Search and Rescue Garfield County

by **km_donovan** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:45 pm

I have been following this thread on 14'ers and I have linked it here. This takes the term"ass hole" to a much higher level.

"Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario has recently changed the application requirements for active and future volunteers for the organization. The 39-page application for new volunteers asks personal questions in regard to financial history, loan balances of any kind including a home mortgage, complete medical history, drug screen and history, and driving and criminal history, among other stipulations. Another section of the application states that “marital status, prior marriages, number of dependents, related to how the applicant handles those responsibilities will also be discussed.”

The application also asks to list magazine subscriptions, and sexual and gambling activities."

Remember; this is a non-profit and all these people are volunteers!

I think all of the S&R members should quit and leave the sheriffs department to fend for themselves and that any other S&R group should refuse to respond assist strictly on the grounds that they are dealing with a bunch of morons!

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20091020/VALLEYNEWS/910199988/1083&ParentProfile=1074

http://www.14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22303

by **mconnell** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:06 pm

WTF? If anyone hands me a 39 page application for me to volunteer, they are on their own. My last volunteer app was about a paragraph, and that was to work with kids.

I'm sure that who someone screwed last week is really going to affect their ability to help with SAR.

by **MarthaP** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:28 pm

I think a lot of those questions also border on the politics of discrimination. Perhaps someone should file a complaint...

by **KevinCraig** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:38 am

km_donovan wrote:I think all of the S&R members should quit and leave the sheriffs department to fend for themselves and that any other S&R group should refuse to respond assist strictly on the grounds that they are dealing with a bunch of morons!

+1(00)

by **DudeThatMustHurt** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:32 am

km_donovan wrote:I have been following this thread on 14'ers and I have linked it here. This takes the term"ass hole" to a much higher level.

"Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario has recently changed the application requirements for active and future volunteers for the organization. The 39-page application for new volunteers asks personal questions in regard to financial history, loan balances of any kind including a home mortgage, complete medical history, drug screen and history, and driving and criminal history, among other stipulations. Another section of the application states that “marital status, prior marriages, number of dependents, related to how the applicant handles those responsibilities will also be discussed.”

The application also asks to list magazine subscriptions, and sexual and gambling activities."

Remember; this is a non-profit and all these people are volunteers!

Some of it makes sense, I don't want a friggin stoner attempting to save my life nor do I want a low life who can't make his credit card payments trying to tie me to a guerny. If he ( she ) can't take care of themself why do I want them taking care of me? Some of the other questions though..... A bit odd

I think all of the S&R members should quit and leave the sheriffs department to fend for themselves and that any other S&R group should refuse to respond assist strictly on the grounds that they are dealing with a bunch of morons!

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20091020/VALLEYNEWS/910199988/1083&ParentProfile=1074

http://www.14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22303

by **MarthaP** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:19 pm

Dude - somehow I don't think stoners would have the energy to train and maintain a productive relationship with any SAR team. Besides, in such a small, tighly knit group word gets around pretty quickly - you and I have already had experience with that one. :wink:

So I think we can forgo that issue.

Seriously, what does someone having credit challenges have to do with rescue, or any other job for that matter? It's particularly disheartening an idea when so many people are out of work through no fault of their own, homes in foreclosure, yada yada yada, during this ridiculous recession we're in. There's no money exchanged, unless one fears one's pocket is going to get picked during a technical rescue. :lol:

by **JohnHemlock** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:23 am

. . . personal questions in regard to financial history, loan balances of any kind including a home mortgage, complete medical history, drug screen and history, and driving and criminal history. . . .

These are all (well, except for medical history) things I ask for when hiring someone, along with their W-2s for the past 5 years and enough references to choke a Clydesdale. How you run your personal life will have a direct alignment with how you will run your professional life. For my line of work, in any case.

But having said that - I am forbidden by law from discriminating against someone based on about 80% of the other stuff listed, as well as anything older than 7 years. The 29 page application seems entirely unreasonable, especially since as a victim I would be much more interested in your rescue talents than your FICO score.

by **dakotaconcrete** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:37 am

sounds common to me...but im an ex-mesa county sheriff employee...

my first question is why? what cause led the sheriff to make this change? most things like this are done for a pretty good reason...they are after all representatives of the sheriff's office

all in all, it does seem a bit harsh for a volunteer...are the volunteers deputized?...or sworn? i guess it doesn't bother me if the SAR personnel meet those criteria, i would feel good if my life depended on them...i would however hate to see something like that deter good intentioned and well-qualified folks

by **MarthaP** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:49 pm

JohnHemlock wrote:These are all (well, except for medical history) things I ask for when hiring someone, along with their W-2s for the past 5 years and enough references to choke a Clydesdale. How you run your personal life will have a direct alignment with how you will run your professional life.

I absolutely disagree. In fact, there's a class action suit recently settled for $45 million for just the above reason - people were denied employment because the strength of their credit histories was a necessary condition for employment but was deemed an inappropriate application requirement. In addition, credit reports are often inaccurate, particularly those of Experian's, so it's unfair to utilize this information. And frankly, good people can have a tough go of it. These days it's certainly not easy to pull out of a financial crisis.

JohnHemlock wrote:For my line of work, in any case.

You must be either an investment broker or a pit boss up in Black Hawk. :wink:

JohnHemlock wrote:The 29 page application seems entirely unreasonable, especially since as a victim I would be much more interested in your rescue talents than your FICO score.

Amen to that.

by **mconnell** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:01 pm

JohnHemlock wrote:. . . personal questions in regard to financial history, loan balances of any kind including a home mortgage, complete medical history, drug screen and history, and driving and criminal history. . . .

These are all (well, except for medical history) things I ask for when hiring someone, along with their W-2s for the past 5 years and enough references to choke a Clydesdale. How you run your personal life will have a direct alignment with how you will run your professional life. For my line of work, in any case.

I agree for employment in some jobs. I have run (and had run) credit checks and criminal history, as well as doing internet searches. Integrity is integrity, whether it's in your personal life or professional.

In this particular case, we are talking about volunteers that are putting their asses on the line to help someone else. That's a totally different situation than paying someone to have access to company information/money/etc.

by **MarthaP** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:10 pm

+1 mconnell.

I have an idea - let's have the folks needing rescue fill out an application regarding their personal life before they'll be rescued. That way we can filter out who'll compromise the gene pool and who'll strengthen it.

And while we're on it, I think employers should complete an application of the same disclosure for the potential employees to read. I could have avoided a lot of bad employment choices had I know what jerks the bosses were. You know, since how you run your personal life.... :wink:

by **JohnHemlock** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:34 pm

MarthaP wrote:
JohnHemlock wrote:These are all (well, except for medical history) things I ask for when hiring someone, along with their W-2s for the past 5 years and enough references to choke a Clydesdale. How you run your personal life will have a direct alignment with how you will run your professional life.

I absolutely disagree. In fact, there's a class action suit recently settled for $45 million for just the above reason - people were denied employment because the strength of their credit histories was a necessary condition for employment but was deemed an inappropriate application requirement. In addition, credit reports are often inaccurate, particularly those of Experian's, so it's unfair to utilize this information. And frankly, good people can have a tough go of it. These days it's certainly not easy to pull out of a financial crisis.

JohnHemlock wrote:For my line of work, in any case.

You must be either an investment broker or a pit boss up in Black Hawk.

JohnHemlock wrote:The 29 page application seems entirely unreasonable, especially since as a victim I would be much more interested in your rescue talents than your FICO score.

Amen to that.

I am in total agreement that it is frivolous in this case. And I wouldn't DQ someone based on an Experian report. But if you are delinquent in multiple lines, have a BK, and 2 DUIs, and your resume is full of gaps, and your income is hard to verify, and you might not be bondable, etc - a picture begins to emerge. I will choose not to pay you large amounts of money or have you represent my company.

by **mconnell** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:47 pm

MarthaP wrote:+1 mconnell.

I have an idea - let's have the folks needing rescue fill out an application regarding their personal life before they'll be rescued. That way we can filter out who'll compromise the gene pool and who'll strengthen it.

The "Rescue Application" would eliminate most rescues! I haven't done a lot of rescue work, but only about 10% of the people rescued were not a detriment to the gene pool.

by **MarthaP** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:48 pm

JohnHemlock wrote:But if you are delinquent in multiple lines, have a BK, and 2 DUIs, and your resume is full of gaps, and your income is hard to verify, and you might not be bondable, etc - a picture begins to emerge. I will choose not to pay you large amounts of money or have you represent my company.

I suspect someone with that history is still making license plates in the state penitentiary. :wink:

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