Statewide firefighter recruitment Open Houses April 27-28
Volunteer fire departments across New York State will open their doors and fire truck bays to local residents during the weekend of Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 as part of the third annual RecruitNY statewide volunteer firefighter recruitment effort. To coincide with National Volunteer Week and the six month anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, fire departments will hold recruitment drives at their respective firehouses. RecruitNY is designed to help increase volunteer membership which has suffered due to various factors including the stagnant economy.
During RecruitNY weekend, fire departments will conduct tours of their firehouses and fire apparatus, allow visitors to try on turnout gear, and provide visitor activities and stations throughout the firehouse. Members will discuss the volunteer requirements and rewards that come with being a volunteer firefighter, as well as conduct demonstrations, answer questions, and let visitors know how to join their fire department.
“Last year, over 430 departments in 55 counties across the state participated in RecruitNY and we expect even more counties to get involved this year,” said James A. Burns, president of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). “We encourage departments to sign up to let their communities know of their participation. RecruitNY has proven a success in past years and is a key initiative to help bolster membership numbers so fire departments can continue to provide the optimum level of protection to their local residents.”
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 information, or to find out if an area fire department is participating in RecruitNY, visit www.recruitny.org or contact the local fire department via a non-emergency phone number or its website.
In addition to the annual RecruitNY campaign, FASNY is in the midst of a multi-year, year-round volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention program across New York State made possible by a $4.2 million United States Department of Homeland Security Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that began in 2011. To learn more about the “Fire In You” campaign, visit www.fireinyou.org.
