Across Long Island, firehouse bay doors will be propped open this weekend as departments host RecruitNY open houses, hoping to rebuild volunteer crews that have thinned out over the past two decades. Chiefs and local officials say the shrinking rosters are already stretching coverage and slowing response times in communities that still count on neighbors to show up when the siren goes off.
RecruitNY weekend: statewide open houses
The open houses are part of RecruitNY, a statewide outreach effort that connects would-be volunteers with nearby stations, youth programs and training paths. According to RecruitNY, hundreds of departments use the campaign to list open house hours, walk people through training requirements and spell out how to sign up.
Numbers tell the story
The Firefighters Association of the State of New York reports that volunteer ranks have slid from roughly 120,000 to about 80,000 over the last 20 years, a drop that officials say has left many districts shorthanded. As outlined by FASNY, that decline helped spur a series of statewide recruitment and retention efforts, while coverage of a broader multi-point plan was detailed by FireRescue1.
Local strain: Long Island examples
On Long Island, the strain is showing up in the size of mutual-aid calls. CBS New York highlighted a recent garden-center fire that drew response from 19 different departments. That kind of turnout looks impressive from the outside, but fire officials say it can also signal just how thin local rosters have become.
Some younger volunteers are still finding ways to make it work. "If I had schoolwork, I would take it to the firehouse," Hewlett volunteer James Quaranto told CBS New York, a small glimpse into how recruits are folding long shifts and heavy training into already packed schedules.
Perks, pension and a push to pay
To sweeten the deal, departments are leaning on a menu of benefits that can include retirement pension options, free community-college tuition, college credits and property-tax exemptions. As reported by the USA TODAY Network, lawmakers and fire service groups are pressing Albany for additional incentives, including proposals that would allow districts to offer modest compensation or expanded tax credits.
On the state level, the governor's office has moved to offset some of the training burden. A volunteer training stipend program has been expanded to help cover certification costs, according to Governor Kathy Hochul's office.
What departments say will help
Fire leaders tell reporters that even a small, reliable paycheck for on-site standby shifts could be a game changer, making it realistic for volunteers to stay at the firehouse and roll out the door as soon as the tones drop. As one official put it to CBS New York, volunteers "want something now" to help handle the cost of living and keep them available when calls come in.
How to find an open house
Anyone interested in signing up can search for local events and application details through the RecruitNY directory, which lists participating departments and youth opportunities across the state. For more information, see RecruitNY.
