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Monday, March 21, 2011

Controversy Pushes Out Volunteer Firefighters

BURTONSVILLE, Md (WUSA) - A raging controversy between volunteers and county officials may result in the end of an era for some firefighters.

Volunteers in Burtonsville say they're closing up after a decision made by Montgomery County officials. They say the decision is making it impossible for them to do their jobs.

"They've made it practically impossible to continue to volunteer in Montgomery County. So tonight is the last night that we guarantee staffing from the Burtonsville volunteer fire department," said Burtonsville VFD Captain Bill Rector on Saturday night.

The controversy stems over misconduct allegations by the part of the firefighters. Earlier this year, officials at the county level stepped in and mandated the volunteers at Station 15 report to the paid or career firefighters at the same firehouse.

The new guidelines were in reaction to among other things, claims that members on the volunteer side of the operation were drunk at the firehouse, and they were urinating on paid firefighters.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, sounds like a vol. fire dept. around here.

Anonymous said...

wonder if any fire fighters got DWI's leaving station 7 friday night. they are lucky if none got caught

lmclain said...

My son is a paid firefighter for Anne Arundel county...the things he has told me that he has seen volunteer firefighters do is well. shameful at best, shocking and unethical at worst. Not to disparage ALL volunteers, but many have, shall we say, a less than concerned atttitude. After all, their paychecks don't depend on how well they "volunteer"...

Anonymous said...

Trust me, they are extremely wrong the volunteers that is, and here the volunteers work with and do what paid officers ask them with out complaints.

Burtonsville are just a bunch of spoiled babies.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad so many of you are experts on the stituation without ever leaving the shore.

Anonymous said...

I work for a career department. I was a volunteer. There are good people on both sides of the fence. Dont let a few bad apples from either side tarnish the image of the rest.

Anonymous said...

We all know this is the direction the Salisbury Fire Dept. is going. The Vol Chief is a tyrant and has an EEOC investigation at his business. Paid thinks he is a joke and Volunteers dont like him or the Chief. Just a matter of time before his behavior brings shame to the SPD.