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VolunteerFD.org Member News September 2007 Volume 2 |
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Volunteer Professionals |
| Are Drivers-Only an Option? | |
| By Jason J. Zigmont | |
With departments scrambling for help, many are trying to find unique ways to recruit and retain members. An option that has become popular is creating different classes of members, ranging from full firefighters to social members or boosters who only help with the fundraising.  One of my readers asked me about the option of bringing in members that were drivers-only ... "Dear Mr. Zigmont, I was hoping you could possibly shed some light on this for me. I'll be brief and to the point as possible ... My reason for writing is that we decided to bring in those new members, being an open door fraternity as we are in the volunteer fire service. But after some driving classes and a few water in, water out at the pump panel, they are blessed as a driver. I am concerned since they have absolutely no clue what the fire service is about let alone our missions as grunts on the knob going through the front door. I have been attempting to find out what other companies do for their driver requirements. Maybe I’m a little too narrow minded, but being a state fire/rescue instructor, it scares me to death. Can you guide me to some reasonable driver requirements that I might have the chance to have incorporated into the bylaws? I guess it's one of those issues that actually affects the safety of crew on the apparatus. Just because the member drives a delivery truck for a living, does not make him an instant fire apparatus driver; I can drive a 10 penny nail, but does it make me a carpenter?"  Read Full Column Read more columns by Jason Zigmont
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| Volunteer Firefighting News and Announcements: | |
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Kan. volunteer FDs lack new blood [Amagon, Ark.] At volunteer firehouses, a touch of gray in the ranks [Mahwah, N.J.] La. department's 126 years of history comes to end [Gretna, La.] Colleagues mourn former Fla. firefighter [Deerfield Beach, Fla.] Md. firefighter charged in library firebomb [Havre de Grace, Md.] N.J. volunteers under fire [Oceanside, N.J.] |
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