Looking for a few brave souls

When danger beckons, they run towards it, when the rest of us run away. Do you have what it takes?
Nearly 400 volunteer fire departments across New York state will open their doors this weekend in an initiative to draw new volunteers into their ranks.
Among the participating departments will be both the Ravena and Coeymans Hollow departments, along with Altamont, Elsmere and North Bethlehem.
“Recruit NY is a statewide program designed to recruit new members to the volunteer fire service,” said Jack Dennis, secretary of the Coeymans Hollow Board of Fire Commissioners for Fire District No. 3 and a fire police lieutenant. “As numbers dwindle and current firefighters and EMTs are aging, communities need to support their local volunteers by becoming members. Our doors will be open on Saturday, April 29, for you to see what your neighbors are doing and to ask questions on how you can help.”
“All of our local fire departments work together with the goal of protecting our communities,” Dennis added.
On Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, hundreds of volunteer fire departments statewide will take part in Recruit NY, now in its seventh year. Locally, activities will take place on Saturday.
Recruit NY is an initiative of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, or FASNY.
“Members of the public are invited to visit their local firehouses, where volunteer firefighters will be conducting tours of their facilities, demonstrating firefighting techniques and allowing visitors to try on turnout gear,” according to a statement from FASNY. “These activities, and more, will give visitors a taste of what it means to be in the fire service, and volunteer firefighters will be on hand to discuss the requirements and rewards of joining. All are welcome and encouraged to attend, including families with children.”
As an example of some of the activities that have been offered at previous Recruit NY events, in 2015 members of the Ravena fire company demonstrated proper ladder climbing techniques, promoted fire safety, and showed how firefighters in full gear can navigate through a narrow pipe using training equipment called a “mask confidence tube,” to get used to working in confined spaces.
For the volunteers who donate their time to firefighting in their communities, it can be a valuable experience they cherish.
“Joining the volunteer fire service has been the most rewarding experience of my life, and I know I am not alone in saying that,” said FASNY President Ken Pienkowski in a statement. “Hundreds of volunteer fire departments across New York will be participating in Recruit NY, and we invite all New Yorkers to visit with their local firehouses. Visitors may be surprised to find their very own neighbors and friends already serving in the fire department, and just may be inspired to join them in protecting the community.”
Volunteer firefighters are also a big component of the state’s economy, according to FASNY. An economic impact report released by the organization in 2016 indicated that volunteer fire services provide big savings to local communities. Statewide, if volunteer forces were to be replaced with an all-paid fire service, the cost would be $3.87 billion, and could be expected to raise state taxes by an estimated 26.5 percent — and that doesn’t count the cost of acquiring facilities and equipment for a paid service.
The savings can also be felt at the local level, Dennis said.
“Volunteers save their communities thousands and thousands of tax dollars every year by volunteering their time to their communities,” Dennis said.
Volunteer firefighting services have a long history in the United States, he added, beginning in 1736 when Benjamin Franklin saw the need for bands of volunteers — back then dubbed “fire brigades” — to protect lives and property.
“A fire that was not brought under control quickly could destroy an entire city,” Dennis said. “Volunteer firefighting continues to exist today throughout the whole country, and the need for volunteer firefighters continues to grow throughout the United States.”
There will be plenty going on this weekend for prospective volunteers or those who are interested in what their local volunteer fire companies do.
A multi-department event for both Greene and Albany county fire departments will be held on Saturday in Mosher Park in Ravena from 1-4 p.m. Visitors will be able to meet with volunteer firefighters, check out their equipment and watch live demonstrations.
At the same time, the Coeymans Hollow firehouse will hold an open house at their facility on Route 143 in Coeymans Hollow in conjunction with Alcove Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to seeking out new firefighters, local fire departments could also use volunteers in other capacities, such as EMTs, fire police and auxiliaries.
For more information, please visit www.recruitny.org.