Local Leaders Discuss Difficulty in Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment

Jonathan Schultz, Director of Niagara County Emergency Services and the county’s Fire Coordinator, was joined by Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey, Assemblyman Paul Bologna, Senator Rob Ortt, Assemblyman Angelo Morinello and Andrew Pileck, Fire Chief of Wendellville and the local representative from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, at a meeting in Friday in Wilson.  The discussion focused on challenges many communities face in the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.  Several local lawmakers called for passage of legislation that would encourage more folks to become volunteer firefighters.

“Being a volunteer firefighter used to be about community members coming together to help serve their neighbors, but it has grown much more complicated than that,” said Schultz. “Today, the training requirements have grown substantially, as has the time commitment, making it difficult for people to balance volunteer service with work and family obligations.  We need to find ways to make it feasible and enticing for people to join the ranks of our local fire companies.”