a time where we, as the fire service (both career and volunteer), are hurting for people to fill the rigs and fills the assignments, do we really want to hurt company morale by indicating who is among the "elite" (interior) and who is among the "plebs" (exterior?)  Public events, like parades and festivals, are not the place to be telling the public who can go inside and who cannot.  I do agree that the public SHOULD know how many firefighters in your department are interior and how many are exterior, but let's leave it out of the public eye when everyone is out trying to have a good time (or at an unfortunate time like a memorial service or funeral.)
 
On the other side of it, though, a lot of departments throughout the state DO identify who is interior and who is not through tell-tale signs on the turnout gear, most notably on the helmet.  YELLOW trapezoids are interior, and RED is exterior.  This is more for accountability and safety purposes, as you can see whether an exterior is too close to the IDLH or in an area that requires SCBA (like near a window that smoke is pumping out of,) and you can pull them back.  As a fire officer, I do like to see these types of identification so I can keep a better awareness of who is around me and where people should and shouldn't be.  I would like to put this akin to the orange probationary shield that new firefighters have to wear, which indicates to officers and senior firefighters that this a person who is still new to the job and still gaining the basic knowledge and experience.  Visual indicators in the field are extremely helpful for everyone (as in, we all know the guy with the white helmet is making the decisions.)
 
But let's put all of this BS aside.  There is a bigger problem out there than identifying who is qualified for what.  It's the fact that there just isn't enough of us.  Even as unions go toe to toe with municipalities to put more firefighters on the rigs, and volunteers hand out applications to recruit and retain firefighters, we all have the same problem.  And, this is couple by a paramount of other issues from the increased mandatory training, slashing of budgets, the physical demand, the increasing training and safety requirements, a crappy economy, a butt load of politics, and [at least for the volunteers] a lack of time.  Never mind that some people aren't allowed to be interior for medical reasons, the fact that there is so much into becoming a certified interior firefighter is quite a burden for a lot of people.  Times have changed, the requirements have changed, and society has changed.  We, the firefighters, the protectors or our communities, are always fighting an uphill battle to fill the seats.

Willy I have no doubt that you have the resolve to see this through and it is my most sincere wish that things there will change for the better. That said, true productive change can only come about when the considerations of all of the players are given equal voice. There may be many faults with some or all of the departments involved, but each has a horse in the race and needs to be treated as such. Hopefully ALL of the firefighters there will remember that they are firefighters first and try to lessen the divide rather than increase it to promote their own wants. I'm certain that things will change, maybe quickly maybe slowly, but they will change. I can only hope that the needs of the citizens drive those changes and not the whims of politicians or the self serving agendas of the players....otherwise all involved will be losers one way or another
 
 
Anyway, good luck on the road ahead. May your cause be just, your battle brief and the results a benefit to all.

I agree wholeheartedly. It is the culture within many VFDs that has to change and adapt to the modern realities. What worked years ago doesn't in most cases anymore. An all career dept is not the one size fits all solution either since many towns and cities simply can't afford the expense. That said there are a number of departments that have accepted the facts and made changes. Now to be fair some have done so and made dramatic improvements while other have only begun to move forward, but the point is moving forward they are. Sadly for every one that is moving forward there are 10 that are stagnant or worse still, moving backwards. 
 
Ultimately the most practical solution is a combination system where staffing is distributed effectively to provide the most coverage in a timely manner with a reasonable cost...on paper that is. We all know it isn't that simple. To the outsider looking in at the fire service, it must seem that we, as a group, are either completely insane or downright stupid or both. That there are so many things which get in the way of providing a decent level of service to those we are all here to protect is a travesty of monumental proportions..and quite frankly it defies reason.
 
Until ALL firefighters decide to live up to OUR core values and put those we serve first there is little hope for progress. The simple truth is that we have all let something other than those we serve become our primary concern. It doesn't matter if it's a fiefdom, a contract, a grudge or ambition, everything that stands in the way of us serving our communities in THEIR best interest is the problem. And it is OUR problem
 
You know it isn't always the other guy, in fact it almost never is. We might all do well to remember that "I'm a part of the problem" and work on fixing ourselves before we go lambasting "the other guy". That admission would do more to change the fire service for the better that any debate, battle or scheme in our collective history. We are all a product of the culture we are a part of, but we are also the only ones who, right now today, can begin to change that culture. 
 
As was told to me and as I pass along to every new FF that passes through the door..."NEVER forget that you are not here for you, you are here for those we SERVE"!! Somewhere along the line it seems many have forgotten that fact.
 
 
 

 
 Great post Pete. I certainly agree with every point you say.
 
 I bet you'd never see that happen !!!! But it just did....

I agree wholeheartedly. It is the culture within many VFDs that has to change and adapt to the modern realities. What worked years ago doesn't in most cases anymore. An all career dept is not the one size fits all solution either since many towns and cities simply can't afford the expense. That said there are a number of departments that have accepted the facts and made changes. Now to be fair some have done so and made dramatic improvements while other have only begun to move forward, but the point is moving forward they are. Sadly for every one that is moving forward there are 10 that are stagnant or worse still, moving backwards. 
 
Ultimately the most practical solution is a combination system where staffing is distributed effectively to provide the most coverage in a timely manner with a reasonable cost...on paper that is. We all know it isn't that simple. To the outsider looking in at the fire service, it must seem that we, as a group, are either completely insane or downright stupid or both. That there are so many things which get in the way of providing a decent level of service to those we are all here to protect is a travesty of monumental proportions..and quite frankly it defies reason.
 
Until ALL firefighters decide to live up to OUR core values and put those we serve first there is little hope for progress. The simple truth is that we have all let something other than those we serve become our primary concern. It doesn't matter if it's a fiefdom, a contract, a grudge or ambition, everything that stands in the way of us serving our communities in THEIR best interest is the problem. And it is OUR problem
 
You know it isn't always the other guy, in fact it almost never is. We might all do well to remember that "I'm a part of the problem" and work on fixing ourselves before we go lambasting "the other guy". That admission would do more to change the fire service for the better that any debate, battle or scheme in our collective history. We are all a product of the culture we are a part of, but we are also the only ones who, right now today, can begin to change that culture. 
 
As was told to me and as I pass along to every new FF that passes through the door..."NEVER forget that you are not here for you, you are here for those we SERVE"!! Somewhere along the line it seems many have forgotten that fact.
 
 
 

I agree wholeheartedly. It is the culture within many VFDs that has to change and adapt to the modern realities. What worked years ago doesn't in most cases anymore. An all career dept is not the one size fits all solution either since many towns and cities simply can't afford the expense. That said there are a number of departments that have accepted the facts and made changes. Now to be fair some have done so and made dramatic improvements while other have only begun to move forward, but the point is moving forward they are. Sadly for every one that is moving forward there are 10 that are stagnant or worse still, moving backwards. 
 
Ultimately the most practical solution is a combination system where staffing is distributed effectively to provide the most coverage in a timely manner with a reasonable cost...on paper that is. We all know it isn't that simple. To the outsider looking in at the fire service, it must seem that we, as a group, are either completely insane or downright stupid or both. That there are so many things which get in the way of providing a decent level of service to those we are all here to protect is a travesty of monumental proportions..and quite frankly it defies reason.
 
Until ALL firefighters decide to live up to OUR core values and put those we serve first there is little hope for progress. The simple truth is that we have all let something other than those we serve become our primary concern. It doesn't matter if it's a fiefdom, a contract, a grudge or ambition, everything that stands in the way of us serving our communities in THEIR best interest is the problem. And it is OUR problem
 
You know it isn't always the other guy, in fact it almost never is. We might all do well to remember that "I'm a part of the problem" and work on fixing ourselves before we go lambasting "the other guy". That admission would do more to change the fire service for the better that any debate, battle or scheme in our collective history. We are all a product of the culture we are a part of, but we are also the only ones who, right now today, can begin to change that culture. 
 
As was told to me and as I pass along to every new FF that passes through the door..."NEVER forget that you are not here for you, you are here for those we SERVE"!! Somewhere along the line it seems many have forgotten that fact.
 
 
 

And it's unlikely to change anytime soon; you want a career department that's fine, but it comes with a cost attached to it and the taxpayers don't want to pay the costs; they'd rather roll the dice. 
 
The biggest problem with volunteer departments is getting the apparatus out in a timely fashion; most departments resist having bunk-in's at the fire stations which would cut response time dramatically instead relying on the volunteers to get out of bed and respond to the firehouse for apparatus. Until the mindset changes, nothing will change.

Willy it is true that career members tend to have a greater base of knowledge in most cases, by the very nature of that fact that it is their job. But that doesn't mean that all career members are equal either. There are good and bad among them as well. The LT of career E-1 is the best damn LT to every wear the bars, while the LT of career E-2 is far less knowledgeable, experienced and competent. Both passed the same exam and both got promoted and both now command a crew. The promotional exam they both took and passed says they are equal, when in fact they are far from it, yet both hold the rank. In many ways the same applies to career/volunteer. Some volunteer officers shine brighter than any career officer, some don't. The length of service and testing requirements would give a baseline from which to work and would ensure that at least some kind of minimum equal standard exists to warrant someone being promoted.
 
As far as discipline goes there is absolutely no doubt that how that discipline is meted out would be different. Simply put career members are paid while volunteers are not in any meaningful sense so that leverage would be greater over the career staff. And while maintaining discipline and structure are of great importance, no FD worth it's salt is run solely by the threat of disciplinary action. Successful and well run departments are that way because the membership (paid or volunteer) want it to be that way. They take pride in their departments and the job they do, they don't need to coerced into doing the right thing...it comes naturally as a part of the culture of the organization.
 
Of course there will always be infractions to be dealt with and in these cases the leverage of pay will potentially make a difference. Yes a career member can be suspended without pay while a volunteer cannot. But the volunteer has much to lose as well. Both career and volunteer officers gain a sense of accomplishment and pride when promoted. Both gain new responsibilities, authority and shiny new epaulets for their uniforms. Both don't want to lose these things. But the career members also sees a rise in his pay while the volunteer does not and this added leverage does put the career member at a disadvantage in a sense. So what then can the volunteer lose? Well whatever it was that motivated that person to seek promotion and drives him can be taken away. He didn't look to be promoted for money, so money cannot be used to leverage "proper" behavior, only those things which the volunteer values in his position can be. Now that might seem a poor comparison, but it isn't in most cases. Volunteer officers "do the right thing" not because they have to for their pay but because they have to to maintain their responsibilities, status, and the other perks of officership they enjoy.  Hard as it may be to believe for many volunteer officers these factors are just a potent a motivator as pay in keeping them flying straight.
 
So to come back full circle as I said earlier, a successful combination department can only be achieved when both sides have a vested interest in that success. When ALL of the members want a good , well run, aggressive, competent department. And pay or not that desire can only come from within each and every member to make it so. 

Willy my solution is the same as it always has been. Same standards across the board and with that, no more of the career can only be led by career nonsense. The same length of service requirement for all members seeking promotion followed by EARNING that promotion by successfully passing the SAME promotional exams regardless of pay status.  A FF is a FF paid or not, a Lieut a Lieut paid or not, a Capt a Capt paid or not, a Battalion Chief a Battalion Chief paid or not and so on. What members put in (i.e. EARN), is what they'll get out. No jobs lost, no egos bruised and a population better served by an FD more concerned with serving them competently than their petty internal career vs volly rivalries.
 
 
Bottom line: a combination systems can only work when both "sides" have a vested interest in it's success and far more often than not that vested interest requires a level of EARNED equality seldom seen in our neck of the woods. For a variety of deep seated (and at times fully justified) reasons on both the career and volunteer sides of the divide there is little desire to make the kind of concessions necessary to build a truly successful combination system. Sadly this being the case, I hold little hope of a truly successful combination system taking root in the region any time soon.

I too share your hopes for a positive outcome for all involved Willy, but that hope is tempered by my own experiences regarding the overall career/volunteer relationship. Over my 36 years in the fire service I have witnessed that relationship deteriorate to a point where animosity is now the norm in just about every jurisdiction where the two jointly provide services. And worse still, with each new divisive word or deed said or done,  intentional or not, be it by politicians, volunteers or career members, that already severely damaged relationship takes another hit and sinks even lower into the morass. We should as firemen be standing side by side and not toe to toe, but alas it may be too late to ever pull out of the pit we've all dug ourselves into. Sadly and with a heavy heart I must admit that when looking at the overall career/volunteer picture, I see only increased tension down the road and the utter destruction of whatever semblance of brotherhood may still exist between the two "sides" of our fire service.
 
This is definitely one of those times I hope I'm proven wrong, for nothing would make me happier than to see a real resurgence of camaraderie and true brotherhood among us. 

Monday night we will all be watching. 
 
Will these firefighters be hired back ?
 
Will the volunteer firefighters be working with or against those firefighters ?
 
Will there be any legal action taken by those eight career firefighters by their hired attorney ? 
 
Will that attorney request for back pay and benefits as well ?
 
Will those three Fire Chiefs and/or Board Members be there to defend the decision they made ?
 
Who made and how will the statements  to damage a firefighters home play out in this decision ?
 
I guess in just a matter of hours from now, we will all find out.
 
Personally I hope for a positive outcome for those eight firefighters. I also hope for a positive and improving relationship between career and volunteer firefighters in Port Chester, NY.