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We were actually going to donate but are totally turned off by what recently happened. I heard my area is also unrelenting so guess I can expect someone knocking on my door in a couple of months. Welcome to LI.
They come in my area as well. They said if this was not a good time they can come back, I told them I pay my taxes so there would be no need for them to return and was also met with a very rude response. My mother said if something were to ever happen, they may not come to my house which was her rationale for always donating. Not me.
West Islip still goes door to door, they actually maintain a list of who does and does not donate.
I personally think it's time to do away with volunteer fire departments and ambulance companies and instead each of the 10 towns will maintain their own fire department (which would also handle EMS) where at least half of the personnel are paid career firefighters, EMTs, or paramedics. They would still have volunteers and reserves but their numbers would be significantly reduced and it would no longer be a private club.
A single county fire department in Nassau and Suffolk would just lead to a carbon copy of the useless, inefficient, & overpaid county police departments dominating politics.
I've never had them come to my house but they have called me. I told them we donated already and he continued to go on. It was Easter Sunday when they called and I was polite until the 4th time I said I donated and said I was hanging up, as it is a holiday and I do not wish to get into an arguement. He had the nerve to say, "Just remember while you're celebrating with your family, firefighters are working." That set me off. I have the utmost repect for FF's and will admit I have a "thing" for them but this was over the top. I reminded him he wasn't actually "working" until there was an actual fire and that MY tax dollars are paying him to sit on the phone and be rude. After that, I stopped donating.
Your tax dollars pay for everything the Vollies need for to fight fires ( equipment, training, fuel, supplies etc. etc.) and even some of the Vollie toys ( racing vehicles). The donations will fund their alcohol, parties, Vollie jackets & perhaps trips).
As for the unprofessional behavior of the Vollies that come requesting donations....well sadly, for every good guy who joins to help the community, (and there are a lot of good guys with families and careers etc), there are 5 who live at home, and LIVE for the FD life. They never are seen without a maltese cross on, have a hundred stickers on their truck like " I fight what you fear" etc... and will drive 20 miles to see a "good" fire and take pictures.
I swear its almost a sexual response for some of them when that fire whistle blows..
After food, shelter and clothing,,, feeling important is a pretty basic human need. If you are a high school grad making $50 grand a year driving the town garbage truck, and all of a sudden you're the "chief in charge" at the big dumpster fire, its a heady experience..
The guys who are good, never advertise that they are fireman, they are the contractors, plumbers, and regular workers who volunteer after their work and family commitments are taken care of... Its the guy who lives at the firehouse 24/7, has the $2000 light-bar on a $1500 car that is the issue.
I have a 1"x3" NO SOLICITORS sign attached just above our doorbell button. If they ring it I simply open door and without a word just point to it and close door.Most read sign and walk away.
The FD from Ridge was soliciting from cars stopped at traffic lights on the William Floyd Parkway yesterday! They must have burned through their beer money for the year on St. Patrick's Day and were thinking about what a dry summer (pun INTENDED) it was going to be. It's pretty sad that these guys have become the squeegee men of the suburbs!
Considering that the volunteer FD money is already factored into your taxes, and also considering most FD's on Long Island have trucks and equipment that FAR surpasses what they use in NYC (which has much more VOLUME and devastating fires than on LI), I see no need to donate whatsoever.....
Seriously...do each of these FD's need a half million dollar hook and ladder truck that gets used maybe 5x a year, if that?
It's more of a dog and pony show for the parades....
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