r/Firefighting 3d ago

Volunteer / Combination / Paid on Call What’s the history/reason departments chose Tuesday at 19:00

I’ve noticed that a lot of fire departments, including my own, hold training on Tuesdays at 19:00. Obviously not every hall follows this schedule, but it seems like a pretty common trend. Does anyone know the history or reasoning behind Tuesday evenings being the ‘standard’ practice night, or how that tradition got started.

This might be a stupid question and I apologize if it is, just one of my weekly shower thoughts I suppose.

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u/Typical-Efficiency31 3d ago

Wait, volunteers really do only train once a week? I thought that was just a joke.

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u/Dusty_V2 Career + Paid-on-call 3d ago

Once or twice a month is real common, especially for all volunteer departments in my area that are only on call, no one actually mans the station.

And because I know the elitist attitude is probably coming, id challenge you to come up with a solution that could get these departments to train daily with people who already work fulltime and have families and other commitments.

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u/Typical-Efficiency31 3d ago

The easy solution is to staff the station with paid people.

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u/Dusty_V2 Career + Paid-on-call 3d ago

"Easy" solution. You've got it all figured out huh?

I wish I could be this blissfully ignorant.

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u/Typical-Efficiency31 3d ago

Let me guess, you’re gonna ask where the money comes from?

I bet they find a way to pay the cops, teachers, garbage men and people working in city hall, right?

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u/Dusty_V2 Career + Paid-on-call 3d ago

Im guessing in your head you're thinking of volunteer places like Kentland. There are absolutely places abusing the volunteer fire service, however, the vast majority of these places don't have municipal provide services like garbage people and no one actually works at the township building. Its called being unincorporated.

You should run for office since you've got it figured out bud.

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u/Typical-Efficiency31 3d ago

So all the kids are uneducated, garbage is piling up and there’s no law enforcement?

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u/Dusty_V2 Career + Paid-on-call 3d ago

Not quite but also some places not far off. There are definitely places where the schools are stretched thin, there is one police officer (often state or county) for 100 sq miles. Garbage is a private service, i know of only 2 places in my area where garbage is a municipal service.

Given how stretched thin these other services, a comparable for the fire service would be a single manned station for several townships or more. Response times through the roof.

Im not sure what big city you are from, but rural America is a hugely different place.

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u/Typical-Efficiency31 3d ago

Oh interesting, the jobs with enough dignity to point out that they should be paid a fair wage get paid and it’s only the fire service gets taken advantage of? That’s strange that they magically find money for the services that realize that.

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u/Dusty_V2 Career + Paid-on-call 3d ago

Alright buddy. Have a good day. We live in different worlds.