Nassau, Suffolk fire departments hope to boost declining volunteer ranks at recruitment events
The Jericho Fire Department, on Route 106/107, is among the Long Island firehouses holding recruitment events this weekend. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
More than 60 volunteer fire departments in Nassau and Suffolk counties will host recruiting events this weekend in an effort to attract new members to fill thinning ranks.
Statewide, volunteer membership has fallen by a third since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The annual drive, known as Recruit NY, is sponsored by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), and uses the motto "Is There a Fire in You?" It comes as the association finds itself in a battle with the Association of Fire Districts of New York, the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, New York State Fire Coordinator's and the Long Island Firefighters Legislative Committee over how to retain volunteers and attract new ones.
On Friday, FASNY secretary John D'Alessandro, a Ronkonkoma native, said: "The fire service is like one big family ... and, while each of the organizations has a different perspective on how to get there, we're all striving for the same goal — to provide the best response for our communities. ... Recruit NY ... helps attract new members ... since most people don't realize these departments really are 100% volunteer."
Statewide, officials estimate volunteer firefighting staffing levels dropped from 120,000 volunteers to 80,000 since 2001.
The latest statistics suggest the number of volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel dropped to about 10,000 in Suffolk and about 6,600 in Nassau. The Nassau numbers are down about 4,000 since 9/11, according to the most recent census, conducted in 2022. No definitive numbers are available for Suffolk. Long island has about 180 fire departments, including 70 in Nassau.
"Recruit NY is one of the most important events [on the] volunteer fire service calendar, as it provides a coordinated and well-publicized avenue to open the doors to our fire service world, to invite the communities we serve to be a part of our mission — to help our neighbors in their time of need, fire, rescue or EMS," Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said in a Friday statement.
"FASNY Recruit NY is an important event to showcase the incredible dedication of our volunteer firefighters and to help recruit future generations to serve their community in the same capacity," Rudy Sunderman, commissioner of Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, said in a Friday email.
Though statistics are not available, officials said the Recruit NY drive, now in its 17th year, has attracted thousands of new volunteers on Long Island.
Longtime Syosset Fire Department veteran Rob Leonard, a former deputy director of public information for the FDNY, said of the campaign: "It's firefighter recruitment time — and, at the end of the day, we always need more firefighters."
"Getting somebody on board to join a department can take three to six months," Leonard said, "and, really, it takes a year to a year-and-a-half to get a fully trained firefighter out of an application."
About 20 Nassau departments and at least 40 Suffolk departments have signed up to be part of the Recruit NY campaign with open house events on Saturday and Sunday.
Volunteers can receive tax-deferred retirement benefits through a Length of Service Award Program, as well as workers' compensation payments. They also can qualify for a stipend to cover training expenses, as well as tax credits for qualified property owners.
A list of participating fire departments is available at FASNY's Recruit NY website.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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