For those of you that know me it is no surprise that I am proud of my chosen profession. Every third day I get paid to live one of my childhood dreams. Every time I put on my bunkergear and climb up into that big red truck I still feel like a little boy pretending his bike is squad 51. I can even look over my shoulder and see Johnny and Roy sometimes. I always try to be a professional, even though I have a little bit of Jester's spirit in me.
Being paid for what you do does not make you a professional. First I believe that a firefighter cannot be paid enough for what he or she does. Professionalism is a personal conviction to doing the right thing. Okay here comes the bitchin'. Around this part of Oklahoma (Okie-homa to you flatlanders) we are seeing a pissing contest between fire departments. Department "X" is wanting to takeover department "Y's" area in order to tap into additional revenue sources. Departments with adjoining districts can't or won't communicate with each other due to a radio system that is inadequate. Of all of the departments that surround my department's area, I can only talk to Tulsa Fire over the radio. The other departments I can see them on an incident, I can give them the finger, even moon them, but I can't talk to them on the radio. There is a group that provides us with a large dose of ass pain on a regular basis. Every time we (my department) makes a job in "their" area they start crying like a group of newborns. They constantly complain that we are trying to take over their area, or get their funding. What a load of bullshit. First, we are funded through sales tax as are 99% of all municipal departments. They are funded through a property tax. In addition all of the residents living in their area by their food, gas, and clothes in Owasso.
Second, and most important, as a full-time career department we are obligated to respond to a request for help. PERIOD.
Until then. Keep it real yo'
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Volunteer Fire Wars Part I: Not in my backyard
For those of you that know me it is no surprise that I am proud of my chosen profession. Every third day I get paid to live one of my childhood dreams. Every time I put on my bunkergear and climb up into that big red truck I still feel like a little boy pretending his bike is squad 51. I can even look over my shoulder and see Johnny and Roy sometimes. I always try to be a professional, even though I have a little bit of Jester's spirit in me.
Being paid for what you do does not make you a professional. First I believe that a firefighter cannot be paid enough for what he or she does. Professionalism is a personal conviction to doing the right thing. Okay here comes the bitchin'. Around this part of Oklahoma (Okie-homa to you flatlanders) we are seeing a pissing contest between fire departments. Department "X" is wanting to takeover department "Y's" area in order to tap into additional revenue sources. Departments with adjoining districts can't or won't communicate with each other due to a radio system that is inadequate. Of all of the departments that surround my department's area, I can only talk to Tulsa Fire over the radio. The other departments I can see them on an incident, I can give them the finger, even moon them, but I can't talk to them on the radio. There is a group that provides us with a large dose of ass pain on a regular basis. Every time we (my department) makes a job in "their" area they start crying like a group of newborns. They constantly complain that we are trying to take over their area, or get their funding. What a load of bullshit. First, we are funded through sales tax as are 99% of all municipal departments. They are funded through a property tax. In addition all of the residents living in their area by their food, gas, and clothes in Owasso.
Second, and most important, as a full-time career department we are obligated to respond to a request for help. PERIOD.
Until then. Keep it real yo'
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
If you can figure out how to settle the problems between groups, there will be a seat at the UN waiting for you. There is even a comment, "Not In My Backyard" (NIMB) to describe the situation. This is the situation in western KS where they want coal plants to generate electricity, and oil drilling in Anwar. the NIMBs are against everything.
Post a Comment