off time

[pstroke1]

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[efd1524]

Does your dept have duty nights (ie. certain members are expected to respond on certain nights of the week) or is your dept. set-up so that who ever is around comes to calls? Or is there any type minimum number or percentages of calls your suppose to make? That makes a big difference on weather or not he has a case.

[DFDMAXX]

Not being a smart-*** or trying to be mean when I say this, so please don't take it that way....

When you say you are done with it, I'm reading that as you quit.

If you are done with it, then let it go. I understand it ****ed you off enough to quit, but staying mad when you no longer have involvment in the dept. just drags out the hurt feelings. Some folks, no matter the rank, are just buttheads. Maybe they were wrong, maybe you were wrong. I don't know, I only heard your side of the story.

In the end ( since you quit, this is the end ) leave all the BS that ****ed you off at the firehouse, don't take it with you.

[FWDbuff]

First of all, I applaud you for making the correct decision in when you have consumed alcohol, you placed yourself out of service, and did not respond to emergencies. Does not matter if you have had one drink or ten, the minute alcohol passes your lips, use the pilot's mantra: "Eight hours from the bottle to the throttle."

I do not know what your Chief's problem is, no offense to you, but I rather suspect there is more to the story here than is being relayed. THAT being said, I have said THIS little gem many, many times before here on the FH.com forums: "When the volunteer fire company pays my mortgage, the volunteer fire company may mandate when I will and will not respond."

As you have 29 years in your organization, perhaps your Chief depends on you for your experience and leadership, or for a dependable Driver/Operator? I don't know, but with 19+ years in myself, I would have taken the Chief into the office, and told him to stick his attitude up his ***, and if wanted to do something about THAT to press formal Department charges against me, that I would fight him to the death over the charges and make sure that the Board of Directors knew that he wanted me to respond after having consumed alcohol. Bottom line, I would not have quit. Perhaps you quit over this and other issues?

Whatever be it, good luck to you.

[mnfirecapt09]

Another well stated response from FWD....

[ndvfdff33]

First of all, I applaud you for making the correct decision in when you have consumed alcohol, you placed yourself out of service, and did not respond to emergencies. Does not matter if you have had one drink or ten, the minute alcohol passes your lips, use the pilot's mantra: "Eight hours from the bottle to the throttle."

I do not know what your Chief's problem is, no offense to you, but I rather suspect there is more to the story here than is being relayed. THAT being said, I have said THIS little gem many, many times before here on the FH.com forums: "When the volunteer fire company pays my mortgage, the volunteer fire company may mandate when I will and will not respond."

As you have 29 years in your organization, perhaps your Chief depends on you for your experience and leadership, or for a dependable Driver/Operator? I don't know, but with 19+ years in myself, I would have taken the Chief into the office, and told him to stick his attitude up his ***, and if wanted to do something about THAT to press formal Department charges against me, that I would fight him to the death over the charges and make sure that the Board of Directors knew that he wanted me to respond after having consumed alcohol. Bottom line, I would not have quit. Perhaps you quit over this and other issues?

Whatever be it, good luck to you.

Well said FWD.

[BULL321]

As long as you were upholding your end of the deal, example making the correct % of calls and training then I say that the Chief does not have a leg to stand on. But...............

Stay Safe and Good Luck

Bull

[Eng34FF]

There seems to be something else going on here if you are quitting over this issue. As long as you are meeting your obligations as far as number of calls, standing duty, training or whatever your department has in place, there shouldn't be an issue. I would let him know that you are meeting your requirement and that everybody needs some time to themselves and their family.

I had people question me at my old department. They got so used to me coming out and getting the engine out that they would blame me when it failed. I had to point out that there were 75 other people who didn't show up either.

[toyman2]

There seems to be something else going on here if you are quitting over this issue. As long as you are meeting your obligations as far as number of calls, standing duty, training or whatever your department has in place, there shouldn't be an issue. I would let him know that you are meeting your requirement and that everybody needs some time to themselves and their family.

I had people question me at my old department. They got so used to me coming out and getting the engine out that they would blame me when it failed. I had to point out that there were 75 other people who didn't show up either.

i get this a little,mabey not the blame game but the where were you i was counting on you.
i think i only missed a handfull of calles last year,so they get used to you being there.

[FyredUp]

I have been with my volunteer dept for 29 years. As of last night i am done with it but i have a question what others dept think. I quit because of an attack from the chief about my personal time. If i go have a drink i cant respond to calls. and i do not.
So my question is if i go have a drink and mis a call should this be any of there business? I have had previous issues with him over it. And my stand is that it is not his business unless i respond after i have been drinking.

So what are some of the stands on this in your dept?

My stand is not going to be what you want to hear.

You quit, now man up, shut up, and let it go.

[pstroke1]

...............

[FWDbuff]

But yes i did quit not somthing i would have done if i wouldn't have let him push my buttons. He had his mind made up , that i was gone one way or the other if i hadn't quit he would have terminated me anyway.

Ok, I'll play your silly game, Then why in the hell are you asking for advice? I think now I DO agree with FyredUp- Man the f*ck up, and close your piehole...

[FyredUp]

Hey thanks for all the replys. I have been gone on vacation.
There are issues here. We are not required to have a certain number of calls. Just 50% of the meetings and i have made that. there is alot of us that work shift work at our normal jobs. Some of that is 12 hour shifts so that cuts down on the time i can respond because of the work sleep thing. A large percentage of our calls are medical i do not do the medical and we are not required to do medical. we have not had alot of fire and auto ext. since the first of the year i think about 10-15 calls if that.
He has a personal issue with me and has for a long time. before he was chief. some have said that he feels threatend by me because i could have his job.(dont want it)I am not a yes man and do everything as he says it should be done. (not an EMT)
But yes i did quit not somthing i would have done if i wouldn't have let him push my buttons. He had his mind made up , that i was gone one way or the other if i hadn't quit he would have terminated me anyway.
Thanks again for all the replys

Look, let me spell this out for you. Clearly, directly to the point. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU QUIT!! As soon as you quit all bets were off. You can walk around for ever whining about what might have happened and the truth is you will NEVER know if it would of happened because you QUIT.

When you quit you removed yourself from any resolution. You became a non-entity.

Now you have 2 choices, be a man and shut up about it and move on, or go back, sit down with the chief and see what's what. Frankly, I would have done that before I quit.

[FWDbuff]

Now you have 2 choices, be a man and shut up about it and move on, or go back, sit down with the chief and see what's what. Frankly, I would have done that before I quit.

with 19+ years in myself, I would have taken the Chief into the office, and told him to stick his attitude up his ***, and if wanted to do something about THAT to press formal Department charges against me, that I would fight him to the death over the charges

Great minds think alike.

[pstroke1]

................

[bigdawg487]

Have you got ****ed and did somthing you wish you hadn't later on?

Sounds like you want back in to the department, and are having serious second thoughts about your decision. Go put your big girl pants on, walk in to the station and work out your differences with the chief. That is the only thing that is going to resolve your problem.

[FyredUp]

Ok First off i was not whining about it . More of a vent and to see what options i had. I did not want to give it up. Have you got ****ed and did somthing you wish you hadn't later on?

Dude, I have been so angry at times at my Chief and the entire FD that I wanted to explode, but I never quit, and I never took a leave of absence. I always went to the source of my issue and had it out with them. Most often in a civil conversation, sometimes in a heated conversation, but I never let anyone drive me out if I didn't want to go.

Frankly, I haven't a single clue what you hope to accomplish with this topic. YOU QUIT, in my mind it is case closed. You took the easy route and now you realize you F##KED yourself and you are seeking validation for what you did, or perhaps looking for advice on how to fix it.

I told you what to do. Either man up, shut up, and move on, or grow a pair and go back and calmly talk to the chief and find out what the problem is. Either way it's gonna be hard to live this down, one way you look like a spoiled brat and the other you look like a doofus.

The choice is yours...let us know how it works out for you. Although I can guess which route you will take.

[FWDbuff]

Ok First off i was not whining about it . More of a vent and to see what options i had. I did not want to give it up. Have you got ****ed and did somthing you wish you hadn't later on?

You dont have any options, you quit, remember?

[gamewell35]

Our Department policy is: If you have any alcohol, your out of service for 8 hours, no matter the amount. No alcohol may be either brought into the firehouse nor consumed on fire district property without prior written autorization from the fire district (this is for sanctioned fire company social events) nor can you consume any alcohol at any sanctioned fire company events held off fire district property without prior authorization.

Some of the members sqawked when the policy was issued, but the fire distict remained firm and to this day the policy is enforced to the "t".

I believe that the policies creation was two-fold; for liaibility reasons and perception by the public. When you think if it, it makes sense. You drink, stay home and enjoy yourself.

Anyhow, in a nutshell thats our departments policy.

[jam24u]

Hey, You want back in? Get back in. Then you can do your political manuvering. Can't do it if your not there. BUT, if you stay out, do not go around bad mouthing the department. It will look bad on you more than the department. Remember also that there are a lot of new requirements coming down the pipe from the states and the feds. If a procedure change is the issue, it could be related to all the new regulations flooding the fire service. Even we have had trouble with changing, (me-20 years in) but this is what is happening.