Ambulance Association Supports Tax Increase for Second, Ninth Districts

[Gilligan]

Different meeting.

Ahh.

Thank you for sharing. ;-p

 

[Hijinx]

I don't know about This_person but, my friend, who is a volunteer firefighter, would LOVE to stand up in the meetings and voice his opinion. Unfortunately, all motions have to be voted on and, according to him, most of the voters are the ones who have been there forever, don't train properly, and just expect to indulge in the tax rewards. He has personally seen a 'newer' member who was recently allowed to voice their opinion in meetings get crushed by the old timers because he suggested minimum training requirements for ALL members. OMG.. the old timers railed against him and now he is currently getting sh!t duties in the department. Do you honestly think my friend would speak up? He loves volunteering and does not want to jeopardize his place in the department.

How long have YOU been volunteering? You seem to have such a strong opinion on the matter. Stronger than anyone who isn't or didn't volunteer. You call my friend a punk but he is the one going through all the crap to train to save people's lives as a "hobby."

Just what the hell have you done?

People do not train to save lives as a hobby. Those who believe Volunteers are doing it as a hobby are dead wrong.
If he felt so strongly when that newbie stood up he should have stood with him. He and the others who felt the same way
It doesn't take a motion to voice an opinion and it doesn't have to be voted on.
If the older men are not drilling that give the instructor more time to spend with him or the others at the drill.
Smaller classes are good. leaves mor opportunity to put the lesson to the practice

You ask what I have done. I joined a Volunteer Fire Dept. when I turned 16.
At 21 I passed the test and became a professional Firefighter.
I was a Volunteer for years and a professional Firefighter.
I retired and joined a Volunteer Rescue Squad.
I have been in the top 10 runners since the day I joined.
It is no Hobby it is what I have done all my life and I am good at it.
I like helping people that need it. It is a duty to me.


By the way I judged your friend by his actions.

 

[This_person]

People do not train to save lives as a hobby. Those who believe Volunteers are doing it as a hobby are dead wrong

Well, it's not a vocation. What would you call it?

At 21 I passed the test and became a professional Firefighter.
I was a professional Firefighter.
I retired.

It is no Hobby it is what I have done all my life and I am good at it.
I like helping people that need it. It is a duty to me.

It was your duty - it was what you were paid to do, so it was your duty to do it.

I was paid, too, for firefighting as a side part of my job (no longer in that line of work, thank Goodness). That included being required to be qualified as a first responder. It was my duty, I was paid to do it. I volunteered at other things, but my vocation included firefighting.

When one invests their life into such a thing, making it their actual duty, it's not a hobby.

When one does it on the side, it is a hobby.

Remember the movie 300, when the Spartans asked how many soldiers someone else brought, and they gave some huge number, and the Spartans only had 300? The head Spartan dude went and asked all the other guys, "what do you do?" "I'm a tailor", "I'm a butcher", etc. None of them were soldiers (point made well). The Spartans were all soldiers - that's what they did, not on the side.

Same with a volunteer firefighter.

 

[officeguy]

I'd really like to see how one accumulates 150 hrs.

As a USCG Auxiliarist, I qualify for MD LOSAP although we don't get the "pension" after turning a certain age. We only get the annual state income tax subtraction. We accumulate "points" so our requirement is 50 points/yr. One point for each hour while on a safety patrol, conducting vessel safety checks, or teaching a boating safety class. A half point for each hour while attending a meeting, participating in training, or providing admin support to an active duty USCG unit. If we are on patrol but not underway (anchored or tied to the pier), we only receive a half point. It's really hard to accumulating 50 points/yr just attending meetings.

Between weekly drill, monthly meeting training events and calls, the hours for losap are not a problem to achieve.

 

[MiddleGround]

You shouldn't judge people you know absolutely nothing about.

By the way I judged your friend by his actions.

This is all I need to know for value.

 

[stgislander]

Between weekly drill, monthly meeting training events and calls, the hours for losap are not a problem to achieve.

So there's no difference in hours between going out on a call vs. sitting in a monthly meeting?

 

[Hijinx]

Well, it's not a vocation. What would you call it?



It was your duty - it was what you were paid to do, so it was your duty to do it.

I was paid, too, for firefighting as a side part of my job (no longer in that line of work, thank Goodness). That included being required to be qualified as a first responder. It was my duty, I was paid to do it. I volunteered at other things, but my vocation included firefighting.

When one invests their life into such a thing, making it their actual duty, it's not a hobby.

When one does it on the side, it is a hobby.

Remember the movie 300, when the Spartans asked how many soldiers someone else brought, and they gave some huge number, and the Spartans only had 300? The head Spartan dude went and asked all the other guys, "what do you do?" "I'm a tailor", "I'm a butcher", etc. None of them were soldiers (point made well). The Spartans were all soldiers - that's what they did, not on the side.

Same with a volunteer firefighter.

That is your opinion. Like #######s everyone has one. I don't agree with yours.
Some people feel a binding with their community and want to make it better and safer, and they wish to help their friends and Neighbors.
They do not do these things as a hobby, they do it as good neighbors.

 

[Hijinx]

This is all I need to know for value.

Like I give a flying ####.

 

[This_person]

That is your opinion. Like #######s everyone has one. I don't agree with yours.
Some people feel a binding with their community and want to make it better and safer, and they wish to help their friends and Neighbors.
They do not do these things as a hobby, they do it as good neighbors.

That is your opinion. Like #######s everyone has one. I don't agree with yours.

 

[officeguy]

So there's no difference in hours between going out on a call vs. sitting in a monthly meeting?

There is a minimum point value that you get the second the wheels are turning. Particularly on the fire side, units get cancelled en route quite often. It still counts as a response even if you don't spend the actual credited hours on it. But then, if I walk away from family dinner, it's not like the food is any less cold if I come back 45min later or 2hrs.

 

[black dog]

You could do stick built and tarpaper for even less.

So steel is not a quality building material?

 

[Bird Dog]

You do understand that under the constitution of this country, people have the right to band together to 'seek redress of grievances' and to lobby their elected officials for whatever lawful cause they choose. There is no requirement for an organization to have a formal corporate structure or registration. The ambulance and rescue association is just as legit as the 'citizens committee' opposing the station. If you want St Marys County to move to a full time paid fire and EMS system, feel free to get blackdog and whoever else wants to join you to form the 'St Marys county committee for sky-high taxes and union bull#### (SMCCFSHUB)' and get to work.

That’s fine, but don’t try to legitimize your drinking buddies into some kind of legit organization...

 

[black dog]

I do not know the answer to what I'm about to ask - it's an actual question, not a point. How much of the taxation collected in St. Mary's County stays in St. Mary's County?

I have no idea, and I don't know where to even start looking. But it would be interesting to know what percentage of the tax base leaves.

 

[officeguy]

That’s fine, but don’t try to legitimize your drinking buddies into some kind of legit organization...

Huh ?

 

[MiddleGround]

Some people feel a binding with their community and want to make it better and safer, and they wish to help their friends and Neighbors.

And they do this by signing into calls they don't respond to, dodging training events, and requesting taxpayer funds without proper justification?

I think you may see this as an attack on the 'older folk' and it isn't. It is merely (in my opinion) a case of people sticking around and reaping the rewards without actually contributing anything of value. It just so happens that, in this case, it is the older folks in my friend's company. If it were 20 somethings then I would have the same objections.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

So steel is not a quality building material?

Nobody wants to have a fancy wedding reception in a steel building.

 

[black dog]

Nobody wants to have a fancy wedding reception in a steel building.

Your kidding.. Loads of new church's and Fire Departments are built out of pre-engineered steel.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Your kidding.. Loads of new church's and Fire Departments are built out of pre-engineered steel.

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Ah, I was thinking the big kwanza hut buildings.

But back to my original thought, why do taxpayers pay to have reception halls?

 

[Gilligan]

Huh ?

Close enough....for all the good they did putting out a house fire I'm familiar with.

When will someone answer the list of questions?

 

[Gilligan]

But back to my original thought, why do taxpayers pay to have reception halls?

Reception halls with well equipped kitchens have been an essential "feature" of VFD buildings for many decades. Everywhere. They are a very solid reason behind using community money for a structure that is otherwise used only for occasional emergencies. Would you rather pay close to the same amount for a building that has zero alternative community uses?? I've attended wedding receptions at fire halls...retirement dinners...all manner of Cub and Boy Scout meetings and events...breakfasts...craft fairs...the list goes on and on.