Skip to content

No Qualified Drivers?

4 comments

As the Fiscal Year 2010 reductions hit, more organizational cracks appear and existing dysfunctions become more noticable.

Dave Statter has been following one of the high-profile examples, the moving of career staff out of volunteer Prince George’s County (Maryland) fire stations.  Since last Wednesday’s blog (HERE) the situation has become more troubling.

NO QUALIFIED DRIVERS

Last night Statter reported on a volunteer chief’s complaint to the acting county fire chief.  (STATter911.com item HERE)

A station not on the original plan will lose career staff next Thursday.  In his letter to the acting county fire chief, with copies to local political leaders, Volunteer Fire Chief Nicholas Finamore states:

While I am aware of the budgetary constraints placed upon the department, the Allentown Road Volunteer Fire Department is currently unavailable to backfill the station with volunteer participation. Furthermore, we have no volunteer members currently turned over to operate the station apparatus.

As discussed in previous communications, if career staffing were not a necessity, I would have not requested it. (read entire letter HERE )

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A VFD IN A COMBINATION SYSTEM?

Chief Finamore’s memo makes me wonder … if you have no qualified apparatus drivers, what is the the purpose of a volunteer fire department? 

Engine 832, Truck 832 and Ambulance 832 were purchased by the county. The non-profit VFD corporation owns the fire station/land and some support vehicles.truck-832

Since the outlawing of casino nights last decade, the ability of many PG volunteer corporations to purchase fire apparatus appears to have evaporated.

WHAT IS THE VFD CHIEF’S RESPONSIBILITY?

Chief Finamore is a life member of Allentown Road VFD, meaning that he has been active for more than 20 years. He is known as an excellent fireground commander.

He also had a career with the county fire and rescue department, retiring as a PGFD deputy fire chief.

Is it the volunteer chief’s responsibility to assure that enough volunteers are trained to provide basic services?  Or is it acceptable not to sweat the training of volunteer apparatus operators when you have county employees as drivers every hour of every day?

If you live in the Fort Washington community, you may want to stop by Station 32 at 7:30 pm tonight to see what is happening at your community fire/ems station.

Every first Monday is our monthly business meeting. Anyone interested in joining the Company to become a firefighter, EMT or Firefighter/EMT or to join as an associate member should show up at the monthly meeting.

http://www.allentownroadvfd.org/members.html
Allentown Road Volunteer Fire Department
8709 Allentown Road
Fort Washington, MD 20744

Non-Emergency: 301-248-7434

Mike “Fossilmedic” Ward
Diamond or Dust budget series

Posted by on July 6, 2009 • Filed under: commentary
  • NORTH CHIEF

    So the volunteer chief is not responsible for the inability to man his own station and cant supply apparatus drivers? Wow this sad situation there continues to be even sadder. I feel sorry for all involved, citizens, volunteers and career guys. Hope someone is able to get a handle on this before someone gets killed, we know the firefighters will feel bad if that happens, not so sure the politicians will.

  • NORTH CHIEF

    So the volunteer chief is not responsible for the inability to man his own station and cant supply apparatus drivers? Wow this sad situation there continues to be even sadder. I feel sorry for all involved, citizens, volunteers and career guys. Hope someone is able to get a handle on this before someone gets killed, we know the firefighters will feel bad if that happens, not so sure the politicians will.

  • Robert L. Ridgeway

    So now we’re going to bust a Volunteer Chief’s butt because he’s being honest in saying he can’t get his apparatus out for emergency responses and needs career assistance? These types of issues have been common in the PGFD for more years ago than I care to remember, yet nothing gets done other than trying to put more band-aids on a severed limb. The definition of a ‘combination’ fire department is a department that’s in transition; i.e. moving from all volunteer to all career. The problem is that the PGFD has been stuck in the transition stage for over 35 years now, with no end in sight. Only when the elected and appointed officials in PG County appoint a Fire Chief with the knowledge and ability to truly lead the deaprtment, coupled with proper financial and political support, will we begin to see this sorry mess turn around.

  • Robert L. Ridgeway

    So now we’re going to bust a Volunteer Chief’s butt because he’s being honest in saying he can’t get his apparatus out for emergency responses and needs career assistance? These types of issues have been common in the PGFD for more years ago than I care to remember, yet nothing gets done other than trying to put more band-aids on a severed limb. The definition of a ‘combination’ fire department is a department that’s in transition; i.e. moving from all volunteer to all career. The problem is that the PGFD has been stuck in the transition stage for over 35 years now, with no end in sight. Only when the elected and appointed officials in PG County appoint a Fire Chief with the knowledge and ability to truly lead the deaprtment, coupled with proper financial and political support, will we begin to see this sorry mess turn around.