This weekend is the annual “Recruit NY” public awareness initiative sponsored by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York that is designed to encourage the recruitment and retention of local volunteer firefighters and EMTs.
According to FASNY, the number of volunteer firefighters statewide declined from 140,000 in the early 1990s to less than 90,000 just a few years ago. Volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) experienced a decline from more than 50,000 to 35,000 during the same period, with some rural counties experiencing as much as a 50-percent depletion of their EMT ranks. FASNY recently noted that they have lost 4,100 volunteers over the past two years.
A number of fire departments in the region will take part:
Cayuga County:
Fleming Volunteer Fire Department – Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Ontario County:
Farmington Volunteer Fire Association – Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Oaks Corners Fire Department – Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department – Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Port Gibson Volunteer Fire Department – Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
East Bloomfield Holcomb Fire Department – Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Steuben County:
East Campbell Fire Department – Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Savona Fire Department – Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cohocton Fire Department – Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tompkins County:
Enfield Volunteer Fire Company – Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Danby Volunteer Fire Company – Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Varna Volunteer Fire Company – Saturday 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Lansing Fire Department – Sunday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Neriton Volunteer Fire Company – Saturday 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Wayne County:
South Macedon Fire Department – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Walworth Fire Department – Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Ontario Fire Company – Saturday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Macedon Center Fire Department – Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Red Creek Protective Fire – Sunday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Yates County:
Dresden Fire Department – Saturday 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.