Southold Fire Department Hosts Recruitment Open House Event

SOUTHOLD, NY — Amidst state and nationwide concerns regarding decreased volunteer membership and a dramatic uptick in call volume, the Southold Fire Department is hosting a recruitment in the hopes of bolstering its ranks.

Local volunteers, the heartbeat of a community dependent on their services in the event of sometimes catastrophic emergencies, are stretched thin, officials across the board agree.

To that end, as part of the annual RecruitNY statewide initiative, the Southold Fire Department will open its doors on April 23 so residents can learn how they can serve. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the firehouse, located at 55135 Main Road in Southold.

Throughout the day, those attending can learn about different apparatuses and ways to help make a difference in the community and serve as volunteers with the Southold Fire Department.

"We invite you to hear firsthand what being a first responder in our community is about," the SFD said. "Please come join us on April 23 and meet the men and women of the Southold Fire Department."

Volunteer fire departments across New York State are struggling with decreased membership and increased call volume, officials agree.

The growing concern is not unique to the North Fork: According to the Cortland Voice, the shortage of volunteers, coupled with a spike in call volume, has sparked issues in many communities.

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, of the 29,705 fire departments nationwide, 19,112 are all volunteer, and 5,206 are mostly volunteer.

The NVFC indicated that the number of volunteer firefighters reached a low nationwide of 682,600 in 2017, while call volume has tripled in the past 30 years. In addition, the NVFC said, the volunteer population is an aging one.

Established in 2011, RecruitNY is an undertaking of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York.