LI Joins State Recruitment Effort For Volunteer Firefighters

LONG ISLAND, NY —Nassau County is joining a state-wide effort to recruit new volunteer firefighters this week. Numbers of volunteers at local fire houses declined in 2020 and the RecruitNY campaign is designed to drum up interest, and connect those interested with local fire departments.

On Tuesday, Nassau County Exec. Laura Curran will hold a news conference in Syosset officially kicking off the recruitment weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, local fire houses on Long Island will have virtual or in-person open houses, hoping to engage with potential new volunteers.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to decreased volunteer membership but an increased call demand on local resources. This will be the 11th annual recruitment week from RecruitNY, after a pandemic paused last year's event.

Fireman's Association, county fire officials and volunteer firefighters will be on hand at Tuesday's news conference to outline their efforts.

The Fireman's Association of the State of New York points out that the pandemic has opened up new opportunities for volunteers, like those newly-working remotely.

"At Syosset Fire Department on Long Island, some work-from-home members even opted to pack up the laptop and work from the fire department during the day. At the least, people have had their commutes cut out, freeing up time for training classes that might not have existed before," a recruitment article on their website mentioned.