Stipends/pay for volly service

[arctic2]

Can anybody explain to me how their volunteer service pays with stipends/ regular paychecks? I just joined a local volunteer service and as far as my understanding goes. if you work during the day doing a day shift you are paid but if you work during the evening it will just be counted as volunteer. I was just curious how other departments manage this and whay formula they use.

I personally find it funny that a volunteer organization can pay their members at all.

 

[MRE]

Every organization is different. Often if an organization can't get enough help, they consider adding pay to incentivize members.

The typical volunteer organization has a more difficult time covering calls when its members are working at their paying jobs. If most of these are 9-5 jobs then daytime is a difficult time to cover, and evening after most jobs get out is not difficult. It makes sense that they would hire or offer pay to those who respond to the calls that happen in difficult to cover times.

 

[akflightmedic]

And from what I know, the stipends/pay is VERY low. It is essentially to cover "gas". The department near me pays $10 per call. Could be a 30 minute load and go, could be several hours of extrication, traffic direction and road cleanup and then station/equipment cleanup after...

AND....you still have to file a return on that. So your $10 a call probably ends up being $3 actually received or on an extended call, you the volunteer actually lose money. The ONLY winner is the town or city which refuses to go paid.

 

[DrParasite]

The department near me pays $10 per call

damn, $10 per call? I was on a volunteer FD that gave $6 a call...

There are some very dicey labor laws about paying volunteers. Typically, you need to fall under the hourly minimum wage, so if you "work" a 12 hour shift, you might get paid $50.

Every agency is different... some compensate you by the hours, some by the call, and some not at all. Then again, I never volunteered for the money, but getting "paid" xyz amount does help offset spending time away from loved ones.