Volunteers picking and choosing calls

[Toast]

Yes Camo, its definitely the volunteers' choice whether they come or not, I think that freedom should never be removed...  It'd just be nice if some people decided to come more often ;)

Says the man who only shows up during daylight hours  :wink:

[PF_]

Solution=Bring back the TONE ONLY PAGER :wink:

Nope, you have to know what you are responding too. 

Maybe people need to take it up in their stations, talk to the brigade members and tell them there is a job to do and unless you are not commited to repsonding when available then dont respond.  They obviously want some action like us all but if they arent prepared to do the crap jobs why should they only get a chance at the interesting jobs.  If someone says they cant be bothered turning up to an alarm to your face tell them that theyre a knob and that they will become a John Slob and miss that time when it is something cool.

Onya Johnny...   

[Firey9119]

i dont know about the rest of you guy but what really filtered me off is the few that turn up for 99.9% of calls turn up for 99.9% of training as well the rest of the people walk in WHEN EVER they feel like it and think they own the place!

[Robert-Robert34]

Tone only pagers :-o i dont think so as they only go off once and you must remember that some volunteers are farmers who dont always hear the pager go off a first time 

[Toast]

Solution=Bring back the TONE ONLY PAGER :wink:

Nope, you have to know what you are responding too. 

Why? Don't you ring MFS/SHQ anyway to confirm response and to get more details?

[PF_]

no idea, I wanna know what IM responding too though.

[Toast]

Why? So you make the choice to stay or go?  :wink:

[PF_]

 :lol: I just wanna know what Im going too.

[Manuel]

you will find out when you get to the station

[bittenyakka]

I fully Agree with the tranning problems. It is very good to know what you are going to befor you leave home because then you have a rough Idea how long you will be away for.

[Camo]

Nope, you have to know what you are responding too. 

Maybe people need to take it up in their stations, talk to the brigade members and tell them there is a job to do and unless you are not commited to repsonding when available then dont respond.  They obviously want some action like us all but if they arent prepared to do the crap jobs why should they only get a chance at the interesting jobs.  If someone says they cant be bothered turning up to an alarm to your face tell them that theyre a knob and that they will become a John Slob and miss that time when it is something cool.

Onya Johnny...   

Im guessing your station has no problems recruiting if you can tell those that dont attend calls to piss off!

Id rather some vollies not turn up to the small jobs and have heaps turn up to a big job!

[Toast]

But then the poor people who roll out of bed at 3am for those false alarms, dont get on the truck for 'the big one' due to everyone coming out of the wood work :P

[Camo]

Didnt someone say Its all about the community in the end or something?  If not i just did

[PF_]

we usually get a crew apart from daytime when everyone works and we are short on drivers.

Are you supporting John Slobs who turn out to onyl what they want camo?  Of course we are going to roll whoever turns up but it is not fair to those who are there for the community for any issue rather than those who want to get in on the big action only.  You want to be there for the community, be there all the time for them then.

[RescueHazmat]

I think Camo is supporting the fact we are volunteers..


And if you miss the truck for the big one because all the people come out the woodwork, then count yourself lucky they don't attend the "smaller" jobs... Or you wouldn't make the truck at all !    8-)




On a serious note, if crewing in the middle of the night is really that bad, maybe consider a roster system? ~ Then, no matter small or large you will have a definate crew, and they can sleep easy knowing that weather small or large they will make the appliance..

Similar to an adelaide hills brigade.

[bittenyakka]

that would improve some things that have happened at our sation. we had a fixed alarm at about 0700 to which about half the brigade came to. I am guessing because we assumed that everyone else would stay in bed.

[Toast]

Similar to an adelaide hills brigade.

No need to dodge Barker, the whole roster thing has been discussed to death here. Some think its a good idea, others think that making the commitment to be available for a night is an invasion of liberty  :roll:

[RescueHazmat]

I was unaware of the brigade name, had just heard that a brigade in the Adelaide Hills had a rostering system as volunteers.

I will try and find the threads you refer to, cheers.

[Pipster]

There are a number of brigades around that run a roster system - Barker, Kadina & Waikerie to name a few......

Throughout this discussion, only a few have mentioned that fact that we are volunteers.  Most of us have a life outside CFS - jobs, family, social life (how many people have been out at a social function, had a few drinks, and then the pager has gone off...)

If you don't get enough crew turning up to the less exciting calls, then the brigade as a whole needs to look at how to address that problem.

My own brigade has a core group of people who will turn up to almost every call - regardless of time of day (or night).

One day, one of those people, with her husband (who is also a member), drove past the station, just as the rest of the crew turned up for a call.

The couple didn't stop, because they were on the way to a ceremony for the member to be awarded her PhD.   

Based on what many have said on this forum, both should have stopped, and responded to the call, and ignored a very important event in their lives......

Camo, you hit the nail on the head.  We are Volunteers, we can chose when to respond, and when we don't. 

Certainly, within my own brigade, those who turn up to calls and training on a regular basis are the first ones to be considered for strike teams, and for many of the training courses - so there are advantages to coming along at all hours.....

Pip

[PF_]

I think the problem we have is the people that ignore the pager whent here is no other reason they cant make it to the call.  Obviously seeing your wife get her phd is mor eimportant than a call out.  The problem is with those hwo dont want to go to the basic calls but want to go the cool ones.



Onya Johnny....

[Smallflame]

There seem to be a lot of people who pick and choose calls. Its quite common to hear people say "oh, it was just a fixed alarm, so rolled over and went back to sleep". While yes, we ARE volunteers, doesn't it take away from providing a service to the community? If everyone were to choose what they go to based upon whether or not it "looked like a good one", how would we crew appliances and get the job done? Some things that come through sounding 'nothing jobs' end up being huge... what then? No crew because bob decided he couldn't be bothered getting out of bed?

I personally think that training and call attendance should be policed more harshly. If people don't make it to at least one training in a month without a good reason, they shouldn't be allowed on the appliance for calls, or have themselves pushed down the list for courses. After all, whats the point in wasting the training if the people aren't going to turn up?   :evil:

[PF_]

No crew because bob decided he couldn't be bothered getting out of bed?

Leave Bob out of this, its John's fault.  :-P

Onya Johnny...

[Pipster]

I personally think that training and call attendance should be policed more harshly. If people don't make it to at least one training in a month without a good reason, they shouldn't be allowed on the appliance for calls, or have themselves pushed down the list for courses. After all, whats the point in wasting the training if the people aren't going to turn up?   :evil:

It can be policed as harshly, or otherwise, as your brigade chooses to - if people in the brigade have an issue with it, then they should talk to the Captain.

The old CFS Act (and I guess the new SAFECOM Act - I haven't had a close look at it) - states that members need to attend 12 meeting a year to remain current.  I suspect if that was strictly adhered to, then many people shouldn't be members of the brigade......but should we kick out lots of people on that basis...?  If we did, I suspect many CFS brigades would cease to exist.....     :-(

Pip

[SA Firey]

Well fire season is almost here and all the ones who have been hibernating for the winter while others have been responding to calls will come out of the woodwork and want to be first on the appliance....NOT ON MY WATCH :-D

[Pipster]

They need to undertake their burn over training, before going out on calls...    :evil: