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Government
Obamacare could force THOUSANDS of volunteer fire departments to close
2013-12-10
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK]
  • The Affordable Care Act forces companies with more than 50 workers to buy them all health insurance or pay hefty fines

  • The IRS says volunteer firefighters are 'employees,' even though the Department of Labor says they're 'volunteers'

  • Out of more than 1 million fire departments in the U.S., 87 per cent are staffed entirely or mostly by life-saving volunteers

  • Members of Congress are weighing in, but the Obama administration hasn't taken any action yet to carve out a fire-fighting exception
    • Posted by:Fred

    #22  I would hope that Volunteer Fire Fighters are at least covered by Workers Comp.
    I believe this is why "Volunteer Fire Fighters" have an ambiguous employment status. Volunteers are usual not consider employees & thus not covered by workers comp. The high risk of injury & death to firefighters does need some kind of coverage, so this is generally extended to them.
    Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2013-12-10 21:51  

    #21  I would hope that Volunteer Fire Fighters are at least covered by Workers Comp. Walking on a burning roof can be a bitch.
    Posted by: Crinenter Elmoth9033   2013-12-10 20:08  

    #20  That health insurance ain't free, and it is not cheap. We have the best we can afford and it only works when the equipment is on. We joke that if one of us slips on ice and bangs their head, somebody should throw their bunker gear on them.

    And if they count as members of the County, they can group departments together on the County same as a multi-business owner gets the sum total of employees.

    Volunteer means 24 hours, so the time limit is breached.

    The insurance is for the wife, who after hearing the first exciting story will put her foot down and say no more. Remember when Russia caught fire not too long ago? Gut every volunteer department between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, see what happens to your food prices.
    Posted by: swksvolFF   2013-12-10 19:08  

    #19  "Beginning," Dale?
    Posted by: Barbara   2013-12-10 18:48  

    #18  It's a lot easier to be socialist when you are sitting on trillions in oil and the rest of the world has enough wealth to pay for it.

    But even then, you eventually run out of other people's money.
    Posted by: Iblis   2013-12-10 18:35  

    #17  Norway is socialist and;


    nok-5000-billion
    Posted by: Dale   2013-12-10 15:26  

    #16  Rightwing, I lived in RI for 6 years back in the 70's (when Cianci was mayor) & sailed into Newport & Block Island with family before that.
    Posted by: Glenmore   2013-12-10 12:12  

    #15  I am beginning to believe Obama doesn't know anything in reality. His underlings are unsupervised. So EPA, IRS, TSA and so on are doing their own thing. Party time.
    Posted by: Dale   2013-12-10 10:41  

    #14  Agreed Glen - been a volunteer firefighter for over 22 years - very active. Small town in Rhode Island. Love my guys and many of us are well trained and in great physical shape. I wear a pager and when the alarm goes off my company never asks a question. Our Mil rate is low at $ 10.00 per thousand for real estate. I must agree with your sentiment. We do not get much respect from the Union guys for obvious reasons.
    Posted by: Rightwing   2013-12-10 10:34  

    #13  Many of the volunteers in my area have a real paying job; they chase the fires because they enjoy it. so why should they be required to pay twice?
    never mind, i forgot we have a mental midget running the place.
    Posted by: USN,Ret.   2013-12-10 09:53  

    #12  One of the biggest reasons to join a volunteer fire department is free health care. That would have to go away.
    Posted by: Iblis   2013-12-10 09:48  

    #11  Volunteerism deprives potential union workers of jobs. And since they are not employees, when you make them go away they don't increase unemployment rate, but when you hire union replacements it decreases the unemployment rate. What? You say you can't afford to hire professional union replacements? Here's a federal grant to cover the first two years (then it's your responsibility.) You still don't want to do it? Well, we'll just assess a mandatory fee - er, tax - to provide for it; it's for the children, you know. (And when business cut back or close due to increased taxes or to decreased sales due to increased taxes on customers, we will blame it on the evil capitalist businesses.) Have I forgotten anything?
    Posted by: Glenmore   2013-12-10 08:49  

    #10  Yes, "less that 50" as written today anyway.
    Posted by: Besoeker   2013-12-10 08:42  

    #9  I believe most of these volunteer departments are less than 50 to begin with, so what is really affected are the larger communities with income issues.
    Posted by: ptah   2013-12-10 08:27  

    #8  Don't pi$$ off John Galt.
    Posted by: Alaska Paul   2013-12-10 08:14  

    #7  The next time the liberals think it would be cute or very liberal/lefty to elect some member of a minority group (fill-in-the-blank) with no consideration of the candidates capabilities, maybe they will think twice when their house is on fire.
    Posted by: JohnQC   2013-12-10 07:43  

    #6  They fiddle and drink wine as the ship goes down. Posted by: Dale

    And today they're dining on Kudu, and drinking excellent Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Pinotage. We're we're picking up the tab of course.
    Posted by: Besoeker   2013-12-10 07:33  

    #5  Job losses are major. These jobs pay very well. Coal industry and related services. Insurance Industry and related services. Health care Industry is huge(continuing education, License fees. boggles the mind.). There will not be enough workers to support government workers. They fiddle and drink wine as the ship goes down.
    Posted by: Dale   2013-12-10 07:26  

    #4  Vae victis.
    Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2013-12-10 05:24  

    #3  These are small communities that do not have either a tax base nor any other revenue source to support a payroll, benefits or even Obama's unaffordable health insurance/tax. The departments will not close. They are essential.

    Individuals within the community provide the equipment, enough funding to keep the gas tanks full, and time for training and actual dousing of the flames or transporting to the hospital of neighbors and family by those who bless their communities by volunteering their time to such essential life saving activities. It is a tradition since day one when volunteers of the continental army kicked King George and his Red Coats out of the US shortly after an American version of a tea party was held in Boston harbor.

    Any attempt to interfere will result in this liberal socialist regime getting a thorough ass kicking. Tea time once again.



    Posted by: Guillibaldo McCoy1948   2013-12-10 02:26  

    #2  As designed....
    Posted by: CrazyFool   2013-12-10 01:08  

    #1  And what type of communities generally have non-union, volunteer fire departments? Yes, suburban and rural. I doubt Champ will be taking any action.
    Posted by: Besoeker   2013-12-10 00:50  

    00:00