[wutup21]

Alot of people drink to have a good time. If your a volunteer your volunteering yourself to help people...Are you HELPING if your drinking?

[johnfromnowhere]

What's the difference between having a few drinks at home and having a few drinks at the firehouse? Either way you are in district and unavailable to respond to calls.

[wutup21]

Who drinks in a firehouse and doesnt go to a 10 if there is one?

[ADZE07]

I can't say I practice what I preach 100% but zero tolerance should be the measure. Way to much at stake these day's. Even more so than calling for mutual aid for a RIT team two towns away.

[johnfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by wutup21

Who drinks in a firehouse and doesnt go to a 10 if there is one?

Hopefully the one who is plastered and can barely stand.

But again same thought process. You won't respond from if you have a signal 10 and have had a couple of drinks? What's there to stop you?

By the way, I am not saying I condone or actually do any of this. If you're drunk off your ass you have no business being at a fire scene and obviously no business driving to the firehouse to respond.

[wutup21]

I get where your coming from, but get where im coming from as well.

[johnfromnowhere]

I am getting where you are coming from. I understand that by drinking you are removing yourself from being an active participant in the fire service at that point in time. But at the same time I am saying "what's the difference between having a few at home, and having a few at the firehouse?" But you can't be a slave to the fire service. You shouldn't feel guilty of taking some time to relax. It is a volunteer service afterall.

And yes I understand that you are more likely to respond to a call if you are at the firehouse and drinking as opposed to being at home and drinking. But again...what's to stop you from responding anyways?

[ADZE07]

Let me put it another way. If your nine month old baby is suffering from a febrile fever and buffy the beer boy hops of the ole beer stool to answer the call and noboby else shows up and has to tech. What now? He comes strolling in your house and you catch a whiff of Fosters on his breath. Might be only one beer might be a few during Thanksgiving Dinner. If my kid suffers in anyway. Your dept will be shortly named ADZE07 Fire Dept. Woo hoo

Do I have to write an exemple for a 10?

I'll say it again. I aint perfect in this area.

But think before you write.

[ride-n-fly]

just a thought but out side of an impaired person driving an apparatus i think the person most likely to hurt those in need wheal impaired is an EMT/AEMT

[wutup21]

point taken. but if your taking yourself out of the equation, why do it at a firehouse where you can easily jump on the rig? Its too easy for someone to drink and drive as it is. Its easier if you dont have to drive to the firehouse to get on a rig and drive that as well.

[wutup21]

Originally Posted by ride-n-fly

just a thought but out side of an impaired person driving an apparatus i think the person most likely to hurt those in need wheal impaired is an EMT/AEMT

well said

[johnfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by ADZE07

Let me put it another way. If your nine month old baby is suffering from a febrile fever and buffy the beer boy hops of the ole beer stool to answer the call and noboby else shows up and has to tech. What now? He comes strolling in your house and you catch a whiff of Fosters on his breath. Might be only one beer might be a few during Thanksgiving Dinner. If my kid suffers in anyway. Your dept will be shortly named ADZE07 Fire Dept. Woo hoo

Do I have to write an exemple for a 10?

I'll say it again. I aint perfect in this area.

But think before you write.

Was that directed at me of the OP?

I already said I don't condone it, and yes, if you're and E/AMT you shouldn't even think of responding and getting on the bus to Tech the call even if it's only a SIP of beer cause if something goes wrong it's your ass.

And again, I am not saying I do this, and I am not condoning the practice by anyone else but honestly beyond the person controlling their own actions, how do you stop it?

[wutup21]

Originally Posted by johnfromnowhere

Was that directed at me of the OP?

I already said I don't condone it, and yes, if you're and E/AMT you shouldn't even think of responding and getting on the bus to Tech the call even if it's only a SIP of beer cause if something goes wrong it's your ass.

And again, I am not saying I do this, and I am not condoning the practice by anyone else but honestly beyond the person controlling their own actions, how do you stop it?

Simply BAN alcoholic beverages from all Firehouses....The City did it and who is driving or teching drunk?

[ADZE07]

John,

Don't take it personal. I know I may come off heavy handed at times because I'm an ole fart with strong opinions. I said in both my posts that i'm not perfect. If you catch my drift.

We can stop it and should as often as possible. I have thrown guys off the truck if I smelled (sp?) booze.

[johnfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by wutup21

Simply BAN alcoholic beverages from all Firehouses....The City did it and who is driving or teching drunk?

Never said anyone was driving or teching drunk. I said that even if you have only just opened a beer and taken a single swig that you should never Tech a call. If someone smells beer or liquor on your breath and then later something goes wrong on the call who do you think is in trouble?

You should also never be driving a rig after drinking. Even if its one beer.

And yeah alcohol in City firehouses should have always been illegal. They are there working and getting paid, I'd expect them to not be drinking. If I was drinking at my job I sure as sh!t would get fired and I basically sit in front of a computer all day.

[johnfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by ADZE07

John,

Don't take it personal. I know I may come off heavy handed at times because I'm an ole fart with strong opinions. I said in both my posts that i'm not perfect. If you catch my drift.

We can stop it and should as often as possible. I have thrown guys off the truck if I smelled (sp?) booze.

No offense taken. I think there's just some confusion in the message I am trying to send here in response to the original post.

I honestly just don't think that banning alcohol will do any good. In the end the single person makes the decision of whether to go or not, whether they are at the firehouse already or not. Banning alcohol at the firehouse will not stop someone from having a beer at home and then responding to a call.

[greggreg259]

The bars in firehouses contribute to the appeal of the volunteer fire service. Its part of the whole social aspect of being a volunteer firefighter. If you dont have strong officers or rules regarding this then you are setting yourself up for failure. If the station bar is being opened up then the guy with the keys to the bar has to make sure to not drink himself and act as the chaperone for the drinking, making sure the members who drink dont ride.

Not that this is in any shape of form an excuse
but when I asked a 42 year veteran of a career department what made him want to put in such a long lengthy career, his response to me was "well I just figured that I owed it to the city, I spent the first twenty years of my career drunk and high"

EMS and driving place legal liability in terms of being inebriated
And while firefighting should have a no tolerance policy as well how many times have you responded straight from a summer bbq or from the boring family chirstmas party where you had a glass of "spiced egg" nog And none was the wiser. I mean even state drunk driving laws allow an estimated 1 of two before your over the limit.

If your department is having an issue with members abusing alcohol, then those members should be dealt with personally.

I know a lot more members who are gonna die from the extra one or two double cheeseburgers they ate before the call, rather than the extra one or two beers.