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
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.
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.
You shouldn't judge people you know absolutely nothing about.
By the way I judged your friend by his actions.
Between weekly drill, monthly meeting training events and calls, the hours for losap are not a problem to achieve.
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.
This is all I need to know for value.
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.
So there's no difference in hours between going out on a call vs. sitting in a monthly meeting?
You could do stick built and tarpaper for even less.
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.
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?
That’s fine, but don’t try to legitimize your drinking buddies into some kind of legit organization...
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.
So steel is not a quality building material?
Your kidding.. Loads of new church's and Fire Departments are built out of pre-engineered steel.
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Huh ?
But back to my original thought, why do taxpayers pay to have reception halls?