Senate Approves Volunteer Recruitment Legislation

[Guest alsfirefighter]

It doesnt take money from other programs, it saves money by not having to hire firefighters.

Another urban myth and smoke and mirrors. So to "save" hiring firefighters you pay a company to sit on money you can't get until your in your 60's and they make money on the interest. Never mind investing taxpayer dollars into having staff that will generally improve their ISO rating saving them on insurance costs and keeping the money invested in the municipality instead of private companies and making a better and consistent response supplemented by the volunteer personnel. But its ok...for many of you you'll have more garbage men on the road during the day then you will get at an alarm at the same time.

How does age matter? I'm all for giving to the community, but I can also side with him in experience that LOSAP hasn't been the big recruiting and retention tool in the areas I serve. Most kids don't think about retirement or they would be putting money into IRA's and not trying to earn a whopping $20 a year and the influx has been more middle aged persons joining and this is not disrespect intended because they do help with a vital function that is important on many calls, but more fire police isn't the problem, most departments need interior members. In addition to not only luring in younger members, many members aren't even making their 50 points to begin with.

I understand why the state is trying to assist with recruitment/retention...good lobbying gets it there. But when is the state going to really look at the fact that there is a problem and sticking your finger in only 1 hole in the dike while the water is lapping over the top isn't going to help.

[Guest]

Sounds like " the owe us" mentality.

who are you to judge when your company already has a pension??????

[gamewell45 258]

Another urban myth and smoke and mirrors. So to "save" hiring firefighters you pay a company to sit on money you can't get until your in your 60's and they make money on the interest. Never mind investing taxpayer dollars into having staff that will generally improve their ISO rating saving them on insurance costs and keeping the money invested in the municipality instead of private companies and making a better and consistent response supplemented by the volunteer personnel. But its ok...for many of you you'll have more garbage men on the road during the day then you will get at an alarm at the same time.

How does age matter? I'm all for giving to the community, but I can also side with him in experience that LOSAP hasn't been the big recruiting and retention tool in the areas I serve. Most kids don't think about retirement or they would be putting money into IRA's and not trying to earn a whopping $20 a year and the influx has been more middle aged persons joining and this is not disrespect intended because they do help with a vital function that is important on many calls, but more fire police isn't the problem, most departments need interior members. In addition to not only luring in younger members, many members aren't even making their 50 points to begin with.

I understand why the state is trying to assist with recruitment/retention...good lobbying gets it there. But when is the state going to really look at the fact that there is a problem and sticking your finger in only 1 hole in the dike while the water is lapping over the top isn't going to help.

The state recognizes the important contributions the volunteers make to the public; furthermore i believe that if the state felt that if the volunteer fire service was obsolete or completely ineffective, there is no way you'd have seen LOSAP passed years ago. Thats common sense. The state has a vested interest in keeping taxes as low as they reasonably can. This is one way they can earn voter confidence next time at the polls.

Furthermore, I think the program has worked. I know of plenty of firefighters who contemplated leaving the fire service but decided to stay due to not only LOSAP, but other perks associated with being part of the fire service. LOSAP certainly played an important part of their decision to remain as active members.

The passage of the Emergency Volunteer Services Act will likewise play an important role the retainment and recruitment of volunteer firemen. For those volunteers who have no medical benefits whatsoever, this will be an added incentive which will give them the ability to purchase affordable medical insurance. This combined with the LOSAP (which btw is not a pension, its an annuity based on years of credited service) program, local perks and the so-called "bunk-in program" which many volunteer departments throughout the state are seriously starting to look at, will change the whole face of the volunteer fire service.

While i realize that every department is different with the success of the LOSAP program, I know that the departments that i've belonged to over the years have done well since the inception of the program.

While most "kids", as you call them, may not think of retirement or putting money into an IRA at this stage of their lives, it never hurts to teach them of the importance of long term planning. For many of them, aside from Social Security, this will be the only guarantee of income to supplement what SS gives them.

Many in this forum toss around the "ISO rating" term quite a bit when it comes to volunteers. From what i've seen or heard, the public could care less. I've yet to hear or see someone either buy a house based on ISO or complain to the district that they need to improve the ISO rating. They accept it for what it is.

Finally, i do agree, good lobbying does get it there.