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Are we going to be allowed to operate as a first due truck should?

Word.

Scab Labor? Vollies get crapped on and characterized with degradations like "oh they pick and choose calls", or responding to the scene in POV's makes them wackers, and leads to an accountability cluster ... So the idea of roster staffing is introduced and so now it is scab labor? Lovely.

Wouldnt it be something if this could actually be produced?

What about your union sisters? Not very pc of you to leave them out. Get thee to sensitivity training post haste!!

IF THIS BOAT'S A-ROCKING, DON'T BOTHER A-KNOCKING !! dicky.

I completely understand that by law you are not allowed to volunteer in Stamford. It's federal law. And it's a good federal law, I understand many of the reasons it was enacted. It is an important protection against abuse of an employee. However, after a brief reading of the law, and discussion around it, I don't seem to see anything that outlaws volunteering in another municipality. Is it illegal, then, for a career firefighter from say Norwalk, or Danbury, or NYC to volunteer in Stamford? And is it illegal for a Stamford career firefighter to volunteer elsewhere? Or any career firefighter for that matter??

It's my super secret cloak of anonymity that caused my user name to appear as *********. I also answer to "Gilligan". Plenty of your coworkers know who I am, why don't you ask them?

It would be foolish indeed to set up an incentive program that hands out rewards like candy. They should be limited to those who are active, interior qualified members. Set the bar for being "interior qualified" high enough so that the members who produce results are the ones that receive the incentive. No knife and forkers will be leeching. And, as far as the "double-dipping" goes, if someone is prohibited from being an active member who can respond, obviously they will not be getting any incentive. Wives, girlfriends, etc. is just muddying the water. (nice nautical reference, eh) If they aren't active, and interior qualified, no incentive.

I can answer the question. There are several approaches to how to do something like this. One involves an abatement of property tax, whether it be real estate property tax, or personal property tax such as the tax paid on your vehicle. I believe, but am not certain, that there is a mechanism set up by the state by which a municipality can offer such an abatement to a resident. I do know for a fact that the former Belltown chief approached the former Stamford mayor on more than one occasion looking to make such an abatement a reality in Stamford, and was stonewalled. This type of abatement represents a true and real incentive to many more people than offering points on a civil service exam. I honestly feel that if the former administration had been more supportive of, and realized the value of, a strong volunteer cadre of firefighters in Stamford, you would see a very different set of circumstances than we have today. There are other perks one can offer, such as subsidizing the expense of a gym membership, rewarding a member with a nice piece of equipment for high levels of participation, etc., but all these things do cost money. After being in deficit spending for several years because Mayor Malloy viciously cut the operating budget, it is nice to actually have a budget again, but it doesnt seem any money is earmarked for member perks.

Lets stick to the circumstances in Stamford. A lot has been said about the decline in volunteerism nationwide, and in Stamford. I can say firsthand that Belltown has bucked that trend. And I have seen an increase in membership in TOR, and have been told that Long Ridge is increasing it's ranks as well. Nationwide, how have other departments dealt with a decrease in volunteerism? By instituting retention programs. Why hasnt this been done in Stamford, why can't it be done in Stamford, why does it seem that in the current SVFD plan it is an afterthought? With that being said, I think there is a better way than the way they are going about this now. There should be a plan that protects current SFRD employees with no demotions or layoffs, and still has measures to include volunteers and has mechanisms in place to cause the ranks to grow. If it takes some incentives, what is wrong with that? Society and people have changed. Altruism is in short supply.

This hits the nail on the head. I have said to the powers that be time and time again that the reason why we have what we have today is the volunteers have always been last in line. And, the path being trod down now will end at exactly the same place we were several years ago with paid men and a handful of volunteers. Why hasnt there been a top priority on making a change that will bolster the volunteer ranks, and then worry about the paid men? Who waved their magic wand to make what is currently planned have a different result than what was there a couple of years ago? The answer is, that it will be not very different at all, basically the same system that existed before will exist again, with a little window dressing.District lines have been blurred, maybe a little more inter-departmental cooperation that did not exist before, but it's still just like deja vu all over again. And you guys who are for this plan because you think you will get a job, open your eyes. You may not be the shoo-in that you think. The hiring practices seen in the past should be long gone, Do you have a current CPAT card? If not you better get on that treadmill.

Not to mention E5 which already responds to Belltown as well.

There, fixed it for ya.

That makes you smarter than me, then.

Yes, I can. And, I did. Were you a grammar teacher in a previous life?

And it is this aspect that Cogs's idea for duty staffing by the volunteers solves. If a volunteer is in quarters on a duty shift, he has to respond. No ifs, ands, or buts. Solves the problem, don't you think? But then again you no longer would be able to throw this little "they pick and choose calls" barb out there anymore either. What a tragedy.

Looking forward to riding the back step with you, Professor!

Geez, you let the back door boys come downtown with their seniority intact, why not do the same for the vollies riding out as well ? relax, it was a joke.

I am sure everyone here wishes they could be like you. I mean, you actually have your very own hydrant, and your very own fire hose! How cool is that ?!?! What's the tip pressure for your nozzle?

It was "brought on" by a multitude of reasons and factors. The reason you attribute is but a minor piece of the pie.

Funny thing about all this "guarantee" talk .... If someone else called 911 before you, those 3 or 4 guys you think are so close to you will not be right over. And even if it was a slow day with no other calls, what if they were over at Haig Avenue taking on fuel, or shopping for their meal at the Grade A on Newfield Avenue? Good thing you have a fire hydrant in your front yard. And fire hose too!! My aren't we prepared. I suggest you get your own pumper next. Maybe even your own aerial too ?? I highly recommend the Aerialscope

The Germans got nothin to do with it. Sorry Pat I couldn't resist a Smokey and the Bandit reply. LMAO PJ, that was great

I am being formal mostly because I don't know you personally, and think it is proper and respectful to use the title "Mr." when addressing someone. Now, lets get to this post: These are your words, in black and white. BFD, as far as I know, stands for the Belltown Fire Department. I am reading and re-reading your latest response, but can't seem to make it look any different.

Mr. Strangio, Again, you insist on characterizing the circumstances in Belltown as "freeloading". And I will re-iterate that I find such a characterization as insulting. By the way, I think that pretty much all residents of the Belltown Fire District are taxed at the "C/S" rate. This is described as "Basic services plus volunteer fire protection, sanitary sewer, and City garbage collection." The mill rate for this district is $16.28 Yes, the residents of the Belltown Fire District do, as you state, pay taxes towards a volunteer department. But, I do know that a portion of the taxes collected from a resident in the Belltown Fire District in the name of fire protection is also allocated to SFRD to "cover operations in the volunteer districts". So, while it is true that they enjoy the response of a volunteer AND career department, their taxes help pay for both. They are paying their way, and are NOT "freeloaders". In my opinion, the Belltown FD and it's residents are fortunate to be a part of an automatic mutual aid program that functions very well. City units are dispatched, and respond. If the volunteers in Belltown can muster a sufficient response in a timely manner, the city response is cancelled. If it isn't, the citizens are not shortchanged by not getting a response to their call for help. And, history has proven over and over that the members of Belltown have held up their end of the bargain. Not to mention that in addition to accomplishing our primary mission, which is to safeguard th lives and property of the residents of our district, we also participate in the automatic mutual aid program providing equipment and manpower resources to the district surrounding us. You probably don't know about it, but whenever there is an incident or fire in the city of Stamford that potentially could tap citywide resources, notifications go out to the BFD members and they man the station. BFD stands ready to answer the call outside their district, even responding downtown if needed. Would you call those people getting the help of the BFD freeloaders? "PERKS" ??? Please elaborate on this. As far as how to identify ability levels, definitely something worth looking into. I have seen departments use different color frontpieces, different color entry tags, etc. Can I ask what you mean by "low trained" volunteers responding on calls? And, at least from my experience, an untrained volunteer in Belltown has a great big orange frontpiece on their shield. This is how we quickly identify who is trained and who is not. You will see these members on our rigs responding to calls. This is how they gain eperience. We don't send our members to an academy and then they hit the street. They arent on a call "to show a volunteer presence", they are there to learn and contribute in any way they can. Whats wrong with that? I am not saying there is anything wrong with leaving the district for shopping, fuel, etcetera. What I am saying is that the district is "stripped" when you do so, by using your definition of the term in an earlier post. And, while I am aware of the situation in TOR, that's not germane to the discussion I am having with you here, most specifically in your labelling the BFD and the residents of it's district as freeloaders.