One thing you guys don't seem to be getting here.
If it is a volunteer dept it is not supported or paid for by taxes.
The volunteer dept I was a member of was set up like an employee owned corporation. Me/I as a member was part owner of the fire truck, building and realestate. During my tenure the town became a city and they then purchased the assets of the dept from the fireman's corp for $1. The volunteer firemen were then given unpaid commissions as firefighters. The fire dept at that time became and is now supported by a tax millage, previously it was supported by the fireman's pocket book, fund raisers, raffles and a small payment from the town (less than $2k per year).
My father was a volunteer in the org for 40 years, he recieves a retirement stipend of $50 per month to acknowledge his service.
As a rule if we were called we responded, but we never left the city limits, if no other fire protection was available with in the city. In other words: We recieve a call that a home was on fire outside the city limits, only 3 fireman respond to the call, a second call would then be made because of the low turnout. When you got 4 FFs turned out, 2 would man a pumper and respond to the outside fire. The remaining 2 would remain inside the city limits, usually at the station, ready to man the second pumper and respond to a fire with in the city limits. The $2k payment from the town paid for this service.
The worse times for turnout would be weekdays during normal work hours. I remember as a 12 year old kid being responsible for operating the pumper as my father and Mr Cobby worked hoses. Because I was all they had.
The parish ( county) I lived in at that time was never accessed a fee or tax to pay for fire protection. No one in the parish up until an actual tax millage was passed by vote was ever accessed a fee to pay for fire protection. The fire protection the parish recieved was granted as a courtesy by THE VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS, not the town, not the parish, not the state. A private citizen that invested his time, his money, in serving his community.
Yes! They were allot of people who would curse us for taking ten minutes to respond to a fire in a 192? American LaFrance open cab fire truck. It was usually the same people who set a trash fire in a 40 mph wind that carried into their home.
