The Fire Service stakeholders elected by the residents of New York State are once again being forced to defend themselves after mischaracterizations and non-factual data provided by FASNY in response to Fire Service leaders informing residents about a potential public safety issue. 

We never once said the volunteer fire service was in disarray. We would never diminish the commitment from the 80,000 dedicated volunteers across the state.  Our plan is something that would help the volunteers by providing nominal compensation for their hard work, not further diminish the numbers. 

The proof is in the data. The number of volunteers has fallen more than 7 percent per year over the last 10 years from a peak of 110,000.  Six volunteer departments were forced to shut down in 2025 because of a lack of volunteers. 

Nominal compensation is a tool in the toolbox that we believe would help with both recruitment and retention. 

It’s not a program that all fire districts would be forced to use; it’s a program that would be optional, should each district deem it necessary to help keep our neighborhoods safer. 

We remain committed to working collaboratively with all fire service partners to strengthen recruitment, retention and operational effectiveness across the state. 

Ralph Raymond
Second vice president, Association of Fire Districts
Selkirk, NY