Volunteer firefighters needed in Recruit NY event

The Magee Volunteer Fire Department will open its doors to area residents, so they can learn about what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter in their community as part of the fourth annual Recruit NY statewide initiative. Over the last several years, it has been very tough for many fire departments throughout New York State to recruit and retain volunteers for a variety of reasons. Like most volunteer fire departments, the Magee Volunteer Fire Department needs to bolster its emergency responder numbers so it can continue to provide the optimum level of protection for its residents. As part of Recruit NY, on insert date Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 between 9:00am – 4:00pm, the Magee Volunteer Fire Department located at 1807 State Route 318 in Seneca Falls, NY will join volunteer fire departments all across the state at their respective firehouses for a unified recruitment drive. Not only will Recruit NY be an opportunity to highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer firefighter, it will also raise public awareness about the need for volunteers. Throughout the day, the Magee Volunteer Fire Department will conduct tours of the station and firefighter apparatus, allow visitors to try on firefighter gear, and provide activities and stations throughout the firehouse for visitors. The fire department will discuss the requirements to be a volunteer, as well as conduct demonstrations, answer questions, and let visitors know how to get involved in the fire department.Last year, more than 500 fire departments in 55 counties across the state held recruitment open houses. FASNY is hoping for an even higher turnout this year and encourages departments to RSVP to let the community know they’re participating at: www.recruitny.org/signup. “Come on out and join us for this unique recruitment day at our firehouse,” said Magee Fire Department Captain William Storrs. “This is a great opportunity for our neighbors to observe the exciting tasks of a firefighter. Our current members love what they do; they are everyday heroes who help neighbors in need. We hope our recruitment day will inspire other area residents to join our fire service family.”The goal of Recruit NY is that the collaborative effort among volunteer fire departments statewide will turn the declining number of volunteer firefighters around. Recruit NY is one example of FASNY’s key initiatives to recruit and retain volunteers. Over the last year and a half, FASNY has worked exceptionally hard to build and deploy a multi-tiered plan for helping New York state’s more than 1,700 volunteer fire departments recruit more than 15,000 new volunteer firefighters across the state by utilizing federal SAFER grant funds for programs including the “Fire in You” advertising campaign, FASNY HELP community college tuition reimbursement program, and recruitment training classes. Established in 2011, Recruit NY 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), Associationof 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 fire departments that would like to sign up for RecruitNY, simply log on to http://recruitny.org/opendoors.php 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 host a recruitment open house. For area residents looking for more information, or to find out if your fire department is participating in RecruitNY, visit www.recruitny.org or contact your local fire department via a non-emergency phone number or its website.