Struggling Volunteer Squad

I know this topic isn't discussed much on here so, I may or may not get a response.



I've been a member of my local volunteer rescue squad for 15 years now. In the last few years I have seen a lot of people come and go and I've seen a lot of change. When I first joined, people were always out at the station, on the weekends especially. Sometimes you would have to run and/or fight to get a spot on a truck if a call went off. Back then, we also had a paid staff in the county that worked M-F 8am-6pm and weekends only like 8-430pm. We had it the rest of the time. There was never a problem to get calls covered. A few years ago when members starting dropping or just stopped coming around, the call coverage and response times dropped dramatically. The county stepped in and started accepting proposals for a 24/7 coverage ems staff. Long story short, we submitted a proposal along with a few others but the paid staff that was already in the county, won the bid.

They started their new contract in mid-2010. Since then, moral and getting calls covered or getting a jump on a call to beat the paid staff has dropped dramatically...We just built and opened up a new station last year. Hardly anyone comes out there these days. A lot of members like to push the blame on poor management (officers). But I feel this new contract has a lot to do with it. If I'm sitting at home and a call goes off, I'm not going to drive 10 minutes to the station just to turn around and go back home because the paid staff is already on scene. (They have to be responding within 2 minutes). I'm not the only one that developed this harsh reality. I also feel that this thread that Dead Heretic started has a LOT to do with it as well. Bottom line is, if we don't have members at the station to jump on a truck immediately and go, we won't beat the paid staff and we won't get to transport. We do soft billing, which means we bill the patients insurance company and receive whatever they pay. We never send bill collectors or contact credit services if a patient receives a bill at their house and does not pay.

Last year I was voted into the position of 1st LT (2nd in rank). We (the officers) have been searching for a resolution that would bring members back around and also get calls covered at the same time. At the first of 2011 we implemented a change to our requirements that made members have so many run hours per month. This didn't go well with a lot of folks but we needed accountability of our members and in a way "forced" them to come out and run calls.


Shew....I need a break from all this typing....There is plenty more I could add but I will hold off for now. If anyone has any positive feedback, comments or questions, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Its happening all over..people want to bitch and not do anything more, so they stop comming out..its happening in my own department..im ready to just say fukkit and give it a break for a few years..i plan on moving in the next year or two anyway

 

Yeah, I know it's starting to happen all over. I just hate to walk away from 15 years worth of enjoyment (well for the most part) and serving my community. It makes me feel good to know I did a good dead for a citizen. It's in my blood now....and also branded on my shoulder for life

 

Sometimes its better to walk away before shit gets to deep..guy i work with walked away after 19years on the fd because of the bullshit

 

All jokes aside, I really have considered it. My officer term ends after this year, so we shall see.

 

Ive been on the fd for 8 years now, i think im going to call it quits soon too..enough is enough

 

Being in as long as we have it's always easier said than done to just up and walk away. Good thing for me is, I have my life member with the squad.

 

Why are you on the Fire Department? Are you there to "be cool" and drive the BRTs? Have bragging rights to your friends? Or are you really there to help your community?

No matter how much internal BS there is going on... if we each stood up and remembered that we are there to help the people... things would be a lot different. Go to the station. Do your part. Clean up after yourself. Go home. Pretty simple... yet so hard for the majority to remember.

 

I'm going to assume this isn't directly related to me since the subject says "rescue squad" lol. I can't agree with you more. So many people join for the wrong reasons. Could care less about even running calls. They just want that tag to put on their car and a squad t-shirt to show off.

 

Correction, it just says, "squad". My bad. The rescue squad reference is actually in the first sentence

 

My apologies ... did not mean to offend the OP... or anyone else for that matter. Guess I wanted to remind everyone why we do what we do. My words were hasty and improperly chosen.

 

No worries. I agree in what you're saying. Just wanted to clarify I wasn't in the squad to be in the "cool club". Thanks for your input.