Westhampton Beach Fire Department Hosts Recruitment Event

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Amidst state and nationwide concerns regarding decreased volunteer membership and a dramatic uptick in call volume, the Westhampton Beach 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 Westhampton Beach Fire Department will open its doors on Sunday, April 24 so residents can learn how they can serve. The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the firehouse, located at 92 Sunset Avenue in Westhampton Beach.

Visitors will be able to learn about what it takes to become a volunteer firefighter in the community. Firefighters will be on hand to answer questions, demonstrate equipment, and offer tours of the Sunset Avenue firehouse. The event also includes firefighting and rescue demonstrations and firefighters will be on hand to discuss the benefits of volunteering as interior firefighters, exterior firefighters, and members of the fire police.

For additional information call 631-288-1255 or 631-553-4622.

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.