Never Underestimate the Value of Reserve Officers : Foes of a plan for Fire Department volunteers should look at LAPD corps. Officers do a variety of work--from patrol duty to the Bomb Squad. They are vital.

A recent proposal to create a volunteer reservist corps for the Los Angeles Fire Department, although not a new idea, deserves a serious new look in these times of financial difficulty.

The program, most recently proposed by Councilwoman Laura Chick, would be modeled after the very successful reserve program of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Having been an LAPD officer for 25 years, I have worked with our reserve officers on many occasions. I have found them to represent all walks of life and all racial, ethnic and economic groups. They truly epitomize the word volunteer . These committed men and women know what it means to give.

The Police Reserve Officer Corps is a great success. The community reaps the benefits of these citizens who give a great service back to their community for almost no compensation. Those of us who have chosen law enforcement as a career have nothing but admiration and praise for these wonderful volunteers. That is why I was dismayed at the comments made by Mike McOsker, vice president of the United Firefighters Union of Los Angeles, who said his organization would oppose any firefighters reservist program. I find his comment that the use of volunteers in the fire service would tend to diminish the role of full-time firefighters irresponsible. I also found very insulting his statement: “We view what we do as being a career. This would reduce our jobs to a hobby.”

Perhaps McOsker should examine the role of volunteers before he insults and belittles the scores of volunteers who have served throughout the history of the United States. From the Minutemen who fought for independence during the Revolutionary War to the reserves who fought in Desert Storm, I would venture that none of them or the full-time soldiers they fought next to felt they were involved in a hobby. I have met physicians who volunteer their time in community clinics; lawyers who provide free service to those who cannot afford attorney fees; the scores of volunteers who work for the Special Olympics or in AIDS hospices. And I have met scores of volunteer firefighters who protect their communities every day of the year. None of those involved in volunteerism consider themselves hobbyists.

The LAPD reserve officers illustrate this perfectly. They perform a wide variety of duties. From patrolling in black-and-white police vehicles teamed with full-time officers to working the desk in almost every community police station, reserve officers fill a vital role. They provide a much-needed police presence to assist the public. They also work in the elite Metropolitan Division, the Bomb Squad, Air Support Division and many other specialized assignments.

The LAPD has a reserve officer force of more than 900 men and women in three categories. Specialist reserves are volunteers who work in a variety of specialized roles. Photographers, bomb disposal experts, flight tower personnel, accountants and physicians are only a few. Specialist reserves do not have to go through a training academy. There are 295 of them in the LAPD today.

Technical reserves work the local division desks, taking reports and assisting in community relations, in addition to scores of other assignments. They go through a 300-hour academy. There are 268 technical reserves.

Line reserves have full police officer powers. They work patrol and vice, side by side with regular police officers, and in many areas work patrol assignments with other reserve officers. These men and women risk their lives just the same as full-time officers. The department has 367 line reserves who work a minimum of two shifts per month--although many work much more. The Line Reserve Police Academy is 10 months long and totals 630 hours of training. That’s the same amount of training a full-time, regular police officer receives!

The city of Los Angeles is facing a serious financial crisis. The mayor is calling on all city departments to cut back. That includes the police and fire departments. The thought of turning down a valuable resource that would ensure that service to the public in life-threatening situations would not be diminished is irresponsible. Perhaps McOsker should examine and ensure that the goals of his union are not opposed to those of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

On a selfish note, the Los Angeles Police Department continues to welcome and appreciate its citizen volunteers. They do make a difference.