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Newsday

A little over two years ago, I joined the Bridgehampton Fire Department. It's a volunteer organization, and even on that level, it can be interesting the things you hear from people. One friend of the family, upon hearing that I had become a firefighter, said it was cool that I had joined the FDNY. Upon hearing that I was instead a volunteer, she stated "oh, I thought he was a real fireman."

Very nice.

I had always heard about some of the positive "perks" that one supposedly got from being a fireman out here. Especially after 9/11, firemen were also supposedly held on a pedestal and got a little extra respect - I'm not sure what that would get someone (the special "firemen only" seating at restaurants maybe?), but whatever. I joined because I felt I had some obligation, because I actually knew people in the company (when I was 18 and my dad originally wanted me to join, everyone in the company seemed old and my dad's friends - who the hell would I know there?), and because there was the family history. My dad was a fireman, as was his father before him. Why not, right?

I will now officially run down the "perks" I've run into as a fireman. I have:

received a free beach sticker (value: $20)

received several t-shirts, one sweatshirt, and one lightweight jacket

been fed at least once a month since joining the fire service

received a "Class A" uniform (used for funerals and parades)

gone on one ski trip (partially paid for by the fire department)

received free Starbucks from one barista

I am living in the lap of luxury, I tell you. Probably the largest expenditure that I've "caused" the BHFD was my turnout gear - being an interior fireman (read: dumbass who runs into the fire), I'm required to have turnout gear that actually was made within the last 10 years or so. The gear I received as a probational firefighter going through training was from the mid 70s. Turnout gear can run into the thousands, partially because of the whole Kevlar/fireproof/whatever that it's made out of, and partially because it's fire equipment, and anything that's fire equipment suddenly jumps in price by 3x.

Of course, if you read Newsday, I'm sure you have a different opinion of that. Newsday (the Long Island daily newspaper, for you out-of-Islanders) did an 8 part series on the volunteer fire services out here in what we'll call a "slightly impartial" view. Now, I'll admit that my courses in journalism were few and far between, but one of the things that was pounded into our heads was to never take a side in the story you're reporting. Do your best to get information from both sides, and leave it to the the readers to decide. Your job is to inform, not to tell people how to think.

That wasn't necessarily the case here. Newsday seemed more pleased to take a few examples of what it saw as gross expenditure (which I wouldn't necessarily disagree with), blanketed them across the entire volunteer firefighting system on Long Island (the common "it's happening here, it could be happening to YOU too!" that television news is so fond of), made the implication that any money you donated to your local fire department isn't needed, since tax money received by the district is more than enough to buy what the fire department needs, and painted firemen as being part of a "good ol' boys" system where perks are endless.

They counteracted this by throwing in the occasional "firefighters are heroes"profiles, therefore implying that since they're telling both good and bad things in their series, that it must be impartial.

Look - it's not like I don't think the system is flawed in a lot of areas. Spending goes through a board of fire commissioners, which are generally made up of former and current firemen. Obviously there's a conflict of interest here in a lot of situations. You wouldn't have the school board of your local school district be comprised of teachers. However, while local schools publicize school board elections, local fire districts don't. While I know why they wouldn't, I don't know why say the local media would publicize it, just like they do with local elections. Trust me - I know people in our own fire department who aren't exactly crazy about some commissioners, but you're limited with your options.

But while I think there needs to be some change, I also think painting every volunteer fire department as some sort of money hole is irresponsible. Newsday basically came out and said that money you donate to the fire department isn't used for anything positive. Quoting:

Fund-drive money is spent mostly on social and fringe benefits for volunteers, including tropical vacations, parties, takeout for department meetings, sports teams, beer, and extra insurance and death benefits, department records show. In rare instances, it has even gone to campaign contributions and, some volunteers say, strippers. At least some of these expenditures may violate the federal tax code, an Internal Revenue Service spokesman said.

Property taxes cover all spending that is directly related to firefighting, including the cost of equipping and training volunteers and feeding them at emergencies and at annual banquets.

I've watched what a lot of our money goes to - Bridgehampton's fire department is a federally recognized 501(3)(c) not-for-profit organization. I've sat through department meetings where money is sent to this local charity or that local charity for their fundraisers. Does some of this money go toward trips and non-fire related things? Sure - but no trip I've ever seen with the fire department has been for "free", outside of a small trip here or there (such as a trip to a baseball game or last year's trip to Foxwoods on the ferry). Free cruises and trips to the Bahamas? Must be nice - I'd love to see those.

I guess some good might come out of this, though. Maybe the exaggeration of all the "perks" that firemen get will get more volunteers into the service. Of course, once they find out there's not really a paid vacation to Antigua every three months, we might see a mass exodus.