The Volunteer Firefighter™ Magazine

by Angela Outhouse, RN, EMT An ordinary person may not think of first responders as a special group or population, but aren’t we? First responders are a group of people tasked with protecting and keeping people safe in many ways. We respond to emergencies, leave our dinner tables, our children’s…

By Stacey Bruce, Leonard Bus Sales and Cornice Technology Vice President With the enactment of the 2022-2023 New York State Budget, Governor Hochul’s vision of an all-electric school bus fleet has taken a giant step closer to reality. As school districts and transportation companies float bonds to purchase electric school…

You’ve probably come across many articles in firematic communications focusing on the development of leaders in the fire service. What I find to be so unique is the relationship between how we lead in the fire service and how we lead in our daily lives. Whether at work, home, or…

By Michael Capoziello A buddy of mine jokes “when are you going to do a what’s in your pockets article,” insinuating that if you write articles for fire service publications eventually you must do the obligatory “tools in the pockets” article. I never considered doing one, but to be honest…

By Jerry Knapp, Rockland County Fire Training Center Basement fires are especially dangerous because often we are forced to work above the fire, a very bad place to be. One of the key tactical points noted was to get water on the fire quickly. A blinding flash of the obvious…

By Spencer Cheatham, International Association of Fire Chiefs The fire service is known for its love of certificates and certifications. Nearly every firefighter with a few years in has a “love-me book,” a binder full of all their certificates. So, If that is the case, why doesn’t the fire service…

By John M. Buckman III Is this the time for the fire and EMS organizations to be different? Can we reimagine our future? What are the challenges we have today that require innovation and creativity? Now is not the time to accept the status quo. “No”, should not be an…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor The year 2022 is a significant one in the history of our Association as we celebrate 150 years of informing, educating and training the volunteer fire service of the great State of New York. Marking the occasion actually started off in earnest during June…

By Michael Capoziello “Firecom for … an auto accident … overhead traffic light signal down on a car.” Wait … what? “Firecom for … a plane down, caught in overhead power lines.” Where?! “Firecom for … a crane collapse at a construction site.” What the *@#%!? You never know what…

By Jerry Knapp, Rockland County Fire Training Center House fires are our most important alarm. They are where civilians and firefighters die most often. House fires account for 78% of all fire deaths in the U.S., 71% of all injuries to fire and a civilian dies on average every three…

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…

By 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…

This 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…

By 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…

By 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…

This 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…

By 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…

By 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…

By 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…

By John S. D’Alessandro, FASNY Secretary Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of reflections that will be featured in The Volunteer Firefighter magazine leading up to FASNY’s 150th anniversary in August 2022. On a clear summer day in 1872, firemen were congregating in Auburn, New York, for…

In 1872, a group of firemen gathered in upstate New York and founded the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. As we prepare for the 150th Anniversary of the Association in 2022, FASNY leadership not only looked back at its history but also began planning for the next…

Significant media attention has focused on the passage of New York’s “Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act” (“the Act”). While the stated intent of the Act is “to regulate, control, and tax marijuana,” coverage of the Act focused primarily on decriminalization and the ability of adults aged 21 years and older…

By Gunnar L. Neilson, FASNY Past President (1996-1998) Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of reflections that will be featured in The Volunteer Firefighter magazine leading up to FASNY’s 150th anniversary in August 2022. Looking back on my term as President of the greatest fire organization ever…

June 25, 2021, was a big day in FASNY history as we broke ground on renovation of our headquarters in Albany, New York. Plenty of smiles and members of the press were on hand as leadership did the honors. We proudly broke ground on our big renovation of headquarters with…

By Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR Property Restoration The first responder profession is continuously ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in America for a number of reasons. First responders routinely respond to dangerous and gruesome emergencies, and their heroic efforts save lives every day. The weight of this…

By David C. Denniston, ESIP Have you ever done something the same way for so long that you have no idea why you do it that way? For some tasks, that is called a conditioned response, and can be a good thing. Take for example when your pager alerts. Many…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor A racing team is partnering with FASNY to promote the volunteer fire service at the track. In addition to including the FASNY brand on its dirt modified cars, MCR Motorsports features a driver who is also a volunteer firefighter. “We know the importance of…

By Steve Fortunato How did you learn the alphabet? Most of us learned the alphabet through the power of sound. We hear the alphabet song, retain the sounds, and repeat over and over and over again until we have all 26 letters memorized. I’m confident that after reading the last…

By Angela Outhouse, RN, EMT, FASNY Health and Wellness Committee It is becoming widely known that firefighters have an increased risk of developing certain cancers. Firefighters are exposed to toxins in smoke from the combustion of a variety of materials and chemicals. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health…

By Tom Bock, Westchester County Volunteer Firemen's Association Director A lot gets written and discussed about recruitment and retention in the volunteer fire service. And yet, with everything that has been proffered, we continually hear that increasing the fire company or fire department’s ranks seems to be more elusive than…

By David Bullard, Georgia State Firefighters Association President Many organizations have adopted core values. Unfortunately, they tend to end up on posters, signs or other wall decorations. While the words have meaning, they rarely get used in a tangible context. Also, most career and some volunteer departments utilize some form…

By David C. Denniston, ESIP Have you ever been at a wake or calling hours, or at an older person’s birthday party where there was a screen of pictures flashing in the background? How many times have you watched one of those picture reels and thought “I didn’t know that…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor In a challenging year for both recruitment and public events, more than 250 departments chose to host either virtual or traditional open houses for the 11th annual RecruitNY Weekend. After last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, departments across the State bounced…

By Connie Kent Carhart, CPA The IRS charitable classification of a 501c4 is a common classification for many fire service benevolent associations and even some of our incorporated fire companies. If your organization is a 501c4, has it filed the mandatory Form 8976 – Notice of Intent to Operate as…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor The pandemic has added some hurdles in the already-difficult area of recruitment. But, even as we battle COVID challenges, there are ways departments can focus efforts to get through to key groups. Departments are discovering a whole new population to tap into: those working…

By David Denniston, EISP Director of Risk Management Twenty-twenty is a year we will tell our kids and grandkids about for years. This great nation of ours saw a pandemic rock our economy and our communities. We witnessed an election that got uglier by the minute and that never seemed…

By Ali Rothrock, On the Job and Off For the last decade or so, I have been sharing the story of my early experiences in the fire service. While I’ve enjoyed being an active member of many wonderful firehouses, I wasn’t so lucky at the beginning of my career. Because…

By David Denniston, Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York Director In this series to date, we have explored the topic of recruitment and retention by evaluating your needs, setting expectations and completing performance reviews of your membership. In the final installment of this series, we will…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor At South Lockport, the side of the rig promises the fire company is “Fully Staffed by Professional Volunteers.” While recruitment difficulties common to all of the volunteer fire service these days challenge the “fully staffed” portion of that mantra, the statement is emphatically true.…

By David Denniston, Association Of Fire Districts of the State of New York Director If you have been following this series, by now hopefully you have started evaluating your recruitment and retention program. We have discussed having a game plan and the need to set clear expectations of your new…

By Past Chief Tim Boel, VFIS Every day, emergency responders potentially put themselves in harm’s way for the safety of others in the task of protecting our communities. VFIS takes pride in insuring North America’s heroes as the largest provider of insurance, education and consulting services to emergency service organizations…

By Timothy C. Hannigan, FASNY Attorney As volunteer firefighters, each of us knows of a fellow firefighter – whether in our own firehouse or in a neighboring department – whose personal vehicle features a blue light package worth more than the vehicle itself. But is that light setup legal? Probably…

By David Denniston, Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York Director Welcome back! In the last issue, we laid out a game plan to evaluate your department’s recruitment and retention efforts. We explored the idea that recruitment may actually be the easier part of this process. You…

By Dr. Asa Don Brown, Ph.D., C.C.C., D.N.C.C.M., F.A.A.E.T.S. First responders are often compelled to be compassionate, but not all first responders can relate to compassion. While the field encourages compassion, do you really know and fully understand what it is to be compassionate? There is often confusion around the…

By Daryl M. Buornat, FASNY Fire Prevention and Life Safety Committee Vice Chair First, let me start out wishing that this article is finding everyone doing well in these difficult and challenging times. By the time you are reading this article, the recent fire prevention grant applications will have been…

As we wade through uncertain times as a country, there is no doubt that Americans and, more specifically New Yorkers, need help. Our communities need young firefighters now more than ever and that’s one of the reasons FASNY offers two key benefits to them and all volunteer firefighters looking for…

By David Denniston, Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York Director Last year I had the opportunity to visit a neighboring fire department during the RecruitNY Weekend. The event was extremely impressive. The membership had come out in full force, had the equipment and station looking like…

By Timothy C. Hannigan, FASNY Attorney New York’s volunteer firefighters are on the front lines of the State’s battle against Covid-19. While our hope is that you never have to use this information, what follows is an overview of current and pending benefits available to volunteer firefighters in connection with…

RecruitNY 2020 was set to be a record-breaking year as just about 600 departments had stepped up to host an open house with a month to go until the event. Like those hundreds of departments who we thank today, FASNY was looking forward to a spectacular 10th anniversary event. The…

By Joseph R. Cea, Elsmere Fire Co. Sometimes a prospective firefighter walks in the door and the whole company just knows that they are there to stay. More often, in spite of our strong sense of duty, retention has barriers that must be overcome to keep that firefighter involved and,…

Most, if not all, volunteer fire departments have little or no involvement in code enforcement. To most volunteer fire Chiefs, code enforcement, plan review and fire inspections are the purview of the municipal building and/or codes department. With all of the other demands on fire departments, this arrangement is understandable,…

By Tom Rinelli, West Sayville Fire Department In a time of declining membership among volunteer fire departments across the nation, the West Sayville Fire Department has had marked success with the recruitment and retention of new volunteer firefighters. Led by Chief Gary Savino, the West Sayville Fire Department serves a…

By Michael P. Capoziello Winter’s coming. Just like the members of “House Stark,” one should always be prepared. With apologies to “Game of Thrones,” let’s discuss some winter thoughts to contemplate while responding and operating on the fireground during the coming winter months. POV Response Something seldom talked about but…

By Shane M. Liebler, Senior Editor During some of the nation’s darkest hours on September 11, 2001, and in the days and weeks that followed, thousands responded to help. In the years that followed, many thousands have also become sick. There are numerous conditions linked to exposure, including 24 categories…

When the Owego Hose Team set out to restore the iconic Baker Fireman’s Fountain, no one realized the journey they were undertaking. Nor could they imagine the final result that was on full display in downtown Owego this past August at the fountain’s rededication. Standing protectively over the village in…

By Lieutenant Josh Haygood, EMT, Ambulance Company Recruitment Officer A couple of years back, I was asked by my previous EMS company to come up with some new ideas for recruitment. As I’m sure every agency out there can attest, getting new potential members interested in joining isn’t easy. The…

By Matthew Troy, Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department Captain Cruise over the North Channel Bridge in southern Queens and you’ll find yourself suddenly wondering if you’re still in New York City. To the west across Jamaica Bay is the familiar sight of skyscrapers reaching above the horizon, but it lies…

By Captain Michael Koch, Fishers Fire Department The Fishers Fire Department has proudly finished the fourth successful year of its college bunker program and is currently accepting applications for the fall 2019 program. The department's bunker program hosts college students from New York State who are attending local Rochester area…

By Dr. Candice McDonald, Founder of Success Up As the number of volunteer firefighters decreases, it is important for fire service leaders to take a proactive approach in developing strategies to recruit and retain members. Many people are quick to assume offering a financial stipend or moving to a combination…

By Keith Tyson, Firefighter Cancer Support Network Cancer in the fire service is our current reality, but we are beginning to better understand firefighters’ increased risks and cancer’s devastating toll. Cancer can be caused by things we eat, drink, breathe and absorb, including numerous carcinogens found in our fireground and…

By Tiger Schmittendorf, First Arriving One of the biggest challenges faced by today’s emergency services managers is people. Not enough people to respond, not enough people to serve on committees, not enough people to take on added responsibilities, and not enough people to do all the jobs that need to…

By Connie Kent Carhart, CPA “What’s a 501c3?” “Why do we need one?” “Why, if we never needed this before?” Do these questions sound familiar? Are members who have been in your organization for some time asking these questions? They have a point. There was a time when your organization…

With the number of volunteer firefighters on the decline for decades, departments are turning to a key source for recruits. Youth programs – Juniors, Explorers and RAMs – are making a difference in both the lives of youth and department ranks across the state. “If you get one kid from…

By Michael Capoziello Today’s fire service, especially the volunteer fire service, is under a lot of scrutiny from the public at large. Maintaining a healthy, trusting, transparent relationship with the communities you serve should be one of the top priorities of any Chief Officer, Board of Fire Commissioners, Trustees or…

By Kelli LaPage, MS, ATC, LAH, President of WellTrail, Inc. and Vice Chair of the FASNY Health and Wellness Committee Mother taught you it is bad to use the “F word," but the holiday is full of them: Family, Finances, Fantasy and Food can all bring incredible levels of stress…

By Deputy Fire Chief Robert Outhouse, FASNY Recruitment and Retention Committee Today, as we continue to see the numbers of volunteer firefighters dwindling from our departments, many of us are asking why. What are we doing wrong? What can we do better? Recruitment and retention are the two biggest words…

By Norvin Collins, MS EFO The topic of recruiting in the volunteer and combination fire service has been on the minds of leadership for years now. It isn’t a new thought, yet the challenges we are facing are unique to the times. In order to keep our organizations strong and…

By Jeremy Connors, FASNY Recruitment and Retention Committee In order to recruit and retain, you must change your mindset to that of a business. While we continue to scratch our heads on how to recruit and retain members among the ranks of our departments, we might want to take a look…

By Michael J. Klemenz, Upstate Fire Protection Engineering We all know the old fire service adage “Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” But, just what is the “red stuff?” Understanding basic fire chemistry allows us to anticipate a fire’s next move, which comes in quite handy when making…

By David Lewis, Convention Presenter Each day, fire and EMS personnel respond to a variety of routine service calls or emergency incidents in their communities. While most of these incidents are routine and do not present a threat to homeland security, it is necessary to always maintain situational awareness and…

By Joe Pronesti, FASNY Convention Presenter My mistake of getting “sidetracked” on arrival could’ve led to a serious problem on one of my fireground commands. Don’t let yourself be sidetracked at your next serious event. Although I am not a military veteran, I have tons of respect for veterans and…

By Les Baker, FASNY Convention Presenter Establishing command, sizing up the incident and formulating a plan based on good strategies is necessary to proficiently and safely mitigate an MCI. These activities remain constant regardless of the severity of the entrapment and/or patient condition. In addition, responders must have the knowledge…

By Chief Bobby Halton (Ret.), Fire Engineering Magazine Editor in Chief For the past 91 years, firefighters from FASNY have participated in the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International as instructors, attendees, volunteers, exhibitors and keynote speakers. FDIC had, for many years, traveled from state to state. For the past…

By Dr. Karlie Moore, Fit for Duty Consulting Losing weight can be really hard, especially for firefighters. With all the misinformation and nutrition myths out there, it’s no wonder people are confused. Here are three big mistakes I’ve observed throughout my work helping thousands of firefighters to lose weight. Mistake…

By Steve Grogan, Lynbrook Fire Department In 1976, the Lynbrook Fire Department on Long Island organized the first Emerald Society in the volunteer fire service in the country. In its first year, the membership quickly climbed to 75 members. Although most of the firefighters were of Irish heritage, some were…

By David Glenn, FASNY Recruitment and Retention Committee On the last weekend in April each year, fire departments across New York State open their doors to the community and invite in anyone who might be interested joining their ranks. Firefighters work hard to show all the benefits of volunteering to…

By Kelli LaPage, MS, ATC, LAH, FASNY Health and Wellness Committee A new year is upon us and with all of its promises for a new beginning comes a time of reflection for many of us, and a desire to start anew in 2018. Every year, millions of people ring…

By Chief Patrick J. Kenny Ever hear a firefighter complain about the new generation in regard to the lack of volunteerism and “family” concept? Too busy being by themselves in cubicles with their electronic devices? “I remember the good old days when we would go off-duty and leave to go…

Kelli LaPage, MS, ATC, FASNY Health and Wellness Committee Back in August, I was honored to be a part of the FASNY Convention as a member of the Health and Wellness Committee. I always look forward to these events as an opportunity to catch up with members and this year…

By Ed Butler, FASNY Recruitment And Retention Committee Retention – “the continued possession, use or control of something” or, in the case of the fire service: “someone.” Nowadays it’s no longer the challenge of getting new members into a fire department. Rather, it seems more of a challenge to keep…

By Steve Grogan As two 18-year-old twins received their badges as new probationary volunteers in the Lynbrook Fire Department on Long Island in August, two longtime firefighters stood in the back of the room with big smiles. Those two firefighters, Ex-Captain PJ Curran of Truck Company and Ex-Captain Joseph Rice…

On October 11, firefighters from across New York came to Albany to honor their fallen brothers at the 19th Annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony. Under a beautiful autumn sky, the names of eight individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice were added to the memorial wall. While many dignitaries spoke that…

By George Davenport, FASNY Recruitment and Retention Committee Chair Call it whatever you want: onboarding, mentoring, orientation, etc. This is a critical component to growing your membership. First, let’s revisit what we have done in the past to introduce new recruits to our department and examine what has worked and…

By Kenneth Pienkowski, 125th Anniversary of the FASNY Firemen’s Home Committee Chair and Jamie Smith Quinn, Executive Director of the FASNY Museum of Firefighting The FASNY Firemen’s Home in Hudson will be celebrating its 125th anniversary May 19 and 20, 2017. A committee is actively planning a great weekend for…

By Jamie Rockwin, PT, DPT, PN1, FASNY Health and Wellness Committee Vice Chair Springtime marks not only a time of renewal, growth and beauty, but it also spurs a blossoming passion for the parade and drill team season that burns inside many firefighters. Parades and drills bring a wave of…

By Candice McDonald, MA, Firefighter/EMS Officer If you Google “fire chief arrested for theft” you will get over 4 million results. Headlines range from the theft of department equipment to the embezzlement of thousands of dollars. These chiefs are not alone. Firefighters of all ranks have managed to shame the…

By Kelli LaPage, MS, ATC, TWCC The most valuable asset any firefighter has is their body. More valuable than any fire truck, hose or tool, the firefighter’s body is the most important asset when it comes to their job – saving lives. It is the firefighter who makes the life…

By Richard Chudy In 2016, each and every volunteer fire department in New York State will be faced with all of the same issues: recruitment, retention and training. Recruitment Our next generation of volunteer firefighters will be a unique group of individuals. This generation was brought up with the mindset…

By John S. D’Alessandro, FASNY Secretary Democracy is defined as “the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government.” On November 7, a democratic spirit filled the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany as the 2015 FASNY Legislative Conference kicked off. The first…

By Bryant D. Stevens, New York State Fire Administrator As we close out 2015 and move into the new year, I must applaud the statewide fire service organizations on their collaboration with the state Department of Labor and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) in the development of…

By Dr. Christopher F. Nollette, Ed. D., NREMTP, LP My friend and colleague, Chris LeBaudour, has been traveling the country teaching us about ethics and values. Through his presentations, Mr. LeBaudour has awakened our fellow professionals and inspired our students to come to know themselves better by identifying values and…

By John S. D'Alessandro, FASNY Secretary When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage, Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age. Help me embrace a little child before it is too late, Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.…

FASNY members from across the state joined Association leadership in Albany for the 143rd annual celebration of the volunteer fire service August 18-22 at Convention. Volunteer firefighters walked the exhibition floor, attended training sessions and enjoyed many other events, including the inaugural Michael D. Whelan Walk in the Park. More…

Every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm. If you didn’t know that, you’re not alone. An online questionnaire distributed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) showed that less than half (42 percent) of approximately 36,000 respondents did not know that a smoke alarm should be installed in each bedroom…

By Ex-Capt. Steve Grogan, Lynbrook Fire Department He always wanted to be a firefighter. He dreamed it as a child. And he planned on becoming one after he completed his military service. On May 29, that wish came true when wounded warrior and now-discharged U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Dandrea…

  During the week of July 20, juniors and Explorers from 13 different fire companies came together for the newly formed “Camp Fahrenheit 516.” The camp was designed to give these kids first-hand experience. The camp program was designed by the Nassau County Junior Firefighter Association (NCJFA) Board of Directors,…

Every year, more firefighters die in the line of duty because of heart attacks than any other cause. This February, take time during American Heart Month to know your health and learn what you can do to lessen your risks of heart attack and other life-threatening or life-altering conditions. Many…

By Chief Billy Goldfeder I remember years ago watching young firefighters in volunteer companies race to ride the front seat – after all, the radio, the sirens and the horns were the priority. In career departments, firefighters would want to “ride up” when the lieutenant or captain had the day…