Volunteers - paid or not

[Just Plain Ruff]

my thoughts are that if you are paid at all, be it a stipend or a call by call basis, you are not volunteer. But that's just me.

[mstovall]

With the volunteer fire dept. I am a member of, we get a whole $350/yr if we make 25% of the runs and we make 45% of the training. Training is once a week plus one sat./ quarter. The $350 is suppose to be spent on either clothes that are ruined or for fuel allocation. This counts as a reimbursement. I don't consider this pay. I do consider myself a volunteer.

Here are some of the expenses involved;

Fuel for training nights

Fuel for runs

Travel to neighboring counties/cities for additional training

Vehicle upkeep

Cleaning of turnout gear

Expendables-safety glasses, extraction gloves, medical gear if not recouped from the transporting service

Why am I a volunteer? Because I choose to share my training with others in need. Just as I had three neighbors (a roofer and two carpenters) take care of my house when it was hit by a tornado in 2000, I choose to help them when they are in need of my services. The county has said they can't afford additional EMS personnel. As I work for them part time, I can concur with them. The fire is also a mixed paid/vol service. Our volunteer service makes about 300 runs/year, most of which we are cancelled prior to our arrival (false fire alarms where paid crew arrives to find no fire).

Last year my $350 did not even cover my gear cleaning and upkeep. Fuel was out of my pocket. Misc. expenses were incurred. So was I truly paid? I don't think so. Stipends rarely cover your expenses, I would venture to guess they rarely cover 1/4 of your expenses.

Paid on call to me is not volunteer. Yearly stipend that doesn't cover your expenses, I consider this volunteer.

Michael

[spenac]

If you accept any money you are no longer a volunteer. In fact on taxes if you are trying to right off your time and other as a volly and the IRS finds out you got anything you could face charges of fraud. When I was a volly we got nothing. If I spent all day away from my paid job I just robbed my family of money we needed, and it happened. Even slow systems get those days when all heck breaks loose.

So my answer is if you are reimbursed you are not truly a volunteer.

[Dustdevil]

So my answer is if you are reimbursed you are not truly a volunteer.

I disagree. If you don't have to do it (monitarily and career-wise), then you are volunteering to do it. It's an either or situation. Getting paid for your hobby does not make it any less of a hobby.

[paramedicmike]

So if I go and work part time at my family's business even though financially I don't have to means I'm volunteering? Even when I'm getting paid for it?

I think I see the point you're trying to make but I don't know that it follows along the lines you want it to.

-be safe

[Dustdevil]

So if I go and work part time at my family's business even though financially I don't have to means I'm volunteering? Even when I'm getting paid for it?

Depends on what your family's business is.

[CBEMT]

I'm still trying to figure out why we care if stipend-earning personnel can be considered volunteers or not. :?

[Arctickat]

I suppose one would have to consider the opinion of the Department of Labour...no?

http://www.jenner.com/files/tbl_s20Publica...eer%2012.05.pdf

[Dustdevil]

I suppose one would have to consider the opinion of the Department of Labour...no?

Awesome find, Kat!

I win!!!!!!11

[Arctickat]

Glad to be of help.