N.Y. Fire Depts. Plan Open Houses to Recruit Volunteers

All across New York State, volunteer fire departments will open their firehouse doors to the public on the weekend of April 23-24 as part of the sixth annual RecruitNY statewide volunteer firefighter recruitment campaign. RecruitNY is a major initiative designed to increase membership in volunteer fire departments across the state.

Throughout the weekend, fire department volunteers will conduct tours of their facilities, demonstrate firefighting techniques, allow visitors to try on turnout gear, and provide other exciting activities to give visitors a taste of the fire service. Families and children are welcome. Members will discuss the requirements and rewards of being a volunteer firefighter, and speak with interested visitors about the process of joining their local department. As of March 1st, 320 Fire Departments from 58 counties across the state have already committed to participate in RecruitNY Weekend.

“The RecruitNY campaign continues to inspire residents across New York to consider volunteering with their local fire companies. In recent years, hundreds of fire departments have participated in RecruitNY and we’re confident that even more will take part this year,” said Robert McConville, president of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). “We invite all New Yorkers to visit their local firehouses on April 23rd or 24th, even if it’s just to say ‘hello’ to those neighbors who are currently protecting your community. You might just decide to join them as a neighbor helping neighbors, and become a part of a new and very special family: your local volunteer firefighters."

Volunteer firefighters are not only neighbors coming to the aid of their community during emergencies but they are also saving residents over $3 billion each year. FASNY recently released its first comprehensive volunteer firefighters economic impact report in more than a decade. The study, which quantifies the value of volunteer firefighters and tax savings throughout the state, concluded that the annual cost of a replacement all-career service would be $3.87 billion. This deficit would raise property taxes across New York State an estimated average of 26.5%. Through the efforts of RecruitNY, our volunteer firefighters make the state not only safer, but more affordable for millions of New Yorkers.

Established in 2011, RecruitNY is a joint undertaking by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY), the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC), Association of Fire Districts of New York State, Volunteer Fire Police Association of the State of New York, and County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of New York.

For area residents looking to find if your fire department is participating in RecruitNY, visit http://www.recruitny.org/participation-area/ or for more information, contact your local fire department via a non-emergency phone number or its website or visit www.recruitny.org.

For fire departments that would like to sign up for RecruitNY, simply log on to www.recruitny.org/signup and fill out the participation form. The program provides fire departments with access to recruitment resources, communication tools, posters, banners, etc. via http://recruitny.org/resources.php to help a firehouse hold a recruitment open house.

About FASNY
Founded in 1872, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) represents the interests of approximately 100,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York State. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.

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