The Town of Seneca’s three volunteer fire departments are desperately searching for volunteers. To that end, the Hall, Seneca Castle, and Stanley Fire Departments will hold a recruitment blitz and open house on Saturday at each station.
John Turner is a fire commissioner with the Stanley Fire Department. He told Finger Lakes News Radio that the event will be a “community celebration of [the] local fire departments,” allowing the community to tour each facility, meet with current members, and learn how they can assist the departments.
“[We want to] encourage people to come in and learn about their local fire department and consider an opportunity to volunteer for their community.”
There will also be food, demonstrations by firefighters, and opportunities for children to explore the fire trucks.
Turner added that there is a misconception that the only way to assist a volunteer fire department is to become a firefighter. He said that, while each department is seeking to add more firefighters and fire police to their ranks, they also need volunteers for behind-the-scenes work.
“We want to make sure that we pair people up with their individual skill set so yes we have openings for active fire, we have openings for fire police, but we also have openings for clerical administrative positions, station maintenance, truck/equipment maintenance, fundraising, grant writing, social media administration… we have a lot of opportunities available.”
With these roles, the departments are able to work around a potential volunteer’s schedule. This is important because, according to Turner, time is possibly the greatest barrier to recruitment by departments across the country.
Underscoring the important role volunteer departments play in their communities, Turner shared statistics for the three departments in 2023. According to Turner, 2023 saw the 100% volunteer forces respond to 28 fires, 49 motor vehicle accidents, 27 hazardous conditions, and 65 service calls.
“These three departments have been around for generations and they really are a pillar of our community… and we want to make sure that we can maintain and sustain the viability of these departments moving ahead for many years.”
The open houses will take place from 11:00a-2:00p at the Hall Fire Department (4890 Rt 14A), Seneca Castle Fire Department (2028 County Rd 4), and Stanley Fire Department (2040 Rt 245).
To join a department, volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Anyone wishing to be a firefighter must also meet certain physical standards.
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