pirana 0 #76 January 5, 2012 QuoteQuoteOut of their own pocket seems unfair if they are truly volunteer and collect no pay. But in our area, the volunteer departments charge for their services. If they respond to your emergency - you get a bill. I paid $200 to have a couple fireman roll the fridge away from the wall and tell my wife the burning smell was the burned out fridge motor. Take those fees and pay for certifications. If they are paid firefighters, man up like every other professional and pay your own licensing fees. OK, THAT'S it!! based on your last few dozen posts I've read lately I'm changing my mind. PIRANA for Pres!! (Sorry Nightengale, you just haven't been around lately). You do know that I have been labeled a Nazi, neo-Con, and some other stuff? Nevertheless, I'll begin putting my platform together. I think I'll make it more like a bookshelf. I'll need some donations to get started." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matthewcline 0 #77 January 5, 2012 QuoteQuoteHow do you think Politicians would respond if we asked them to pay for the right to serve? OK, is that a joke? They do pay for it, millions. I think Dayton ended up spending a big chunk of the family's fortune by the time he bought his seat in MM - something along the tune of $40 million. I'm talking his money - in addition to what was raised. (Don't you wonder why someone would do that?) I'm guessing for most seats at the state level, and all seats at the national level; if you offerred the seat for $5 million they'd end up spending a lot less than on a campaign. But I digress, and I agreed with you - volunteers should have their licenses paid for (out of charges collected from calls). Probably made that $ back in less than a year, not from his salary of course, but his new investments and new friends etc. SO his 40 million spent was a investment too. MattAn Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #78 January 5, 2012 QuoteQuote But none of these are additional expenses in order to perform volunteer work. The only one here that might be such an example is if you needed to get a class A license to drive the fire truck rather than the class C (California designations) used for personal cars. really? We've done lake cleanup activities, I've had a friend do some explore and rescue work in lakes - So should all our PADI expenses should be paid by the taxpayer? what PADI expenses are you referring to? You paid for that c-card (put another dollar in) because you want to dive. Few, perhaps some landlocked airplane phobic types, get certified to do lake cleanups and nothing else. Again, this has little comparison to a certification expense that has no value outside of the volunteer activity. Now if the county insisted that the lake cleanup folks were lead by divemasters with current liability insurance, that's a whole different matter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grimmie 173 #79 January 5, 2012 EMT and Paramedic certifications vary in cost from state to state. Some states have county medical directors and authorities that oversee protocols. California just started charging a renewal fee for EMT's of $74. Paramedics are $125. Some agencies require the National Registry certification for paramedics. Some places have a fee you pay to the county EMS agency. This is just a way for the state to generate some additional income. No one is trying to do away with volunteers to create union jobs. The fee is tax deductable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #80 January 5, 2012 Quote The fee is tax deductable. It's deductible if its a business expense. But if you're not getting paid, then I think it falls in that 2.5% bucket, which few can make use of. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
