Photos: Pleasantville FD Hosts Open House

The opened its doors to the community for a charity pancake breakfast and open house today.

Proceeds from the breakfast and t-shirts sold at the event will benefit the Firefighters Burn Center and volunteer departments of Schoharie County in upstate New York, an area devastated by Hurricane Irene in August.

"We want to give the public a firsthand view of what we do and make it a little easier for anyone who does have an inclination to volunteer to be able to do so," said Chief Bruce LaMonica in a statement.

Informational brochures and demonstrations were available for interested members of the community as part of a statewide Recruit NY effort.

"Here in Pleasantville, we're really a cross-section of society, with blue collar workers, professionals, young members, seasoned veterans, men and women," said Brian McGowan, chair of the department's membership committee, who said the rewards of joining the volunteer department are "priceless."

For more information about the Pleasantville Fire Department, visit its website.