Lost Acres Fire Department Recruitment Hosts Open House

The Lost Acres Fire Department will be hosting a Recruitment Open House on Saturday 4/9 from 10-2. April 9, 2016 is Volunteer Firefighter Day in Connecticut, as declared by Governor Malloy. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. more than 60 fire departments will hold open houses at more than 80 locations throughout the state. We’re kicking off National Volunteer Week (April 10 - 16) and working to get out the word about the need for more volunteer firefighters and other department personnel. Connecticut has more than 300 fire departments staffed by over 26,000 firefighters. Eighty-three percent of all fire personnel in Connecticut are professionally trained volunteers, and the majority of fire departments throughout the state are experiencing a volunteer shortage. Local fire departments need volunteers of all skill levels and abilities, people willing and able to respond to emergencies whenever called upon, as well as support personnel such as fire police, administrative assistants, and more. Volunteer firefighters can be called upon 24 hours per day, seven days per week to abandon the warmth and comfort of their homes in the middle of the night or during a holiday celebration, leave the fun of family gatherings on sunny summer afternoons, enter burning buildings, rescue stranded hikers and struggling swimmers, extricate victims from automobiles, and more. Volunteer firefighters save their communities millions of dollars every year. The majority of fire departments throughout Connecticut are experiencing a volunteer shortage. Volunteer Firefighter Day is part of Everyday Hero CT, a program dedicated to increasing the number of volunteer firefighters throughout the state. A partnership of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association (CFCA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the Everyday Hero CT campaign is a two-year Volunteer Workforce Solutions (VWS) initiative designed to address the shortage of volunteer firefighters in Connecticut. It is helping achieve a viable and sustainable volunteer firefighter workforce for 15 Connecticut fire departments. Everyday Hero CT is funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant awarded to the CFCA by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a model to enhance the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Since 2014, Everyday Hero CT Has been working with 15 fire departments throughout Connecticut. To date, the program has received 399 volunteer applications, brought in 249 new members, and held 657 recruitment/retention events. The skills and experience gained as a volunteer firefighter are invaluable and have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of others. Those who join their local fire departments sign up for one of the most rewarding opportunities they’ll ever have. Interested volunteers should visit www.EverydayHeroCT.org or call 1-800-Fire-Line.