Welcome to The Volunteer Firefighter™, the official magazine of FASNY.
FASNY’s publication strives to bring topical, educational and entertaining information to the volunteer emergency service decision-makers and volunteers throughout New York State. It offers feature articles and columns directly relating to the emergency services, as well as editorial content, training and education opportunities, legislation, fire prevention and life safety articles, and real-life experiences. Read the most recent news and insights below.
By Timothy Hannigan, FASNY General Counsel FASNY has long advocated for an amendment to the law to allow fire departments to engage in cost recovery (billing) for ambulance services provided by a fire department or fire company. We are pleased to report that, in partnership with the New York State…
Read moreDepartments once again engaged their communities and grew their membership during RecruitNY Weekend on April 23 and 24. More than 450 fire organizations hosted open houses to attract attention and sign up new volunteers in communities from Long Island to Buffalo and many, many places in between. Potential recruits were…
Read moreBy Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator The mission of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is to support and strengthen the fire and emergency medical services to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. The logo of the eagle represents the federal presence and support of the nation’s…
Read moreThis is it. The annual Convention is the peak of FASNY’s 150th anniversary year and we’ll be in Tarrytown to celebrate. We hope to see you there! A trip to Tarrytown offers visitors the perfect complement of history, dining, shopping and nature. From the majestic Hudson River views to its…
Read moreBy Jerry Knapp, Rockland County Fire Training Center Natural gas and propane leaks are a common call for most fire departments in New York. Strategic and tactical size up of releases of these explosive gases is the real challenge for us on-scene and the focus of this article. Natural gas…
Read moreBy Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor Like the majority of volunteer fire departments in New York State, Rosendale and Tillson were in serious need of members. And like many New York State FDs, they needed some form of outreach that encouraged folks in their respective communities to join them. That…
Read moreThis article is the second part of a two-part series on youth programs in the volunteer fire service. Please refer to the November/December 2021 issue of The Volunteer Firefighter for Part 1 dealing with restricted member firefighters. This article addresses Explorer programs and “statutory youth programs” authorized by General Municipal…
Read moreBy Jerry DeLuca, Red Cross State Relations Disaster Liaison As a longtime volunteer firefighter, former Assistant Chief, and current Deputy County Fire Coordinator, I have been at the scene of many fires. Admittedly, calling the Red Cross was not on my mind when a household was impacted. I often thought…
Read moreBy Eriks Gabliks, National Fire Academy Superintendent The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control demonstrated tremendous foresight when they recommended the establishment of the National Fire Academy (NFA) in its seminal report, America Burning. This report identified that both career and volunteer fire and EMS providers have a national…
Read moreBy John M. Buckman III “We don’t have enough volunteers.” “We don’t have enough money.” Those two statements are made by fire Chiefs all across the nation. The question I would ask the fire Chief, “How much is enough?” and if you had enough, how would it change outcomes? What…
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