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The most I've seen auxiliary cops do is wave on traffic when there's something going on.. i.e. parade, concert, etc. Not sure making sure Miss Daisy doesn't get run over by Sallie Homemaker is the same as running into a burning building.
I guess you base things solely on what you personally observe. So it stands to reason that you did not observe Auxiliary Police officers — Eugene Marshalik and Nicholas Pekearo shot to death in the line of duty?
The most I've seen auxiliary cops do is wave on traffic when there's something going on.. i.e. parade, concert, etc. Not sure making sure Miss Daisy doesn't get run over by Sallie Homemaker is the same as running into a burning building.
I guess you base things solely on what you personally observe. So it stands to reason that you did not observe Auxiliary Police officers — Eugene Marshalik and Nicholas Pekearo shot to death in the line of duty?
Same thing goes for seeing volunteer firefighters risking their lives to save others, then.
Guess they're not all boozers that waste taxpayer dollars.
The firehouse in my town is a block away. Thankfully, only twice a year I see my local fireman, once during the spring fund drive and the second time
at Christmas, when one of the brightly painted trucks, circles every block in town and some volunteer firefighter, dressed as Santa Claus, waves to my
grandchildren and throws candy-canes to them, as the children stand at streetside. We have lived here in Copiague for 36 years and have always found comfort
in knowing that the volunteers are right around the corner, if we should need their help for anything. Between my auto insurance and my homeowners insurance,
the premiums are costing me over $3,000 per annum but the peace of mind that comes of knowing that the help that I may need first, is right next door and is
virtually, cost free, is a great burden that has been lifted from my mind, for as long as I've been a resident here.
If I would put faith in my local firefighter to be there for me when I need him, why would I not have the same degree of faith in the fact that he is responsible
enough to be fit for duty if he is called upon? It would be foolish for me to believe that if he was irresponsible, that his fellow firefighters would be willing to put their
own lives in his hands, to trust in him to support them in a life and death situation and I know that the integrity of the entire department would not be knowingly
compromised to a point where fellow members would not speak out or discipline their own. Do not believe for even a moment, that alcohol in a firehouse is any cause
for trepidation, worry or concern, these are responsible men who perform a vital service at minimal cost and should be afforded every measure of public trust that we
can hold for them.
Have you ever asked yourself, whether YOU would be willing to do their job at ANY cost?
The firehouse in my town is a block away. Thankfully, only twice a year I see my local fireman, once during the spring fund drive and the second time
at Christmas, when one of the brightly painted trucks, circles every block in town and some volunteer firefighter, dressed as Santa Claus, waves to my
grandchildren and throws candy-canes to them, as the children stand at streetside. We have lived here in Copiague for 36 years and have always found comfort
in knowing that the volunteers are right around the corner, if we should need their help for anything. Between my auto insurance and my homeowners insurance,
the premiums are costing me over $3,000 per annum but the peace of mind that comes of knowing that the help that I may need first, is right next door and is
virtually, cost free, is a great burden that has been lifted from my mind, for as long as I've been a resident here.
If I would put faith in my local firefighter to be there for me when I need him, why would I not have the same degree of faith in the fact that he is responsible
enough to be fit for duty if he is called upon? It would be foolish for me to believe that if he was irresponsible, that his fellow firefighters would be willing to put their
own lives in his hands, to trust in him to support them in a life and death situation and I know that the integrity of the entire department would not be knowingly
compromised to a point where fellow members would not speak out or discipline their own. Do not believe for even a moment, that alcohol in a firehouse is any cause
for trepidation, worry or concern, these are responsible men who perform a vital service at minimal cost and should be afforded every measure of public trust that we
can hold for them.
Have you ever asked yourself, whether YOU would be willing to do their job at ANY cost?
I thought not...
The problem is...the system is broken. Response time (when a fully manned truck arrives at scene...not when the chief shows up) is well below national & NYFD response times. The inside joke with Professional FF's is that Vollies usually get there to water down the foundation.
Not sure what handing out candy canes & dressing as Santa has to do with public safety?
How much you pay for for car & home insurance is about as revalent as how much you pay for your mortgage.
Its not virtually cost free. You pay for fire protection via your property taxes, you pay for their pension benefits via your village/town budget, you pay for their property tax exemption via increased property taxes to make up for their tax break. You pay for their personal trips, parties, racing clubs, jackets etc etc via strong arm donation "requests"
The drinking is an issue that gets ignored. There have been several well publicized incidents and I'm sure others that have been quietly handled unofficially. Do you really believe that a Vollie party will have designated "non-drinkers" in case a call comes in?
I have no desire to be a Vollie never did never will...that does not mean I don't have a right to question public safety and with the Vollie system there are many many things to question.
... and the second time at Christmas, when one of the brightly painted trucks, circles every block in town and some volunteer firefighter, dressed as Santa Claus, waves to my grandchildren and throws candy-canes to them, as the children stand at streetside.
I find that practice, using taxpayer funded equipment and fuel, to be very objectionable, especially when they do not do anything similar for other religions' holidays.
<"The problem is...the system is broken. Response time (when a fully manned truck arrives at scene...not when the chief shows up)
is well below national & NYFD response times.
The inside joke with Professional FF's is that Vollies usually get there to water down the foundation".>
Look around, my friend, make an honest review of the "system" and find just ONE single, solitary aspect among all of it, that isn't broken. I give you that simple challenge. No matter what the contemporary issue is, there are always perceptions by those people who've come to feel the stinging effects of this breakdown within the system,
who're trying their damnedest to cope with lives that have been radically changed because of this breakdown but would it all be only as simple as choosing one trite and
almost insignificant aspect of this broken system , such as alcohol in a firehouse and assigning an unrealistic priority to basically, a non-issue? There are too many deeper
and more urgently pressing issues which are probably considered by a greater proportion of us Long Islanders, to be of greater importance than alcohol in a firehouse.
Not sure here, whether inside jokes have much to do with public safety either.
<"Not sure what handing out candy canes & dressing as Santa has to do with public safety?">
Sometimes, as soon as I finish my Saturday afternoon reefer, I like to come here to city-data and read the thoughts and ideas, their criticisms and observations, the joys, frustrations
and yes, even their opinions. With me, it's something about a need within myself to keep my mind stimulated and working, through an interchange of dialogue, with others who serve,
in a way, as a sounding board for my personal need to understand whether or not , my perceptions are valid, normal or out of order. The particular smoke that I enjoyed yesterday,
set me into a mellow mood, I didn't come out to city-data to take inference at any specific point of another's comment, I fely like telling a story, weaving a laid back, tongue-in-cheek,
commentary. Much in the spirit, where in your opening sentence, you took literary licence, rounding out your example, I also took that same liberty when mentioning candy-canes
in my own comment.
<"How much you pay for for car & home insurance is about as revalent as how much you pay for your mortgage".>
See above but switch the candy canes for the insurance policies.
<"Its not virtually cost free. You pay for fire protection via your property taxes, you pay for their pension benefits via your village/town budget,
you pay for their property tax exemption via increased property taxes to make up for their tax break. You pay for their personal trips, parties,
racing clubs, jackets etc etc via strong arm donation "requests">
It might've been best for the OP to have requested either a simple yes or no vote on the question of alcohol in the firehouse or to add a post script request for those responding,
to keep their answers brief. Had I realized or conceived the notion that I would be leaving myself open for a running dialogue of rebuttal by someone who failed to see the metaphoric
nature of my comment, I might have just simply said: alcohol in firehouse? Yes. Again, read paragraph two (above) and refer to the reefer or just accept the fact that I'm not going to
explain my reason for using the word "virtually", rather than making a realistic, dollar for dollar cost analysis. I guess I should have looked for the storytellers forum, and posted my
misperceived comment, in the alcohol and firehouse thread.
<"The drinking is an issue that gets ignored. There have been several well publicized incidents and I'm sure others that have been quietly handled unofficially.
Do you really believe that a Vollie party will have designated "non-drinkers" in case a call comes in?">
Alcohol has been around long before firehouses have and because society has by and large adopted laws, rules and codes of conduct that have fairly well instilled the level of responsibility
that we, as members of a civilized society are expected to maintain, I must believe that this responsibility lies in the hands of the individual to uphold rather than the government to mandate,
unless that individual has failed to maintain that responsibility.
I find that practice, using taxpayer funded equipment and fuel, to be very objectionable, especially when they do not do anything similar for other religions' holidays.
Walter,
In our little town, hamlet, burg, village, city or however you might seek to define us, by latitude, longitude, tax map, zip code, border or boundary,
we still cling to some of the well established tenets and traditions of our once esteemed and proud American heritage. I remember a time when we as
taxpayers, could've cared less about funded fire equipment or fuel or those few occasions during the year when our local fire companies joined in and
took their place as one of the first established, public spirited and dedicated entities in our, or for that matter, practically every Long Island community.
I also remember a time when as a child going to school, each morning, we joined as a group and pledged our allegiance to the flag of our country and
were taught that we were living in a nation that professed to being, "one nation, under God", formed to be "indivisible" and intend to be dedicated to the
premise of "liberty and justice", for all.
I can't be sure about it, but somehow, after reading your various comments here on city-data, I get the feeling that you are an older fellow, perhaps
more apt than others to be able to recall memories of a time when being an American gave us a prideful feeling and as citizens, we shared a common consensus
that our country was a beacon to the rest of the world, partly because it was the concept of living in a democratic society that set us apart from so many other
nations.
Today, we occupy ourselves with concern over issues that are born of a changing society, in a rapidly changing country whose accelerated evolution has
brought about a new and somewhat diminished set of values. I've seen God, Santa Claus and the pledge of allegience kicked out of the classroom while our focus
has been shifted to issues like filling the classrooms with illegals, posting signs and public information in another language and pressing "1" on my telephone keypad,
if I want to get that communication in the English language. I would think that as Americans, most people would be more concerned with things like spending over $400,000 dollars of taxpayer monies, while gassing-up Air Force 2, to fly Madame Obama and the president's children over to Spain for a vacation at a time when
so many here in America have no confidence left, no homes, no healthcare and too many other pressing issues to deal with, problems far greater than gassing-up
a firetruck for a community parade, activity or venture which might seek to preserve whatever remaining vestiges of our traditional American values still remain.
Anyway, I'm not looking to argue with you or with your objection to the way that "government" spends our money, in that regard, I could write a lengthy book,
chock full of my own observations and objections, but I didn't come here to this thread to do this. Me and the old lady finished up the roach from yesterday's joint,
she wanted to get out into the garden and do some weeding on this beautiful day. As for me? I have an indoor garden, it's my mind. I came here today to do my own
brand of gardening and to deal with the weed in a different way, but I wish you a good day today, Walter, and if you have done so, I thank you for listening...
Should Alcohol be in Volunteer firehouses? No it should not. Its time for change. Most Department have a Benevolent or Exempts hall if you still need the social club. Is the system broken? No, but it needs a lot of work. The argument of the excessive equipment and buildings is only a temporary solution that if consolidated and sold would fund a one time infusion of cash to START UP a County wide paid fire Service. The taxes to pay for the remaing years of salaries and benefits would be added to equipment replacement and building maintenance and it would cost more in the long run. We have a County wide Fire Service now however compartmentalized that it is, it needs improving. It will improve and adapt, it always does. The Newsday articles were accurate for the most part but DID have inaccuracies intentionally skewered for the agenda and bias of Newsday. As far as comparison with the FDNY, the FDNY are the Best Fire Department in the world, no other in this country can be compared to them, but they too have issues. Alcohol in the firehouse? It's there too. Not being served and its not a social club atmosphere but the end result is the same, an intoxicated firefighter is a possiblity. Check every locker in the city I bet my bottom dollar you find alcohol. Random drug testing should be done as well, for both the FDNY and the Voliies. Combo Depts are being utilized now, as you said in EMS some Depts have hired already. The bottom line is most people on this thread have an agenda, either IAFF or too much in taxes or to just stir the ****. The system needs improvement and I am a volunteer who is not going to lie and say it doesnt. I dont have to beat my chest because the job is the same whether paid or not. I volunteer with a lot of Professionals fireFighters who are employed in other professions as well as Professional paid fire fighters, I also have knucled head volunteers and know of Knuckle head paid Fire fighters. Where to from here? I am going to continue to Volunteer and do everything possible to change the system from within to make it more economically palatable to the taxpayer and train, train and train some more.
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