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Putting the Trust in Trustee

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As some of you know, I became a trustee for our fire district after having a fulfilling, active career as a volunteer firefighter.

I haven’t written many blogs from a trustee’s perspective, because I doubt that there are many trustees in my audience.

Over the years, I have been contacted by many firefighters who were having problems with their governing bodies. I have offered a diverse range of opinions, due to having been on both sides of the fence. I cannot recall a single instance where I was contacted by a trustee for advice.

I am self-effacing as a trustee, because I still have a firefighter’s passion. I still get jacked up when the guys are talking about a recent call.

I go to their training sessions to stay current with the skill sets.

I go to meetings in case they have questions. The “old” trustees didn’t like coming to our meetings and hated answering questions even more than going to meetings.

Though I might look like I am out front; in reality, I don’t get involved unless I am asked or unless there is slow progress towards a resolution.

In other words; I take what they give me.

I had MY time. Now; it’s THEIR time.

I am not, nor will I ever be your typical trustee.

You know the type. The typical trustee has never served on a fire department, but is “good with a check book”.

The typical trustee knows the color of a fire truck, but they know the color of money even better. But, you don’t spend it; you save it.

With the typical trustee, the most often, uttered reply will be, “We don’t have the money for that”. Second on the list will be, “Do you REALLY need that?”

Believe me; I was well-schooled on the “resistance fighters” known as our trustees. The fire department and I, as their leader, was the enemy, because we were always trying to take “their” money.

Though we were constantly denied money for much needed equipment, our trustees wouldn’t apply for grants, they wouldn’t increase the taxing rate, didn’t seek a referendum to increase taxes or look at viable alternative revenue streams, such as charging out-of-district users.

I literally had to take them on in order for our department to respond to calls on the interstate highway that runs through our district. They “got it” once they were told by our attorney that we could be sued and they ALWAYS followed the attorney’s advice-right or wrong.

That was in 1989. In 1990, they finally agreed to out-of-district charges; a flat rate of one hundred dollars.

The acrimony continued until we changed the process appointing them to having them elected.

A new era of hope and change arrived for our department.

Though we still have a dust up from time to time, anyone familiar with the “old days” can tell you how much better it is today.

Dealing with fire district issues as a chief in the “old days” made me better. I became more resourceful, more diplomatic and more determined to improve all aspects of our business; from communication to funding levels.

I did not want the department’s attention diverted from their mission to provide fire protection.

I made them a promise when I became a trustee. It was not an empty promise and I have kept my promise to them and our fire district residents.

When we take a vote, we have enough discussion to have a clear understanding of what we are voting on, so most of the time, the vote is unanimous.

My advice to fire department officers who interact with their fire boards is to remain respectful, diligent, patient and knowledgeable of the laws that govern the fire service.

Yelling only increases the temperature of the room.

You can keep your fire board engaged without them feeling threatened and you can do so without compromising your principles.

Communication is the key and any impediment to good communication must be removed.

There are many legal pitfalls for governing bodies. Fire districts should temper everything that they do with a proper legal review.

Too often, trustees are afraid of legal liabilities and choose to do nothing.

It is just as important for a trustee to continue their education as it is for firefighters.

Trustees who are unwilling to improve their trustee skills are just like firefighters who don’t want to train; NEITHER has any business being a member of their fire department or fire district board of trustees.

In a nutshell; trustees should be leaders too!

TCSS.

The article written by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella is protected by federal copyright law. It cannot be re-produced in any form with the expressed and written permission of the author.

Please visit me at: www.fireemsblogs.com and go to www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 4, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , ,

Becoming a Trustee Was My Destiny

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I believe that my frugality was established at a very early age and I offer these examples:

As a kid, I couldn’t afford to go down to the dime store and buy a toy gun. Nope; when the other neighbor kids and I played “Army”, we used sticks for guns and apples for grenades.

You didn’t use just any stick. It had to resemble a rifle, so you searched for a stick that was wider at one end to resemble the stock and narrow at the other end to resemble the barrel. It had to be at least three feet long, but not too long. You didn’t want to be accused of having a musket!

The “pistol” had to be short and curved at one end for the grip and your holster was your pocket. You had to remember to take it out before you sat down or risk a serious injury!

The apples that were used as “grenades” could not be thrown. They had to be “lobbed”. Anyone who watched “Combat” on TV knows the technique.

To “motorize” our bicycles, we used a clothespin and baseball card that would touch the spokes to make the sound. It was sweet!

Better still; we would buy the long balloons, inflate them to half-full and then tie them on the inside of the fork, so that it would rub against the spokes. I swear that it sounded like a ’49 Pan Head!

Wiffle Ball was another one where you would show your ingenuity; not so much to save money-that was a given-but, in the heat of battle, you didn’t want to stop the game, if you cracked the wiffle ball. So, you would tape up the ball with either electrical or masking tape. Duct tape had not been invented yet. Because the ball was now heavier than the bat, you would crack the bat and give it the same treatment as the ball. Tape saved many a close wiffle ball game!

When I got my first car, could I afford chrome wheels? No way; but I could afford a can of aluminum silver paint and four Baby Moon hubcaps, so for $22, I had “chrome” wheels.

To get the tires to shine, you would either spray them with high gloss black paint or do what I did. I would “borrow” some of Dad’s brake fluid and wipe it on the tires. They looked like new!

How many of you wore a T-shirt backwards under your V-neck sweaters? I know I did. I couldn’t afford a dickie (see Eddie in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” for example) much less a mock turtleneck. I would simply take one T-shirt, cut out the “Fruit of the Loom” tag and that would be the T-shirt that I would wear backwards under my V-necks. You left just enough tag to get it right the first time! I was stunning!

Tape decks were expensive and you didn’t want them stolen, so you would install them in your glove box. That way, you could lock them up for added security. It worked great until the crooks figured out from all of the tapes laying on the front seat that the player was in the glove box.

You didn’t buy a new carburetor; you re-built the old one. Spark plugs were removed, cleaned, re-gapped and put back in.

If you got a flat tire, you didn’t buy a new tube; you patched it. I used to change tires for customers when I worked at a gas station during my college days. I would patch a tube that already had five patches on it! No one wanted to pay three dollars for a new tube if you could get the old one patched for a buck!

While attending college, I never bought new books. I bought used ones. They were a lot cheaper and the important stuff was already highlighted!

Now; tell me that I wasn’t cut out to be a trustee.

Don’t let that new fire truck that we just bought fool you.

We got the loan at ZERO interest.

Yeah; I’m good at this stuff!

TCSS.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on December 29, 2009 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , ,

That’s It; I QUIT!

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First Published 5/30/06

 

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like in the last couple of years, we are seeing more and more firefighters throwing in the pager for a multitude of reasons, but the underlying reason is that they got upset and made the decision to quit.

 

The question for the group is: what would lead you to a decision to quit something that you passionately pursue?

 

I am not talking about making a decision based upon health, age or other rational reasons. I want to know what would piss you off enough to quit your fire department. What would, at that moment in time, motivate you to decide that to continue, would have you compromising your principles, in order to remain with your department?

 

I have been following the stories on the Riverton, IL Fire Department. It appears that HALF of the department quit, because of a flap over the way the chief was not re-appointed by the trustees and a new chief was selected. It also appears that this goes well beyond the surface of the accounts. There have also been many accusations of legal improprieties, so I don’t think that we can simply shrug it off as the classic firefighters/trustees flap.

 

It was initially reported that firefighters quit, because they could not “trust” a chief from the outside with their personal safety. It was then reported that it was the WAY that the new chief was selected and without input from the fire department. Still others said that they quit to spend more time with their families. Regardless of the stated reasons, it is apparent that several members of Riverton FD got upset and quit.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they were told to get alcohol out of their fire stations.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they weren’t happy with who was appointed as officers.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because THEY didn’t get a promotion.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because of mandatory training requirements.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they didn’t like the direction that their fire department was going.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they were reprimanded.

 

So; is this notion of quitting a selfish act or is it a selfless act?

 

How many of you participated in team sports and remember the trailer up on the bulletin board that said: winners never quit and quitters never win? We had a football coach that taught us to play BIGGER than we were. We lifted weights, ran gassers till we puked, participated in two a day practices in God-awful heat and we lost ONE game in two years. We were undefeated my senior year. My team is now a part of our school’s hall of fame, because we didn’t quit. I believe personally that I couldn’t stand the thought of letting my teammates down. Everyone wanted to contribute to the success. We had a great leader and a teacher. And I think that also applies to fire departments. Firefighting is the ultimate team!

 

How many of you today credit your involvement with school sports as part of the reason for your success? I do. Even during my “rebellious” years after school, it is what I learned from Coach Logsdon that put me back on the right path. I was taught by him to take on my adversary and never give up! And I do that to this day.

 

We all have that person in our lives that have left an indelible impression. Our very own Robert “Bob” Compton (ENG6511) raised many of us to a higher level with his courageous battle with cancer. HE NEVER GAVE UP! Even with cancer ravaging his body, he showed us all what strength of character, humility and dedication to service was all about. Upon his death, his sister donated Bob’s fire truck-Engine 6511 to a needy department. How cool is that?

 

And when I think about people like my father, Coach Logsdon and Bob Compton, I think that it would be pretty small of me to quit something that I love so much.

 

So, when it is all said and done, why would you do it? Why would you quit your fire department?

 

Inquiring minds want to know. Please share your thoughts.

 

You have mine; now, I want your’s.

 

Stay safe.

 

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Resolving Fire Department/Fire Board Disputes

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First Published 2/16/03

 

It’s common for volunteer fire departments to become embroiled in disputes with their governing body. For most, that comes in the form of a fire board, fire commission, board of trustees and in the case of Pennsylvania; township supervisors. It happens with either elected or appointed officials. Disputes develop over something as innocuous as someone questioning a project or a request for funding of said project. Some disputes are more complicated when finding the root cause. It is for a litany of reasons and with each new reason come more accusations, followed by more reasons.

 

One issue is common to 99% of these very public disputes; lack of communication! The other 1% can be chalked up to expectations-real or perceived. All the while, firefighters threaten to quit, but seldom do. Fire boards threaten to replace firefighters, but seldom do. It happened in my department many times; right up until we replaced the appointed trustees with elected trustees!

 

But still, where the roles aren’t clearly defined, there will be problems with “who does what”. Without boundaries, participants won’t know when that line is crossed; until there is a dispute.

 

I have been following stories from Windham Township, PA. The fire department packed up and moved out of the fire hall after an on-going dispute with the township supervisors failed to be resolved. What I find surprising is the precedent-setting move by this group of firefighters to follow through on their threat to leave. I can’t recall any other recent case where this was actually done. I have expressed my opinions previously on this event, but what I would like to do here is offer some ideas that may improve relationships between fire departments and their governing bodies.

 

For the purpose of this discussion, I will rely on the expertise of James S. Sinclair, who provides legal advice to fire districts.

In fire districts where fire departments are comprised of NON full-time employees, it is common for a “separate organization or association to exist with its own officers and by-laws, independent of the fire district’s board of trustees”. There is a legal relationship established through the by-laws. But it can also be loosely organized as a separate association and include paid and volunteer members. This association will typically have rules and non-profit status. It should be noted that rules cannot be contrary to applicable state laws. It is therefore important to remember that no one abdicates their responsibility under the law. An example is the selection of firefighters for a volunteer fire department. Though a department’s by-laws may state that fire department members “vote in” new members, it is, according to law, the responsibility of the board of trustees. The solution? Fire departments select a new member and “recommends” them to the trustees for approval. That should be a mere formality in most cases. However, in some districts, where the district enters into contract for fire protection, it would be the responsibility of the contracted fire department to select its employees, but only if a written contract exists. It becomes similar to a “vendor for services” relationship. The fire department is the “vendor” and the fire district is a “purchaser”. The agreement will also state that each party will comply with applicable laws.

 

Departments with separate membership organizations that are formalized, not-for-profit entities are provided with certain protections from liability. For example, if a claim is made against a firefighter, the others will be shielded from liability claims. The other advantage is, that while “members may change, the entity will remain the same”.

“Separate” department organizations should make certain that they are insured under the district’s general liability and umbrella coverage. Don’t take it for granted. Verify that the organization is included as a “named insured”. Depending on the relationship, organizations may seek insurance that is independent of the district’s coverages.

Remember that by-laws should not conflict with state laws and regulations. For instance, the Department of Labor rules. By-laws that deal with medical and physical qualifications for members must be consistent with DOL regulations. If SOGs are written for such activities as SCBAs, structural firefighting requirements, blood borne pathogens and HAZMAT incidents, include a statement that says, “ if there is a difference between the SOG and the state regulation, the state regulation will take precedence”.

By-laws that include disciplinary procedures should be carefully drafted and include an appeal or review process and especially where the board of trustees make appointments. A review process constructed in accordance with rights to due process will insulate the fire district from potential claims of unfair acts.

 

If terms of the relationship between the fire department and the fire district are clearly spelled out and clearly communicated, then expectations by both will be met and save time and money, should a problem arise.

 

These suggestions are useful, regardless of what form of government under which you operate. Reducing agreements to writing must be done to avoid ugly messes, such as the one playing out in Windham Township, PA.

Let’s face it; as we get older, we inherit shorter memories. Writing it down just makes good sense.

 

It’s universal; it’s worldwide. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Illinois, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, California, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain or Canada; having a written agreement with your governing body will reduce your stress levels.

 

Patrick J. from Canada sent me a very descriptive model of his system for fire protection. It was so much like fire districts in Illinois that it was scary! But he was quick to point out that no written agreement existed between his fire department and his board of directors; some elected and some appointed. Oh and no by-laws!

 

Elected or appointed; it isn’t going to matter if you don’t have written expectations.

 

Why go to the trouble of removing someone from office, if you won’t take the time to write your operating guidelines?

If nothing else, the “process” has to bring both sides together.

 

You know: TO COMMUNICATE!

 

Take care and stay safe.

 

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.

 

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,