How do you discipline volunteers???!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on August 20, 2009 at 10:43am

Probably the most inteligent and accurate posting to this issue. Good job Hondo.
" The trainings and the way things were done 20 or 30 years ago won't fly any more." BINGO!!

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Permalink Reply by Hondo on September 1, 2009 at 12:43pm

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Lou Anne on June 29, 2009 at 11:24pm

If you get an answer I would like to know the answer. We have by-laws and we have some people that think they can do what they want but the rest of us have to get prior approval.

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Permalink Reply by Chief Michael Neudorf on August 17, 2009 at 1:53am

There are a few ways of doing this the way we use and (not that often) is you get a reprimand in you personal file after two reprimands you come talk to the chief and explain what the problem is, this is fore miner offences if not a miner offence then you are coming to my office right away. Reprimands are good for me. If I do have to suspend, or a removal of rank or dismissals, I have something to back my up.

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Permalink Reply by Beastfire2009 on August 17, 2009 at 4:01am

There Needs to be someone on the department to be the head guy the chief to put a stop too it. Isn't thats what they are there for if none of the other officers say anything. Or it should be addressed as a group at your monthly fire deptment meeting so no one is singled out!

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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on August 20, 2009 at 10:48am

Hang in there Countney. Things will get better.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Malin on August 22, 2009 at 5:15pm

YEA suspend them- tell them why and hand out a suspention. if they quit oh well at least you are rid of a problem but as the suspending officer you had better have your ducks in a row (ie witnesses and the backing of other dept. officers and a dam good reason.

Just my 2 cents
Jeff
p.s. remember the fire dosen't know the differance between a fulltimer and a volenteer

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Permalink Reply by Chief Mike France on September 28, 2009 at 10:18am

And documenation .

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Permalink Reply by Alan Shaw on October 10, 2009 at 8:14am

I have seen both sides of this. During one stint as an Officer, several years ago, I wanted to suspend someone, not for what he did but for how he reacted to a verbal reprimand for what he did. The Chief did not back me up, but within days suspended the same member for a different offense.

Later on I got suspended once, and to tell you the truth, it really had no effect on me one way or the other. It did not cost me anything, gave me a week's vacation from the place and ended up depriving the department of an active member for a week. I have also seen it where other members stay away in sympathy or solidarity with a suspended member, when the issue is prominent enough. This also has the effect of reducing your overall manpower. So I am now not convinced that suspensions work in the volunteer setting.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Cummings, Jr. on October 23, 2009 at 4:17pm

Depending on what the infraction was, we use a progressive discipline system.
Company Officer duties:
1st time - verbal warning
2nd - written (this stays in the folder for 6 months)
3rd - written ( goes into your perminate folder and Chief is made aware )
4th - goes directly to the Chief
* Again it depends on the severity of the infraction
I have only had to counsel 1 member, and his attitude changed incredibly.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Lundquist on November 17, 2009 at 11:28pm

I keep hearing "Full timers" and "volunteers" this and that bull junk. FIREFIGHTERS ARE FIREFIGHTERS payed or not, just do the job or quit (get out). The only difference is that some of us get paid and even the volunteers get compensated and paid, I am a volunteer at my dept and my last check was real nice. Not to mention the experience your getting in order to move on. Come on folks we are all firefighters, Lets act like one!!! Respect what you do. after all why did you join in the first place.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Kirkland 5 hours ago

I have the same problem, I don't know what the answer is but i feel that the people that dont put the time in and dont show up to the trainings they have no place to be a firefighter. I have about 25 volunteers and about 10 that show up to the training and 5 that show up on a call. It gets real old that they only show up to the real fires not fire alarms that are going off. Is it truly lack of leadership or is it the firfighters fault by not giving the people that dont show up a hard time or give them the dirty jobs on scene. How do you fix people that just dont care, you cant send them to there room or take away there birthday. So when you find out how to fix this let me know... Thank you

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