Would you still volunteer.......

[JM15 386]

It comes down to being in a fire district. A fire district can't outright pay you to go on calls. Somers is now paid per call for EMS and we are paid once a year by the fire department. The catch 22 is that it is really hard to abolish a fire district. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Goose 188]

I wish career EMS got LOSAP, i would be rolling in retirement dough...

[mreis95 77]

Well since this got off topic a lil bit, yeah losap was a fine idea if there was a way to make it not have the effect that it does on volunteer fd's. Losap is nothing but problems like someone stated before Another thing that bothers me is the kids that join so they can put it on a scholarship application or a college application and makes them look good but never show up, what can you do about that? And to keep it on track with the primary question of course i'd still volunteer thats the whole point, lights are a plus but arent needed, in my experience they have never hurt and have always been nothing but a large asset to myself and the rest of the members in the dept. Yes you get those who drive reckless then thats up to the chiefs and the police to deal with. If you cant act responsible you should loose the privlage of having one, (yes it is not a right to have a light because the chief has to give you a card as per nys. Its for the community and the helping and friendlyness that there should be. The fd isnt how it used to be theres too much crap theres too much quarterbacking and no one cares about what everyone should care about and that is the safety of the town and those traveling through it. Isnt the purpose of the fd to preserve life and property, lets stick with that and how we can better ourselves and our departments, not how can we make the site better.

I mean no personal attacks or anything by this just speaking my mind.

Edited January 4, 2010 by mreis95

[ffp20 14]

From what I have heard from the most dedicated volunteers is LOSAP is the worst thing they could have ever done in there depts. If your dept has LOSAP:

1) has it improved the numbers?

2) increased the number of people that show up to the fire house, but really do not participate?

3) made no difference (the numbers of members is the same or less)?

GREAT QUESTION !!!

answers:

1) NO

2) NO

3) YES, we have lots of fire policemen sticking around to build up their years of service. The numbers of actual FIREFIGHTERS, has been dwindling for years. LOSAP here does nothing to recruit new members, or to keep the working age firefighters around. We've had it for 15 years.

[ladder55 26]

I'm not to familiar with what losap is and how it works

I do know we don't even mention it in our interviews so it has no affect on the turnout

One question I have is what makes it so bad?

[pfd 0]

Yes it should not matter if you dont have a blue light