Task force, tech school look at teaming up to recruit, retain volunteer firefighters

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) - Volunteer fire departments across the region are in desperate need of new recruits. A task force in New York is looking at solutions and an area tech school wants to be a part of it.

It takes a lot to become a firefighter in New York: mental and physical exams on top of hours of training, both on the job and in the classroom.

The requirements vary based on department, but the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Recruit and Retention Task Force aims to get future firefighters started on all that work earlier.

“Getting into technical schools and being able to start firefighter 1 training at an earlier age,” said Art Bill Streicher of the Volunteer Firefighters Recruitment and Retention Task Force.

One of the solutions offered in the group’s latest call was to team up with the 37 state career and technical schools, and that piqued the interest of CV-TEC in Plattsburgh.

“Absolutely we all know how crucial those services are, especially in our area,” said Michele Friedman, the director of career and technical education at CV-TEC.

The school says it can take a while to create a brand new program, and it would need to hit certain requirements set by the state’s education department.

Friedman says they could help start the conversation with other community partners to see what options are out there to fill the need.

“We know which strengths we have and what our partnering agencies have and we sit together and find a solution,” Friedman said.

She also said they could offer up their school as a venue to hold information sessions, offer a short course for certain skills or host different departments to speak to their students.

“Access students who have an affinity toward the human services like that. There may be many students that did not realize that this opportunity existed and we would be more than willing to assist with those connections,” Friedman said.

Firefighters we spoke with say volunteering is a great way to give back to your community and an excellent opportunity for young people to build leadership skills.

“It doesn’t have to be your life’s work,” Friedman said, “but it will be a skill that you have for your life and it can definitely alter your pathway.”

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NY looking at new ways to recruit, retain volunteer firefighters

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