Looking for a few good volunteers

Increased training time, the demands of work and the departure of recent college graduates from their home communities have made it more difficult for local volunteer fire departments to retain members.
To maintain membership and have enough manpower to fight fires, provide mutual aid and respond to other emergencies, fire departments use a variety of incentives.
“Recruiting is somewhat difficult because of the nature of the makeup of Nassau County, and the requirements to be a firefighter in Nassau and New York state,” explained Woodmere Fire Chief Lenny Cherson, who oversees a department of 75 members, 50 of whom are active. “Training is much more [intense] than it was in the past.”
With so many Woodmere residents commuting to Manhattan, the average workday can be as long as 13 hours for some, Cherson added, noting, as well, the college graduates who leave Long Island. “If we can get five years out of a member, it’s good,” he said.
The department covers not only Woodmere, but Cedar Bay Park, Woodsburgh, Hewlett Neck and portions of Hewlett Harbor. It also provides mutual aid to the Hewlett, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Inwood and Valley Stream fire departments. Last year it responded to 800 calls. In 2012, thanks to Hurricane Sandy, that number topped 1,000.
There are about 80 hours of training for new firefighters, and training continues throughout a member’s service. Emergency medical technician training takes about 200 hours, and EMTs are required to take a refresher course every three years. More extensive training is required for paramedics, who provide advanced life support care and can administer medication intravenously.