Volunteer Fire Departments

[callmefence]

Our volunteer firie's do a good job but sometime I think they are a bit overcautious when they first respond. Often if they had of got out of the truck and got on with getting around the fire they would have contained it but they seem to want to set up their incident control and plan their back burns rather than just getting on with putting it out. It is part of their training, I know as I used to be a member.

Ken

That's exactly my observation. They roll-up don't put out the fire and prevent anyone else from putting out the fire.
Imo we'd be better off without them most of the time.
Real fire department is a different story.
Most volunteers seem to be wannabee's.
They like the light bar on the truck and getting to wear a radio to the cafe.

 

[Ebenezer]

They have evolved from service to political here in some cases. As with government employees, of which I am retired, the voting block and community linkage is a great thing for a populist candidate. Both sides milk it. They do good work as long as they stick to the profession but I have yet to understand the funerals and such that require so many vehicles which you would think need to be ready for an emergency or mileage kept as low as possible. But, again, politics and insider privilege.

 

[Bigfoot]

That's exactly my observation. They roll-up don't put out the fire and prevent anyone else from putting out the fire.
Imo we'd be better off without them most of the time.
Real fire department is a different story.
Most volunteers seem to be wannabee's.
They like the light bar on the truck and getting to wear a radio to the cafe.

It used to be a personal choice to pay your "fire dues" or not. They're $45. If you paid and the volunteer fd to come, the service was free. If you didn't pay, they charged. The $45 is attached to your deed, and appears on your property tax bill. You pay it, or lose your property. You also pay it on every deed you hold. You could own a row of properties, and it wouldn't make a diy. It would the number of deeds you hold times $45.

 

[Mrcopier]

It used to be a personal choice to pay your "fire dues" or not. They're $45. If you paid and the volunteer fd to come, the service was free. If you didn't pay, they charged. The $45 is attached to your deed, and appears on your property tax bill. You pay it, or lose your property. You also pay it on every deed you hold. You could own a row of properties, and it wouldn't make a diy. It would the number of deeds you hold times $45.

Lose your property? Sounds extreme

 

[Dave]

Every one here has a 4 wheel drive flatbed that gets used to feed from in the winter. They pretty much sit all summer. So we have some 200 gallon tanks with a pump and hose that gets set on the feed trucks over the summer. I am the last place to the west so I have one on my feed truck. Not going to put out a big fire with one. But it works for a quick response to a little fire or hold the line until help arrives.

 

[Bigfoot]

Lose your property? Sounds extreme

Pay your property taxes or lose the property.

 

[Brute 23]

Its 50/50 what you get here. Some times they do more harm than good.