New bill promotes volunteerism among local fire departments
OXFORD – In response to a rapid decline in the number of volunteer firefighters in recent years, Representative Richard Hanna paid a visit to the Oxford Fire Department on Thursday to introduce a new initiative to encourage participation in volunteer-based fire departments nationwide.
Hanna’s proposal, titled the Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts (SERVE) Act of 2013, calls for a $1,000 federal tax income credit for volunteers of firefighting and emergency medical service organizations. According to Hanna, volunteer firefighters and EMS crews often pay out-of-pocket for necessities such as gasoline for response calls and training clothing - expenses that should not burden volunteers, he said.
“We are seeing it in Oxford and throughout the district that volunteers are becoming more difficult to find,” Hanna said, citing an estimated 750,000 volunteer firefighters serving throughout the country. “There are so many rural communities throughout the country that rely on volunteers ... Hopefully, this (incentive) will encourage people to get more involved.”
More than two-thirds of US fire departments (71 percent) are all-volunteer, according to a 2010 needs assessment conducted by the National Fire Protection Association. In New York State, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) reports the number of volunteers has dropped by approximately 10,000 over the last decade.
“I think proposal this is a great idea,” explained Oxford Fire Chief Mike Cobb.
Currently, the Oxford Fire Department has 65 volunteers, said Cobb, not including members of the fire auxillary program. The number of responders per call typically ranges between 15 and 35, depending on the time of day. Hopes are to have enough manpower to respond to every call irrespective of when the call is made, he added.
There are 21 fire departments in Chenango County with the Norwich Fire Department being the only department with paid staff. The remaining fire departments are volunteer-based and typically rely on mutual aid from surrounding fire districts for the necessary fire and EMS manpower in emergency situations.
The decline in volunteers in New York State was addressed in April when fire departments across the state participated in Recruit NY, a two-day series of events to entice men and women to lend a helping hand. The longterm goal of FASNY is to recruit 15,000 new firefighters in the state by 2015 with incentives such as state income and real property tax credits, a length of service awards program, and college tuition assistance.
New York State currently offers a $200 tax credit for volunteer firefighters. Hanna said the SERVE Act will supplement any current state tax incentive.
“Area departments are struggling to find men and women to volunteer their time and energy for the benefit of their community,” he said. “This small but meaningful benefit would go a long way toward both encouraging new volunteers to join the ranks of local departments and also thanking those who already choose to give themselves in service to their communities.”
The legislation has been endorsed by the National Volunteer Fire Council, a nonprofit agency representing the interests of volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services.
Hanna’s proposal, titled the Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts (SERVE) Act of 2013, calls for a $1,000 federal tax income credit for volunteers of firefighting and emergency medical service organizations. According to Hanna, volunteer firefighters and EMS crews often pay out-of-pocket for necessities such as gasoline for response calls and training clothing - expenses that should not burden volunteers, he said.
“We are seeing it in Oxford and throughout the district that volunteers are becoming more difficult to find,” Hanna said, citing an estimated 750,000 volunteer firefighters serving throughout the country. “There are so many rural communities throughout the country that rely on volunteers ... Hopefully, this (incentive) will encourage people to get more involved.”
More than two-thirds of US fire departments (71 percent) are all-volunteer, according to a 2010 needs assessment conducted by the National Fire Protection Association. In New York State, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) reports the number of volunteers has dropped by approximately 10,000 over the last decade.
“I think proposal this is a great idea,” explained Oxford Fire Chief Mike Cobb.
Currently, the Oxford Fire Department has 65 volunteers, said Cobb, not including members of the fire auxillary program. The number of responders per call typically ranges between 15 and 35, depending on the time of day. Hopes are to have enough manpower to respond to every call irrespective of when the call is made, he added.
There are 21 fire departments in Chenango County with the Norwich Fire Department being the only department with paid staff. The remaining fire departments are volunteer-based and typically rely on mutual aid from surrounding fire districts for the necessary fire and EMS manpower in emergency situations.
The decline in volunteers in New York State was addressed in April when fire departments across the state participated in Recruit NY, a two-day series of events to entice men and women to lend a helping hand. The longterm goal of FASNY is to recruit 15,000 new firefighters in the state by 2015 with incentives such as state income and real property tax credits, a length of service awards program, and college tuition assistance.
New York State currently offers a $200 tax credit for volunteer firefighters. Hanna said the SERVE Act will supplement any current state tax incentive.
“Area departments are struggling to find men and women to volunteer their time and energy for the benefit of their community,” he said. “This small but meaningful benefit would go a long way toward both encouraging new volunteers to join the ranks of local departments and also thanking those who already choose to give themselves in service to their communities.”
The legislation has been endorsed by the National Volunteer Fire Council, a nonprofit agency representing the interests of volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services.
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