On Sunday, April 28, from 10 a.m. and noon, the East Rockaway firehouses on Clark Street, Grant Avenue, Main Street and ERFD Headquarters, 473 Atlantic Avenue, will join volunteer fire departments all across the state at their respective firehouses for a unified recruitment drive, as part of National Volunteer Week 2013.
As part of the third annual RecruitNY statewide initiative, the East Rockaway Fire Department will open its doors to area residents so they can learn about what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter or firemedic in their community. During the last several years, it has been very tough for many fire departments throughout New York State to recruit and retain volunteers for a variety of reasons. Like most volunteer fire departments, the East Rockaway Fire Department needs to bolster its emergency responder numbers so it can continue to provide the optimum level of protection for its residents.
Not only will RecruitNY be an opportunity to highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer firefighter or fire medic, it will also raise public awareness about the need for volunteers.
Throughout the morning, the East Rockaway Fire Department will conduct tours of the stations and firefighter apparatus and provide activities and stations throughout the firehouses for visitors. The fire department members will discuss the requirements to be a volunteer, as well as conduct demonstrations, answer questions, and let visitors know how to get involved in the fire department.
The goal of RecruitNY is that the collaborative effort among volunteer fire departments statewide will turn the declining number of volunteer firefighters and firemedics around. RecruitNY is one example of FASNY’s key initiatives to recruit and retain volunteers. Over the last year and a half, FASNY has worked exceptionally hard to build and deploy a multi-tiered plan for helping New York State’s over 1,700 volunteer fire departments recruit over 15,000 new volunteer firefighters across the state by utilizing federal SAFER grant funds for programs including the “Fire in You” advertising campaign, FASNY HELP community college tuition reimbursement program, and recruitment training classes.
Established in 2011, RecruitNY is a joint undertaking by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY), the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC), Association.
of Fire Districts of New York State, Volunteer Fire Police Association of the State of New York, and County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of New York.
For area residents looking for more information, visit http://www.eastrockawayfd.org/Join_Now.php or stop by your local firehouse.
