OUR VIEW: Plan to visit your volunteer FD

The value of our volunteer firefighters goes without saying. It is among the most honorable ways anyone can serve their community.

Without recruitment and the new members it brings in, we’re all in trouble.

That’s why the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) created RecruitNY. It provides an opportunity for local volunteer fire departments to open their doors not only to let the community take a peek behind the scenes, but also to woo potential members that are so critical to the operation.

Check it out this weekend.

Family obligations, work schedules and other factors have been cited in recent years for the decline in volunteer firefighters. That makes recruitment efforts even more important. Communities rely on their volunteer firefighters today not only when fire strikes, but also for many other services ranging from medical emergencies to flooded basements. Their worth cannot be calculated.

Remember, too, that you needn’t necessarily volunteer to fire fires. This weekend’s open houses will also provide you with information on how you might volunteer your time and talent to serve your local department in other ways. Take the time Saturday or Sunday to visit your local department and see how you might help.

A wide range of area departments will conduct open houses this weekend – Saturday and Sunday – or both days. They’d love you to stop by.

Oneida County

Saturday

Deerfield, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Floyd, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; McConnellsville, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; New Hartford, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Oriskany, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Verona, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Western, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Woodgate, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Yorkville, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday

Otter Lake, 9 a.m. to noon; Whitesboro, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Herkimer County

Saturday

Frankfort, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Poland, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday

Frankfort Hill, noon to 4 p.m.; Newport, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday

Cedarville, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon Sunday; Dolgeville, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

For more information, visit http://www.recruitny.org