Historic New York volunteer firefighter shortage drops Long Island to crisis levels, officials warn
Fire departments across New York are warning about a "historic collapse" in volunteer firefighter staffing, which they say is causing a public safety crisis.
Long Island's volunteer firefighter ranks are shrinking to what officials call crisis levels, but any potential fix will take a change in the law.
New York down thousands of volunteer firefighters
New York has 80,000 volunteer firefighters, a steep drop from 120,000 five years ago.
"When the public calls 911, they expect a firetruck or an ambulance to show up out front immediately, and when we can't get the volunteers down to the department to do that, we gotta figure out how to bolster their ranks," said David Denniston, with the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York.
In Nassau County, Floral Park Center Fire Department closed weeks ago, while other departments are pooling manpower to get firetrucks and ambulances out the door.
"At least a half a dozen departments that have closed down throughout New York State last year alone because of membership," said Ralph Raymond, of the New York State Association of Fire Districts.
A house fire Friday in Mineola required five departments to respond to put it out.
"The problem is it takes more fire departments to be alerted now," Nassau Fire Marshal Mike Uttaro said.
An outdated system, officials say
Volunteer firefighting dates back centuries in New York, but officials says it's outdated and time to start paying.
"He has to work, she has to work, we gotta get a babysitter. Why can't we give a little stipend?" said Bill Theis, of the Long Island Legislative fire District.
"It could be minimum wage. It could be an allotment for standing by," Raymond said.
Fire commissioners need approval from Albany for nominal pay, which is already offered to volunteer firefighters in New Jersey and Connecticut.
The alternative?
"It would be $5 billion in the State of New York to have paid firemen," Theis said.
Each fire district would have to figure out how to come up with the money.
Fire commissioners say they do not want state or county takeovers of their departments, but they do want the tools to keep community fire departments serving and saving lives.