jrf344

Its unfortunate that time and money is being wasted on this and many other Fire and EMS reports. If you want change the Fire Service for the better do a study on how to encourage or force antiquated self centered control freak voting memberships that they need to do whats best for their communities and not themselves. Crap I will pay for that report.

Are they looking for any Part Time workers from people that know about a little about Fire Equipment?

How about some photos from the work those guys did?

Some random observations for Mr Cogs and his local FF's. Volunteer FF's go to calls when they feel like it or can. They go to training when they feel like it or can. They meet the 2 in 2 out when they feel like it or can (I have witnessed it while coming acros a assistant Chief in a basement of a working fire with a hose line by himself). They respond fully staffed on equipment when they feel like it (remember when they were supposed to be announcing number of members on board to dispatch). They respond on a utility vehicle (not an Engine)to a Fire Alarm to say they responded. I once witnessed a department choose not to respond to a call at Twin Rinks because they were going to a Parade. A Chief drives the apparatus to a call to make sure of response (fine if he is responding as a driver). I am not sure but I would guess that would be against NIMS/ICS. All your preaching about your proud strong Stamford Volunteers, why does it make sense to start paying 51 of you (no longer a volunteer). What does that do to your Volunteer Fire Departments? Makes them paid, no? A new taxing district? Thats what the tax payers need. What about when your bogus SAFER Grant runs out? How affordable is it going be then? How much does the city plan on paying the new employees? Do you think they are going to do it for less then the City FF's? If they do they are idiots. Do you think they won't organize and join a union later? How about your boy Maounis? Attacking the city FF's when he was part of the administration that signed off on the similiar contracts for the TOR guys? The TOR FF's had the 24 hour schedule first. What about when the Paid drivers were making more money than a city Lieutenant? And there is no reason for Maounis to reference FF's wives and families in a letter to the Bd of Reps.

In some volunteer departments most Deputy Chiefs are just past Chiefs. Some who can't let go of power or lights. But if you are thinking of going to Deuty Chiefs my question would be, do you really need more Chiefs? In 2011 you should consider creating FF positions not Chiefs.

Reality Bites, but congrats to those who admitted there was a problem grabbing the Bull by the horn and addressing the problem. Lets hope the dedicated 3 or so that were still busting their butt(hopefully) to do the right thing can still respond and be absorbed into 1 of the consolidated companies.

Until well thought out education based policy, procedure and common sense decisions are required by departments or districts instead of money spending popularity based boys with toys you can't tell me what to do attitude. It will be hard to do the right thing. And stepping backwards will continue.

Thank you for the news conference post.

You guys are starting to sound like Charlie Browns Teacher!

Just a waist of time. Those of you who commented get it. But you guys are not the problem nor the solution. Until there are politicians who have the nuggets to put policies and procedures in place and enforce them especially for minimum standards for training FF's and officers this will go on. Until there are policing agencies that go along with the unfunded mandates of NYS training, NFPA, OSHA, PESH etc. this will go on. Visiting once in a great while for PESH and OSHA is a waist or better yet lets point fingers of why something happened insted of keeping up on people to make sure it does not happen. What a joke. RIP those who are caught in a horrible sytem.

Here is my 2 cents. between 1993 and 1996 the Paid volunteers (oxymoron) average salary was equivalent to SFRD Lieutenants pay. Some were making equivalent to a DC. Then the Mayor was threatened with not being able to protect 1 of the big five districts without more employees. So Mayor Malloy gave them a city engine with 4 FF's 24/7 365 at no cost to the tax payers. Good for the tax payers not good for the Volunteer district so they sued and won tax payers money wasted. There were 2 studies done, 1 just prior to 1995 and 1 a couple of years ago at a cost of approximately $133,000.00 for the last one alone. Funny how both studies said basically the same thing. There is your tax paying money wasted again by the administration not the volunteers of the SFRD. No offense Mr Mayor or Bobby Valentine but stick to what you know. Fire Service is not it.