When is a Volunteer a Volunteer

[oz fire]

A topical Question. At a forum recently I heard a senior CFS member state: As a volunteer you have two choices, you volunteer to join and you volunteer to leave. When you volunteered to join you volunteered to abide by and foillow the SOP's, SAP's and values of the CFS!
What do you think - if this was followed may solve many many problems and would address those who "don't like it" and have to "we will do it our way". 
So when is a volunteer a volunteer and when should they become part of the greater CFS and help to constructively build CFS and follow the CFS processes??

[strikeathird]

Fair enough, at the end of the day, we are all vollies. But hey, if you don't want to follow the rules etc, im sure there is some one else out there willing to have your position in the brigade.

[CFS_Firey]

I think the word 'Volunteer' when referring to the CFS actually refers to us volunteering our time, rather than being voluntary in the way we work.
So we are volunteering to fight the fire, not volunteering how to fight it (if that makes any sense )

[strikeathird]

Exactly right ^^

[MCFSFF]

Yeah i agree with CFS firey ... you agree to turn up and from then on follow orders unless you believe you are not capable of doing it or unsure how to do it in which case you ask for guidance.

[rescue5271]

I would have to say that we Volunteer to do what is layed out in sop.and all that other stuff that comes in the mail each day,but at the end of the day we are more than just Volunteers and I feel its about time afew people came to terms with that.

Yes we are volunteers and we get very good training,no one forces us to do anything that we dont want to do???We dont have to go on that strike team or go to that training night.


I am proud to be a volunteer and evan more proud to put something back into my community and the people of STH AUST...

[oz fire]

Professionalism is a state of mind, Not a rate of Pay!

[CaptCom]

I think the word 'Volunteer' when referring to the CFS actually refers to us volunteering our time, rather than being voluntary in the way we work.
So we are volunteering to fight the fire, not volunteering how to fight it (if that makes any sense )

You are right on the mark there firey..and if you don't wish to follow the way we work...perhaps you'd like to witness the process of the coronial..and consider that you would be there with your OWN lawyers. If you have/had the opportunity to see what happens...you would be more respectful of the SOP's etc.

[Robert-Robert34]

I dont know what i can say about this without getting an donkey kicking from other website members

A volunteer is someone who serves his or her's community and asks for nothing in return unless the community wants to give a donation... thats what i have been doing for the last 6 years serving my community as an unsung hero of South Australia

[steved01]

Now there you go then! I dont know any heroes.  I dont beleve this media hero stuff. Just good honest hard workers doing the best they can.  Its not heroic.  I always feel uncomfortable when I see media reports referring to the Fire Service heroes (no matter which service).  I am certainly not a hero. Ah well got that off my chest, feel better now.

[medevac]

HAH - from what i have heard we are vollunteers until we decide to answer the page.

[pete]

It doesnt matter if you get money or not,there is always going to be rules and guidelines throughout our lives where ever we go.

[oz fire]

It doesnt matter if you get money or not,there is always going to be rules and guidelines throughout our lives where ever we go.

Ain't that the truth
And if we didn't have them it would be kaos supreme!
They are there for a good reason, makes it easier for us too!

[Robert-Robert34]

Now I'm aware this maybe have abit to do with this actual topic or maybe not but might as well get it off my chest.... Has anyone sat back lately and had a think if any of their family members or relatives before them were fire fighters with the EFS or Civil Defence

Having relis or family members who have been with the EFS or CFS makes this generation of volunteer firies purebred fire fighters which in this case i happen to be because of my father & grandfather being fire fighters with both CFS & EFS before me 

[probie_boy]

its funny how many people in our response area believe that we're paid. Heaps of them treat you like rubbish, especially when you're doing traffic control. one road user had a go at someone in my brigade. the brigade member asked them whether they'd like to do it and get verbally abused for delaying peoples drive home by 10 minutes. absolute fools

[Mike]

IMO
As many people have all ready said. We volunteer to follow a set of rules and guidelines. However we should not let that deter us for questions methods and motives, as this often leads to the betterment of the service. The key is knowing where to draw the line.