A question to the volunteers of Ireland!

Sciscitatio

So I'm not looking to start an argument! Really, I am not. I've been a volunteer in many organizations within Ireland, and a few years past, I got into the VES (Voluntary Emergency Services) scene so to speak. And I was surprised that it seemed to be the norm to charge members per week (around 2 EUR) to attend.
I would really like to find out what other people think of this, do you just pay it cos it is expected, do you refuse to pay it, or do you agree with it etc etc.
Also, what is the money used for! Where I was (and I will not name them) it was used for the Xmas party!!
Would really appreciate some peoples experience on this, without it becoming a argument

GoProGaming

It is not done in my unit, but many unit's use it to cover rent on the building that they use. Some unit's wouldn't make much per year and would need it, others would be quite well off and wouldn't charge.

Sciscitatio

Ok cool, thanks, I get the building rent, do you know if units get money for the duties they do?

GoProGaming

Sciscitatio wrote: »

Ok cool, thanks, I get the building rent, do you know if units get money for the duties they do?

It depends, on local community events etc no, maybe a donation towards diesel for the vehicle.
On bigger events and concerts etc then yeah a donation would be made which would go directly back into equipment, training and vehicle maintaince.

What's this in aid of?

lycan238

Sciscitatio wrote: »

So I'm not looking to start an argument! Really, I am not. I've been a volunteer in many organizations within Ireland, and a few years past, I got into the VES (Voluntary Emergency Services) scene so to speak. And I was surprised that it seemed to be the norm to charge members per week (around 2 EUR) to attend.
I would really like to find out what other people think of this, do you just pay it cos it is expected, do you refuse to pay it, or do you agree with it etc etc.
Also, what is the money used for! Where I was (and I will not name them) it was used for the Xmas party!!
Would really appreciate some peoples experience on this, without it becoming a argument

Sciscitatio wrote: »

Ok cool, thanks, I get the building rent, do you know if units get money for the duties they do?

Hi I can only speak for the VES that I am a member of. We charge €2 a week to members and this money is used for rent on the building, we pay something towards the esb bill every year and goes towards the cost of uniform and supplies for the members. If there is not enough in the 'subs' to pay for whatever the money from duties is used to pay the balance. We received donations to the unit for any duty that was covered by us.

Sciscitatio

GoProGaming wrote: »

What's this in aid of?

Im not currently in a VES, I was in one but felt it was not managed in a great way, im now working close to some VES etc and really trying to get a better understanding of the general system of running, as I don't want my experience to effect my ultimate option of them.

Sciscitatio

lycan238 wrote: »

Hi I can only speak for the VES that I am a member of. We charge €2 a week to members and this money is used for rent on the building, we pay something towards the esb bill every year and goes towards the cost of uniform and supplies for the members. If there is not enough in the 'subs' to pay for whatever the money from duties is used to pay the balance. We received donations to the unit for any duty that was covered by us.

This does really make sense, so thanks for sharing .

To pick at this some more! And correct me if my thinking is flawed! But one then gives a 100 euro on top of a lot of their free time. It seems unfair in some way! But then maybe im just reading in to this way to much

lycan238

Sciscitatio wrote: »

This does really make sense, so thanks for sharing .

To pick at this some more! And correct me if my thinking is flawed! But one then gives a 100 euro on top of a lot of their free time. It seems unfair in some way! But then maybe im just reading in to this way to much

In the VES that I am a member of I pay no contribution towards any course that I do (ie CFR, OFA, EFR, EMT, Patient Handling, Manual Handling and others as needed). Also depending on numbers if the duty is far away I can get a lift in the ambulance to the duty and back (assuming the ambulance is not on a hospital run). Also being in the ambulance means that you have a chance of coming across something going from A to B. yes that has actually happened

Sciscitatio

lycan238 wrote: »

In the VES that I am a member of I pay no contribution towards any course that I do (ie CFR, OFA, EFR, EMT, Patient Handling, Manual Handling and others as needed). Also depending on numbers if the duty is far away I can get a lift in the ambulance to the duty and back (assuming the ambulance is not on a hospital run). Also being in the ambulance means that you have a chance of coming across something going from A to B. yes that has actually happened

Ok cool, I will admit I had not given the cost of course any thought!

If you do come across something "from A to B" can you just respond or do you need to contact your HQ etc

lycan238

Sciscitatio wrote: »

Ok cool, I will admit I had not given the cost of course any thought!

If you do come across something "from A to B" can you just respond or do you need to contact your HQ etc

that depends on the incident and who is on board the ambulance, who is at the scene etc.

In this example someone on the scene was a higher clinical level to anyone on our ambulance so we asked if they needed assistance while they awaited the arrival of the HSE. They said yes they needed assistance so we worked under there command (up to our level of training. You never treat beyond your clinical level.

Of course things would be very different if we were the highest clinical lead on the scene. In that case we would contact ambulance control to alert them to the incident get assistance as needed and treat any patients according to our clinical level.

In the first example the highest clinical level fills in the paperwork with there pins etc.

In the second example we would give the top copy of the PCR to the ambulance that attends and send the remainder off to HQ where it is kept on file (as per data protection act).

Sciscitatio

lycan238 wrote: »

that depends on the incident and who is on board the ambulance, who is at the scene etc.

In this example someone on the scene was a higher clinical level to anyone on our ambulance so we asked if they needed assistance while they awaited the arrival of the HSE. They said yes they needed assistance so we worked under there command (up to our level of training. You never treat beyond your clinical level.

Of course things would be very different if we were the highest clinical lead on the scene. In that case we would contact ambulance control to alert them to the incident get assistance as needed and treat any patients according to our clinical level.

In the first example the highest clinical level fills in the paperwork with there pins etc.

In the second example we would give the top copy of the PCR to the ambulance that attends and send the remainder off to HQ where it is kept on file (as per data protection act).

Very interesting, thanks for the information.

lycan238

Sciscitatio wrote: »

Very interesting, thanks for the information.

No problem. If you have any more questions I can try and answer them as accurately as possibly.

I have been a member for 2.5 years and enjoy every minute of training. I have not come across anything too major on duty or going from A to B yet. I will know that if that day does come I will have received excellent training and will have the confidence to do whatever i can to help that person.

I will say that some VES have a better reputation than others in some areas where more than one operate. I have Civil Defence, Order of Malta, St John Ambulance and Irish Red Cross all operating within a 20 mile radius from where I live.