Three valley Volunteer Fire Departments will hold a coordinated open house and recruitment drive at their fire stations Saturday, April 24. The event will allow the fire departments a chance to highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer. We’ve increased our recruiting footprint by adding recruiting information at Berlin High School. Junior members can join at age 16-17. With no upper age limit, retirees can be a huge asset for our emergency services, especially as drivers.
Volunteer departments respond to all types of emergencies including fires, vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, rescue and emergency medical. Our members are able to choose specialties, and can be trained as interior firefighters, scene support personnel, Emergency Medical Technicians, drivers, or fire police who assist at traffic control at many of our incidents. Free training is provided in all these specialties.
Every member of these departments is a volunteer. Filling the ranks with volunteers keeps taxes low for the entire community. We’re all neighbors helping neighbors.
As volunteer firefighters we learn to do dangerous things safely. We weigh risks and benefits. We proudly serve our community. We’re the solution to all manner of emergencies. Sometimes a crew of two suffices, other times the emergency grows so we need every member in the valley. Fielding a larger crew resolves the emergency quickly and safely. Some benefits of volunteering are scholarships for higher education and income tax credits. We need new recruits to continue to serve our community.
This drive is part of RecruitNY, sponsored by the Firemen’s association of the State of New York, which is coordinating statewide recruiting. Numerous other departments are also holding open houses. Check recruitny.org or www.svfd1.org for more information, or phone Bob Adler at 733-5749, or just stop by your local station for some refreshments and see what we do and how you can contribute to our community.
The hours when the local stations will be open are: Stephentown 10 am to 2 pm; Berlin 9 am to 3 pm; Grafton 10 am to 2 pm. Come say hello! For more information contact Bob Adler, Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department, at 733-5749.