Just my opinion and I'm stickin to it!

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 7, 2009 at 1:39am

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Mine is that you have some good, valid points. Others not so. I hope typing this got it all off of your chest :)

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Gaudio on November 7, 2009 at 1:48am

thanks. : )
I do feel better now that I voiced my opinion but I'm not always right either.

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Permalink Reply by DUST on November 7, 2009 at 7:03am

Your painting a very broad stroke and since you are both a career firefighter and a volunteer you should know this...I'm a career firefighter but like you I also volunteer. At my vollie department, we have 8 other career firefighters including a city Battalion Chief, a county fire marshall and a city captain. We also have guys that used to be paid but got into another career but that still volunteer. Not to mention the guys that have never been paid but have put the time & training in to be a firefighter in their community. Could they jump right into a large urban department? Probably not but they know their trucks, equipment, and procedures to operate safely and effectively on the scenes they respond to...Not everyone is a whacker. Besides how would big brother pay to staff all of these depts. We are in a recession errrr economic downturn!

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Permalink Reply by Ralph L. Carr IV on November 7, 2009 at 7:41am

Damn bro. Who pissed in your cheerios??...lol...

Yep, you sound a bit pissed off. I can`t say I disagree with you on many of the points.

I think junior programs are good, to a point.

There are many paid or combination departments that are just as whanker bad as some volley departments. Paid depts may not be the answer. Funding issues will not allow this to happen.

Lights......well, you know my stand there. Many many guys just have the lights to "lightum up, one hand on the siren the other on their pecker. They get on scene and they are freaking CLUELESS about the job.

Responding directly.....In many areas, they damn near have to. Many really REALLY rural areas, guys would never make the truck. I can see more for allowing responce from home than stopping it myself. Our rescue, we don`t even have a station, we respond from home direct. Each department`s location and demographics would dictate that.

Training...The root of all evils. Professional (like training) AND PARTICIPATION should be manditory. We have a 20% of call rule per qtr. Local FD has a 40% rule. If you train and REALLY train like professionals, you become professional. It`s about the training anyhow, not about being paid or not. There are many good vol depts that I think are even more professional than some paid dept`s in my area.

Seatbelts.....YOU F%$#ING IDIOTS.......THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON......YOU KNOW BETTER THAN NOT TO WEAR THEM. You know as well as I do that when you light up the truck, turn on the siren, you just painted a huge HIT ME target on the side of the truck. WEAR THEM DUMBASS! Don`t get in my truck and expect NOT to wear them. We won`t move very far, say, out of the building. If a UPS driver fails to have his/her seatbelt on even to move the truck 19 ft, they are written up and FIRED. It`s a rule because in the past so many deaths resulted from drivers falling out or being in crashes where seatbelts would have changed the outcome.

Everyone who wants to play fireman should know all of the equipment! Plain and simple. That goes back to training. Shit, I know more about the equipment than many of the FF`s on the local dept. I`m not even ON a FD. I had to grab the irons for an idiot at the house fire we worked the other morning. Guy just stood there looking into the compartment. GAWD! What`s a pike pole? WTF?

Bro, it`s the same old argument. Is fire fighting a social club or is it a profession. Volunteers can be professional, many are. Like I tell kids at work. It`s not freaking rocket science, it`s just our job. KNOW IT.

Ah Jeff, don`t be bitter. Pour that bowl of cheerios into the trash, wash the piss out and grab another bowl. Never hold shit in that bugs you. It just ain`t worth it bro.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Wheland on November 7, 2009 at 8:00am

You have got to be kidding me. Until you have worked side by side with me or walked a mile in my boots, gone through the countless hours of training I have, seen all the carnage I have and etc. where do you get off slamming me (yes I took this to heart)? By the way I have worked side by side with paid brothers on many MAJOR fires and incidents over the years. Now that I've got that off MY chest lets look at the very first thing you said should be done away with and do the math. You're profile says you are 27 years old and you have 12 years in EMS. So you started at age 15? need I say more?

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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on November 7, 2009 at 8:18am

I feel your anger bro, you have some valid points and some that got mixed in, that are just no way around them. The one that you left out that I here a lot is, don't be too hard on them, their just volunteer and their not getting paid for this job. Some feel that their afraid they'll quit and put that before making it mandatory for them to attend training, knowing where everything is located on the trucks etc.. etc...

Frustration sets in when your on a scene, and the ones that didn't attend training, and self knowledge themselves are running around in circles, throwing a monkey wrench in the operation at hand. On the scene is not the time for trying to figure out what the hell your suppose to be doing, or where this or that is on the trucks.

What they don't realize is, that this job is a dangerous one, and not the glorified one they watched on TV. Times have changed, and it's about time, some need to change with them!

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Permalink Reply by Mac Conant on November 7, 2009 at 8:28am

Im glad you vented. My views on your views. Im not trying to start stuff here..just venting as well.
1.I think JR Firefighter Programs are important to small town Vollie Depts, and gets them the jumpstart they need to help out the town when they come of age.
2. I'll bite..that sounds nice. As long as they let me be of of the staffed 4 firefighters that will go on about 200 calls a year. Maybe 1,000 if you count medical calls :) Hey..why not pay them to sit at the station ALL day, washing the trucks. Waiting for calls that just are not going to come?
3. I run em. And while I think some people should lose em, they are a Vital tool for getting the rubber neckers to slow down, and not hit our guys.
4. I keep my gear with me 24/7. If the calls up the road from me, theres no way Im going to drive past the call where people are waiting for help, and have them watch me drive by them to the station.
5. I agree 100 and 10%
6. Cant argue this one either.
7. I agree again. People should know where the stuff is on the truck, and how it works. Its simple stuff..

And the training thing..I make trainings all the time, do Maintenance on trucks, check packs, fill bottles, check equipment, shovel hydrants in the winter, go to meetings, I also instruct at a Basic Fire School. Im currently taking a Fire Fighter 1 & 2 right now. I already took the Basic which was pretty much Fire Fighter 1 just not so many hours. I also have my AVOC and can drive ambulance. I also have a Life Flight Cert. I plan on also getting my Basic EMT when I get the money and time. And on top of all of this..I work Two Jobs.

I work very hard at being the Best Firefighter I can. Be it Volunteer or not. I Train hard, and take it seriously. And one day, God willing, I would like to be a Full Time Firefighter to one of the city's near me. And even after That im going to still Volunteer my time as much as I can.

Us vollies may not be Perfect, but when It comes down to it, if that homeowner had to choose between his friend, his neighbor, a fellow citizen, or a Paid firefighter he doesn't know coming from 15 miles away from a city, hes going to pick his Neighbor. Because his neighbor is going to try his hardest to save his life, and his property.

There Im done venting now.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on November 7, 2009 at 8:35am

"I'm sorry, I'm just a bit bitter over some things and may regret typing this later."

Ya think?

Nice rant - you do touch on some valid topics.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on November 7, 2009 at 9:12am

That's the nice thing about "Opinions"...You have the right to express them and if you do so here then we have the right to comment....Well Sir....this is a clear reinforcement of the theory of "opinions"...that is that "Opinions are like assholes...we all have one and they all stink"....and that Sir is what I think about your comments.....Stay safe....Paul

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Permalink Reply by Jim on November 7, 2009 at 10:12am

Hey, hey there bro, relax, I hear your vent and I sympathize....We all need to vent every once in awhile..Lord knows I do on here occasionally...

Certainly valid points and arguments can be made and the validity of your points are well taken..I do not agree with your statements across the board but highly respect any person who will make their points based on their Constitutional rights (at least we got 'em still so far) to make them in a public forum (EVEN THIS ONE--although I suspect this thread will get "vented" to the cyberspace-ophere by the thought po-lease)..

I myself was raised, literally in almost every sense of the word, in a VFD and treasure the memories of it. I continued my VFD "career" even after becoming a formal career FF with the city until getting caught up in vicious backstabbing, outright lying VFD politics in 1987 (you can read about it in my upcoming book).

But I wouldn't trade the knowledge, the experience, the fellowships (in the good times) gained in my associations with these 2 VFD's for anything, short of my daughter's life..I credit my experiences with getting me to here I am today in the career dept. I learned from some of the best firefighters and officers in the VFD setting, and I learned even more from some of the worst excuses of firefighters and officers in those same settings. Not just things about the job, but about life itself. I often thought that if I could go back in time for certain events, many of my wishes would be to go back to the time frames where i was still associated with these 2 depts.

So, I will still respect you in the morning, sir, and appreciate your honesty in your own opinions, whether or not I agree with in any or all part(s) and add that many of my friends and family have fought for your and everyone else's here right to free speech and freedom and at least 2 family members have died defending it..

So here's a cold beer for ya!..

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Gaudio on November 7, 2009 at 12:18pm

Thanks, Jim.
I appreciate it.
I had no bad intentions on the volunteer end of it and love being in the volunteer fire service more than anything. I have some good friends who were always volunteer that I would put up against anyone anywhere at a fire or MVA. (if this does go paid vs vol, I'll shut this down because that isn't my intentions of this topic)
It just irritates me when some few use that as an excuse for any wrong doing, lack of training or neglegent doing. I'm just a volunteer, or I don't have the time, etc,etc. Sure but they always have the time to attend every parade and spend a week at firemens convention.

The thing that gets me is the qualifications. What qualifies someone to respond, or what qualifies someone to be an officer? If a person takes it upon themselves to get the training needed, that's a huge accomplishment and I feel that they are in it for the right reasons, and are qualified. I'm not saying anything about the dedicated and well trained firefighters. I know some took it that way but they misunderstood. I am referring this discussion to the ones who just want to look important when they walk around but can't tell you one basic thing that realates to their department. How about the firemen who have been in a fire department for fifteen years and only have a basic fireman state class and a haz mat R&I class from six years ago? That is what I have a serious problem with. That's huge in my book and I feel that those ones have no place in the department.
I love being a volunteer and I train as often as possible. I respect all my fellow voulnteers who are in it for the right reasons.
Do I think volunteer depts should close, no I don't but I think having two to four guys on full-time on every department would be a huge benifit to the department as well as the community. So I think I used poor choice of words in that.
as far as the juniors, I was one but never responded or had a minitor. I trained and attended state classes until I turned 18 and then was able to respond. Why and how often are juniors pulled out of school for a call? I think that's unacceptable and very wrong.

again, I appreciate your comment as well as everybody elses. Whether good or bad, you are right, it is our constitutional right.

And as I always say; I'm not always right either. I'm learning more everyday.

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Permalink Reply by Padre Pete on November 7, 2009 at 11:54am

Jeff, Venting these points is not going to lay them to rest. They are neither invalid nor new. Glad you feel better. Near the top of the list of Typical Personality Traits of Firefighters is the need to be in control. You will always find it painful to watch substandard reality develop around you, without benefit of your control. I do wonder about being a proud volunteer and not being able to admit it in public. We are agreed on the need for many departments to maintain higher standards. It would be those higher standards and not the paycheck that has been the reason behind superior service. In my experience, I am surrounded by compitent volunteers. You obviously bring something to our table that the service can benefit from. You should be able to stand on that when you boast about being a devoted volunteer public servent. Keep The Faith (and the peace)
Pete

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