Fire Police... anyone know?

Enyar wrote: How is a volunteer position paid?

I believe in some situations they are paid to do traffic control at private functions - fairs and stuff like that.

Here in PHL metro-suburbia where we have large police depts, fire police are rare and seem to be attached to volunteer fire depts. for traffic control. However, large swathes of PA are rural and have minimal to zero municipal police depts. and rely on county and state police. I can imagine in those areas fire police would be very useful.

Duke wrote: He's no redneck.

I honestly don't think many of them are; its just that growing up in rural PA, it is a pretty common image. Correlation does not prove causation, but there are a high percentage of them here.

But, to be clear, that is not an attack on their character. I was just being politically incorrect... but also being statistically accurate.

02Pilot wrote:

mad_machine wrote: ...before escaping back to NJ

People escape to Jersey?

no, people escape back to NEW Jersey. Jersey is up north and it is stinky and full of unpleasant people. The south is green and lush and only half filled with unpleasant people. Big diffence.

As for you Curtis, crossing fingers for you.

In reply to mad_machine:

North Jersey: suburb of New York.

South Jersey: suburb of Philly.

Culturally, two separate states.

Ian F wrote: In reply to mad_machine: North Jersey: suburb of New York. South Jersey: suburb of Philly. Culturally, two separate states.

And it;s all full of shiny happy people..... I can say that. Wife is form there. B-I-L moved back there.

actually three.. the area along the beaches (where I live) id distinctly different from the rest of Southern New Jersey.. and if you get into Cape May County (where I am from). It's like a cross between Mississippi and the downeast of Maine.

Bobzilla wrote:

Ian F wrote: In reply to mad_machine: North Jersey: suburb of New York. South Jersey: suburb of Philly. Culturally, two separate states.

And it;s all full of shiny happy people..... I can say that. Wife is form there. B-I-L moved back there.

Have you ever been to south jersey? Pine Barrens... Barnegate light?

Being the fire police would be rough. Ever try and slap handcuffs on flames? They slip right out and you end up getting burned.

In reply to logdog: You certainly can't use those plastic zip ties.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Bobzilla wrote:

Ian F wrote: In reply to mad_machine: North Jersey: suburb of New York. South Jersey: suburb of Philly. Culturally, two separate states.

And it;s all full of shiny happy people..... I can say that. Wife is form there. B-I-L moved back there.

Have you ever been to south jersey? Pine Barrens... Barnegate light?

if people knew how desolate some places in South Jersey could be, they would be very worried. Out in the middle of the pine barrens we have dozens of ghost towns.. and you can walk, bike, or drive for hours through there and not see another living person.

Most of the southern half of the state, once you get away from Philly and the turnpike is really quite empty.. it's just that any and all major roads take you through the very populated areas. Next time you drive down to AC, get off of the expressway and take either rt 30 or rt 40. There is a whole lot of nothing and hence, very little in the way of traffic to slow you down (unlike the expressway)

Ian F wrote:

Enyar wrote: How is a volunteer position paid?

I believe in some situations they are paid to do traffic control at private functions - fairs and stuff like that. Here in PHL metro-suburbia where we have large police depts, fire police are rare and seem to be attached to volunteer fire depts. for traffic control. However, large swathes of PA are rural and have minimal to zero municipal police depts. and rely on county and state police. I can imagine in those areas fire police would be very useful.

I'm sure this kind of varies, but when I was volunteering with the local sheriff's reserve program the "pay" for us was typically drinks and snacks for working an event. The program received any "donation" for the services rendered.

In reply to Wally: Its a worse job than being a Bus Fighter.

In reply to mad_machine:

"drive for hours"? I think you're exaggerating a bit there. It only takes maybe an hour or so to cross the entire state, even without using the highway (195 or A-C Exp).

But I do agree - there is a whole lot of nothing in many areas of South Jersey.

If you guys think there is nothing in South Jersey, what do you think there is in Nebraska?

In reply to logdog:

Corn. Corn for as far as the eye can see...

Ian F wrote: In reply to mad_machine: "drive for hours"? I think you're exaggerating a bit there. It only takes maybe an hour or so to cross the entire state, even without using the highway (195 or A-C Exp). But I do agree - there is a whole lot of nothing in many areas of South Jersey.

I am not talking in a straight line.. those old fireroads wander all over the place through the pinebarrens. Bring a 4x4 or a rope and a winch, you will get stuck in the sand

So, back to the subject

Interview was very informal. More like a sizing-up and information session I think. Process is that I apply online. Then I'm voted into the fire department. Then I'm voted into the fire police department. Since the fire dept meetings are on the second tuesday of the month, and the fire police meetings are on the first wednesday of the month, there is 1-2 months of waiting after application. I didn't ask about training, but likely its on-the-job experience. Carlisle is a pretty quiet town, legally speaking.

Technically the fire police is a division of the town police, but most of our work is with the fire department. Our base of operations would be the police headquarters, but most of our time would be spent at the fire house.

Most duties involve traffic and accident cleanup assistance. Ad hoc work consists of events and specific planned events. Anything emergency or unplanned is volunteer, while any events are paid; likely by the event and not the city. Basically, if the beeper goes off and I respond to an emergency call, its volunteer. If I get a phone call asking if I want to work a parade or county fair, its paid. No pay was discussed, but there was an implication that the more active your volunteer response is, the more you get asked to work paid events.

The Fire Police Chief I spoke with was a real estate agent and he implied that the entire job is very part-time low hours, and that events account for "money for Christmas gifts." By no means a livable income.

But it sure does sound like a neat way to be involved in the community. I think I'll apply. I am talking with a guy right now who flips/renovates houses as well. His business is getting big enough that he wants to have a "foreman" so to speak; someone to be in charge of procuring materials and oversee the guys doing the work. So I'll have to get that under my belt first. If it ends up being a 70-hour week, I don't think I can commit much volunteer time.

... Especially after doing nothing but fishing and drinking beer since May.

curtis73 wrote: Carlisle is a pretty quiet town, legally speaking. If I get a phone call asking if I want to work a parade or county fair, its paid. No pay was discussed, but there was an implication that the more active your volunteer response is, the more you get asked to work paid events.

I can see you working traffic for all the Carlisle Productions car shows. Have fun!!

My sister lives in Carlisle.. she likes the town.

mad_machine wrote: My sister lives in Carlisle.. she likes the town.

It is a nice town that gets overrun by "car people" for one weekend a month all summer long. Me included!

Just applied today. Now I wait.

How'd you end up in Carlisle? You got family there? I thought yinz were in the Pittsburgh burbs.

I was in the 'burgh but I got divorced a couple years ago so I moved back to Carlisle. Its where I grew up and mom and dad had the only bed I could afford.

Any updates on this?

curtis73 wrote: But it sure does sound like a neat way to be involved in the community. I think I'll apply.

That's the spirit! I hope this is working out. Keep us posted!

I'm a little shocked to see how many of you would view these people in a negative light, or understand the concept of public service, or have ever done any volunteer work in your community. It's a good thing we have some people among us who are willing to step up and do a job without expectation of remuneration.