What good are VFD's

[Happiness]

So as I read alot of the forums here about the vollies in any form and alot of it is negative. I have always been proud of our Volunteers as they really do so much for out community. I would like to share with all of you my personal opinion of our service.

Starting in Sept 09 my 17 year old son decided it would be a good idea to have a bad attitude. Not to much different from other teenagers or my other sons. He was doing poorly in school, not being the young man that my husband and I were raising. He was drinking, and fighting. We did alot of the conventional consiquences, the same as other parents. We yelled and screamed, took things away, and made him do things he didnt enjoy like spend time with us. All of these things just made everyone envoled depressed and cranky and we found ourselves really not liking the other.

In November at 11:00pm we heard a knock on the door and it was our friend Mike. He had just driven our son to the emergency room because he had the crap knocked out of him. I got dressed and went down to pick him up and I was not a happy camper. When I went into the room the nurse (who was new and freindly) asked my son if he need any help getting off of the bed because his mother was here to pick him up. My son had somehow twisted his ankle in this fight and that was the chief complaint and the booze on his breath was good ole Capt Morgans. I piped up dont you dare hand him his sock or his shoe, if he wants to be a prick he can do it himself, the nurses face just dropped. They gave him crutches and I took them away and told his buddy to be his crutch to the truck. I had a set of my own crutches at home he could have. He was sick and in pain the next day so I let him be in his room so he could continplate life and the road that he was choosing to go down. Now my son was not the only one in the group that was choosing that road. All of the fathers got together and made the decision that these kids were going join the VFD as jrs.

This part of the program had been dormant for many years as the kids didnt want anything to do with the Fire Department. Now each child has gone through training and they have all turned themselve around. One wants to be a cop, one a rcmp officer, one a nurse and my son has been accepted into the Vancouver Art Instituted for the music program. All of the attitudes have changed and they are actually normal human beings. I have to thank our fire department for having the patients and the love for my child and the others to be a big part of their lives and show them what life can be about. They know that there may be a time in their lives that they will have to rely on others to save them and they have learned what true friendship is all about. I would like to share so pics that I have down loaded of these guys and girls so you can see the smiles that a VFD can give your own children. Please remember this to me is a happy subject and about our fire department. If yours dosnt do this then maybe you show these pics and this post to convince them that any JR fire department can make a big differnce. Please also share your stories and pics.

here is my photobucket enjoy and let me know if it doesnt show I will check tommorrow

http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee123/princess_happiness/Masset%20VFD/

Edited April 22, 2010 by Happiness

[spenac]

I know many great volly fire depts. Not near as many calls for fire response so it is an ideal program to be done in volly form.

[boeingb13]

That was a really good story, I enjoyed reading that.

[Eydawn]

Volunteer service period is beneficial for people. Especially younger people seeking purpose and identity.

I know my EMS focused Venturing Crew saved one of my friends. Literally- saved this kid from self-destructing. He's now a very successful paramedic.

Glad to hear things worked out for your young'ns there!!

--Wendy

[Asclepius]

Volunteer Departments are the backbone of EMS in America. The problem with Volunteer's is that they're volunteers. They're not required to participate in all of the training that a typical career EMS provider goes through. They also don't run the call volume that paid services do. EMS is not typically their passion or career choice, but they do it because if they didn't, who else would? As a state regulator, I see many different kinds of agencies. I see good and bad volunteer agencies and I see good and bad paid agencies. Volunteer's most generally do the best they can with the resources they have. Sometimes they knock it out of the park and other times they do just enough to get by. I can say that of some paid agencies.

Do the best you can to thank them for their valuable service and encourage them to improve in areas of weakness. Without volunteers EMS would not be the success it is in America today.

[uglyEMT]

Volunteer Departments are the backbone of EMS in America. The problem with Volunteer's is that they're volunteers. They're not required to participate in all of the training that a typical career EMS provider goes through. They also don't run the call volume that paid services do. EMS is not typically their passion or career choice, but they do it because if they didn't, who else would? As a state regulator, I see many different kinds of agencies. I see good and bad volunteer agencies and I see good and bad paid agencies. Volunteer's most generally do the best they can with the resources they have. Sometimes they knock it out of the park and other times they do just enough to get by. I can say that of some paid agencies.

Do the best you can to thank them for their valuable service and encourage them to improve in areas of weakness. Without volunteers EMS would not be the success it is in America today.

Couldn't have said it better myself

To Happiness: Glad to hear your son got turned around and also his friends too. Its nice to hear when an organization can do that for folks and especially when they are the next generation. Hopefully he and his friends fulfill all their asperations and go on and have long fruitfull happy lives.

[Don1977]

Just resigned from my VFD after 7 years, they tried to yell at me for not participating in the fish fry....I was working 12 hour shifts and Jess was sick a few times, sorry my family and job comes first and then had issues of how i screen new applicants by myself when no one the "committee" is never available, there is no way written in bylaws how to do it, Jess and I don't need that BS.......volunteer days are over for me.

[spenac]

Without volunteers EMS would not be the success it is in America today.

So you are saying vollys are holding EMS back? Because if the America you are talking about is the USA you are making a tongue and cheek remark as we all know the USA EMS is so far behind the times. It is a laughing stock to the rest of the developed nations and even many underdeveloped nations.

[Asclepius]

So you are saying vollys are holding EMS back? Because if the America you are talking about is the USA you are making a tongue and cheek remark as we all know the USA EMS is so far behind the times. It is a laughing stock to the rest of the developed nations and even many underdeveloped nations.

Not at all. I'm saying without volunteer's the EMS system we enjoy would be even farther behind than you seem to think it is.

[spenac]

Not at all. I'm saying without volunteer's the EMS system we enjoy would be even farther behind than you seem to think it is.

Wow so only way we could be worse off is if we had no EMS? Honestly with the low standards, educational and others, most USA medics, including myself despite higher education, could never even get on an ambulance in many countries unless as a patient.

But I do not blame the vollys for all of it.

But back to the VFD of the OP. Excellent example of how young people can be shown how to become productive.