Redwood
Master Plumber
Ian, what part of volunteer don't you understand... actually, you couldn't understand unless you were a firefighter their is an adrenlin rush that pumps through firefighters blood on their way to a fire, and most of them live that way for the first 10 to 15 years. If you don't believe me, find a firefighter and ask him.
As a volunteer firefighter who served 26 years I can attest to that...
After the first 10 or 15 you become wiser and stop to empty your bladder before running out in the middle of the night when its 10-degrees F outside...
By the way Ian the Fill The Boot fundraiser was started by paid fire fighters of the International Association Of Fire Fighters AFL-CIO, CLC and is an annual fundraiser with the proceeds going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the largest national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). More than 280,000 members of the IAFF in the United States and Canada are pledged to saving lives, both as fire fighters and paramedics and as the strongest campaigners for the worldwide research efforts of MDA to eradicate 40 neuromuscular diseases. The contributions of the fire fighters also go towards MDA’s summer camps for children, professional and public health education, and other programs.
As the greatest contributor to MDA, fire fighters are everywhere in the efforts of MDA to raise money. The IAFF is the biggest sponsor of MDA’s Labor Day Telethon and it contributed a record breaking $23.5 million in year 2006 as a consequence of the overwhelming enthusiasm and contribution of tens and thousands of fire fighters and paramedics across the US and Canada. IAFF members have donated nearly $275 million to MDA since 1954. http://www.iaff.org/MDA/history.asp
Since all Fire Fighters are brothers whether paid or volunteer you may find it interesting to note that Volunteer Fire Fighters also collect for MDA and contribute.
I don't know what your problem with volunteer fire fighters could be Ian...
In many smaller communities it is a way of life for many who serve. They go to regular jobs and support their families in many small towns across America where the call volume is to low to justify a paid staff saving the town many $$$ in taxes and at a moments notice they leave their job or families to run out and fight a fire. Many of them spend several nights a week or, weekends attending training classes to maintain a high level of proficiency all time donated by them. The proficiency is no joke and in many cases better service is provided to the community. On more than one occasion I can cite instances where the fire was located a long run from the station and probably would have been a 5-8 minute run for the first truck to arrive but a volunteer living in the area on arrival found a room in the basement well involved with fire and attacked it with a fire extinguisher he carried in his trunk knocking the fire down so that only a single small hose line was needed for mopping up when the first truck arrived.
In any case you clearly are picking the wrong people to have a beef with.