I’m a volunteer fire fighter in PA. I don’t get one cent for my efforts although I have all kinds of state and national certifications and a ton of training. I’m also a volunteer EMT. Last January, while on a volunteer ambulance call, I slipped on the ice and broke my left tibia and fibula. I now have a plate, seven screws and a pin in my left lower leg.
Question? Who do you think paid for all that medical and loss of work from my regular job and all the therapy?
Answer: Although I’m a volunteer, the township (or fire district) by law maintains workmans comp insurance for volunteeers.
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God Bless you fatboy. YOU are a hero.
Now I may be assuming here. But lets assume you and your fellow heroes do something UNAUTHORIZED. Like - say - put out a fire outside your jurisdcition which is in violation of your insurance regs. You put out the fire - your departments insurance liability is canceled.
What good does that do anyone?
Or - you put out that fire and you lose certifications. Again - how does that help?
And all because some idiot is too cheap to pay $75.00?
Responsibility2nd, you are basically correct.
We live for putting out fires. When you make entry into a home, it does cross your mind that you may get hurt or even killed. Check the NIOSH report at the CDC website on FF deaths. If I’m killed at a fire, my wife and kids will collect quite a bit of money to cover the loss of me IF I’m supposed to be at the fire. If i’m not supposed to be there because there is no legal contract between the fire district and the property owner; my wife and kids are SOL and all because in this particular case some trailer owner is too cheap to buy $75.00 worth of fire protection.
Some people on this forum are very generous with other peoples lives and resources.