Fire District Consolidation Opposition

[helicopper 1,050]

This has been a very passionate (and for some emotional) discussion/debate and everyone for the most part has been very good about not getting personal but there have been some posts that really skirt the borders of inappropriate.

If you can't make your point without bashing another member, think of another way of saying it.

Do not make broad, general accusations or stereotypes about your fellow members. If you want to address a point, address that point and not the member.

One of the great things about this forum is that people are bringing FACTS to the discussion. I don't have to take someone at their word when their word is flawed or so biased that they can't or won't see the big picture. That's my right and one of the great things about this Country.

This is without question a sensitive subject for some but we all have to stop and think about who we all work for - the taxpayer! bnechis already said it, NYS is one of the highest taxed states in the nation (that's a fact, not propaganda) and we all have to think about that before the bottom truly drops out and we can't afford the luxuries we enjoy now - like paychecks, and fire stations, and "free" training, and pensions, and annual physical examinations, etc.

Let's agree to disagree without slinging mud at each other. I know that the majority of those who have posted in this thread have taken the high road but for the one or two who can't help but drag things down... be mature, be professional, and be polite!

[KCRD 6]

be mature, be professional, and be polite!

That is just plain crazy talk and frankly no fun!!

[spin_the_wheel 460]

On the subject of hypocrisy, let's talk about "housemen". Are these not simply firefighters who are working for the fire district in another job title to avoid the requirements of NYS Civil Service Law and General Municipal Law for training, etc.?

Can a non-FF be hired as a "houseman"?

Do they have to punch out when a call comes in (this is the rumor that I've heard - please correct me if I'm wrong)?

Why not just hire "firefighters" and make it a combination department?

Before anyone gets on their soapbox, please note that I'm not a firefighter or an IAFF member. I'm a taxpayer!

Yes you can have nothing to do with the fire dept.......one of our housemen has never been a f/f in his life. Another that retired years back was laid off from TWA and a resident in our town.

No they dont have to punch out but the "time of alarm" as dispatched is the "punch out" time, we put the time back in qtrs on our run sheets, I think they use 15 mintues after that time to see what the total "alarm time" is, simple to figure out the time for a day or week to be made up.

Why not hire firefighters...well like I said above, they are hired to "run" the everyday business of the district.....not to sit and wait for fire calls...they are NOT firefighters per say.

And if it's all for the taxpayer I think they would want Housemen at $55,000 a year compared to Firefighters who will have to be paid on par with the Police officers in the area at about $100,000 a year.

You want to talk about hipocrisy....the whole point of this is to provide better service to the public and "taxpayer"...so these departments have found a way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and some people want to compalin about it. Like I said before the people getting the pay dont care, the distrcit doesnt care and the public would not care.

I think the real reason some are annoyed at the "houseman" title is the fact that those people want to see the volunteer service fail, and this is a way some volunteer depts have filled the daytime gap. Why would there be any other reason to be against this system?

Edited June 28, 2009 by spin_the_wheel

[ny10570 745]

Would you guys get off your cross. This isn't about killing the volunteer fire service. This is about getting the most bang for your buck. If you are providing the better service for less money then through this legislation worst case your response area only grows. If your dept is not doing the job for less then things will change and should have changed a long time ago.

Edited June 28, 2009 by ny10570