Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Paid on Call Poll
You will notice a new poll at the top of the page. There has been some discussion on going to "Paid on Call" status as do most other volunteer fire departments in the country. This would mean that each firefighter would be paid an hourly wage for each call they showed up for. As we would soon bankrupt the district if 40 firefighters showed up for every first response call, this would likely mean some form of duty shift. Please answer the poll with either No - keep the current system we have now or Yes I support going paid on call idea. If you answer yes, answer one of the questions underneath with what you would expect to be paid. I should also add that if we go paid on call, many of the perks you now receive would be eliminated. This could include the annual $30,000.00 honorarium paid to the Association and the off duty insurance coverage. Some of the uniform budget, annual banquet and other costs currently funded by the District may also be reduced or eliminated. Just things to consider.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Steve, I thought we already had this discussion not to long ago! I really hope that these "discussions" were not generated from around the coffee room table?.. or have we been missing calls again? As long as I have been a member of the sfd, its been about volunteering not about being paid. In my opinion, volunteering has been the foundation of the sfd. For those of you who choose to use this poll, please remember what the association could lose as mentioned in Steve's blog. Also to add, if the department does decide to go to a "paid on call", does this mean that the association will no longer exist, since the honorarium may be eliminated? So to ponder, if the assocition no longer exists, due to going paid on call, does that mean that all the association events may be reduced or eliminated?.... such as the Santa run, Halloween haunted house,Canada day,fill the fire truck with food and all the other events added on from time to time that as an assocation we were able to fullfill? Or will these become department paid on call events? I also think this should be brought forward to the next association meeting, or the first meeting of the year with the CAO. I really hope members think about the decision they make on this poll as it can and will have an ever lasting effect on the sfd and the association. If anybody has any questions or needs clarification on my thoughts please contact me via email or phone.
ReplyDeleteThank you J. Timewell
Very good points Mr. Timewell
ReplyDeleteIf going paid on call will result in the closure and disbanding of the Association then that is a decision that must be fully thought out by the membership before it should be allowed to happen. It isn't as simple as saying "Ok, the Association is no more" - there are a lot of questions that would need to be addressed, such as the ones concerning who will take over the Association sponsored events that Mr. Timewell has pointed out.
The Association can exist without department funding, but the scope in which it would be able to operate would be severely changed. In fact, the majority of its abilties and responsibilites would be lost, and it would in essense be dead in the water. Should it be decided to dispand, there is an entire legal process that it would have to go through, including the liquidation and/or absorption of its assests, including everything in the lounge. It wouldn't automatically become property of the fire department.
I personally do not want to see the Association be pressured into folding because of a lack of, or a withdrawing of, funding due to the department's decision to go paid on call; especially since it's members have worked very hard to make it what it is today.
On the other hand, I can see the perspective that Chier Sorenson is coming from. He needs to ensure that when a call comes in, be it a structure fire or lift assist, that a crew is responding. The only way to ensure this, apart from having paid staff 24/7 is a structured duty crew or staffing rotation. Once you go that route it goes from being "volunteer" to "voluntold", at which point some level of compensation would and should be expected for everyone's time.
Maybe the answer isn't as black and white as:
Stay Volutneer = Having an Association
Go Paid on Call = Closing the Association
Perhaps there is some middle ground to explore.
I get the feeling that this debate will always be around and that a lot of emotions are involved from everyone's perspectives. This is, however, a transition that a lot of department's have made over the years. Some have been good transitions, others have been a disaster.
Lets hope a win/win situation will eventually come of it.
Just to add...
ReplyDeleteI can't possibly see how the disbanding of the Association is at all related to being a POC Department. The Association is entirely necessary whether it is strictly volunteer or POC.
If the source of funding is eliminated by the District, it will have to be found elsewhere (ie: Increased Membership Dues)
Fearing POC from an Association standpoint seems minor as the Association would have an increased role being POC. The greater issue should be around finding a solution to the problems we are facing, and a working, effective, agreeable Duty Shift.