Heavy Hitters!

I have the clue, alright. You want to take advantage of great heroes and not pay them. I believe highly-trained heroes should be paid. It's called integrity and ethics.

what if someone voulenteers at a homeless shelter for 20 years.. feeding the poor and homeless

what type of pension plan should be set up for them

jerry gets a fireman pension because he was 'employed' as a firefighter.

volunteers get a kick out of having a red light and a siren and they can blow thru traffic and redlights.. they get the thrill of
working wrecks and saving chimneys.
if they don't do it.. there are hollers full of rednecks that would love the thrill.

if they want a paycheck and a retriement plan.. cities are hiring

if people in rural WV want organized firefighters.. they can organize.. look how great it worked in Jefferson,wv

I agree that a trained professional firefighter should be paid, as do most folks. Those who volunteer however, should be just that, volunteers. There is a difference.
The tradition of volunteer firemen and policimen has been around for a long time. Volunteers did so in order to serve their community. While I think volunteer departments should be funded for the necessary equipment to do their work, I do not believe that volunteers should be paid. Just the word, volunteer means you work for free, because you care!

GrandStrandGirl wrote:Jerry, don't tell me YOU get a pension but are saying others should not? Can you say "hypocrisy?" We know you can!

This is the last comment you will make on this topic. I will not spend the rest of the week arguing with you.

I get a Pension because I HAD A JOB. People who volunteer DO NOT GET PAID and SHOULD NOT, that's why they're called VOLUNTEERS..

This case is closed.

Volunteer firefighters may get a pension.... Retirees could get a monthly $400 benefit


CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The recent deaths of two Nicholas County men have prompted lawmakers to take a closer look at providing financial incentives for volunteer firefighters.

Offering volunteer firefighters a pension-like benefit after they retire would be one way of thanking them for willingly stepping into dangerous situations, some lawmakers say.

It also could serve as a tool to combat widespread staffing shortages in volunteer fire departments across the state.

The "West Virginia Firefighter Length of Service Act," which has been introduced in the Senate, would create a pension-like system that could reward eligible firefighters with a certain amount of experience a $400 monthly payment.

Every fire department would contribute $2,000 annually to the fund for at least five years.

Each recipient would be at least 60 and have at least 20 years of active service credit as a volunteer firefighter.

The bill is sponsored by Sens. John Unger, D-Berkeley, Frank Deem, R-Wood, and Douglas Facemire, D-Braxton.

Deem is also sponsoring legislation that would allow existing revenues allocated for volunteer fire departments to be used to fund pensions.

Current revenues that go into a fund for volunteer departments can be spent for 12 specified purposes. Some of those purposes are debt retirement, payment of utilities and purchase of equipment. Funding pension benefits is not among them.

http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200902240608

ANOTHER KNEE-JERK REACTION FROM EMOTIONAL MORONS WHO CARE LESS ABOUT THE TAXPAYERS OF WV.

Who "volunteers" for something expecting a pension? That's crazy.

Highland wrote:Who "volunteers" for something expecting a pension? That's crazy.

What's even crazier is that anyone would demand that all of us who volunteer for no pay for a wide variety of things (as the word is defined, after all) should pay for other volunteers to be paid a retirement!

Who is going to pay for these pensions? The communities that don't have paid departments because they either don't need them or can't afford them? What kind of sense does that make? None, of course, but that makes NO difference to those arguing in favor of this insane scheme.

Who is forced against their will to become a volunteer firefighter? It's the kind of community service that many folks feel compelled to participate in either for thrills or because it is the right thing to do. After all, it saves everyone in the community on their insurance premiums, including the volunteers. That is a nice compensation for all of them.