Chenango’s fire departments to hold recruitment events
CHENANGO COUNTY – Hoping to curb the declining number of volunteers, fire departments around the county will open their doors to the public this weekend for RecruitNY, an annual effort to drive up recruitment at departments that are volunteer driven.
RecruitNY is a statewide open house and recruitment drive organized by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York for volunteer fire departments. These units rely on courageous, selfless members of the community to protect the lives and property of friends and neighbors.
Unfortunately, departments all over are struggling to find volunteers and that’s having on impact, explained Jim McLaughlin, firefighter and coordinator of RecruitNY events at the Norwich Fire Department.
“A lot of people in Norwich and surrounding towns think that Norwich is an all paid department, and that is absolutely not the case,” said McLaughlin. “We are desperate for quality volunteers. We’re trying to get the word out that there is a need and that we can find the position for almost anybody who meets the qualifications.”
While being the only paid department in Chenango County, the Norwich Fire Department currently has just over 30 active volunteers. That’s good, said McLaughlin; but it’s a long way from the 60-plus volunteers the department had just 10 years ago.
The challenge of recruiting is one faced by all 21 departments in Chenango County. Changing times have led to busier lives and thus, fewer volunteers, McLaughlin pointed out.
“Some of it is people who move out of the area. Folks get older and tend to not be as involved with a firefighter operation. For whatever reason, society at large is just not volunteering as much as they used to,” he added. “We’re in an uphill battle. Volunteers are down across the board.”
The shortage of volunteers has forced departments to rely more on mutual aid from surrounding fire districts with every incoming call. This not only poses a threat to response times, but also to the very existence of community-based fire departments.
RecruitNY aims to reverse that trend. After years of decline, the annual RecruitNY weekend has helped add more than 20,000 to the ranks of fire departments across the state, including small departments in Chenango County.
In addition to providing protection, volunteer firefighters save an estimated $3.87 billion on property tax bills in New York State. In return, volunteers may receive benefits such as state income tax credits, real property tax credits, length of service award programs, and college tuition reimbursement.
Four Chenango County Departments have registered open house events on the RecruitNY website, all of which will take place this Saturday, April 23. They include:
• The Afton Hose Company from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Brisben Fire Department from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• City of Norwich Fire Department from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Greene Fire Department from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on volunteering or RecruitNY, visit RecruitNY.org.
RecruitNY is a statewide open house and recruitment drive organized by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York for volunteer fire departments. These units rely on courageous, selfless members of the community to protect the lives and property of friends and neighbors.
Unfortunately, departments all over are struggling to find volunteers and that’s having on impact, explained Jim McLaughlin, firefighter and coordinator of RecruitNY events at the Norwich Fire Department.
“A lot of people in Norwich and surrounding towns think that Norwich is an all paid department, and that is absolutely not the case,” said McLaughlin. “We are desperate for quality volunteers. We’re trying to get the word out that there is a need and that we can find the position for almost anybody who meets the qualifications.”
While being the only paid department in Chenango County, the Norwich Fire Department currently has just over 30 active volunteers. That’s good, said McLaughlin; but it’s a long way from the 60-plus volunteers the department had just 10 years ago.
The challenge of recruiting is one faced by all 21 departments in Chenango County. Changing times have led to busier lives and thus, fewer volunteers, McLaughlin pointed out.
“Some of it is people who move out of the area. Folks get older and tend to not be as involved with a firefighter operation. For whatever reason, society at large is just not volunteering as much as they used to,” he added. “We’re in an uphill battle. Volunteers are down across the board.”
The shortage of volunteers has forced departments to rely more on mutual aid from surrounding fire districts with every incoming call. This not only poses a threat to response times, but also to the very existence of community-based fire departments.
RecruitNY aims to reverse that trend. After years of decline, the annual RecruitNY weekend has helped add more than 20,000 to the ranks of fire departments across the state, including small departments in Chenango County.
In addition to providing protection, volunteer firefighters save an estimated $3.87 billion on property tax bills in New York State. In return, volunteers may receive benefits such as state income tax credits, real property tax credits, length of service award programs, and college tuition reimbursement.
Four Chenango County Departments have registered open house events on the RecruitNY website, all of which will take place this Saturday, April 23. They include:
• The Afton Hose Company from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Brisben Fire Department from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• City of Norwich Fire Department from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Greene Fire Department from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on volunteering or RecruitNY, visit RecruitNY.org.
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