local emergecy depts.

[dragonwrecker]

ok first off I am not going to say why i am writing this but I do believe most of you are intelligent enough to figure that out on your own.
some of you may know that i am a firefighter as well as wearing a few other hats in my day to day life.please support your local fire dept.and EMS dept.the cost of equipping the men and women who come to help you and your neighbors go up every year and the local support from the communities and governments go down.about 70% of the U.S. is protected by your neighbors who volunteer their time and put there life on the line for you and your families for little or no pay.( not a employed position in your county or city).but instead just for the satisfaction of knowing they did everything they could to save you or a loved one or property from damage. they donate their time to educate our children on fire safety and take time from their lives to collect money for burn victims and accident victims. patients most of which they have never seen or known but to give them the chance to return to a normal life.
these are our local hero's.your neighbors.your friends,your co-workers,your church members,for some your father or mother,sons or daughters,aunts or uncles.even a stranger from a town you have never been to but someone who is there when you need them in an emergency while traveling. say thank you,keep them in you prayers.and when you are able donate to them for these are the people who you will depend on in your time of need and who you want to have the equipment they need to save yours or a family members life or property. thank you and god bless.

[Z16]

Firefighters and EMS are true heroes. We all need to thank you and all others for your service.

A friend is the Fire Chief for a volunteer dept close by, and I have a few that are firefighters for another volunteer dept. Both departments have been fairly lucky to be well equipped with good trucks and equipment, but both would like to be able to do more training of members, both in rescue and firefighting, as well as with how to deal with the situation they may come to. I can't imagine a volunteer who gets called to a major fire or bad car wreck, and then once it's over, just go back to their normal life.

I agree, that supporting these heroes is a great thing to do. If you can donate please do, and next time you see someone who is Fire or EMS, shake their hand and say thank you

[C-10 simplex]

Look, i think firefighters/rescue and police are very important. But i can't understand with all the taxes we pay, the department supposedly always needs more money/donations from other sources besides tax money?

Yet we can build parks, libraries, community centers, recreation centers etc. etc.


The other thing i don't understand, and i'm not saying this is wrong---i'm just asking because i don't know, is the whole volunteer thing; I think it's a noble thing, but i don't understand it, i wouldn't volunteer myself, and i don't understand why they even have this program? Why can't they "afford" to pay someone?

There is even volunteer police in my area where i've read that these volunteer officers must buy gas and repairs for the cruiser with their own money!!!

Something is clearly wrong here.

[dragonwrecker]

Originally Posted by C-10 simplex

Look, i think firefighters/rescue and police are very important. But i can't understand with all the taxes we pay, the department supposedly always needs more money/donations from other sources besides tax money?

Yet we can build parks, libraries, community centers, recreation centers etc. etc.


The other thing i don't understand, and i'm not saying this is wrong---i'm just asking because i don't know, is the whole volunteer thing; I think it's a noble thing, but i don't understand it, i wouldn't volunteer myself, and i don't understand why they even have this program? Why can't they "afford" to pay someone?

There is even volunteer police in my area where i've read that these volunteer officers must buy gas and repairs for the cruiser with their own money!!!

Something is clearly wrong here.

to try and simplify it for you.most counties and small towns dont have the funds to pay for full time firefighters or ems.in order to do that due to population in the area and amount of property as well your taxes would most likely more than double.most of the taxes you pay go to big brother and does not stay locally.tie that in with increasing cost for supplies and equipment and you get the idea.also i understand and respect you not being one to volunteer it really isnt for everyone,just be thankful for the ones who do. as i stated before those that do do it because they want to help their friends and neighbors protect their life and property not to gain financially,these are people who can stop instantly what ever they are doing to go and help someone friend or stranger from any sort of disaster be it fire,medical ,natural disaster or accident and turn right around and go back to their job,family or whatever they were doing when the call for help came out.

here is another way to look at it also.most of the people who volunteer have at least a basic medical training and fire training more than you may realize are off duty fire,ems,nurses, medical staff, officers,and public service workers.not all but more than you might think. .you have a better chance in surviving if someone who is just down your street gets there in a matter of minutes to support your life until medical transport gets there than having to wait as much as 30 to 45 minutes in some rural areas.again it really isnt for everyone but be thankful for the ones who do.

[AntiGov]

not to piss any one off here, but out west here many of our fire depts are huge beautiful castle like buildings. landscaped to the hilt nicer than most fancy hotels or resurants. paying employees 6 figure incomes with forever retirements and bennies...good career choice but not sure getting paid to do something gives you hero statice......a guy not too far out of town had his house burn down , none of the many fire depts around would come cause he was a mile outside the district.....i guess they just follow the money....

[flashed]

I live in a small community with 1 paid firefighter per shift and the rest volunteers .I have needed their services twice and they were here within minutes and Im thankful for them everyday .Sometimes these volunteers become full time paid fire fighters in other communities as they have the same training and I too consider them heroes .They put in a lot of time and effort away from their own family to protect us and our familys .I support them anyway I can and thank them everytime I have an opportunity.

[Mudder]

There are more volunteer firefighters in this country than paid. There are different type of departments. Full time paid, paid per call, and volly. Most states and Missouri for sure all firefighters must pass the same test and be certified. Our department is all volly and you must have a state cert to put an air tank on. The small town fire departments just don't recieve the funds the larger city departments do. It's very expensive. My little town has 2500 peeps. Most of our calls are in the rural areas. They do not pay taxes to the city so they have a Assoc. to collect a yearly fee. We answer all calls but if the fee hasn't been paid they are charged for the type of call after the fact.
We have a dinner each year around Christmas with money we have made during the year from a 4th fish fry and a couple bbq's. Yep we reward the top reponders with a shirt, cap etc.
I could go on and on but I won't. My son-in-law is on a big paid department so I am familar with those too. The small departments do need help so anytime you can help out every little bit helps.
Any questions ask away.

Why I'm not here like I used to be like if anyone cares lol, I have made 1000 calls in 3.5 years. I am certified First Responder, Firefighter, an vehicle extrication cert. and 58 yrs old.

[bigcow94]

i have a couple of friends that are volunteers and like everyone else has said they drop what they're doing to help someone in need. i live in a town of 800 and our volunteer firefighters host a street dance and a couple of other functions throughout the year to help pay for equipment etc. i had a neighbor a couple of years ago that they're house caught on fire. there was a few people that ran in to get her and her pets out and by the time our fire dept showed up half the town was there waiting to help. they literally rolled up with the trucks and the firefighters had to put their o2 tanks on and everyone else had they're hoses rolled out and ready to go. long story short i'm fortunate that i live in a small community where everyone helps everyone and first responders are always appreciated in one form or another

[pat 70/71]

I'm not a emergency worker or first responder. But I will say this, these people are fantastic and I know first hand. I'm here because of firemen and what they do on a daily basis. Big props to all who help others. (not easy thing to do) just think for a minute, something goes wrong and people are running out of a burning building and these men and women are running into it!! Can't pay them enough in my eyes! Thanks to all the people who work for us. Cheers, Pat
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[dragonwrecker]

this was a post from a friend a few weeks ago i would like to share it here this says way more about the type of person i and thousands of others are.this is by no means meant to put anyone down we are a special bread and i think this sums alot up

From Paramedic Shaun Holcomb - An AWESOME read......

"So as I am taking a 380 mile exodus out of my run area, at 2200 at night (10pm). I am reminded that this is EMS week by Facebook. I forget it every year sadly until it is right up on us. So I figured I would jot this down. This is not for those of us who currently are, or have served, our time in the back of an ambulance. This is for those who are showing us appreciation. I am not belittling you, and by any means trying to offend anyone. This is just something I think everyone who wants to appreciate us this week should do.

Take yourself out of the mindset your in. Pretend with me and envision these things that are a reality to me.

Could you step into the boots of the crew who have glass tearing into their own skin, muscles burning, hearts pounding, sweat pouring, and emotions running, yet still be a calm as the duck on water?

Could you make the call between who lives, and who dies in a matter of seconds?

Could you choose the 50/50 treatment path? 1 treatment will kill the patient, one treatment will save them. No treatment will kill them. Could you flip the coin on just your knowledge?

Could you bury a needle into someone's chest, hoping and praying that it will reinflate the collapsed lung?

Could you do stand by a father as his 2 baby girls are cut from a vehicle in pieces because he will NOT leave his babies?

Could you take being belittled and spit on at 0200 in the morning just because you showed up when you were called?

Could you put yourself in the boots of the crew that has just ran into a dilapidated house at 0300 hours to find a woman screaming in pure agony, and man urging you to a back room, a room full of trash and piled high with old clothing. A room with dirty diapers in the floor and a crib in the corner. A room that has a lifeless cold 3 month old who has yet to experience life. A room with a ceiling that you know will have been the last ceiling this innocent soul will see. As you pick the baby up, running as fast as you can to the ambulance, your feet, hands, mouth, fingers, and brain moving and reacting faster then you can even understand until this is all over. Your partner driving like there's no tomorrow and all of this earth depends on it. Taking in the look of the other medic jumping on board without the truck actually coming to a full stop. The blur that is the act of resusatation that we have performed to no avail over, and over taking over. The feeling of the young soul hovering above you as you frivolously work. The feeling of defeat when it's all over. Imagine it with me, as I have lived it.

Could you put yourself in the boots of the crew who just walked into the very lovely home, finding a man clutching his chest, him saying he has never hurt this bad, looking into the eyes of his wife of 50+ years and trying to explain to her that your cant make a promise, but you will do your best for her husband. Take on the cramps that come with carrying someone out of a house with multiple stairwells, all while trying to keep a humorous conversation up to try to ease the mans anxiety. To load this man into your ambulance alive, and unload him doing CPR while listening to the frantic cries of a wife who has just felt complete and total loss?

Could you run into chaos and attempt to control it, no matter the situation, when everyone else is running out?

If you cannot do these things, it is understandable. The ones you are appreciating this week do these things willingly, and with little to no pay. Think of us when you hear those sirens, shoot up a little prayer for us and the ones we are going to.

No matter what week it is."